Taking Care of Your Septic Leach Field

April 12th, 2012 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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The septic field (also called a drain field or leach field) is a critical part of a septic system.  A properly designed and installed septic field can last for 30 years or more, but if it is abused it will fail much more quickly.  The leach field is a series of perforated pipes buried underground that allow the liquid waste from your home to seep into the ground where it is treated through natural processes.

If the septic field is unable to handle the volume of water flowing from the house, wastewater will begin backing up into the home.  Only a little bit of care is needed to prevent this from happening.  First, have the septic tank pumped regularly.  Septic tank pumping every three to five years is usually enough.  Failing to pump the septic tank will allow solid material to flow into the septic field and clog up the system.

While a septic tank can be pumped, there is not a way to clean out a septic field.  A clogged septic field is simply abandoned and new leach field will have to be installed.  Installing a new leach field is very expensive.

Avoid disposing of paints, grease, solvent and other such materials down the drain.  These materials can flow into the septic field and clog the soil around the leach lines causing them to back up.

In addition, don’t drive or park cars on top of the septic field.  The area was probably cleared when the drain field was installed making it an attractive area for parking vehicles when there is no room in the driveway, but parking cars over the drain field can compact the soil or cause broken pipes.  The same goes for installing an above ground swimming pool, basketball or tennis court, storage shed, patio, or anything else.  Leave the area over the septic field clear.

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How Long Should a Septic Leach Field Last?

April 12th, 2012 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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Whether installing a new septic system or buying a home with an existing septic system, many homeowners are concerned with how long the septic system will last.  Homeowners are concerned about the entire system, but the reality is that it will probably be the leach field that fails and backs up the entire system.

A septic system is a simple concept that does a very complex job.  A septic system consists of a drain line that collects the household waste and allows it to flow into the septic tank.  A septic tank is little more than a large concrete or plastic tank with a few baffles in it.  At the other end of the tank toward the top is a pipe that is connected to a distribution box.  The leach lines are connected to the distribution box.

As mentioned, the septic tank is just a large holding tank where solid material settles out of the wastewater.  Other than cracking or disintegrating over time, there is not much that can go wrong with the septic tank as long as it is regularly pumped.  Regular septic tank pumping will remove the accumulated solid material and allow the septic tank to continue to do its work.

If the septic tank is pumped regularly, only effluent should be getting into the leach field and a properly designed leach field should be able to handle the effluent and last 30 years or more.  Where people get into problems is with poor maintenance, especially waiting too long between septic tank pumping.  If too much solid material accumulates in the septic tank, it will flow into the leach field and clog the lines and the soil beneath the leach lines.  In these conditions, the leach field can fail in just a few years.

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Clearing Sewer and Drain Lines With Hydro Jetting

April 12th, 2012 Posted in Drain Lines
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High pressure hydro jetting is a modern technique for clearing many types of tough clogs from sewer lines and drain lines.  Hydro jetting shoots water pressurized to about 3,000 psi in a circular pattern through a special spray nozzle.  The nozzle and hose is inserted into the clogged line through a clean out and sprays the inside of the pipe with the highly pressurized water.

Hydro jetting breaks up and flushes away many types of clogs including tree roots, paper products, grease, sludge, and other debris.  The high pressure jets of water break up the clog and the debris flows down the drain line. Hydro jetting is done from “downstream” of the clog so that all of the material can be safely flushed out of the sewer line.

Hydro jetting can be more effective than clearing out a clog with a plumbing snake.  A plumbing snake punches through a clog, but it leaves a lot of material behind.  This leftover material is a great place for a new clog to start forming.  Hydro jetting removes all of the foreign material without damaging the inside of the pipe.  Hydro jetting leaves the inside of the pipe in nearly new condition.

Hydro jetting will remove all of the tree roots inside a pipe, but they will immediately start growing back again and a clog will form again in a few months or year.  Your sewer-septic professional will be able to help you choose from several options including chemical treatment to prevent or impede root growth or replacing that section of sewer line.

