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Problems with a leach field are uncommon among new installations. Unless the field was poorly designed or installed improperly, there is very little rea­son why it should fail. However, extremely wet ground conditions, due to heavy or constant rains, could force a field to become saturated. If the field saturates with ground water, it cannot […]

There are times, even with new systems, when the problem causing a whole — house backup is in the septic tank. These occasions are rare, but they do ex­ist. When this is the case, the top of the septic tank must be uncovered. Some tanks, like the one at my house, are only a few […]

Whole-house backups (where none of the plumbing fixtures drain) indicate either a problem in the building drain, the sewer, or the septic system. There is no way to know where the problem is until some investigative work is done. It’s possible that the problem is associated with the septic tank, but you will have to […]

Some homeowners associate an overflowing toilet with a problem in their septic system. It is possible that the septic system is responsible for the toilet backing up, but this is not always the case. A stoppage either in the toilet trap or in the drainpipe can cause a backup. If you get a call from […]

There are times when sewage pumps must be used to get sewage to a septic system. The pumps are normally installed in a buried box outside of the building being served. The box is often made of concrete. In these cases, the home’s sewer pipe goes to the pumping station. From the pumping station, a […]

There are some additional piping considerations for plumbers to observe. septic tanks are designed to handle routine sewage. They are not meant to modify chemical discharges and high volumes of water. If, as a plumber, you pipe the discharge from a sump pump into the sanitary plumbing system, which you are not supposed to do, […]

What about garbage disposers, do they hurt a septic system? The answers offered to this question vary from yes to maybe to no. Many people, including numerous code enforcement offices, believe garbage disposers should not be used in conjunction with septic sys­tems. Other people disagree and believe that disposers have no adverse effect on a […]

How can clogs be avoided? Clogs can be avoided by careful attention to what types of waste enter the septic system. Grease, for example, can cause a septic system to become clogged. Bacteria does not do a good job in breaking down grease. Therefore, the grease can enter the slotted drains and leach field with […]

How does a septic system work? A standard septic system works on a very simple principle. Sewage from a home enters the septic tank through the sewer. Where the sewer is connected to the septic tank, there is a baffle on the inside of the tank. This baffle is usually a sanitary tee. The sewer […]

Mound systems, as you might suspect, are septic systems that are constructed in mounds that rise above the natural topography. This is done to compen­sate for high water tables and soils with slow absorption rates. Due to the amount of fill material to create a mound, the cost is naturally higher than it would be […]