Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Well Crap! Septic System Has Died.

Was getting some kickback through our lowest drain a few weeks back. Had the tank pumped and it's happening again. Flow is good from the house to the tank, but I think the 38-year-old drain field is dead. When we had it pumped there was standing water right up to the top of the tank. Noticed too last summer the green spot out back seemed a little smaller than normal, but all was working well then. Likely going to do a whole new system and praying we can cut back and make it to the spring thaw without any serious regurgitations. No desire to move to the travel trailer in this weather.

Code says I need 220 ft of drain field, and metal tank is probably on its last legs as well. I could buy several fine rifles wtih $10K. If it weren't for bad luck........

Dig up your d-box. Could be full of solids or tp. Or tree roots in the solid line from the tank to d-box.

Before you totally write it off

I would, but did not install the system and have no idea where it might be.

ABSOLUTELY!

My system here in Virginia is WAY UNDERSIZED... and 75+ years old...

Works perfectly with basic maintenance and a pump out every 5 or so years.

$10K was pre Covid prices.

I would get a good septic guy out there to properly diagnose the issue. Again, make sure it is a “good” septic guy. I had a guy come out to pump my tanks this year and he didn’t know a lot of basics on septic systems.

Do you have risers on your tanks? Does your system have a pump? If yes to a pump, is it hard wired or not?

If a plumber has a tracker he can flush down the toilet and if it gets stuck in the d-box you can locate it that way. If it ends up in the septic then the d-box is probably not the issue. Might be worth a try.

God help you if you used flush-able wipes and it got past the septic tank…

I put in 1/2 the linear distance with chamber sections vs 4” perforated pipe. Did an auxillary system on my home to serve an additional new bathroom and as a reserve of my current system needs a resting period.

I rented a backhoe for a for week for about $1200

Had a concrete company that builds tanks bring me a new tank out 1000 gallon, for $700. He set it in the hole and I think all of chamber sections were less than $500

Me and my bud knocked it out in 3 afternoons. This was about 6 years ago.

That metal tank dates the system, but you might check with the local building/environmental dept for an "as-built" drawing of the system, typically filed with septic permit/inspection docs. It will help locate the d-box and lines.

Before you spend a bunch, try some of this Roebic Drain Field cleaner. I was having problems a few years ago with water standing on top of the lines. I tried this just to see what would happen and it actually worked. Within a month or so, the field dried out. Since then, I've used quart every 6 months or so. At the time, my MIL was living with us and between her and my wife, the TP usage was enormous. This stuff seemed to dissolve it better. Supposedly it opens the pours in the soil.

Good luck with it 1minute.

Hope you can make due until the spring thaw, not this one we're having now.

Man, I feel your pain. Some good advice above..

At least my aerobic system failure did result in a bunch of digging.

Get the tanks pumped out and go from there. Hopefully it won't be as expensive as first thought.

Sounds like your divider effluent baffle is collapsed or non existent in that tank

The ‘chunky stew’ is getting over to the ‘broth’ side and yummy jiblets are making it out to the perforated pipes and sliming over the holes.

The Roebic could help.
During COVID, folks have flushing their used sanitized wipes. There is enough residual that in quantity will kill the bacteria in tank leading to build-up of "sludge". If tank was filled and sludge leached into the drainfield, it can shut down the field (which may be what you observed last summer), so you will need an a hot-load of enzyme to reboot the system,

Another thing

Do you have Orangeburg pipe (titeline) before acutally getting the goods into the tank. That crap is simply tar paper pipe and can get rooted up

Yep, Slumlord is right. BTDT, very do-able, rent a hoe, drop in a tank, box and chambers, add a case of beer for your bud, and you've got plenty of green left over for another rifle.

Good luck !

Texas A&M did a study, and they indicated that polyester fibers (from polyester clothes in the washing machine), were responsible for clogging up the leach field of many systems. Basically clogs up the “biomat” of goo/bacteria, and makes it “waterproof” to the point that liquids can’t penetrate through to the soil.

What he said!

Tp used in the house should be septic tank friendly, most are not!

If you have to replace the field piping install the leach panels for sure instead of the perforated pipe. Maybe the same as what Slum’s talking about.

1minute, my system was all jacked up when we moved in the t111 shack. This tree was planted right on top of the lines.



When I dug the tree out I discovered the roots running right down through the drainrock along the pipes, but not inside the pipe, which I thought was curious.



I decided to put a bunch of new line in the drainfield and when I did I discovered that the old drainfield was 18" too high to drain. The only drainfield that had actually functioned was less than 20' right by the tank. The rest of the system was too high and bone dry.



The tree roots took the path of least resistance and followed along the pipe in the gravel. If there had been water inside the pipe they would have grown right inside and clogged the drainfield. Never underestimate trees and the damage they can do to your drainfield.

It took 4 days to install a new system all by my lonesome, including running a new line to the garage from the tank for the bathroom that I am just now installing. Rent a machine if you don't own one and tear it up. Just remember, water goes downhill.