Anyone know shit about a septic tank (70's style)

[Ó Flannagáin]

My septic tank's distribution box has collapsed... not sure what that means but two different septic companies have told me that and each quoted around $1000 to have it fixed. I'm probably gonna end up paying that, but need to wait about a month. I had it emptied a couple days ago and these guys told me the distribution box needed bypassing, as I already knew, but I just noticed they left a hole in my yard. It looks like something's missing. Did they take the collapsed box out? And if so, how long until I have shit and piss filling up my little hole in the ground here??? Also, anyone know enough about septics to tell me how to bypass it?

http://i.imgur.com/92rQ9.jpg

[shrekfx]

All I know about it is when they back up or overfill, they stink really really bad..

[Barley-Davidson]

Looks like they did remove the distribution box. To bypass you would just connect the pipe from the tank to one of the other pipes; might want to switch that connection every once in a while until the new box gets installed.
http://extension.umd.edu/environment/Water/files/septic_tank__drainfield_copy.jpg

[Ó Flannagáin]

Hmm... so they did take the entire box, guess I need to find a way to put those together

[BrewMeister Jeff]

Well I think it is an actual concrete type box that those black tubes sit in and then it fills the concrete box and drains to the drainbed. But what the fuck do I know I dont have a shitbox tank.

[Barley-Davidson]

Looks like 4" pvc to 4" corrugated pipe, you should be able to find connections pretty easily at the home center or plumbing supply.

[Barley-Davidson]

Looks like the one that used to be there was concrete. You should be able to get a pvc replacement I would think.

[Ó Flannagáin]

THey said that distribution boxes aren't allowed to be installed or repaired anymore, its an older style, so they would have to bypass it completely. I may just put my own distribution in and call it a day..... fuck $1000

[BrewMeister Jeff]

Get a y connector from Home Depot that should be enough to get you fixed up and won't cost $1000 either

[Ó Flannagáin]

I need to make sure the dirt won't crush it though. Any ideas?

[BrewMeister Jeff]

I need to make sure the dirt won't crush it though. Any ideas?

PVC is pretty thick stuff - I think you'll be fine - once you seal it all up (the piping) just pour the dirt in slow and you should be fine. You could get some gravel rocks maybe 1/2" stone and put it all around the piping and then the dirt on top.

[Big_John]

Get a y connector from Home Depot that should be enough to get you fixed up and won't cost $1000 either

The above is what I would do. I would suggest digging around the pipes to enlarge the hole considerably. This will give you some room to work. Excavate back about three feet from the pipe ends and about a foot below them. Install a wye connector (you may need an adapter to transistion from the corrugated drain pipe to the smooth PVC. Take the pic with you to Home Depot or a plumbing supply/drain pipe supply place so you can show them what you are delaing with.

After you make the connection, backfill the hole with sand. Sand will self compact and it is easy to dig up if need be later on. It's also cheap.

This entire repair should cost you less than $50, and probably a lot less than that.

When you are finished making the repair, go inside and take a big dump. Try to relax and think happy thoughts. Think about all the money you just saved yourself and how you can spend some of it on some more brewing stuff.

llavese sus manos

[Ó Flannagáin]

The above is what I would do. I would suggest digging around the pipes to enlarge the hole considerably. This will give you some room to work. Excavate back about three feet from the pipe ends and about a foot below them. Install a wye connector (you may need an adapter to transistion from the corrugated drain pipe to the smooth PVC. Take the pic with you to Home Depot or a plumbing supply/drain pipe supply place so you can show them what you are delaing with.

After you make the connection, backfill the hole with sand. Sand will self compact and it is easy to dig up if need be later on. It's also cheap.

This entire repair should cost you less than $50, and probably a lot less than that.

When you are finished making the repair, go inside and take a big dump. Try to relax and think happy thoughts. Think about all the money you just saved yourself and how you can spend some of it on some more brewing stuff.

llavese sus manos

Nice

[Ó Flannagáin]

Do I need to do something to make sure they can empty it when time comes?

[blacklab]

I would call up the owner of the company and say 'Why did your guys disable my septic, leave an open hole filled with $hit and piss in my yard, then tell me I need to give you $1000, then leave?'

Then do what John said, looks messy but easy.

[PseudoChef]

I would just piss and shit in teh hole - kinda like an outhouse.

