Restoring A Septic Drain Field: First Steps (Least Vs. Most Expensive)
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- Опубликовано: 19 май 2024
- Septic system failure is a headache. We show you the options and steps to take in restoring your leach or drain field from least to most expensive.
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Thank you so much for the no-nonsense advice. I too was in the same situation and never did locate the distribution box. I added Roebic right into a toilet and voila! Worked like a charm!
Glad it was helpful!
It’s the K57 stuff? That’s what I use.
Roebic is some great stuff. I've been using it for years, every four months I add two quarts. Cheap insurance ! keeps things flowing and my leach field draining. My system was installed in 1955 and still working great !
Wow! That is an old system. Awesome.
Where do you apply the roebic ?
@@hayesunified3670 i add mine to the toilets monthly....
obviously cannt hurt to add it to the "D BOX" if you can find it without breaking your "drain lines" or impeding your drain field ;)
Our house/septic is 55 years old. I've lived in my house for 21 years now. Two adults, one bath and we watch what goes down the drains.
We had the tank pumped and inspected before the closing. Since then we've had our tank pumped every 3-5 years.
This spring we'll have our tank pumped again. I plan on dumping some Roebic down & out the exit baffle. I figure a direct dump like that would get more chompers into the bed, than just a flush down the toilet.
Thank you so much for your guidance and help I truly appreciate getting the knowledge from listening to this video
You're welcome
great info and your delivery/presentation is very informative, educational, and well thought out.. thanks again...
Thank you
Just wanted to say thank you for providing what has turned into a forum. Dealing with a 30-year-old failed drainfield and exploring possible solutions in all the comments here. Thanks, everyone! Wow!
Just saw your message this am-don't know why it's just showing up today( 4-18-2024.) I am just putting the finishing touches on a book I haven't put out yet about how I grew my one-man septic tank pumping business into a retirement account worth well over one million dollars. The Terralift section is a major component of the book, which I plan to charge thirty dollars for. I have already contacted Jim K. at Pumper Magazine about using my book as a source for them, and mentioning my book. The Terralift has been restricted to use--but the machine can legally be used for other purposes. I charged $1500. in the beginning, but raised my price to three thousand dollars after an over-joyed customer told me my service was worth much more. I saved him the eighteen thousand dollars he was getting ready to spend to replace his drainfield, and saved the sale of his home to a waiting home buyer. If you want me to reserve a copy of the book for you-let me know. My cell is 774 254-5501. My business was in Uxbridge,MA. where I grew up. I retired in 2013, and am now living in Little River, SC-next to Myrtle Beach. Jack Darling
Did you end up fixing it?
Having the same problem. We've had so much rain this year its difficult to work on system. Thanks for the info.
You're welcome. Hope you get it sorted out.
I am definitely going to use the product you showed in your video. Thanks for the info
Great. Hope it helps.
Did the product work?
Helpful video, I just ordered through your link.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you..dump 8 boxs ..RID X..IT WORK..TOOK 6 MONTHS BEFORE IT FLOW WRIGHT..MADE UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS
I'll definitely be giving this a try
It is helping us so far.
Thank you so much for your video. It helps me. God bless you
You're welcome
Where was this video last week ! 🤦🏾♂️ I had a septic company come out and said my system is failing and that I should consider changing it out , steering at 12k ! Thanks for this video ! God bless you !
You're welcome.
easy money :)
I am not saying the prices that he gave for a drain field are wrong, but they depend heavily on the the region and how much competition the industry has in the area. I own a septic company and I can tell you that drain fields go for around $15 per foot in South Carolina. So $1500 per 100'. Depending on the soil and residential water usage, a three bed room home can run on a 150' system. Check with your local small septic company's about what is the best option in your area. Just about every company that I have had dealings with including myself are very helpful and willing to give you sound advice. Most septic company's are ran by good old country folks. Most importantly, have regular maintenance performed every 3-5 years! Most drain field problems are caused by neglecting the system! At least open up the septic tank every so often and make sure that the outlet baffle is intact and not allowing solids to flow out into the drain field. lastly the only thing that should ever go into a septic tank is two ply toilet paper and what comes out of you! No grease or "flush-able wet wipes". Hope this helps!
Thank you for your thoughtful response. I would be overjoyed with $15 per foot......that is not the case in East Texas from what I have found. I have had the tanks pumped since I moved in 2 years ago and there was no issue before that. I do not know if the previous owner neglected the system but suspect he might have. I will check that outlet baffle more often. I am super careful about what we put in the tank so no wetwipes or grease for sure.
I again appreciate the way you responded as most other commenters have been crass and rude causing me to delete them. lol. Have a great day!
Adam Gladden
Those rates are incredibly close where I live also.
@@CountryLivingExperience Here in S. Florida I had a company come in and inject little styrofoam balls along the lines. That broke up the problem. They charged me $5000.00. They couldn't give any guarantee how long it would work. I bought a hydro-jet tip and line for my pressure cleaner both are rated for 3000 psi, so it was low enough not to be a problem for my perforated pipes. That opened all of my lines except one that has roots in it. I'm not sure how to get those out. Anything that would cut those out would probably destroy the pipe.I also had the company install a filter in my septic when they were here cleaning it out.
@@danbergdoll6800 $5000 seems like a lot of money for styrofoam balls. I hope it lasts for you.
@@pannathannap I work the Kershaw and sumter county area. Rock hill is a little too far.
Thanks for the video (from one channel to another)! We are having the exact same problem. Our field is about 34 years old, started bubbling out at the top, had it pumped out, and... bubbling up again! We are all about trying the cheapest first too so we will give that product a try! Thanks for the video!
We have also had another issue that has compounded the problem....rain. Tons of rain. Our soil is so saturated that if you dig a tiny hole with a shovel it immediately fills up with water. There is no place for the effluent to go.
DID IT WORK?!?!?!
It's cool to see my u tube channels talking with each other!
