Members Sheilajeanne Posted August 19, 2021 Members Report Posted August 19, 2021 (edited) I live in a small town that has municipal water, but no sewage service. Everyone is dependent on a septic tank. Last year, the sewage line leading to my tenant's upstairs apartment backed up twice. A friend of mine thought he'd fixed it - it looked like the back of the septic tank had sunk down over the years, causing the sewage to have to flow uphill. He dug out the line, disconnected it, and replaced it lower down on the tank. That worked okay until about a month ago, when my tenants reported it was backing up again and there was water all over the laundry room, garage and lower hallway. I called a septic service, and they did an emergency pump out of the tank, for about double what it would have cost if I'd had it done during regular business hours. Although the tank was very full it didn't fix the problem. The next day, I had a plumber come out and snake the line. He said he thought there was a problem with the drain, and part of it must have sunk down. I wasn't happy to hear this, as some time after the drain line was put in place, some idiot poured 4 big concrete slabs over top of it. Fixing the drain was going to be a huge job! 20 days after the snake out, the drain clogged again. Called the plumber, and this time, after snaking the line, he put a camera down, and confirmed the line was full of water/sewage for about a 10 ft. section, 20 feet out from the house. There was nothing I could do but bite the bullet, and take up those damn concrete slabs! So, I rented a jackhammer on the weekend, and my tenant, with help from his son, went to work on it. Two trailer loads of concrete have gone to the dump already, and this is what's left to do. The other picture shows what I've accomplished so far today and yesterday. The dirt next to the patio is from where my tenant dug down beside the foundation trying to find the drain. We eventually figured out the drain exits the house somewhere underneath the door to the patio. We just haven't found the time/energy to fill the hole in yet! Oh, and you see the tank at the far right of the second picture? That's my oil tank. It looks like the sewage line goes underneath the tank, which is going to be REALLY fun... The tank is up off the ground about a foot and a half, so maybe it won't be TOO bad to fix... Edited August 19, 2021 by Sheilajeanne Quote
Contributing Member Ferg Posted August 20, 2021 Contributing Member Report Posted August 20, 2021 I hate to bring this up.... To fix this correctly you need to dig up the old tank and install a new one. Old tank may have leaked otherwise for a long time without any consequences. New tank with reshaped placement hole in the ground and maybe some gravel/stone fill under it to stabilize. Sorry, Jane. Would have liked to give you better advice. We managed homes for many years with septic tanks, always something...... Ferg Quote
CFM Frodo Posted August 20, 2021 CFM Report Posted August 20, 2021 (edited) Sorry Jane. I am a Master plumber, This is my advice, have your local plumber: replace pipe from the house to the tank and replace tank cut the exit line out of the tank install a 90 degree elbow on the line going to the leach field add a 5' pipe to the elbow sticking straight up into the air fill the pipe with water and time the amount of time it takes for the water to leave the pipe hopefully your drain field is not saturated, but if the pipe is not draining, replace the field over dig the hole under the new tank. by 24'' add moist sand, water the sand with a hose, it will compact it set the new tank on a compacted sand bed NO LESS THAN 12"" Edited August 20, 2021 by Frodo Quote Singer 66, Chi Chi Patcher, Rex 26-188, singer 29k62 , 2-needles D.C.F.M
Members Sheilajeanne Posted August 20, 2021 Author Members Report Posted August 20, 2021 (edited) The plumber knows where the problem is - it's in the sewer line that goes from the east side of the house (laundry, tenant's apartment over the garage) and joins into the main house line just before going into the tank. There's an area in that line that must have sunk down over the years, and the camera showed the line is completely full of water for a distance of about 10 ft. The water clears up before the camera reached the junction with the other line. When the septic tank was pumped out, we took all 3 covers off it, so we got a really good look at it, and the guy doing the pumping said it looked okay. There were no blockages and no leaks. And it hadn't been pumped out in more than 2 years, so of COURSE it was quite full. The tank has a very slight slope towards the weeping bed end, so it should be fine unless it settles further. We can check on that when replacing the sewer pipe. If the tank has a problem it's at THAT end, not the weeping bed. But the main problem is definitely the sewer pipe, as the camera confirmed. The sewer line has been working fine since the plumber snaked it out. He say he thinks we have about a month before it clogs up again. I'm not so sure about that, and want to get it replaced ASAP! Edited August 20, 2021 by Sheilajeanne Quote
