Good ol' Septics
Tim and Scott did a great job installing a vent in our septic system last week. We have learned a lot (and forgotten a lot) about our septic system over the last 5 years. I thought I'd write a little about it here so we keep it journaled for next time we have a septic "scare."
Living in New England, it's very common to have your own well and septic system.
The filtration system on the well water needs to be serviced and filters replaced frequently.
The septic supposedly needs only gentle care and to be pumped every 2-3 years to check that all is well. But...... every once in a while we get smell issues and have to delve into this stuff.
Gentle Care includes:
Not overusing or overstraining the system. (450 gallon max per day - pretty liberal!)
We were told when we moved in to try not to run laundry all in one day, but spread it out over the week. I consequently run 1-2 loads a day instead of having a "laundry day."
We were also told that a kitchen food disposal and letting any food go down the drain is a big "no-no."
Grease is especially SUPER bad on the system. John said to wipe oily pans out before washing them.
Powder Detergent, bleach, and cushy toilet paper is forbidden as well.
We use liquid detergents in laundry and dishwasher, and we use a compost for all our food rest.
We use 1-ply toilet paper. All grease is wiped out of pans before washing dishes. No bleach in the wash, or as little as possible, because it kills the good bacteria that break down the waste.
Every time the septic has been pumped, we get rave reviews and questions about the products we use.
Today, John Thompson asked if we use added bacteria in the system because it looks so good.
It's like getting your teeth cleaned. You are embarrassed if you haven't been flossing.
When you get your septic pumped you run the risk of the septic guy catching you on using 2-ply TP, or he'll say "I see some powdered detergent in there!" or "Are those potato peels? That's not good for your system!"
Embarrassed, I explained once why I would use up old powdered detergent to save a buck, at the risk of upsetting the "stomach" of my septic tank.
Today, the septic specialist reminded us that our tank is 1250 gallons large, enough for a 3-4 bedroom house. He said that our system is meant to handle no more than 450 gallons of water a day. After pumping the septic today, he suspected we would have 3-4 days "break" on our leech field before the tank was full and would start letting water into the leechfield again.
So, in other words, if your leechfield is saturated, you can just pump your tank more often and hope to make your system last longer, but that's no too terribly effective, because it will only give you about 4 days until the water is leeching again.
So, I had to check! How much water do we use a day?
Dishwasher - 4-6 gallons in a load (we run ours on average 2 times a day)
8 minute Shower - 17 gallons (6 showers a day)
Laundry - 13-20 gallons per load (2 loads a day)
Water for washing hands, face, mopping, etc. = probably another 10 gallons a day
Drinking Water - 3 gallons a day
My best guess for our water usage? = 167 tops
Way under the 450 mark.
So.....why did we get the septic smell last week that scared us about Septic failure?
Having guests might take our usage up to 300 gallons or so, but not 450.
My neighbor Wanda said that it may have been a big rain that saturated the ground. She said she gets a bit of smell in her home when it's really wet outside.
Scott is curious if our vent going out of the house might be clogged with something, and wants to check that out someday.
Note in case we ever have an issue: The septic specialist also told us that if a leechfield does get saturated and isn't draining anymore, you can pay about $7-8,000 to get the system blown out with forced air to reset it.....and that it can actually work. New company around our area providing the service, and he said he's seen it work for people whose systems were not working.
So, thank you again to Papa Tim for helping Scott install a vent in the system. Apparently, in 2001 vents on the systems were optional. Now, vents are recommended for all systems. John said that it's best that we have one, and that it will help the health of the leechfield.
Scott was concerned about our system because he found water in the leechfield, but fortunately, it was in the leechfield lines, which in our system is supposed to be wet. Only if the sand is wet is that alarming. The leechfield lines in our system are designed to flood & hold water, and then slowly leech.
So, there's your Septics 101 😂
As the Parker and Stapleton cabins both have them (different systems though) some of you might be interested. :) I suggest we keep those showers at the cabins to 8 minutes 👍😊 and no grease down the drains! 😁
PS - when Scott and Tim were installing the vent, they moved this GINORMOUS ROCK that was sticking up out of our lawn!
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