@@CountryLivingExperience
Try to put a French drain on higher ground at a reasonable distance from the drain field coupled with sump pump or in a way that diverts the soil drains there before going to the septic drain field.
Great advice, thank you
Glad it was helpful
I'm having the same problem, only I keep noticing the smell of the septic tank occasionally in the guest bathroom that never gets used much. I have replaced the flange, etc.. but I still notice it. I'm going to try both of these products you suggest and hope it will help. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with those of us always trying to diy to save money. :)
Hope the less expensive option works for you.
Since you guest bathroom is not used much, the traps in the sink or shower may be drying out letting sewer gas to come into your house. Make sure the traps are filled by running water down them regularly. I have this problem with my downstairs bathroom since I run a dehumidifier down there.
@@scrapperstacker8629 Great tip!
It's gas coming from water in the traps evaporating. Just pour some baby oil in the drains, it won't evaporate like water will.
did roebic help?
I feel your pain. I'm using the Roebic K-570-Q for leach and drain fields which is also a concentrate and dr. pooper. accelerator. We're hoping between the two, we can dry up our leach field.
have you pumped tanks of course .. then use a 5 spray come along spaggetti hose on a preasure washer it will stir break up chunkies crust ect and add your bio bacteria to the distibrution box as your feeding in spray line .pull out when you see draining and do next infiltrator ot pipe. till field is working .
I appreciate this vide thank you very mech.
My pumps being probably 20 years old finally failed. I temporary dropped in a sump pump to move gray eater to the drain field distribution pump tube, which was WRONG. Reviewing my AS BUILT I realized the engineer drew it WRONG, leaving put the all important SAND FILTER. I very likely fouled the tubes/orifices in the drain/leach field so tge effluent would not drain properly filling the sand field/pump tube with excess water.
I dropped in a couple packets of the green gobbler (why not?) And the Roedic K-57 Septic System Cleaner and within a couple days the drainfield accepting water and my Septic system was cleared. I ordered the K-570 but it hasn't arrived yet.
Thing about bio mass or anything slowing down your system is yoy need to be patient. The good bacteria NEEDS TIME TO WORK. Give it a couple days, we tend to want instant results and it just DOESN'T WORK that way. Let the clog get chewed up, it works.
My house was built in 1972. I bought the house in August 2001. I have a leach field septic system. As far as I know, it is the original septic system. I use the green gobbler brand product. I had the system hydro blasted a few years ago on the advice of the septic company that I use. I should probably replace the tank. I was going to do that several years ago, but the contractor I was using kept putting off the work until the job fell by the wayside for both him and me. Knock on wood, the system can keep going without any major problems. I will have to get some of the Roebic product and use it.
Keep it going as long as you can because new systems cost an arm and a leg.
Did it work?
My system is doing the same thing and is probably 30yrs old as well, I had the tank cleaned when I moved in 12yrs ago, and again a year or so before now. I've never used the enzymes but I will be now.
The additive worked for me for 1 year but my system was too far gone by the time I started. It was worth the shot though.
I redid my own field lines 4-5 years ago... I had access to a larger version of a rubber tracked excavator, still smaller compared to a steel plate track hoe but probably a 5000lb+ machine... so all I had to buy was some diesel fuel, the necessary perforated 4" line, some non perforated 4" line, distribution box, a load of gravel (gravel pit 5 miles away so I get that cheap), geotextile fabric, and of course my labor for the project...
Grand total was a tad under $700 which covered 4 50' runs for a total of 200' of field line complete under the dirt...
Bear in mind I have contacts and get most everything fairly cheap, no equipment rental, and no labor cost doing everything myself.
Also bear in mind... I live in the middle of nowhere BFE, and the compound is pretty much centered on a 180acre plot.... pretty much everything around here is legal for the homeowners to DIY, no building permits; just a certified perc test and casual eyeball by the county guy before you cover everything...
In many more "city" areas many permits might be required, as well as an actual licensed & certified "septic" installation company.... check your local regulatory statutes before attempting a DIY septic drain field.
I put in new field lines about a year after this video. Cost me $1000 to do it myself.
We live in rural interior Alaska. Our metal septic tank was starting to rust out and collapse after 30 years. We replaced the steel tank with a plastic septic tank. Now after 40 years, our leach field failed test and needs to be replaced in order to sell the house. With a soil temperature in the upper 30 degrees, bacterial decomposition is minimal here in Alaska where the mean annual temperature is just above freezing.
Sorry to hear that.
Good advice my field has 3 lines. I have two overloaded and the 3rd line just blew out and is sending the effluent onto the neighbours paddock ffs. Great vid thank yoy
Thanks!
BTW, I also learned that the biomat forms when there is lack of oxygen, and disappears when there is sufficient oxygen flow. Therefore terraLift+pouring perforated ceramic beads+pouring in Reobic should remove the biomat. After that, keeping the dirt damp should greatly help as earthworm population grow and their activities will keep the air flowing inside the dirt.
Did a mushroom tell you that. LOL
I'll be adding an aerator in my pump tank! After researching and watching my neighbors aeration setup, it's been all too obvious that aerator system works by oxygenating the tank!
@@randythomas3478 just be careful that the aerator pumps can burn out in a year because it has to push air through the thick and dirty water. One alternative is to install a wind turbine on your roof that is attached to the sewer vent pipe on your roof and install another candle cane shaped short pipe on your tank. This allows air to be circulated through with the help of wind. Something interesting to think about
I went to my town building department and ask for my property folder. From there I made copies of my site plan which laid out all my septic lines, and tanks, with measurements from the house footprint. From there it was easy to find what I wanted.
You got lucky.
this is the best idea LOL.....but not all municippalities have good departments like this that keepp records for over 30 years ;)
That 🐕 fast as hell 🤣🤣💯 nice video my guy u jus helped me
He is insanely fast for sure. Glad the video helped.
Thank you!
Omg that dog!🤩
He is a trip.
