Only you can tell me... (Portland, Bangor: utilities, live, shop)

[msina]

"The Grass Is Always Greener Ove The Septic Tank"

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by msina

"The Grass Is Always Greener Ove The Septic Tank"

That's right msina! It's the first place that sprouts in the spring! I knew a guy that planted tulips on his tank and they would be up when there was still snow in his yard!

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by boonskyler

Mainesh, What type of septic system you have that cost $ 25,000.

An expensive one! They had to tear half of the old leach field out, build a temporary road across across a field to get to it. Have a concrete cutting company come in to cut through the 18 inch concrete wall we have down cellar for a new outlet pipe,install a new tank, extend out the old leach field with three feet of crushed rock, covered by sand, gravel and eventually loam, remove the temporary road, clean that up and loam it and hydroseed the whole area. They were here for weeks. I thought it was reasonable for the work they had done. We spent over $25,000 remodeling the kitchen and there was no heavy equipment invloved.

[msina]

When we were kids the septic area had a split rail fence around it and there were flowers, Hostas, Gladiolas and Irises I remember... planted inside the fence ring.

[boonelsewhere]

that is expensive for a typical system that does not have a filtation system that make the discharge water so clean that can be re use. i hope your is an axceptional not a norm for cost to have a septic system in Maine.
i plan to build a cabin is Ellsworth in coming summer, don't want to have the septic cost stop the project.

Originally Posted by Maineah

An expensive one! They had to tear half of the old leach field out, build a temporary road across across a field to get to it. Have a concrete cutting company come in to cut through the 18 inch concrete wall we have down cellar for a new outlet pipe,install a new tank, extend out the old leach field with three feet of crushed rock, covered by sand, gravel and eventually loam, remove the temporary road, clean that up and loam it and hydroseed the whole area. They were here for weeks. I thought it was reasonable for the work they had done. We spent over $25,000 remodeling the kitchen and there was no heavy equipment invloved.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by boonskyler

that is expensive for a typical system that does not have a filtation system that make the discharge water so clean that can be re use. i hope your is an axceptional not a norm for cost to have a septic system in Maine.
i plan to build a cabin is Ellsworth in coming summer, don't want to have the septic cost stop the project.

You have to remember I'm in Cumberland County where everything costs twice as much as it does for the rest of Maine. My plumber charged me $200.00 to put in just a shower drain last month. It took him 15 minutes and he used my caulking. They don't figure their prices by the hour they figure them by how much your house is worth. Since ours is valued at around $460,000 they figure they can stick it to us....and they do. About ten years ago I had another plumber come over and check our septic tank before we replaced the system. I had the top all shoveled off and all he did was lift up the cover and tell me it needed pumping. He charged me $100.00 for that! Later I heard from another friend of mine that plumber had said because we owned a Saab we could afford to pay him $100.00 for doing nothing. That guy eventually lost a lot of good customers over that incident.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by msina

When we were kids the septic area had a split rail fence around it and there were flowers, Hostas, Gladiolas and Irises I remember... planted inside the fence ring.

It's always a good place to find worms when you want to go fishing in the spring and the rest of the yard is still frozen!

[Have loved it from afar]

Maineah,

See? Now you know why I'd be septic tank-challenged! And I'd be that person to send in the photo! Oh well, we southerners are happy to be the source of humor if we can just live up there in the Maine beauty!

I'm still interested in geothermal - I can only IMAGINE what heating oil will be next winter if these oil costs stay up. Anyone want to crack out the crystal ball & hazard a guess per gallon? Or is it too terrifying a prospect to consider?

As to septic (now MAYBE a possibility) and geothermal, I'd rather just install new (unless an existing system was brand new & super energy-efficient) and KNOW what I should expect. Hey! How about routing that "warmth" from the septic system to the geothermal?

Thanks for your reply! You all are great!!!!!

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Have loved it from afar

Maineah,

See? Now you know why I'd be septic tank-challenged! And I'd be that person to send in the photo! Oh well, we southerners are happy to be the source of humor if we can just live up there in the Maine beauty!

I'm still interested in geothermal - I can only IMAGINE what heating oil will be next winter if these oil costs stay up. Anyone want to crack out the crystal ball & hazard a guess per gallon? Or is it too terrifying a prospect to consider?

As to septic (now MAYBE a possibility) and geothermal, I'd rather just install new (unless an existing system was brand new & super energy-efficient) and KNOW what I should expect. Hey! How about routing that "warmth" from the septic system to the geothermal?

Thanks for your reply! You all are great!!!!!

You get used to septic tanks and really they don't act up that often. Ours gave us trouble after a neighbor down the road decided to raise the level of a pond behind his house by 3 feet. That also raised the ground water level and flooded the leach fields of all of the septic systems on our side of the road, four in all. We can't prove definitively that the raising of the pond level is what ruined the leach beds but you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to put the two together. As far as the price of heating oil goes they say we're looking at at least $4.00 a gallon for home heating fuel next winter. That's about $1100.00 to fill a typical 275 gallon tank....OUCH. We're installing a wood stove, buying 7 cords of wood and installing an on-demand water heater this summer.

[Elcarim]

Originally Posted by Have loved it from afar

Elcarim,

I'm in the Dallas area. I believe, from reading earlier posts, that your in Houston where I always joke that you need GILLS for the humidity. But you have FABULOUS health centers down there for cancer & heart (unfortunately, been there for both with relatives). I love the people of Texas but after 30+ years here, I'm ready to escape the climate (LOVE your "location" on the thread!) People in the north think we're crazy to want to come to their cold winters, but I think they need to come to Texas in July or August to "experience" our summers. As I say, you can always add layers of clothing, but there's only so much you can legally take off in the summertime!

Yep! I know. I can only run so much nekkid before the neighbors will start calling the PD! It is miserable to walk outside in the summer and instantly be soaked to the skin because of humidity as thick as fog. Definitely my personal version of hell!

I'm not very familiar with the areas you're looking into or I'd comment on them, but I do wish you luck. I believe with all my heart that there is a lifestyle for everyone in Maine!

See you there!