Septic Help

[SelfGuided]

Two weeks ago we had to get our septic pumped, sewage was backing up in to the house. Same problem happened again today, I've got a pump in the tank now getting rid of the water on top. The septic guy indicated 1,250 gallon tank - and here we are topped out again already.

Here's where I need y'alls help. We've been in this house for 6 months. Home was built in 1980. We bought the home from an estate, I'm sure the home sat empty for nearly a year.

My suspicion is the leach field lines are all clogged up with grass/weeds due to the home sitting empty.

My last home had a septic as well. You could always tell where the leach field was as the grass was always greener and taller. Here, there is no difference anywhere in the grass.

The are two inspection pipes coming out of the ground to the leach field. Both have water/fluid in them. I've attached some pics.

Do you believe this is the issue? What is the solution? Get a backhoe and dig the system up?

Appreciate any insight.

[Easttxbowman]

Sounds like you need to find some copper rods and go dowsing to find the outflow. I'm betting you have buildup in the lines. May put a spray nozel on a hose and stuff it down those cleanouts and try and jet it out.

[ken800]

Can you access where the tank drains horizontally to the drain field? Do you know if there is a filter on that line? If clogged, that will be a problem. Also, do you have one drain field or two? My system has alternating drain fields and I switch back and forth with a bull run valve. One of my drain fields seems to be done for so I'm probably looking at a new system in the next couple of years.

If you have access to the horizontal pipe check the filter first, if you have one. If not, run the hose into the drain field pipe and see if it can handle water flow. If it cannot, it is your drain field. There's not much other to check. The effluent either goes out that drain or it doesn't...

[Das71198]

Two weeks ago we had to get our septic pumped, sewage was backing up in to the house. Same problem happened again today, I've got a pump in the tank now getting rid of the water on top. The septic guy indicated 1,250 gallon tank - and here we are topped out again already.

Here's where I need y'alls help. We've been in this house for 6 months. Home was built in 1980. We bought the home from an estate, I'm sure the home sat empty for nearly a year.

My suspicion is the leach field lines are all clogged up with grass/weeds due to the home sitting empty.

My last home had a septic as well. You could always tell where the leach field was as the grass was always greener and taller. Here, there is no difference anywhere in the grass.

The are two inspection pipes coming out of the ground to the leach field. Both have water/fluid in them. I've attached some pics.

Do you believe this is the issue? What is the solution? Get a backhoe and dig the system up?

Appreciate any insight.

I have been using these two products with great success. I was having some problems in the past, but not in the last year. You may need to fix your current situation & then use these products as preventative maintenance.

[Paycheck]

Just a guess, but it looks like the leach field is after the second clean out pipe. Septic tanks suppose to stay full. First tank settles out solids and starts the break down process. Second tank finish the break down and water over flows in to the line going to field. If your second clean out is full of water the field is not draining. It is against all kind of regulations to stick a drinking water hose (public water) in sewer.

[jlcc381]

I noticed all the tree cover. That maybe slowing the evaporation of the field. Also with as wet as it has been you just maybe have to pump until the food hot part of summer. Plant St. Augustine over leach field it loves water and will help get rid of it. You may drive a rebar into leach field in a couple spots to let water out and/or relieve air pockets that may have formed. Also may consider your drainage for rest of property. May need to build a little terrace to turn water away from field. Hope this helps. Septics can be a pain. Hopefully you don’t have to convert to aerobic.

[Huntindad]

Just a guess, but it looks like the leach field is after the second clean out pipe. Septic tanks suppose to stay full. First tank settles out solids and starts the break down process. Second tank finish the break down and water over flows in to the line going to field. If your second clean out is full of water the field is not draining. It is against all kind of regulations to stick a drinking water hose (public water) in sewer.

good advice. Find the opening to all your tanks. Do you have a pump? that would be a third tank.

Check to see that water is flowing from first tank to second.

Put in risers for all your tank openings. Makes life so much easier.

[SelfGuided]

Appreciate the replies. Although I'm not sure, as the home didn't come with a septic drawing, I'm guessing there's one leach field.

I'll give the leach field clean out product a shot.

And risers would be much simpler than digging when there's an issue.

[COACH_EM_UP]

My parents had the same thing. Kept backing up into house and clogging up. Dad and I dug it up and followed the line to drain field. There was a root that had grown through the pipe. We cut the portion of pope and added new pipe. Their house was built in 1981. That might be your problem.

[smokeless]

We had the same problem happen to us. We purchased our home and in no time, we were pumping the sewer tanks. Problem was the leach lines were shot. We had to put an aerobic system in. I got the previous owner to pay for half. They knew about the problem but didn’t tell us. The paper work at the time of sale, asks if the septic system was good. They lied.

[RWB]

Probably not your main issue but also check to make sure you don't have a leaky toilet. Your leach lines don't look like they are getting much out flow but a leaky toilet will fill the tanks in a hurry.

[LWolken]

Leach fields only last about 30 yrs before the soil is spent. Basically the soil around the perforated leach field pipes become saturated with poop and cannot drain. Probably time for a new leach field.

[SelfGuided]

Leach fields only last about 30 yrs before the soil is spent. Basically the soil around the perforated leach field pipes become saturated with poop and cannot drain. Probably time for a new leach field.

Pretty sure y'all nailed it. Not only is the leach field old I'm certain, based upon their size, that very few of the trees in the field area we originally there.

Sounds like I have some digging to do...

[mudbone]

Water hose!!

Just a guess, but it looks like the leach field is after the second clean out pipe. Septic tanks suppose to stay full. First tank settles out solids and starts the break down process. Second tank finish the break down and water over flows in to the line going to field. If your second clean out is full of water the field is not draining. It is against all kind of regulations to stick a drinking water hose (public water) in sewer.

You are correct about the fresh water hose being illegal. If you put a water hose in the line to jet it and then fluctuated the water volume down while still in the sewer line you could possibly create back siphoning which would suck the sewer water back down the hose and back into the water main. There by contaminating the public water supply. you would not be a happy camper after that.