You may want to consider putting a marker stone or benchmark over your distribution box once you find it. It couldn't hoit!
Edit: you might also think of drawing up a "master plan" (aka survey) of where things are on the property. Less chance of breaking a water line or something from randomly digging holes to find something.
I am slowly making a plan. Even the last owner didn't know where everything was.
I was thinking the same thing, like using a paper towel roll to fill with concrete, put on corner of box and on the tanks. I would also think about putting one every 5 or 10 feet between the tank and the box to make it easier. You could also put a small chisel mark on the house 90-degree angle to the box, and even put the distance to it (obviously low near the ground)
Plant a shallow rooted or even bulb type plant
@@ritste1654 small shallow root plant or a bulb of daffodil
This info is invaluable...previous owner drew a diagram which was very helpful. I would not have found the tank without it as the cover was buried. The diagram shows where the D. Box is....I hope I don't need to dig to it; praying this Roebic will work. No back up, just a high water level in tank even after pumping.
What has changed in the last couple of decades with septic systems? Back in the '70s I worked on a number of systems that were 30-70 years old that not only had fully functioning leach lines, but which had *never* been pumped and weren't more than a third full of solids. My personal guess is that all the anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners are killing the tank bacteria and creating the problem. I don't know, but reason would indicate that you shouldn't have to do any major work on a septic system for a very long time.
I can appreciate what you are saying. Since I moved in, I have eliminated bleaches and antibacterial cleansers from the house. I cannot say what was used by the previous owner. Did you ever run into a biomat buildup around any leach lines you worked on?
@@CountryLivingExperience There was some occasionally, but I really don't recall much. If memory serves - and it has been over 40 years since I did any of that type of work - most of the problematic leach beds were in wet locations where water stood or the soil was saturated for much of the year. I was just the kid with the shovel, just dig out the lid, find and open the junction box, locate and expose some of the line to check flow. I really didn't pay a huge amount of attention most of the time.
Yes! 20 years ago I was the first to move in a new construction single family house in Ft. Lauderdale, FL (sandy soil).
Small family with regular usage of clothes washer and daily usage of dishwasher. Nine (9) years later someone suggested to empty the septic tank for the first time as preventative maintenance. I paid $300 to suck the contents out only to find out that the "solids" were all they way at the bottom. The company told me that it definitely did not need any emptying. It looked to me that the septic tank could have gone unemptied for another 4 or 5 decades perhaps longer. Oh and the next year the city installed sewer pipes costing me $800 to connect. Naturally the monthly utility bill increased by over 100%. But that's a story for another time.
you really need to treat the system regardless because every drainage - sewer, septic system has buildup which always needs to be eliminated or else water flow will be impeded. There is no way around it...has to be done
Our septic is 60 years old...for the first 55 years it was owned by a couple that grew up in the great depression. They showered twice a week and did laundry once a week. I know because the old man kept a log of water used with notes for 20 years. He used about a quarter of the water we use now with a modern washing machine and 2 kids. Think people just use a lot more water these days and it puts a higher load on the septic systems. With gentle use, most things will last a lifetime.
Thanks for the insight
You're welcome
I have a septic system that is 44 years old. I pump it every two years. I add Roebic K37 monthly. I add Roebic K57 annually, substituting for the K37 one month a year. So far, all good.
Nice!
You can get this stuff at Tractor supply& I dumped mine in my septic tank. My drain field is in the neighbors farm land
Just watched this video, good information. Is there a follow up video on what the final solution was to fix the drain field?
Thank you. The Roebic worked for very good 1 year but it was not enough to reverse the total damage that had been done over time. We are now on to the next step.
@@CountryLivingExperience and what’s the next step?
@@elmeromero1794 ruclips.net/video/6eLIDyqIg0U/видео.html
How is the system holding up? I am in a similar situation and looking for ideas. Thanks for all your great vids! Very helpful!
Thank you.
This treatment extended the life of our system for about a year after making this video. We ended up doing this video about replacing the leach lines ourself......ruclips.net/video/6eLIDyqIg0U/видео.html
I have no plan available for my septic system. I'm assuming that I have a leach field but no idea where the d-box might be. I agree that the best place to add k-570 is in the d-box. As an alternative, I know where my tank is and have a very good guess where the outlet pipe is coming out of the tank. I dug a hole about 2 feet from the end of the tank and luckily found the outlet pipe. I had some extra 1" pvc pipe, so I drilled a hole in the top of the outlet pipe. I glued a short piece of pipe into a coupling and made a bead of JB weld WaterWeld putty around the bottom of the coupling. I glued another piece of pipe long enough to reach the surface into the other end of the coupling and forced the short piece into the hole in the outlet pipe which is sealed by the putty. I put a removable end cap at the surface so I can add K-570 every 6 months. My leach field hadn't failed, but it's 38 years old. Some preventative maintenance sure won't hurt.
Have you tried using a septic system metal poking rod to find the distribution box? Maybe start with finding the pipe exiting the holding tank, following it with the poker should lead you to the distribution box.
Ok. Thanks
The county permit for the septic should have a drawing of where the pipes are buried and hopefully with distances from the house. My parents house had the same problem and the county permit had a basic drawing to help locate the septic tank while also showing leach field line location.
Permit lol
@@bullbutter9699 Most rural counties require a septic system before they hand you the final paperwork to live in your house and those are on file at the county. Rural Washington state works that way since before 1980. Ditto for California and Arizona.
Yes, I do understand there are some folks who have done things without permits and that's likely some number under 1% of rural houses.
I have done tons of hydro jetting on all different pipes. All you have to do is regulate your pressure.
But does the jetting breakup up the biomass outside the pipe and the trench walls
@@TheDouglash i can see it doing some but may take longer.
I am glad I saw your comment. I had my septic hydro jetted a few years ago and was a little concerned after watching the video.
Eric,
Sorry you’re going through this man.
