Septic tank question

[deeda]

Sounds good about the separate drains!

You may even get lucky and the health department has a line drawing map of your system layout as well as the equipment used and maybe even the installer.

 

[deeda]

BTW, don't go into any detail when you ask for info from authorities about your septic system, just say you just bought the house and you are trying to find info about the proper way to care for it!

I'm not saying to do anything wrong about your future plans but many communities are stepping up with monitoring private sewage systems so that the watershed stays healthy and won't be impacted poorly by under maintained or overflow situations.

I'd be surprised if you weren't required to get an inspection of the system prior to the closing of the house. In my area, I was required to have my system pumped out and tested prior to closing.

 

[jaws7777]

BTW, don't go into any detail when you ask for info from authorities about your septic system, just say you just bought the house and you are trying to find info about the proper way to care for it!

I'm not saying to do anything wrong about your future plans but many communities are stepping up with monitoring private sewage systems so that the watershed stays healthy and won't be impacted poorly by under maintained or overflow situations.

I'd be surprised if you weren't required to get an inspection of the system prior to the closing of the house. In my area, I was required to have my system pumped out and tested prior to closing.

All good points. Gonna email the builder as he shoulf have the septic installers info being that its a new community and are still putting up houses

 

[skjl47]

is it possible that i could flood the septic tank ?

Hello; I guess it depends on what is meant by "flood" the tank. As another has mentioned the tanks I am familiar with have an outlet for the liquid that leads into a drain field of lengths of some sort of pipe or other such way to disperse the liquid. The tanks are normally full up to the outlet opening so excess water may overwhelm the drain field for a time and in a sense flood the system. Will depend on the soil type I guess.

why don't you drain either outside or into a sink?

Hello; All my sinks, tubs and toilets empty into my septic system and this is common around my area. I have personally known of only one house with a separate "grey water" plumbing for sinks.

It shouldn't flood the tank. Waste water goes into the septic tank (which has baffles in it) from your house where solids settle out. There will be a hole near the top of the tank, on the opposite end from where it the waste enters, through which the liquid will exit and either drain to the leach field or get pumped to the leach field (depending on location of the leach field). The liquid is dispersed into the leach field and seeps back into the ground.

Hello; This is a description that matches my understanding.

Hello; I have lived in homes with a septic system for over 30 years. Some things to consider are what you put into such a system. I do not pour my tank water into a septic system

 

[skjl47]

Hello; (sorry about the previous post, my computer froze up or the site did and I could not type any more.)

I am very careful about what I put into my septic.

I do not put food scraps or other such solids into the system
.
I use the least amount of cleaning products possible in toilets.

I use minimum amounts of bleach in the laundry and only use bleach on laundry like bath towels, wash cloths and underwear. I use minimum dose only to disinfect and let the washer sit for several hours before emptying. (does any one know of a way to disinfect such laundry with something more septic friendly?)

I do not put the toilet paper or other such wipes into the septic system. I bag this solid stuff and take it to the trash pickup point. (Kroger and Walmart bags get a second use and are handy. It also helps to have a trash can with a lid.)

I add a product such a Rid-X the first of each month to hopefully help keep the systems needed "critters" topped up. I tend to think of the septic sort of like a cycled tank in the sense it needs some living "critters" active to help break down the waste and the system can get some shocks from what we put thru it.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Jaws- I'm all too familiar with living with a septic system and had to replace the entire system on our last home (before we sold it). Our current home is on a 40+ year old septic system with a 1000g tank and leach field system. If you don't know the age and/or condition of your system I would absolutely not inundate it with waste water all at once like you will from large water changes from large tank. Even if my system was brand-new I would still dump water change water outside and away from my sand filter / absorption field. I pump my waste water out the door and onto the lawn and flower gardens away from my septic.

The life of a septic system is directly proportional to how much water is processed through it. Things that extend life is pumping the non-digestibles out of it every few years, cleaning the zaebo filter if so equipped, being very mindful of what you flush and put down sinks and being smart with how much goes down your drains. SO gross, but don't let the ladies of the house flush tampons. Ask me how I know this.. UGH... NO flushable wipes either! Don't use real fluffy toilet paper either. You'll have a mass of gross paper pulp in the tank if you do.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Not sure if this would work for u,but u could make a big garden outside a window a bit,plant a cypress,a couple elephant ears,and some Dutch iris,that way u don't waste water and u get a beautiful garden.

 

[spotfin]

Not sure if this would work for u,but u could make a big garden outside a window a bit,plant a cypress,a couple elephant ears,and some Dutch iris,that way u don't waste water and u get a beautiful garden.

When we had a garden, I watered it with tank water I siphoned the tank water into a trash can on a furniture dolly. Put a garden hose through the window, attached it to a Mag 18 pump, threw that into the trash can, and turned on the pump.

 

[jaws7777]

Thx for the input guys

Jaws- I'm all too familiar with living with a septic system and had to replace the entire system on our last home (before we sold it). Our current home is on a 40+ year old septic system with a 1000g tank and leach field system. If you don't know the age and/or condition of your system I would absolutely not inundate it with waste water all at once like you will from large water changes from large tank. Even if my system was brand-new I would still dump water change water outside and away from my sand filter / absorption field. I pump my waste water out the door and onto the lawn and flower gardens away from my septic.

The life of a septic system is directly proportional to how much water is processed through it. Things that extend life is pumping the non-digestibles out of it every few years, cleaning the zaebo filter if so equipped, being very mindful of what you flush and put down sinks and being smart with how much goes down your drains. SO gross, but don't let the ladies of the house flush tampons. Ask me how I know this.. UGH... NO flushable wipes either! Don't use real fluffy toilet paper either. You'll have a mass of gross paper pulp in the tank if you do.

The house is brand new. Maybe 6 months old, and yeah we only use septuc friendly products but now you guys have me thinking. I need to get a real long pool filter hose and use a spare pump i have and starting doing this out the basement window.

Not sure if this would work for u,but u could make a big garden outside a window a bit,plant a cypress,a couple elephant ears,and some Dutch iris,that way u don't waste water and u get a beautiful garden.

Good idea we need to "do " the yard anyway.

Looks like a mess now but we"ll get there

 

[FreshyFresh]

Jaws, Congrats on everything being new!! Keep track of where your access points are on your septic. You should have 2-3 inspection/cleanout covers on your septic tank and a zaebo filter on the outlet of the tank before the sand filter. Also, know where your outflow pipe is too. Never want to block that or let it get overgrown with brush/weeds.

I just siphon my tanks into a large storage tote with a submersible pump in it, with a garden hose attached. I've got a 50ft hose on it I route out the door and where I want. When done, everything neatly goes back into the storage tote. I often leave the hose outside and coiled up by the laundry room door.