Members Sheilajeanne Posted August 20, 2021 Author Members Report Posted August 20, 2021 For me, the best proof the problem is the sewer line, not the tank, is that the sewer line from my side of the house has been problem free. If the problem really were the tank, it would be backing up too. Guess I should have picked another title for the thread, but I originally thought the problem might be the tank! Quote
Members billybopp Posted August 20, 2021 Members Report Posted August 20, 2021 Just now, Sheilajeanne said: For me, the best proof the problem is the sewer line, not the tank, is that the sewer line from my side of the house has been problem free. If the problem really were the tank, it would be backing up too. Guess I should have picked another title for the thread, but I originally thought the problem might be the tank! It is kind of a shitty title. - Bill Quote
Members Sheilajeanne Posted August 20, 2021 Author Members Report Posted August 20, 2021 (edited) No kidding... I certainly hope the tank is fine. A couple of years ago, my neighbours had to have their entire septic system replaced, after it failed inspection when they were selling their house. It cost them $20,000. . I'm a pensioner, and so far this year, between my animals needing vet care, plumbing problems, and having to install a heat exchanger to keep my tenants from dying of heat stroke*, I've had over $7,500 in unexpected expenses! *The genius who designed the apartment over the garage didn't bother to put in a cold air return, which means the apartment is freezing in winter, and too hot in summer... Edited August 20, 2021 by Sheilajeanne Quote
CFM chuck123wapati Posted August 21, 2021 CFM Report Posted August 21, 2021 On 8/20/2021 at 6:13 AM, Sheilajeanne said: No kidding... I certainly hope the tank is fine. A couple of years ago, my neighbours had to have their entire septic system replaced, after it failed inspection when they were selling their house. It cost them $20,000. . I'm a pensioner, and so far this year, between my animals needing vet care, plumbing problems, and having to install a heat exchanger to keep my tenants from dying of heat stroke*, I've had over $7,500 in unexpected expenses! *The genius who designed the apartment over the garage didn't bother to put in a cold air return, which means the apartment is freezing in winter, and too hot in summer... Make sure they or you or whomever beds the new line and compacts it also like Frodo said or the problem will be dug back up in a few years. Most good knowledgeable plumbers will do this some just throw the pipe in the hole. I hate sewer lines and septic systems! Quote Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!
Members Sheilajeanne Posted August 21, 2021 Author Members Report Posted August 21, 2021 Have no fear, Chuck! My tenant is an contractor with many years experience. And even I know that a sewer line has to be properly bedded, with gravel or some other substrate around it to keep it at the right angle. The soil her is very sandy, so have to make sure the line has a solid base that won't sink again. Have some limestone chips that should do the job, and keep things flowing in the right direction. Since it's the tenant's sewer line that has the problem, that provides additional motivation for him to get it right! Quote
Members Sheilajeanne Posted August 21, 2021 Author Members Report Posted August 21, 2021 (edited) So, I got the last of the big chunks of cement into the trailer this morning, then my tenant took it to the dump. Even though it's free to dump, they had him weigh coming in and going out. The cement weighed 2,425 lbs. Wow. And all of it loaded into the trailer by Yours Truly... I have to say I'm kinda impressed with myself, especially considering what I went through last year! Not a lot being accomplished out there today. The humidex is about 37 C which is about 98 F! By the time W. got back from emptying the trailer, he was just about cooked! Edited August 21, 2021 by Sheilajeanne Quote
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