We had our tanks pumped last year (our house was finished being built in 19).
A few weeks ago my wife noticed that our ground settling more so a pipe that goes from the house to the tanks shifted and broke.
Of course it was on a weekend so we had to pay emergency prices. 4 hours later and $2600 it was fixed.
We put 3 pkgs of Live Yeast down our toilets every month to break down the solids.
Our plumber did recommend a concentrate to put directly into where the filter is, so we did. The solution needs to be put into the system every week for 6 weeks.
Years ago my dad’s septic system failed. It was very expensive and we did as much work as we could to cut the price down. I hope y’all don’t have to replace your drain field.
No worries. It was many years ago. We replaced it ourselves for just a little amount of money comparative to a new full system.
@@CountryLivingExperienceDid you make a video about it?
@@notadonna5983 We did. Here is the link....ruclips.net/video/6eLIDyqIg0U/видео.htmlsi=hvhUTCW-qEIHQ7Xr
We use jetting all the time on septic lines never have had an issue unless the system has already failed and needs replaced. Been doing this for 20 years +
That is encouraging and you are about the fourth person to say this. All the research I did beforehand, including video accounts of angry customers and articles written on the subject, indicated that hydro jetting was damaging to the drain tile.
What I did forget to mention in the video was the fact that the effluent was coming out of the end of the drain tile/leach line. This to me still indicates and points to a biomat problem in the gravel. Thoughts?
I jet my lines every time I pump my tank. I bought a clog hog that attaches to the end of a pressure washer wand. This has saved my leach field. I had all the normal problems of backed up drains ect.. Jetting the lines after the tank is pumped allows all the debris back into the tank to be pumped or digested again. Add some microbes and your good for another 2yrs.
How can jetting work when the crap in the drain field is grease-based? I can see that it might temporarily help but long term?
I just run the garden hose up the drainfield line until it backflushes any solids that made it into the line. When the distribution box gets full turn the water off and clean out the sump. Do this over and over until only clean water comes out of the line. Probably not ideal but better than leaving it in there. I only do this every ten years when we get the tank pumped.
@@lilylily8711 as we hydro jet the lines we are also sucking out the crud with our pump truck hose. The trip of the jetter is forcing the crud back towards the box. End result clean lines
So if u dig down to distribution box and find other unused outlets. Then dig a couple leach lines about ten ft long. Buy some stone and sewer pipe with holes in it. Make sure the new lines are a bit lower at the far end then at box. Problem fixed for a good number of years
That's the fastest dog I've ever seen.
Lol. All he does every day is chase cars. I should rename him The Flash.
I had the vid speed up to 1.5...real fast dog.
Great info, thanks a bunch.
@@scoooterbob2321 Glad it was helpful.
@@scoooterbob2321 lol
Just had my tank pumped. The man told me the top layer was almost 2 feet of toilet paper!! He said to use cheaper paper, as it is more friendly to septic systems. In other words, stay away from the more expensive quilted type, but don’t go too cheap either. My field is failing also. He took the time and dug down into the gravel bed, and sure enough, he dug up black gunk. Immediately we could see water in the hole. My field has been green and lush since it was installed. I live in good sandy soil. I thought this was normal. Nope! He said it should be more dry. I’m looking at around 4K he guessed for a second field. I’ll hook a “Y” in the line with a valve so hopefully the old field will recover, and then I can rotate between the two fields every couple of years. He mentioned the other methods you talked about, but did say to stay away from the aeration type system, as the pumps seem to wear out within five years or so.
Thanks for your thoughts Michael. I like the idea of just adding to the field and diverting it. Interesting idea. That is a lot of toilet paper...luckily we use the cheap thin stuff so no worries there.
I have 4 kids. After pumping the tank a few times, we implemented a new rule - use handi-wipes/baby wipes, and do NOT flush them. They go in the trash. That helped us a lot.
Andrew Johnson
Thanks for the information. My wife and daughter have just recently went to a fabric wipe for their pea only, then it can be washed and sanitized for reuse. Hopefully this will save toilet paper in the septic and save on the costs of the paper.
@@fordguyfordguy i've actually heard of others doing that.. especially those living in very VERY old 100 year old homes with ancient septic pipes that were not made to handle today's version of toilet paper. The people keep a metal lidded waste can near the commode, lined with a small garbage pail bag.. and only the body waste gets flushed.. while the toilet paper used to wipe is thrown in the can. naturally, the garbage can is emptied daily ... the garbage bag tied up and added with the main trash . Not the most pleasant solution, but a person's gotta do what a person's gotta do-- with their "Doo"! If i had to do that, i'd keep a can of Essential Oil air freshner in the bathroom.. They sell some really good stuff that actually eats odors instead of making them.. (and it's not FeBreeze, but something called "Airscense" you can probably find online at Vitacost, etc.. I have it and it works )
@@Boldyaug we found that practise widespread in Costa Rica. Signs in all of the tourist area bathrooms and rental units. Works for them.
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
You're welcome
Good stuff. Pooper is full. I use both products. You must use some treatment every single month. Or pooper will get full. Alot of problems with septics is poor contractors who took shortcuts and Leach lines are not properly buried 36inches below. I usually get a pump once a year. The ground gets so saturated with water it has no where to go but to back up.
Not true. The number one thing you can do is to know how to "treat" your septic because buildup will occur and saturate your soil.
I was told pumping once a year is a bad drainfield
@@nicklopez5298 yes, you need to restore it!
if my septic lines were three feet down they would be French drains .lol.
You can use hydro jetter process. Adjust the pressure, don't use it at high pressure, he is right about that. So if your lines are holding water in the distribution box then how do you get the product into each of the line? That's what I want to know from him
When you add the product to the distribution box it will mix and distribute itself throughout the water in the clogged lines eventually breaking through to the Biomat. (Update: our lines are flowing properly now)
Had to do the Terra lift, just under $4K in 2017. Worked great though, used for selling the home. Did not know we had a sand drain and it wasn't working for at least 8 years! I fixed that but the damage was done. Don't know how the Inspector missed it when WE bought. He missed a lot though.
