Septic drain field repair and install

[GeoHorn]

Anyone ever make a septic-drain-field repair? Mine is 25 yrs old and become “sluggish” due to small roots that have managed to plug all the holes in the plastic 4” pipes that make up that field.

Instead of digging it all up and removing it and installing All-New …. I’m thinking ..”Why not just dig trenches alonside the existing (plugged) pipes….. And lay New perforated pipes alongside the old…. re-connect the main drain line to the New pIpes…. OR…simply install al “jumper” or connector…to the originals for the new pipes to gain access to the effluent..?

I’m on private land. No neighbors.

Any suggestions on this?

BTW… I’ll be installing a “sister” system at the other end of my home for those “guest rooms” that still served by an 80 yr old system that needs updating. It’s a completely Separate system… but will require new tank and drain field.
It’s been suggested to simply Combine the two tanks to drain to a single drain field.

Any thoughts on that idea?

 

[#40Fan]

Do you know if you have a distribution box or is the feed to the field all PVC?

If you could easily connect the two fields, that would probably be the easier route to go since you'd already have to dig up one area.

Do you plan to go back with the same 4" lines or upgrade to the chambers?

 

[dirtydeed]

so, your system has an actual tank and leach field with perf pipe?

Not sure what your local requirements are but, a couple of possible "fixes".
1) jet the lines to cut the infiltrating roots, treat with copper sulfate. may need to do an injection lift (terralift) of leach field (they shoot styrofoam balls into the leach field to create pore space)
2) dig a secondary pit as large and deep as you can, fill with large stone, and pipe the effluent to it. Think of it as a dry well. I've done this in the past for a property with a "cesspool" system. Obviously, it depends on your soil type.
3) as you say, combine the 2 systems and install a new, larger drain field.

 

[Russell King]

Since you are basically on solid limestone you might want to look into a couple of the newer methods. One is to build the drain field within mounds and pump it into those. The other is to add an aerobic environment to the system and then use a pump to sprinklers or drip irrigation. I think the sprinkler need a chlorination process but mine uses drip irrigation and no chlorination.

I “think” the drainage fields fail by the ground around the perforated pipes getting clogged by the bacteria and not enough oxygen in the soil to clear it. There is some type of smaller pipe with a mat that might also be placed on top of your existing fields to replace the perforated pipes.

If you are having trouble at this time of the year, I don’t think there is too much hope for the drain field.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Have you ever dug up a leach field?
It's not an easy operation.
It's almost always better to abandon it and move it to another location.

I would follow @dirtydeed advice.

 

[KubotaHawg]

just dig trenches alonside the existing (plugged) pipes….. And lay New perforated pipes alongside the old….

^^This^^

Did the same 2 years ago. Had 3 of 5 lateral lines that had failed (effluent coming to surface).

Trust me on laying completely new lines and connecting them to your D box, especially if the original lines are those worthless EZ Flow with the styrofoam packing peanuts. I got into one of them when digging to locate the lines from the D box—still cleaning up peanuts 2 years later.

I dug and installed 3 new 60’ lines and hooked them to the existing D box outflow lines, disconnecting the failed lines and fill the end/cover em up. Pools dried right up. Use the chambers not perf PVC. Get your fall correct. 3 days start to finish by myself and 15 yo. I am not a plumber. Screw the state permit—if no neighbors, no one can see you do it, and you research and do it correctly you save money headaches and time.

 

[GeoHorn]

^^This^^

Use the chambers not perf PVC. .

Not familiar with “chambers”.. Around here, they use green PVC perforated on the bottom, laid in 2-3” river-rock, covered in geo-cloth and then topsoil.

Can you explain “chambers”..? NEVER MIND… I see what you mean.

 

[KubotaHawg]

Not familiar with “chambers”.. Around here, they use green PVC perforated on the bottom, laid in 2-3” river-rock, covered in geo-cloth and then topsoil.

Can you explain “chambers”..? NEVER MIND… I see what you mean.

I used Infiltrator brand—should have said “leach field chambers”. 180’ of 48” chambers stacked in bed of a standard pickup bed. Ez pz, no moving gravel to fill 180’ of lines through woods. From my research they last a lot longer as well and I put an inspection pipe in each line, similar to clean out ports near the house.

