salt water in septic system?
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DaveA
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+1
Septic tanks definitely require periodic pumping. If you don't do this, it will eventually clog the lines and you'll have to pay much more. How often you have to do this depends on the number of people in the house.
SaraB
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I believe there's a difference between septic systems. Some need to be pumped and others don't. I know that in WI, we pump the systems. Also down here in IL, we have septic systems with drainage fields and we don't pump them.
H@rry
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I've lived in two houses with septic tanks for years that were never pumped with no problems. Both had field lines though. Maybe that's different from what you have. The biggest problem people have here is tree roots growing into the field lines. There's a chemical that you can flush down the toilet that will kill the roots.
DaveA
Active Member
I'm in Illinois, and I've lived in two houses with septic tanks, both with field lines. (Actually, I believe that ALL of them have field lines) They MUST be periodically pumped. You might go for years without problems, but once you damage your drain field, you will have to pay REALLY big bucks to fix it. Eventually you will have a problem if you do not pump.
For those of you who have not pumped your systems, please read this. It has a good explanation of what is goign on and why you must pump.
http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/publications/Soilfacts/AG-439-13/
For those of you who have not pumped your systems, please read this. It has a good explanation of what is goign on and why you must pump.
http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/publications/Soilfacts/AG-439-13/
H@rry
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How do you know when it's time for pumping? Do you just do it on a calendar basis or is there some tell-tale sign that it needs to be pumped.
The first house I lived in, I lived there for 6 years. I don't know how long it was in use before I got there, it was a rental house.
The next one I bought and lived in for 7 years. Again I don't know how long it was in use before I got there but the house was twelve years old. It may have been pumped before I got there.
Neither was pumped while I was there and I had no problems.
As a side note, I heard an old plumber say that someone living in a house taking insulin would foul up a septic tank. He said that when he opened it up he saw what looked like a yellow wax on the surface that was a dead give-a-way that someone there was using insulin. Again, just what he said.
The first house I lived in, I lived there for 6 years. I don't know how long it was in use before I got there, it was a rental house.
The next one I bought and lived in for 7 years. Again I don't know how long it was in use before I got there but the house was twelve years old. It may have been pumped before I got there.
Neither was pumped while I was there and I had no problems.
As a side note, I heard an old plumber say that someone living in a house taking insulin would foul up a septic tank. He said that when he opened it up he saw what looked like a yellow wax on the surface that was a dead give-a-way that someone there was using insulin. Again, just what he said.
DaveA
Active Member
I lived in a house for 10 years (by myself) without pumping. Then I got married. She came with 4 kids. Within 2 years, the toilets started draining poorly. The septic cleaner told me I was really lucky that the field and the field lines weren't destroyed. He told me I should pump every 18 months to 2 years. The link I posted earlier in this thread has an algorithm for calculating.
Don't take my word, though, I don't know. I'm a programmer!
mfinn
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Because it had been more than 18 years since the last time it had been pumped.
I've read where it should be pumped out every 6-7 years, but I had not had it done. There didn't seem to be any reason too, everything was flowing smoothly.
But, when I saw them doing a neighbors, I figured it was time to do the same.
ALL septic tanks need to be pumped. The leach field distributes the liquids but the solids which do not break down by bacterial action stay in the tank eventually filling it up. This can be dirt or inorganic products you shower or wash off or any number of things.
SaraB
2500 Club Member
The people installing our system when we had the house built looked at me like I came from Mars when I asked how often we had to have the system pumped. He said you don't pump these systems at all. I have actually never seen a septic pumping truck in all my driving in the area for 14 years down here in IL. So who knows what system I had installed!
http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/uwexlakes/humanimpact/Maintaining%20your%20Septic%20System.pdf
The solids eventually have to be pumped out, they do not magically disappear. It may take years but they will eventually fill the septic tank chamber or foul the leach lines. Some rural counties require property owners to pump at least every 5 years and they track this process by required permit applications.
The solids eventually have to be pumped out, they do not magically disappear. It may take years but they will eventually fill the septic tank chamber or foul the leach lines. Some rural counties require property owners to pump at least every 5 years and they track this process by required permit applications.
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cloakerpoked
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It seems like it would be in the septic pumping businesses best interest to promote anecdotal evidence that this needs to be done a lot more frequently than it actually does.
I would worry about corrosion when you're pumping salt water into metal holding tanks...Maybe its diluted enough that it wouldn't be a major problem, but eventually I'd think you'd run the risk of fallowing your ground in the leech field (we're talking about decades probably) since the salt concentration in the ground would persistently rise.
I would worry about corrosion when you're pumping salt water into metal holding tanks...Maybe its diluted enough that it wouldn't be a major problem, but eventually I'd think you'd run the risk of fallowing your ground in the leech field (we're talking about decades probably) since the salt concentration in the ground would persistently rise.
Most septic tanks are concrete and some newer ones are FRP or fiberglass reinforced plastic. The leach lines are PVC or ABS plastic.
Most articles I have read over the years say salt can actually be a good thing in small quantities, it helps break up clay and caliche type soils.
Most articles I have read over the years say salt can actually be a good thing in small quantities, it helps break up clay and caliche type soils.
DaveA
Active Member
I guarantee they were wrong. Find out the manufacturer of your septic system and contact them. You are rolling the dice to have a HUGE bill to replace it, versus $75 to have it pumped.