Inspectors miss a LOT!
Any opinions appreciated: I have a 1000 gallon 2 compartment traditional system NO D box just the mainline with leech lines off to one side. No problems regular service until recently. Had it pumped then 3 weeks later water pooled up to the lids. Pumped again had the camera inspection and show no blockage on the mainline. Going to hydroblast it and hopefully that works. Never had it done in 20 years. Confused as to why the backup started AFTER the service and not until then. Best guess is leech lines dried up and hardened with heat? Hoping hydro blast solves the problem. Help!
The old saying, if ain't broke don't fix it 😑 I feel your pain. Our septic was born in 1977 and it was for a 3 bedroom 1 bath ranch. Our house is now 5 bedroom 4 full baths 🤣 we have a 1500 septic tank and a beehive style leaching tank. I'm in war mode to get that leaching tank working again! Just pumped both so I have about a week before the leaching tank starts taking in fluid. I'm drying that sucker out and cleaning up the floor and possibly pressure washing the side walls. I used casutic soda and acid and it did help. The leaching tank was again working but not fast enough. I swear I'll dig my own field before I pay thousands of dollars 😑. I already dug a grey water tank for the clothes washer . I may dig another grey water tank for 2 of the showers . Thank you you tube creators for all the ideas!!! Forever grateful ☝️☝️
I have been adding Roebic K37 monthly and K57 annually to ensure the bacteria carry over into the leach field. The system is 44 years old, works perfectly. I also have it pumped out every two years. We are extraordinarily careful about not adding bad stuff to the septic system: No food, grease, paint or other substances that can ruin a system that is expensive to replace.
Hello thanks for sharing. I was looking for an update to this video. Well did the project work? What was the outcome? Please let us know, thanks.
It worked for 1 year beyond this video. My system was too far gone by the time I started this. I made another video about how to replace it.
If it is not draining well, do not open the distribution box, it will be under the water table and a slight head pressure in the tank will create a nasty outflow. You need a pump out first. Whatever you find, take pictures and make maps and measurements to known landmarks. Swingties are useful. These are measurements to two different locations from a located item. The interesction of two arcs locates the item. Often the exit baffle wears away letting grease into the septic field. After a pump out this can be repaired either by repairing the concrete on the baffle or putting in a pvc baffle. My distribution box was located/found with a thin steel rod pushed into the ground until it hit concrete.
We had to replace our drain field last year. It cost seven thousand dollars (we got a great price) and it completely tore up our yard. Don't let it get to that point. We were gonna get a generac because of how often we lose power but we weren't able to because of the drain field repair.
$7k is pretty good. You got lucky.
We actually had to replace ours about a year after this video. We did it ourselves for $2k
@@CountryLivingExperience I've been quoted $20k for ours and we're not allowed to do it ourselves (county or state regulations) although I'm quite certain I could.
I have been quoted $12000 for new drain field just had it pumped 2 days ago. He said the water was coming up to the top of the middle pipe no wet grass. I' m old disabled so I am going to try the roubic stuff in the toilet. The septic guy was nice but didn't know seem like he wanted to explain much and I pd for the pump out you explained it very well. T Y
My old farmhouse septic system is over 50 years old. Nothing goes into tank but toilet and bath drains. Wash machine, dishwasher, kitchen sink, water softener all go into grey water tile. Very slight scum in tank. Without wash machine settling time and decomposition is greatly increased. The effluent filters give false sense of security. They don't remove the really small stuff. If they did you'd have to clean filter every month. The secret is to buy the biggest tank and keep water volume as low as possible.
Good advice. I am adding greywater reclamation.
Hey! Great video! How has this product worked out for you? Update video?
Thank you. The septic is much better and the product has started to work. Unfortunately, we have had so much rain that the ground is totally saturated which has compounded the problem. Hard to do an update right now.
@@CountryLivingExperience in the past few months has this product helped your system?
@@bobmercer1816 Yes. I used a total of 5 bottles and it is flowing well now. It is not perfect but certainly is a whole lot better.
@@CountryLivingExperience keep in mind !! do not kill the friendly bacteria with soap, bleach etc down the drain !!
I would have put a Bio filter in and that would probably help your problem a lot. If you can prevent the problem by having on before it happened you will save a lot.
I am not familiar with that.
What filter are you referring to? An effluent filter is what I know about.
It looks like your water table is less than 3' down. In Minnesota, it is required to have the bottom of the system 3' above the water table or an indication of the high water table also called redoximorpic soil to properly treat the effluent.
Probably the same requirements here. That would require a mounded system here because we have clay close to the surface. I suspect that the previous homeowner just put this one in.
In old systems it's more commonly roots clogging up the systems.
Down John works for us!
So how did the Roebic work in your leach field??? We are just now having that same issue, and was wondering if this product did in fact work? Thank you and great video
You're welcome. It actually extended the life of my system by about a year. Unfortunately the system was too far gone to save it and we had to replace it. I did a video about how we replaced leach lines.
what is the link to your video on replacing leach lines>
I just saw this video. I’m wandering if this worked. What r u calling your distribution box. We have a septic tank and leech field. We just bought a house and the septic passed but the leech field did not. A lot if rain before the inspection and the water was filling up the septic tank as soon as it was pumped out. Ty
The distribution box connects to a solid line that comes out of septic tank. It accommodates several drain tile lines that go in various directions into your field. Our's for instance has two lines coming out of it but can accommodate 4 plus the inlet from the septic. This method worked for us for 1 year. The system was too far gone for it to reverse the problem completely. We ended up putting in a new system ourselves for a great and inexpensive cost. Our video for that is here: ruclips.net/video/6eLIDyqIg0U/видео.html
3:52. The dog executed an excellent photo bomb
He does that same thing in almost all my videos.
