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Home > Archive > Plumbing forum > June 2005 > Questions about replacing a septic drain-field
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Questions about replacing a septic drain-field
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| Bill C 2005-06-16, 2:27 pm |
| Hello,
After pumping out our septic tank, I'm told that my drain-field is clogged,
probably with roots. After digging out the entrance to the drain-field, I
see that there is no distribution box, just Teed off PVC branching into the
drain lines.
I can't afford $5k+ for professionals to replace my field, but I don't want
to do a crappy job. There's some good information here
http://muextension.missouri.edu/xpl...qual/eq0401.htm , but can I ask a
few questions:
1) Is the lack of a distribution box a big or little problem? Can I
just copy what was done 30 years ago?
2) If I just buy 4" schedule 40 PVC and drill 1.2"-3/4" weep holes,
how far apart should they be? Or should I buy something else?
3) What kind of soil barrier should I put over the gravel above the
trenches? Should I use something quality like tar roofing paper?
I live in the Florida Keys, where the soil is about 6" deep over petrified
coral
and limestone. I plan on manually excavating one trench at a time, as time
allows, and replacing the old with the new, scrapping the old next to or on
top of the new before filling it back in.
Thank you for your help.
Bill
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| Blackbeard 2005-06-16, 2:27 pm |
| OK buddy, you're really heading the wrong direction here.
First and foremost TO HELL WITH HAND-DIGGING. Don't be an idiot. Hire
a backhoe to come out that and dig the whole damn thing in one go.
Second, call your local Health Department and tell them you are
UPGRADING your leech field and plan to use EZ Lay pipe. This material
will cut your run in half (saves lots of time and money). Have the
Health Department send a man out. He will TELL YOU specifically what
he wants you to do. Listen to him..and TAKE NOTES. Get his card. Call
him when you run into a problem. (you won't)
You won't run into a problem because when you hire your backhoe guy,
you're going to ask him before he comes out if he's ever trenched for
a septic system before. So you'll have a man on the job (who you're
paying anyways) who can help steer you straight.
Total job (inspection + pipe + Dbox that you want to add + backhoe),
you can get out of this whole project for under a grand.
Don't jack around with it. do your planning and knock out the entire
job in one day. As long as you have a backhoe man on your property,
have him take care of any other small issues while he's there (does
you lot drain properly after a rain...does your basement flood, etc.)
Hand digging, doing this job one section at a time, drilling holes in
schedule 40-pipe manually...are you fucking insane. Work SMART, NOT
HARD.
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| Bill C 2005-06-16, 2:27 pm |
| Drain field replacements START above $5k in The Florida Keys. That's
assuming no complications. The permits alone would cost almost what you
predict for the whole job. If I hire a backhoe, my chances of getting
caught doing it myself multiply times 50. I can't afford either.
You are right about the septic pipe though. The stuff is over 50% cheaper
than schedule 40 even with the holes ;^) I just spent 8 hours digging down
to inspect a portion of it where the d-box should be (and fixing what I
pickaxed through). The problem's roots It's a PIA, but I can do this.
Bill
"Blackbeard" <Blackbeard_The_Great@Lycos.com> wrote in message
news:oco641tlu7kclmb4ttkd65b4t9p85rabhm@4ax.com...
quote:
> OK buddy, you're really heading the wrong direction here.
>
> First and foremost TO HELL WITH HAND-DIGGING. Don't be an idiot. Hire
> a backhoe to come out that and dig the whole damn thing in one go.
>
> Second, call your local Health Department and tell them you are
> UPGRADING your leech field and plan to use EZ Lay pipe. This material
> will cut your run in half (saves lots of time and money). Have the
> Health Department send a man out. He will TELL YOU specifically what
> he wants you to do. Listen to him..and TAKE NOTES. Get his card. Call
> him when you run into a problem. (you won't)
>
> You won't run into a problem because when you hire your backhoe guy,
> you're going to ask him before he comes out if he's ever trenched for
> a septic system before. So you'll have a man on the job (who you're
> paying anyways) who can help steer you straight.
>
> Total job (inspection + pipe + Dbox that you want to add + backhoe),
> you can get out of this whole project for under a grand.
>
> Don't jack around with it. do your planning and knock out the entire
> job in one day. As long as you have a backhoe man on your property,
> have him take care of any other small issues while he's there (does
> you lot drain properly after a rain...does your basement flood, etc.)
>
> Hand digging, doing this job one section at a time, drilling holes in
> schedule 40-pipe manually...are you fucking insane. Work SMART, NOT
> HARD.
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