[christo]

OK, official poop from a "shit" engineer.

Do as discussed earlier. Put 57 or 78 stone under and around the pipe. Once up to middle of pipe, then you can fill the rest of the hole with dirt.

Typically the contractor is not allowed to fix the distribution box if it has been "un-allowed" under new guidelines, but at the same time they should not have removed it in the first place (though I don't know Fla law/ordinances so you'd have to check).

[Ó Flannagáin]

OK, official poop from a "shit" engineer.

Do as discussed earlier. Put 57 or 78 stone under and around the pipe. Once up to middle of pipe, then you can fill the rest of the hole with dirt.

Typically the contractor is not allowed to fix the distribution box if it has been "un-allowed" under new guidelines, but at the same time they should not have removed it in the first place (though I don't know Fla law/ordinances so you'd have to check).

awesome! Thanks christo.

[Flyindutchman]

Not what I imagined my first post to be but oh well. I am a contractor who has done some septic installs before. Open the hole up further as previously stated. On the exit pipe from your tank install a sanitary tee with the tee pointing straight up and the sweep part of the tee pointing towards your drainfield. On the top part of the tee put a piece of ABS pipe with a screw off cap at ground level. This will give your drainfield a cleanout for future clogs or sludge cleaning. After the tee I would use a 45 pointing towards one of your drain lines and immediatly after another sanitary tee pointing off to the opposite drain line. You will need an ABS to corrogated adapter for each of the drain lines. A rubber no hub adapter will also work. Dont worry if you need to shorten or bend the drain lines some. It wont hurt anything as long as all the pipes stay level with each other. Be sure to glue or tightly clamp your connections. If they seep at all then they will attract roots which will find their way into your pipes causing a whole new set of problems. As far as acess to clean the main tank, the tank has one or two lids built into the top of it depending on if it is a one or two chamber unit. As said before about fifty bucks should cover it. Have fun with it and dont bite your fingernails.

[Ó Flannagáin]

Not what I imagined my first post to be but oh well. I am a contractor who has done some septic installs before. Open the hole up further as previously stated. On the exit pipe from your tank install a sanitary tee with the tee pointing straight up and the sweep part of the tee pointing towards your drainfield. On the top part of the tee put a piece of ABS pipe with a screw off cap at ground level. This will give your drainfield a cleanout for future clogs or sludge cleaning. After the tee I would use a 45 pointing towards one of your drain lines and immediatly after another sanitary tee pointing off to the opposite drain line. You will need an ABS to corrogated adapter for each of the drain lines. A rubber no hub adapter will also work. Dont worry if you need to shorten or bend the drain lines some. It wont hurt anything as long as all the pipes stay level with each other. Be sure to glue or tightly clamp your connections. If they seep at all then they will attract roots which will find their way into your pipes causing a whole new set of problems. As far as acess to clean the main tank, the tank has one or two lids built into the top of it depending on if it is a one or two chamber unit. As said before about fifty bucks should cover it. Have fun with it and dont bite your fingernails.

you are the man, most awesome 1st post ever

[cookieman]

Is that underwear in the middle of the hole?:confused:

[vtchuck]

Septic systems are pretty simple. In my experience, Pumping out the main tank every 2 0r 3 years is cheap insurance.

And while everything is dug up, make accurate measurements of where your main tank clean-out hatch is.... making it easy to locate the next time it needs service. I have that little map stored in a couple of places, including taped to the main septic line in the cellar.

[zoebisch01]

http://www.septicsolutions.net/store/distributionboxes.htm

[Ó Flannagáin]

http://www.septicsolutions.net/store/distributionboxes.htm

Interesting... that's a 4 hole box, I wonder if most have 4 pipes where mine has 3

[zoebisch01]

Not sure (probably just the larger sized septic and leach fields require more outlets...1 for each section of field), but I think you just buy the seal for the hole you aren't using. Some contractors want to instill fear into people so they can make money (no offense to the new guy here!). Granted you don't want to screw it up but....it's a box and as long as the two lines running out of the distribution box are roughly the same pitch the effluent will flow equally into both parts of the leach field (which is the purpose of the distribution box).