I got 2 units of this product I poured one into distribution box and one in the toilet one week after no results water still seating inside pipes I’m having the Ceptic getting pumped I ordered to more this time and I’ll try again after 2 days being pumped and hopefully it works
Hope it works. Ours only extended the life of our system for an additional year.
I was able to hydro jet the laterals with a set up for my pressure washer, replaced d box cover (had collapsed) and added an effluent filter this is the original set up using orangeburg pipes in a area of fair drainage certainly not great drainage, gonna keep it until I have to replace it
Cool
Don't know how true this is but a friend had septic system for years and he swore by flushing 5 pounds of baking yeast every other month said it ate all crud out of system. Don't know if brewers yeast would work better ..Not advising anyone to do this but just passing this on just in case anyone would want to try. One caveat, however, he did this from start.
I have heard that one from several people before.
Tell you what I did .
My leach bed was wet and had a bad smell .
I had my tank pumped.
Ran an old hose down the pipe going to the leach field .
From the tank at the clean out lid .
Made a support for the end of the hose .
To hold it up .
Taped a funnel to it .
Mixed oxi-clean in a five gallon bucket.
Two or three cups .
Warm water works better .
About five buckets at a time .
Wait about six hours then repeat .
Did that for about a week .
No problems since .
I was told it would revive the bacteria in the lech bed .
I believe it did .
Cool. Glad it worked for you.
We had a saturated leach field cause us big problems along with tons of other people. I'm looking at grey water diversion to reduce the load on our septic. Diverting one tub, laundry, dishwasher, and kitchen sink should still leave plenty of grey water to help work the black through my system, agreed?
Divert all your greywater. The blackwater is enough to move everything.
Go to a farm store and buy a tile probe (big pointy metal rod with T handle) and have fun getting a workout trying to find your tank, d-box, and leach lines/bed. Mark these with flags (color coding helps). Take care to record the depths and locations of these on a homemade map. Most failing septic systems are the result of incorrect installation, driving over the system with heavy equipment while the soil is wet (traditional rock and pipe systems are superior in terms of durability and lifespan, but you still don't want to drive over them during a wet winter or spring), installing the system when it's wet (the excavator bucket will smear the sides of the trenches/bed, effectively turning the area excavated into a big bathtub. When the soil is dry it is crumbly when broken apart, and so the holes and fissures in the soil structure will still be open to receive water from the system), installing the system in a wet area (in which case the system should have a perimeter drain installed around it which is drained into a ditch or field tile), or abuse by owner (putting too many harmful chemicals into the system, putting too much grease down the drain, not the getting the tank pumped every few years, not cleaning the filter if it has one, etc.)
A lot of old rural houses don't even have a proper septic system, it's just a tank with a line that carries all the waste water to a gully or a creek or a farmer's field tile lol. In sandy country, people seldom have septic complaints even if their system is in really bad shape just because it drains so well (probably not the best thing for their water table though).
I saw in a below comment that you ended up replacing your leach field. If my home is on a quarter acre, can the new leach field be installed in close proximity to the old leach field? I don't believe sand mound is an option for me either so I guess I'm wondering how pervasive biomass is under the existing leach field, so how much of an offset do you need when installing new? Thank you for your video.
I did but I live on 8 acres so I have a lot of room. If your old field is extremely clogged, a professional company may just dig everything out and replace it with new sand/rock/etc. I believe the distance is at least 10ft between new lines here in TX.
@@CountryLivingExperience thank you, good to know
Would you say putting that stuff in my distribution box would be good preventative maintenance? As far as I can tell my septic system is around 14yrs old and is working great. Just wanna keep it that way as long as possible.
Your call on that one.
The bacteria from your waste should keep the system healthy a lot of septic professionals tell me.
You can locate a d-box and determine it's depth below the surface with an inspection camera. 95 per cent of the bacteria action in a septic system takes place in the soil. a 1500 gallon compartment makes a great tank for a system. I put two of these tanks in row. If you run two outlet pipes out going into two seperate d boxes--put a good outlet tee filter in one, and a plug in the other--and switch them every year--the system could last until the end of time as long as you pump the tank(s) every one to three years based on your usage. the biomat will clean itself out in a year if nothing is going into it. I was in the business for 50 years. In someareas of the contry they have banned terralift, but it can stikk be used for other purposes-like I did. Look for my upcoming book-How to turn crap into a million dollar retirement fund--like I did. Coming out in 2024,
where are you located?
@@marlenebrotherhood9351 Little River, South Carolina
Mines over 40 and one of them isn't draining. No water in the yard though. I'm going to dig down and follow the exit pipe from the tank and see if there's a clean out at a junction box before getting a new drainfield installed. It went 2 years between pumpings so it must be draining somewhat. I was told $5-6k here in florida, we are high and dry where i live so no raised mound. Oh, i dug a dry well for our washer 1 year ago so that may help. dumping the washer into your septic tank is so stupid. I dug a 6 foot hole, filled the bottom with 2 foot of gravel and dropped a 50 gallon rain barrel in the hole with hundreds of 1/2 inch holes drilled in the sides/bottom. It's been working like a charm. My wife has done 3 loads of laundry and can't fill that barrel before it drains into the ground. Water drains quickly here which helps.
Quick Question? I have an aerated system with the aerator pump made by Jet,what type of bacteria is good for this system?
I have never owned an aerated system before. Most industry professionals now claim you should put any additives in your system and that the bacteria in the waste is enough.
Subscribed! How did the product work for you? Is your leach field okay now? And the cute dog: is that a border collie or a Sheltie? Or maybe an Australian Shepherd.. Thanks again.
Cool. You're welcome. It helped extend the life of my system for another year. Unfortunately my lines were too far gone for it to reverse the damage and I had to replace them. I did a video on that too.
He is a Border Collie.
Thanks. I’m trying this tonight. I got quoted 10 grand to do additional fields. My house is a money pit. Horrible.
