Cost of Septic?

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I am reminded of something, via a Dm someone sent me about the EPA trying to bust someone for greywater not being treated.

If you do separate your blackwater from your greywater, only your blackwater actually needs to be flowing into your leechfield.

Folks do separate one from the other sometimes to lessen the quantity going into their leechfield. In the hopes of stretching the life of their leechfield.

Keep this a secret, but keeping the soaps out of the septic and leachfield is a good thing.

[SportFury59]

By allowing your wash machine and shower/bath gray water to flow on top of ground, I bet you are extending your leachfield (drain field) life by many years. It's against the law here but think about it - that gray water is being filtered by several additional feet of sand/soil before it gets to the ground water. I would think that's a good thing. One bad thing is that the soap scum accumulates on top of ground and can become a mess. But if you have a flexible drain hose, it can be moved around a bit to prevent buildups. Some laws are strange - for example, I am building a new detached garage (for my '59 Sport Fury of course my township says I can have a floor drain but drain has to exit building above grade, which is good. Neighboring township has law stating garage floor drain has to be hooked up to city sewer system, which could be expensive. Go figure.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by AustinB

Keep this a secret, but keeping the soaps out of the septic and leachfield is a good thing.

Sand too.

Those big boxes of laundry detergent have fillers to make a small amount of soap to fill a huge box.

Those fillers clog septic tanks, and clog leech lines.

[Cornerguy1]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Sand too.

Those big boxes of laundry detergent have fillers to make a small amount of soap to fill a huge box.

Those fillers clog septic tanks, and clog leech lines.

Heavy solids of any type should not find there way into a leech field assuming the septic tank has been designed correctly and has been maintained properly.

[island mermaid]

Originally Posted by Cornerguy1

Heavy solids of any type should not find there way into a leech field assuming the septic tank has been designed correctly and has been maintained properly.

WOW! That's eactly what the rest of us were thinking too! CG can read minds....

[Submariner]

Some states and towns require a pump out every 2 years to keep the septic from filling with solids.

I have seen homes where the septic had not been pumped out for 20 years.



Cornerguy - you are correct. In theory a septic that has been pumped routinely should never fill with solids. If the tank never fills then solids should never find their way into the leech lines.

Our septic tank has an above ground connection on it that allows it to be pumped out at will. The pump out connection takes it's suction from the bottom of the tank. By having this connection we do not have to dig to access the tank for pumping.

[chaosX5]

I grew up with septic. In 25 years our septic never needed pumping, and we had a house full of people too. I'd be pretty upset that I HAD to pump out a septic tank if it didn't need it........

[Cornerguy1]

Originally Posted by chaosX5

I grew up with septic. In 25 years our septic never needed pumping, and we had a house full of people too. I'd be pretty upset that I HAD to pump out a septic tank if it didn't need it........

If you wait until your septic tank needs pumping, it's likely too late.


Look at pump outs as a form of insurance.

In my neck of the woods, a pump out for an average size house tank goes for about $150. The cost of replacing a weeping bed can run anywhere from $1000 to $15000 depending on how much upgrading is necessary to meet the current code.

Notwithstanding the inconvenience of not being able to flush your toilet, the $150 spent every couple of years seems like money well spent.