[zoebisch01]

http://www.inspectapedia.com/septic/DBox.htm

[Ó Flannagáin]

awesome, thanks zoe

[zoebisch01]

If your pipe is 4" corrugated that first site has seals for that (blue) at the bottom of the page. The only thing (if you were to use that) is the speed levelers (they have a hole in them, you turn them so that the flow into each pipe is matched) don't say they fit corrugated pipe. However you should be able to splice into the corrugated pipe with standard pipe.

That all being said, there is a chance this isn't necessary at all. Like I said above, the idea is to have effluent flowing evenly into both sections of the field. I think, although I am no expert, but the just because of variations in line pitch and how each section is draining would be the only real reasons you'd ever need to screw around with the distribution. I could be wrong, but if it were me, I'd probably just get the D-box and set it up properly.

One more thing, I *think* those speed levelers for the 4" *might* fit the corrugated pipe. For the couple of bucks they are it's worth checking out. This should be a very quick project. Digging it out will be the most time intensive. The rest is just shoving pipes into holes :twss:

[Ó Flannagáin]

already dug

[trauma47645]

Just Remember the Number one rule when it comes to septic tanks. Shit doesn't flow uphill.

And what flyindutchman is %100 correct..


Not what I imagined my first post to be but oh well. I am a contractor who has done some septic installs before. Open the hole up further as previously stated. On the exit pipe from your tank install a sanitary tee with the tee pointing straight up and the sweep part of the tee pointing towards your drainfield. On the top part of the tee put a piece of ABS pipe with a screw off cap at ground level. This will give your drainfield a cleanout for future clogs or sludge cleaning. After the tee I would use a 45 pointing towards one of your drain lines and immediatly after another sanitary tee pointing off to the opposite drain line. You will need an ABS to corrogated adapter for each of the drain lines. A rubber no hub adapter will also work. Dont worry if you need to shorten or bend the drain lines some. It wont hurt anything as long as all the pipes stay level with each other. Be sure to glue or tightly clamp your connections. If they seep at all then they will attract roots which will find their way into your pipes causing a whole new set of problems. As far as acess to clean the main tank, the tank has one or two lids built into the top of it depending on if it is a one or two chamber unit. As said before about fifty bucks should cover it. Have fun with it and dont bite your fingernails.

[zoebisch01]

Flyindutchman is indeed correct. The only issue I thought of which would depend on local codes would be some inspector wanting to see a distribution box (or the bypass method they mention....although I am not sure what that means). The guys there already saw the thing, and if they want to be asshats can report it. In some areas septics are really good money-makers for them (hence the $1000 quote for some minor digging and about $50 worth of parts). Either way will get the job done for sure.

[Ó Flannagáin]

I'm going to try and fix this today. So the circled tube below fell into the tank, it was very loosely sitting there. Should i just not worry and get another tube that size?

http://i.imgur.com/Xljzb.jpg

[MrMarbleHead]

You're gonna have to go in after it and get it.

[Ó Flannagáin]

This sucks, I'm about ready to just drop $1000 on the credit card to have someone do it. Fucking hole is full of water and I guess the drain tubes are clogged or the drain field is full because they ain't draining shit. WE had huge fucking storm here yesterdya. I've been scooping nasty fucking water out of that thing with a bucket and a shovel for half an hour now and I'm bout to throw the fuck up. Goddamit.

[Ó Flannagáin]

Here's what I'm dealing with now:

http://www.dunetrain.com/shitterNow1.jpg

http://www.dunetrain.com/shitterNow2.jpg

[MrMarbleHead]

Welcome to FL, water table 6 inches below the dirt. Did your septic tank fill up from all the rain? Septic one of those things that I would rather pay the work out to someone to do, it's not that hard necessarily but it can be shitty work.

I was kidding about having to go get the tube, you should be able to replace it. But you're seeing first hand why the VA is such sticklers when it comes to approving houses with a septic system/.

[Ó Flannagáin]

Va wound up not even looking at the septic. This shit sucjs. I think it just filled up from use and rain maybe.

[Big_John]

Hell Flan, you're in hillbilly country. Run the fucking line to the pool and be done with it! Jesus!

[Ó Flannagáin]

Hell Flan, you're in hillbilly country. Run the fucking line to the pool and be done with it! Jesus!.

So simple and efficient!!

[Big_John]

Be sure to put some Koi and Tilapia in there too. You'll want more than just the brown trout I'm sure.

Whatever, but just get on with it! Jesus!