Trenchless Sewer Line or Water Service Line Replacement

December 30th, 2010 Posted in Sewer Lines
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A broken or leaking water or sewer line can be very messy to repair or replace.  Your sewer line and water service lines are buried underground and run from your house to the municipal sewer or water lines that run along the street in front you your home.  If the line cannot be repaired, it will need to be replaced which normally involves digging a trench from your house to the street.

Unfortunately, sometimes the sewer or water service lines run under a driveway, walkway, or other landscaping feature.  Digging the necessary trench tears up your yard, bushes, flowers, and in some cases, your driveway, walkway, and landscaping features.

Fortunately, in recent years a new trenchless pipe replacement technique has been developed that allows your plumber or sewer-septic professional to replace your pipe without extensive digging.  Also call pipe bursting, trenchless pipe replacement usually only requires two small holes to be dug.  One hole is dug where the pipe connects to the municipal water or sewer system, and the other end is dug where pipe connects to the home.

The trenchless pipe replacement machine pulls a new pipe through the ground where your old pipe was buried.  A new polyethylene pipe is attached to a steel bursting head and a chain or cable is hooked the bursting head.  The cable is run through the old pipe and attached to a machine that pulls the new pipe through the old pipe.

As the new pipe is pulled into place, the bursting head breaks up or “bursts” the old pipe which is left in the ground.  Once the new pipe is in place, the ends are connected to the home and to the municipal water or sewer service.

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Biomat

December 29th, 2010 Posted in Drain Field
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Biomat is a layer of biological material that forms in the septic field under and around the sides of the drain field lines.  Biomat is an important part of the septic system because it helps treat the waste.  However, excessive biomat formation can cause serious problems with a septic system and lead to a costly drain field repair.

In a typical septic system, waste water flows from the home to a septic tank.  Once in the tank, the waste water is held for a period of time allowing solids settle to the bottom of the tank.  The liquid effluent then flows out into the drain field which consists of a series of perforated drain lines buried a few feet under the ground in trenches filled with gravel and soil.

The perforations in the drain field lines allow the waste water to leach into the soil.  Bacteria grows in the gravel and soil around the drain lines.  This bacteria and other microorganisms in the soil further treat the effluent by digesting small solids and pathogens .

As the bacteria grows, it forms a slimy layer under and along the sides of the drain field lines called biomat.  The biomat slows the rate at which the soil can absorb the effluent, but in a properly designed septic system the drain field is large enough to accept all of the effluent even with a thin layer of biomat.

However, if the biomat grows too thick, the effluent will begin to pool and seep to the surface or back up into the home.  Regular septic system maintenance such as pumping and inspection of your septic tank will help maintain the proper level of biomat growth.

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Septic Fields and Plants

December 29th, 2010 Posted in Drain Field
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A septic system consists of several components.  The drain pipe collects all of the household wastewater and routes it to the septic tank where the solid waste settles to the bottom of the tank.  The liquid waste flows from the septic tank out into the drain field (also called a leech field) where it percolates into the soil.

The drain field is a series of perforated pipes buried a few feet underground in your yard.  The drain field is usually installed in a flat area cleared of vegetation.  Once the septic system is installed, the question that often arises is what type of plants can be planted over the drain field.

The short answer is that plants with shallow root systems are OK to plant over a septic field.  Any sort of plants, trees, or shrubs with deep root systems can cause very serious problems with your septic system. Since the septic field is made from perforated pipes, it is very easy for any deep root systems to infiltrate the septic field and clog the septic field drain lines necessitating an expensive drain field repair.

Grasses and weeds are safe to grow over septic fields.  In fact, a healthy turf lawn will hold the soil in place, minimize erosion, and contribute to a healthy drain field.  Flowers with shallow root systems are also acceptable to grow over a septic field.

Shrubs and trees have root systems that grow too deep to plant over a septic field.  Shrubs and small trees with limited root systems can be planted 30 to 40 feet away from a septic field, but trees and shrubs that bear fruit or that grow extensive roots systems should be planted farther away.