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Sewer Line Relining

April 8th, 2012 Posted in Sewer Lines
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If your home needs sewer line repairs, one alternative to digging up the sewer line or replacing it is sewer line relining.  If your sewer line is a good candidate, a relining can be an excellent alternative to replacement or traditional repair of the existing sewer line.

There are some slightly different techniques in use for relining a sewer line, but they all create a new inner wall for your sewer line rather than replacing it.  The first step in any sewer line relining is to thoroughly clean the inside of the old sewer line using high pressure hydro jetting.

Once the sewer line is clean, it is inspected with a video camera to make sure it is in good enough condition and ready for the relining process.  Some techniques spray the inside of the sewer line with an epoxy type material that dries to create a new inner wall of the sewer line.

Other techniques insert a flexible PVC or fiberglass liner which coated with epoxy.  Once the liner is in place, an inflatable tube is inserted inside the liner and inflated which presses the liner against the walls of the old sewer line. Once the cement has dried, the inflatable tube is removed and the relined pipe is ready for use.

In order for relining to work, your old sewer line must be in reasonably good condition. A collapsed sewer line cannot be relined and if the pipe is broken, the ends must still be aligned.

Relining requires very little digging.  In some cases, your plumber or sewer septic professional may be able to get access through a clean out and no digging at all will be necessary.

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Repair or Replace Your Sewer Line

April 8th, 2012 Posted in Sewer Lines
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If you are having problems with your sewer line, you will likely have to make a decision whether to repair the existing sewer line or whether to replace it.  Replacing is sewer line is an expensive proposition, but sometimes trying to repair it is just throwing good money after bad.

Your plumber or sewer septic contractor can help you with the decision making process.  They have high tech video cameras that can be used to inspect the inside of the sewer line and provide you with information on its condition.

Repairing the sewer line will usually be much less expensive than replacing it and is the right thing to do if you have good access to the pipe and the rest of the sewer line is in good condition.  Don’t spend money on sewer line repairs for a pipe that is poor condition.

Other considerations include whether the sewer line is properly sized for the home in the first place.  If the sewer line was undersized to begin with, or if the home has been expanded and there are many more occupants than it was originally designed for, then the sewer line will be a constant source of problems until it is replaced with the properly sized sewer line.

If your sewer line is bellied or collapsed, a replacement is the better alternative.  In addition, make sure the pipe is made from the proper material.  For example, Orangeburg pipe is a type of fibrous sewer pipe that was installed in many homes around the country 40 or 50 years ago.  This type of pipe deteriorates over time and is not worth repairing.

If your sewer line is in good shape, you may be able to have it repaired without digging by having it relines. If you have to replace the pipe, trenchless pipe replacement is an alternative method of pipe replacement that requires much less digging that traditional trenching techniques.

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Dealing With Orangeburg Pipe

April 8th, 2012 Posted in Sewer Lines
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Orangeburg pipe is a type of pipe that was used as sewer line in homes built from the mid 1940’s to the early 1970’s.  Cast iron was commonly used for sewer pipe until World War II when most iron production was diverted to the war effort.  Without cast iron pipe available, homebuilders turned to inexpensive Orangeburg pipe.  Orangeburg pipe is made from a fibrous woody material coated with asphalt and tar.  It is essentially little more than very heavy duty cardboard.

Since it was inexpensive and seemed to work well, it was commonly used throughout the country as sewer line until PVC pipe took over the market in the early 1970’s.  Over time, Orangeburg pipe has not held up well.  To its credit, it has a useful life of about 40 to 50 years.  However, once it starts to break down the entire pipe needs to be replaced.

As Orangeburg pipe deteriorates it begins to deform which encourages blockages to form. In addition, it becomes susceptible to tree root infiltration. Attempting to use a plumbing snake on an Orangeburg pipe or to clear it with high pressure hydro jetting is not recommended since either technique will probably cause more damage than good.