 

[NWAZL3560]

When I put in a new leach field a few years ago, the engineering drawings also showed a future "replacement area", required by the county. Certainly supports installing a new one rather than tearing up an old one.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

It'll be MORE work to 'cut and splice' the current field, just dig it all up ,remove and replace. With a mid sized excavator it's 4-5 hours to remove, 1 hour to gravel and grade, 2 hours to repipe, 1 to cover over. So done in one day. It's simpler, easier, quicker. Neighbour's doing that this week, mine was done 36 years ago. A one day job, spread over 3 days. seems no one actually works a days job in a day anymore.

 

[KubotaHawg]

It'll be MORE work to 'cut and splice' the current field, just dig it all up ,remove and replace. With a mid sized excavator it's 4-5 hours to remove, 1 hour to gravel and grade, 2 hours to repipe, 1 to cover over. So done in one day. It's simpler, easier, quicker. Neighbour's doing that this week, mine was done 36 years ago. A one day job, spread over 3 days. seems no one actually works a days job in a day anymore.

Sounds idyllic from someone who has never done it himself with a 15 yo boy helper only, in rocky sloped ground not knowing exactly where the old lines are.

I wouldn’t call 30 hours meter time not working a day’s job. OP, disregard.

 

[mikester]

Sounds idyllic from someone who has never done it himself with a 15 yo boy helper only, in rocky sloped ground not knowing exactly where the old lines are.

I wouldn’t call 30 hours meter time not working a day’s job. OP, disregard.

The job is always easy when someone else is holding the shovel

 

[JasonW]

I redid my entire system back in February of this year. Ended up putting the new tank back in the same location as the old tank due to space limitations. That took extra time to get it out.

It took two solid days to get everything done. I do have experience running an excavator so that helped tremendously time wise.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Sounds idyllic from someone who has never done it himself with a 15 yo boy helper only, in rocky sloped ground not knowing exactly where the old lines are.

I wouldn’t call 30 hours meter time not working a day’s job. OP, disregard.

37 years ago , 'me,myself and I' DID do the ACTUAL work. Borrowed a farm tractor with 3PH backhoe and no 15 year old to help. If you don't know where the lines are you just start at the tank exit and dig. Every new install or replacement is done the same way... dig up the old bed ( or virgin soil),bucket in the 'gravel', level it, lay down the premade weeping tile bed, cover with gravel, then top soil, then seed or sod.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

The job is always easy when someone else is holding the shovel

ever notice no one comes to help when YOU are doing a septic system ?

 

[GeoHorn]

It'll be MORE work to 'cut and splice' the current field, just dig it all up ,remove and replace. With a mid sized excavator it's 4-5 hours to remove, 1 hour to gravel and grade, 2 hours to repipe, 1 to cover over. So done in one day. It's simpler, easier, quicker. Neighbour's doing that this week, mine was done 36 years ago. A one day job, spread over 3 days. seems no one actually works a days job in a day anymore.

The way I’ve been thinking about this is…. Why dig up and remove pipes already plugged with roots..?

Instead… dig new trenches a foot or two alongside and lay New perf-pipe…and simply splice into the line coming from the tank.… resulting in additional lines to the existing field.
It’s the same amount of digging without having to labor on and dispose of the old pipes.

We’ve completed that digging and laid out the new pipes…. waiting for Monday, so we can take the dump trlr to get 2”-3” washed river-rock for a gravel bed and cover….then push the excavated dirt back over it all.

In pic #3 you can see the old green perf-pipe alongside the new trench:

 

[GeoHorn]

I redid my entire system back in February of this year. Ended up putting the new tank back in the same location as the old tank due to space limitations. That took extra time to get it out.

It took two solid days to get everything done. I do have experience running an excavator so that helped tremendously time wise.

LOL… YES! Learning to run an excavator mkes one appreciate experienced / professional operators.

I spent about 4 hrs digging up 100’ of trench 3-1/2’ deep…. and I never did actually look “smooth” doing it. …. LOL