Gross Plumbing Question - Need Advice

[raysnkaysmom]

Well???? How does it all seem this morning?

aside from finishing cleanup this morning in the downstairs...it seems to be working good...


and we were able to coil the snake back up.....

 

[seashoreCM]

...looked in the septic tank and said "This must be the old one because it is filled to the top with dirt". So he spent hours and hours snaking the drains. He thought he was going to have to dig the "dirt" out of the old tank to find the problem in the pipes. When he took a stick and poked the dirt, we discovered that it wasn't dirt after all.
So the tank had to be cleaned and then the pips leading from the house to that tank snaked out many times because everything was packed tight. The company who cleaned the tank charged us to snake the drain and thought they got it all. They didn't. DH spent days after the tank was cleaned out hanging in the tank snaking all the clogs out. .

If your septic tank has "dirt" packed almost to the top, chances are that clogs will be found at numerous other places. Some sludge and also grease may have migrated out into the leaching field, and this may mean having to rebuild the leaching field.

If the septic tank is found to be half full of sludge, pumping out was long overdue.

The septic tank will normally rest with the "water" level at about 85% full. Much less than that usually means that the tank has a crack in it letting the sewage infiltrate the soil next to it as a cesspool does.

A thin snake may leave enough solid matter here and there that in a few months other solid matter hangs up and clogs the pipe again.

Home handyman hints: http://www.cockam.com/home.htm

 

[Tuffcookie]

OP, Please get this checked by a reputable plumber as soon as you can afford it. If it's the septic, the problem will not go away!

TC

 

[hentob]

Funds are tooo limited for a plumber now....

Any chance you can cancel your upcoming trip and set up an emergency fund?

I am so happy that things worked out for you this time, but could you imagine if they hadn't? It is not fun (or responsible) to have you (or your children) living amongst fecal matter because you have no money to hire a plumber What would have happened if a cheap snake would not have solved the problem?


Once the baby comes, it will be even harder to save up for necessities. Why not start now...food for thought

 

[clutter]

Might be worth checking your homeowners insurance to see if you have a sewage back-up rider (do they have them for septics or only public sewers?). If not, you may want to add one.

 

[OctMtnWoods]

Might be worth checking your homeowners insurance to see if you have a sewage back-up rider (do they have them for septics or only public sewers?). If not, you may want to add one.

While that's a good idea, insurance is not a maintenance plan. The issue needs to be fixed for good, not just glossed over expecting insurance to keep paying everytime it happens again.

 

[SpecialK]

Any chance you can cancel your upcoming trip and set up an emergency fund?

I am so happy that things worked out for you this time, but could you imagine if they hadn't? It is not fun (or responsible) to have you (or your children) living amongst fecal matter because you have no money to hire a plumber What would have happened if a cheap snake would not have solved the problem?


Once the baby comes, it will be even harder to save up for necessities. Why not start now...food for thought

Exactly what I was thinking. I don't mean to be rude, but if funds are that tight and there's a baby on the way, is a Disney trip really a good idea?

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Exactly what I was thinking. I don't mean to be rude, but if funds are that tight and there's a baby on the way, is a Disney trip really a good idea?

Well, if it's already paid for and non-refundable...doesn't really matter

If I can solve a problem for $25 as opposed to $2500 I think I'd choose $25

Thanks everyone for the plumbing advice... I didn't ask for a financial planner

 

[wall*e2008]

Might be worth checking your homeowners insurance to see if you have a sewage back-up rider (do they have them for septics or only public sewers?). If not, you may want to add one.

We have one on our homeowners policy. It is only for the case of heavy rains. This would not be covered.

I am not sure that the problem is really fixed. A good friend had the same problem and fixed it just like the OP. Well the problem was back and this time the yard was dug up.

If solids get into your field $2500 won't even come close to covering the cost.