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Sewer Line Repair Methods

December 16th, 2010 Posted in Sewer Lines
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Your sewer lines carry wastewater, including untreated sewage, from your home to the municipal sewer.   A broken sewer line provides an avenue for this wastewater to seep to the surface.  In addition, it can seep deep into the soil and contaminate the groundwater.  In either event, it poses a health hazard and potentially expose you to legal liability.

If you suspect a broken or leaking sewer line, have it checked out by a sewer septic professional today.  This is not a problem that the homeowner can handle themselves.  Sewer line repairs require special equipment and expertise and are best handled by a professional with experience in sewer line repair services.

If your sewer line is broken, there are a couple different types of repairs to consider.  The traditional method involves digging up the old line using a backhoe, then replacing the damaged section or the entire line if necessary.  This method really tears up your yard, shrubs, driveways, patios, and sidewalks.

There are “trenchless” methods that involve less digging.  In one such method, a section of flexible pipe is dragged through the area where the old pipe was laid.  The old pipe is destroyed and the pieces are removed in the process.  This method has the advantage of requiring less digging.   Usually, only two medium sized holes are needed, one at each end of the pipe section to be replaced.  One potential downside is that this method is not allowed by some local building codes.

In the other trenchless method, a coating is sprayed on the inside of the old pipe creating a new pipe “liner” like the inside of some tin cans.  This method minimizes the necessary digging, but it is only effective on pipes that are essentially structurally sound but have a few cracks.

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Repairing Broken Sewer Lines

December 16th, 2010 Posted in Sewer Lines
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A broken or damage sewer line is a serious matter that requires immediate attention.  Your sewer line collects and routes all of the waste water from your home into the municipal sewer main line, including untreated sewage.

A broken or damaged sewer line allows raw sewage to escape into the ground where it may leach to the surface or deeper into the soil where it can contaminate groundwater.  In either case, the raw sewage is not only imposes a health and environmental hazard, but also exposes you to legal liability.

A sewer line repair is one of those jobs best left to a sewer-septic professional who has experience in sewer line service and repair.  Although replacing a broken pipe that’s buried in your yard sound simple, sewer lines have complicating factors that weigh in favor of hiring a professional.  The contaminated soil must be disposed of properly, and no matter what repair method is used, it will involve specialized tools and equipment.

Locating the line, avoiding cutting any utilities while digging, and sizing, connecting, and installing the repair section so that it works properly, lasts for years, and complies with local building codes all add to the challenge.

The traditional method of repairing a sewer line is to dig a large deep trench to expose the old sewer line, remove the damaged section, then splice in a new section of pipe  Unfortunately, this method destroys your yard, driveway, sidewalks.  Also, this method is only effective if the undamaged sections of pipe are still structurally sound.

Trenchless sewer line repairs include dragging a new section of pipe through the old pipe, and spraying a hard liner inside the old pipe to create a new inner surface.  Check with your sewer-septic professional to see if either of these methods are appropriate for your situation.

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How Septic Systems Work

December 3rd, 2010 Posted in Septic Tanks
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If you own one of the 25% of homes in the United States that are on septic systems rather than municipal sewer, you may be wondering how your system works.

Most septic systems consist of four basic components.  First, there is a large drain line that leads from your home to the septic tank.  The second component is the septic tank itself, the third component is the drain field, and the last component is the soil around the drain field.

The drain line collects waste water from your home and routes it to the septic tank.  Other than a clog or break, drain lines rarely need any maintenance or service.

The septic tank is a large tank buried in your yard.  It can be made of concrete, fiberglass, or a type of plastic.  The septic tank holds the waste water long enough for the solid material to sink to the bottom forming sludge and also allows greases and oils float to the top forming scum.

The septic tank has baffles and fittings designed to hold the scum and sludge layers in the tank, but that allow the waste water to flow into the drain field.  The solid material in the tank will partially decompose, but the accumulated sludge and scum need to be periodically pumped out of the tank. Regular septic tank service will help keep the system operating smoothly.

The drain field is a series of perforated pipes buried underground that spreads the wastewater out and allows it to percolate into the soil.  The soil treats the wastewater by removing harmful bacteria and other matter.

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