That is a crazy price. I hope it works for you. It helped our system for a little over a year. Unfortunately, our system was a bit too far gone and were were not able to get it over the hump and fully restored. It was put in improperly in the past we found out. Had to replace the leach lines and did it myself. Here is our new video for replacing the lines....ruclips.net/video/6eLIDyqIg0U/видео.html. Good luck
Are your lines completely stopped up because a friend of mine was able to break the crap down in the lines with bacteria and have some of it sucked out by pumpers. No new lines were needed.
As a septic designer in Washington state you should count your lucky stars. The cheapest systems here cost 12 grand for a conventional gravity system. Or if you have a 3 bedroom house for an above ground system you could spend over 30 grand.
@@jbvincent47 I’m in Wa State and that’s what I’m afraid of. I have someone coming to hydro jet the mainline. Never had any field problems until the last pump, 3 weeks later water pooled to the lids. Camera showed no obstruction in the mainline. I hope this jet solves my problem!
I can vouch for this had the same problem with my septic system pumped it 2 times in a year and they said drained field was bad.....decided to buy the Roebic from Lowes and dumped it every 2 weeks in the john for 2 months......I have had no more back up or slow drain issues and the grass it green again in the drain field area of my . The cost is $13 for the 2 dose bottle ....I dumped it all in there.....there is also a Roebic grease and sludge digester I use every 3 months to stay on top the short cuts my teens might take in kitchen duties.....the price of the bottles beat the quote of $15,000 to fix my sewer system.....Now I watch watch LS swaps on youtube since I still that fun money........
Awesome! Glad it worked out.
Just ordered. I just had my septic pumped bc we were smelling sewage/having pooling right by the tank. She said everything looked good but didnt do a full inspection (just pumped it and ran). We are still having the same issues though.... do you think this will work or does it sound like a different issue??
It may work but it depends on how clogged the lines are. This is the lowest cost option to start with though.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thank you. 😊
What did you hire them to do?
I just had a problem; had to have my tank pumped after only 3 years, when the prior pumpouts were 7 and 8 years apart. (Tank holds 1500 gallons & fully fills the pumper truck!) They told my my leach field had failed, and that all I have now is a holding tank. However, I don't see how that product could work in this situation, because the leach lines aren't at the bottom of the tank, but closer to the top, so it seems to me that the tank needs to be fairly near full before water will start exiting into the leach pipes.
What about mixing the product with water, and pouring it directly into the soil where the leach field is? Might that not help better when the tank is actually still basically empty?
Otherwise, all we can do, and have been doing, is extreme water conservation, as when we had our severe 5-year drought. Waiting for water to get hot--run it into a bucket & use on plants; toilet--"if it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down"; washing machine--small loads only (High efficiencly machine that 'measures' how much water for the load); large load--blankets, etc...go to laundromat....and so forth. It's all I can do, being on social security as my only income, and that's less than $2K/month...and the quoted price for a new septic system is low end $20K--up to as much as $45K!! No way I can do that!
The product helped extend the life of our system for 1 year. But in the end, our field was too far gone and we chose to replace it. We did it with the help of a friend who had installed them in the past so it only cost us $2k. Try routing your greywater to a rain garden outside and just have your toilets connected to the septic. New system prices are insane! Maybe try to claim it on your homeowners ins. Sorry your are having this issue.
Skip to 4:49 [roebic. You're testing it first then moving up the price ladder of more expensive options so if the roebic works then you wont be able to test the next product / solution]
Exactly
In California the prices are very high for Leitchfield’s you need to be 2 feet above the water table for the new code
That's not cool. Cali has issues.
I've dug up all the lateral lines & everything looked good so far. I think my problem is the septic, it's a 30 year old house that's needing attention...
It is usually the drain field that goes bad. No biomat build up so far?
So after hiring a professional, they dug up the septic tank today while I was at work, come to find out the pump was worn out, so guess it wasnt as bad as i thought. That's what happens when you watch to many RUclips videos lol... thanks for all your input, I've learned alot about this for the first time having this problem.
@@danielr8407 No problem. Hope you get it all worked out.
Me to and thanks, we'll see in the next couple of days how it goes. With a family of 6, the 2 toilets in our house gets flushed alot, lol...
This works!
I have a seepage pit that is no longer working and im assuming its do to the biomat buildup. Have anybody used the AeroStream? And would I install that into my seepage pit or into my septic tank?
Anytime that you have ground that is saturated with rainwater and the ground is not leaching and allowing the moisture to settle in do with the farmers do they add a spray adjuvant in with other chemicals when they spray and do stuff instead of water beading it makes water sheet as well that way it's not a drop of chemical on the plant it sheets over the plant to protect it and it makes the dirt hurt and absorb moisture so if you ever have a swampy place if you spray some spray adjuvant and around that moisture area that won't take long the ground will perk it'll aerate and it'll absorb water and drain off a swampy area
Grammarly is a lifesaver.
???
I read all that...and don't know what I read. It looks like others are having the same issue with your grammar to the point your directions are getting lost.
I smelled a raw smell in my back yard. The plumber said my septic tank backed up and I may need big work. The moral is not to forget to pump!
Absolutely
My brother in law and myself located an accessory septic tank serving a detached garage with only a bathroom. The septic tank (500 gallons) was emptied three weeks ago and it was noted that the water from the drainfield came back into the tank. Today we followed the exit pipe from the septic tank until we reached the first drain field unit. No distribution box. Thoughts? Also, I have been using Ridex monthly and feedback on this product.
Not all systems have a distribution box. Older systems do not have them. Ridex has been around for a while so it must be decent. I have never used it. 50% of septic professionals will tell you not to add any additives. They don't even agree. If that water came back into the tank, your field is plugged up somehow. Either the line is clogged, there is root infiltration, or there is a biomat layer that has built up over time. You need to investigate more.
