Septic

So, depending where you live, you can have real problems.

A septic liquifies 99% of the stuff going into it in the tank, and the fluid goes out into the lines and soaks away. However most grease (fat) floats to the top and all dirt, lint, and other non-digestable bits settle to the bottom of the tank.

You don't ever, ever want the grease or the dirt to build up to where it flows out to the drain lines. This will plug your drain lines real quick, & your septic is done for. There is no way to clean out the drain lines effectively.

Now, some folks can live simple lives & have a big tank & their tank doesn't need pumping in 25 years..... Others do 6 loads of laundry a day, lots of grease & stuff down the kitchen sink, and need the tank pumped every 2 years or they will wreck (fill) it.

Your drain lines aren't quite right. I'd sure look into pumping the dirt & grease out of the tank, & check if something simple (or major) is wrong with the tank lines & connections. Perhaps your distribution box is messed up, only feeding one line. Or the like.

Spending the money on that now can save you a $10,000 mound system sometimes. Waiting & just hope things keep working can compund a simple problem, & plug up your lines. Then you need to start over.

--->Paul

Sounds like an ok thing, until you add up the cost of the electric line, pump, motor, the odds of the float sticking, the fact that the drain lines need to be less than a foot from the surface and we get frost to below 4 feet up here, and that you can't legally work on your own septic only licenced folks which of course jacked up all costs of any septic work.

Then, it seems to turn into a useless money pit.

There is more to it, you can't just use any old gravel, etc. But, that's the basics.

--->Paul

In the meantime for the short run I would have the tank pupmed if I were you and it hasnt been done in a while n cross your fingers. Around here this one dude pressure injects pellets of some sort in the drain finger fields which some claim helps them perk better???

Enemies of septic systems are grease n lint which dont decompose correct so my clothes washer n kitchen sink dont drain in my field and its still working after 26 years n raised 3 kids so that musta helped.

John T (Full of it lol)

If the lines run downhill I see how all liquid could run to the end rather than being absorb into the ground along the way.

I would open my tank and see if sluge is down to the outflow pipe or above it.

It doesn't sound good to have a wet spot at the end of your septic field.

Gary

On a drainfield this can happen progressivly starting at the lowest branch to the highest (ie where the most water goes) often a ruinest drainfield can be revived by just letting it set a few years.

Fats and lint are the number one enemy of septic fields as said above but most towns won't let grey water from your washer leave to a dry well.

Many people think soap from a washer hurts but the old phosphate soaps can help bacteria bloom if it isn't too concentrated.