The only permanent solution for sewer line repairs with Orangeburg pipe is to completely replace all of it.  Although it is possible to reline Orangeburg pipe, since it deforms so easily relining it is not a very effective solution. The better alternative is to dig it up and replace it or to use trenchless pipe replacement techniques to replace the pipe.

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Septic Tank Pumping Frequency

April 3rd, 2012 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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If your home is on a septic system, you probably understand the importance of regular septic tank pumping.  Unless the accumulation of solid material is regularly cleaned out of the tank, the system could cause waste water containing untreated sewage to back up into the sink, tub, and shower drains inside your home.  In addition, an overflowing septic tank can cause permanent damage to the leach field.

Regular septic tank pumping avoids these problems and helps keep your septic system healthy and working great for years.  A question that arises frequently is how often should the septic tank be pumped?  There is no easy answer to this question because it depends on many different factors.

The easy answer is that the septic tank should be pumped when it is getting full.  Unfortunately, septic tanks don’t have gauges on them like your car’s gas tank to tell you when they are full.  However, you can find out the level in your septic tank by having an annual inspection by a good sewer septic professional.  Your septic tank inspector will measure the level of solid material and let you know if it is time to have the tank pumped.

For most homeowners, having the tank pumped every three to five years is typical.  However, a home that has a high volume of waste water or an undersized septic tank will need more frequent septic tank pumping.  The opposite is also true:  all else being equal, a larger septic tank will need less frequent septic tank pumping.  If you have a small family that creates a relatively smaller amount of wastewater, you can probably go a little longer between septic tank pumping than a large family that creates larger amounts of waste water.

 

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The Need For Septic Tank Pumping

April 3rd, 2012 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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If your home is on a septic system rather than connected to the municipal sewer system, be sure to have the septic tank inspected and pumped regularly.  The vast majority of septic systems do a great job of disposing of household wastewater with very little maintenance, but neglecting to have the septic tank inspected and pumped can cost you a bundle to repair or replace the drain field.

A septic system works by collecting household waste water in the septic tank where it stays long enough for solid material to sink to the bottom and greasy or oily material to float to the top.  The accumulated solid material is called the sludge layer and the oily material is the scum layer.

A septic tank is designed to hold the scum layer and sludge layer in the tank and allow the fluid (called the effluent) to flow into the drain field where it percolates into the soil.  Naturally occurring enzymes and bacteria in the tank break down the organic solid material, but the inorganic material and some residual organic material remains in the tank.

Over a few years, this material will accumulate in the tank and will need to be removed by having the septic tank pumped by a septic tank pumping service.  Without regular septic tank pumping, the tank will become too full and some solid material will flow out into the drain field and clog the leech lines.  If this happens, the drain field usually has to be replaced.

Avoid the hassle and expense of a drain field replacement by having your septic tank pumped and inspected regularly.

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Septic Tank Pumping Procedure

April 3rd, 2012 Posted in Septic Tank Pumping
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Homeowners using a septic system rather than a municipal sewer system should be sure to have the septic tank cleaned and pumped every three to five years.  Regular septic tank pumping prevents the sludge level that accumulates in the septic tank from getting too high and flowing into the leach field where it can cause serious damage to the system.  In many cases, a clogged leach field has to be abandoned and a new leach field installed.

Septic tank pumping requires the services of a septic system professional.  The septic pumping contractor should be licensed and bonded for your protection.  A good septic system technician will first locate the tank using a rod, radio transmitter or other method.  Once the tank is located, it is opened to allow the solid material to be pumped out of the tank.  Some excavation may be required to reach the access opening.

The septic tank is pumped using a pumping truck to pump all of the material out the tank through a heavy duty hose.   Water is sprayed into the tank to break up the scum layer and residual solid material and to flush it out of the tank.  All material in the tank should be removed including the sludge layer, liquids, and the greasy scum layer.  When the tank is clean, only a small quantity of fluid will remain to help start the biological decomposition process.

Once the tank cleaning is completed, your septic tank pumping technician will visually inspect the baffles inside the tank to make sure they are in place and undamaged.  If everything checks out, the tank will be closed and is good for the next service period.

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