Dont use ridx it breaks down solids and sends it to drainfield now drainfield is pluged hench the sewage coming bCk to tank if there is no drop box your system might have not been installed correctly 😉
To add to my comment someone probably just put in a minimal system becaese it is just a bathroom in a garage u know just for beer drinking occasionally a dump ect 😆😅😳
26 years, never been pumped. Drain field is on a hill so we have nice drainage I guess. The soil is not wet, we do not flush toilet paper, we never pour grease. The septic tank was pumped today because when we shower the toilet bubbles and opening the outside cap revealed full of water. So the guy said the system looks really great that whatever we're doing, keep doing it... Then he saw a crack on our septic wall (in the corner. About 1 1/2" wide and 4" long.) Sludge/septic stuff was slowly pouring inside the tank again from that crack. We are not sure if we have a baffle tank or not, digging more tomorrow. Wouldn't the guy know if it was a baffle tank? He said the craziest thing Ive ever heard... That when the water returns to normal operating level it will self seal that crack. What in the world?!? Please if someone can help or give advice.
You can dig up the outside of your tank and gently pressure wash it. Seal the cracks with high strength grout. Find a young guy who does excavation work. He will know the ins and outs of grout. Best way is to also grout the inside. DO NOT LET ANYONE GO INSIDE THE TANK without proper training and equipment. Confined spaces can be filled with toxic gasses that will kill you.
Just saw this post today. I pumped septic tanks for a living for 45 years. I had a job once looking at a septic system using a 1000 gallon tank that was damaged with about a square foot broken out in the side of the tank a few inches below the outlet pipe--it probably happened the day was installed during cover-up. it was 20 years old, and unknown if ever pumped. The area was all very boney gravel, and the liquid did not look like any liquid had ever reached the level in the tank to make it as high as the outlet pipe. The concrete tank was in very good condition, except for that hole on the side of the tank. The homeowner had been told he needed a new septic system. They had uncover both the inlet and outlet covers. I ran my camera down the outlet pipe to a distribution box about twenty feet away. The box looked bone dry; Digging down 18 inches to the box and removing the cover, I ran my camera down the 3 outlet pipes. they were all bone dry and as clean as they were the dy the system was installed. There had only been two people living in that house for the last 20 years. They had always used scott brand toilet paper, which happened to be the brand I told my customers to use. It breaks down better than the other brands. This was the only time I ever saw a system with this issue that was still working. I pumped the tank and repaired the hole with hydraulic cement. Bothe the inlet and outlet baffles were still in good condition. thr drainage area was a 20 by 30 foot drainage area consisting of crushed stone. I t was bone dry. The water table was over 20 feet deep as evidenced by a shallow water well in front of the house. I t passed the septic inspection (I passed it myself) a couple of years later. This was about 1990; I cleaned that tank for the new owners every two years until I retired in 2013. As far as I know--it is still working. ..It was a miracle the system worked all those years.
If a customer calls me to hydro-scrub the leach field, my only concern is the condition of the distribution box. However, if the distribution box is in good shape, I call a pump truck, when it arrives, I jet the lines while the pump truck is there to collect the bio-mat. The leach lines never blow apart. However, I will say, orangeberg pipe will not stand up to hydroscrubbing
Thank you for the good explanation. I wish you were in my area.
You cannot collect the biomat in the soil. I am not against jetting, it eorks best with the right bacteria.
Great collaboration! Expensive though.
where are you located?
If you can't find or your system doesn't have a distribution box, can you just simply pour it in the clean out pipe next to your septic tank?
Exactly what I did. Dig up the “outlet” inspection hole. Throw a hose in it and use a funnel to put it down the header line. Worked great!! (Although I literally did about 8 bottles on the first treatment)
I just had my concrete septic pumped since we lived here. It was full and thick he had me run water he opened one lid pumped gone 15 min. $275. My question was the other lid same pump area and where is this do I have a filter anywhere or does all this just go to the drain field . I have used ridex for years. Now I don't know my status one good thing dry grass so hope drain field ok. I need to look up the name of that product.
If it was not coming out of the top of the tank before you had it cleaned, you should be ok. For that price he should have cleaned both tanks but I am sure pricing varies greatly everywhere. Here it costs $80 per tank and it is most common to have two tanks. I don't know what type of system you have though.
A put in filter with new pipe !
My brother decided I should till up a garden over my drain field. I’m apprehensive about that. What is your recommendation. (It is the flattest and sunniest part of my yard.
I would not do that. You need to leave that space alone.
have you consider adding drain lines for the surface rain water. It can not hurt. just a thought.
I don't know how that would work
I was told adding a packet of yeast down the toilet helps with bacteria in the tank. Any truth to that?
Thx for sharing
I have also heard that adding yeast helps with maintenance of the system. I have not personally done it.
@@CountryLivingExperience
Roger that... I did some looking around and it does work. Going to start this weekend. Thx for the reply
3:51 SURPRISE DOGY
He surprises in many of my videos.
when i build .i always put a metal plate over important things that may need dug up or located in future .then you go with a metal detector and quickly find it .trouble is nobody else does this .other thing i do is draw a map and attach to fuse box in the home.
Awesome. That is a great extra step to take.
and this is why always have a clean out plug at lowest point in system. the sludge goes to the low point and just clean that out.
Unfortunately, I do not have a clean out downstream.
Alex it was build like 30 plus years ago !!
Have you tried the permit office or department of agriculture I think. I found our plans for our septic system that's is doing the same thing pooling in 3 places so i am praying this helps us
Thank you
No permits out here in the countryside. Good luck with yours.
There is a lot of hope with massive amounts of the right bacteria. As long as the lines have some space, and they are not completely compacted, the crap will break down and you can have the lines sucked out by a pumper.
I’m at 26 years. Going to try
Give it a shot. It helped for a short period of time but my system was too far gone. I ended up having to replace mine a year after this video was made.
good info thank u
You’re welcome
I see you are a fan of the band The Decemberists as well.
Absolutely