the incomming baffle was broken and the tank was full of tree roots.(now clean) the washer was routed directly to the laterals(now moved to tank) system age: 17 yrs, we've owned for 4 months.
2007-01-01 03:14:55 · 5 answers · asked by curtis c 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
If you reopen your leach field means get it to absorb water again, this is problematic.
A leach field stops working because of biological overloading and hydrolic overloading. To get rid of the biological slime layer that develops you must rest your leach field (for months). This also allows hydrolic overloading to correct itself. I am giving a web address of a reference from Penn State University that describes both cases and discusses resting the system to allow it to recover. http://www.age.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/f/F162.pdf
Also, there is a chemical treatment (oxygen bleaching) that can supposedly can help. I have rested my leach field for 6 (weeks) vented gray water to a dry well (shower, washing machine) and reduded black water (sewage) to minimum. It is sent to the tank but the tank is not full so no water is going to the leach field (use a portapotty camping toilet and dump waste directly in the septic tank (pain in the butt) but it beats paying $25000 for a new septic system. The oxygen bleach is called oxyseptic, it is the same stuff as oxyclean. It converts the anaerobic (no oxygen) environment to an aerobic (with oxygen) environment to allow the normal bacteria to repopulate the leach field. (gets rid of the rotten egg smell). So far, I have treated once and have been able to pump 300 gallons directly into the leach field without backing up. Maybe I am just lucky but its worth a try to save 25Grand.
Good luck
2007-01-02 08:13:20 · answer #1 · answered by cosmicchrl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am in the same predicament now, except my system was put in in 1965!
If your system is the gravel bed type, its probably time to replace it. Once they fail you are pretty much out of luck. I had an extender field put on mine about 4 years ago, but it didn't last. Next week, I will be the proud owner or a brand new Infiltrator system.
Don't you just hate burying money in the dirt!
2007-01-01 03:26:37 · answer #2 · answered by br549 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm confident that between Obama, Obama care and the ignorant Democrats.....the US economy will be in a total mess withing the next 5 - 10 years and people will end up rioting on the streets (like they've done in Greece and elsewhere)
2016-03-29 03:05:05 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, you have to dig it up and replace it... most areas once you get a work permit to work on a leach bed, the sanitation dept has to come out and inspect the work to approve it. They won't approve a system that old, they'll insist on replacing it with up to the moment modern components that meet health codes.
2007-01-01 03:38:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There isn't ant way to "reopen" your leach field, you'll have to have it redone.
2007-01-01 03:40:28 · answer #5 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