Repairing a clogged septic leach field
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- Опубликовано: 5 май 2022
- We bypass a clog in the leach field, reattach to the old field and add additional chambers. Their septic tank backed up and overflowed inside the house, which is a sign of a clogged leach field. We offered a repair that also increased the capacity of the field at the same time. This repair has worked very well and the homeowners have not had any problems.
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Good lesson learned. Ron is so humble.
👍👍 Carlos
Great work with that machine Shawn👏👏👏👏 Good job pulling down that tree !!
Nice job. It's interesting with the new chambers. The cicada life cycle adds to my knowledge as well. Thanks. Cheers
👍👍 Laurie
What a job! Can’t wait for a revisit.
thank you! It should be August when we go back out. We have a dive trip planned, so it's after that trip.
I have never had any problems watching your videos, they are always very good. I learned a lot from this one. You are such a blessing to others.
Thank you Ruth! Thanks for watching - Shawn
Great job Shawn making the best of every given situation and you always come out on top keep up the good work as always, shout outs to the main man Ronald and Jeremy, peace.
Thank you Anthony! This was an interesting job for sure and the guys carried me through.
Love this! Repair jobs are so tough since you don't want to destroy everything. Love how your architected so even if one side fails they're still good to go. Hopefully he updates his septic drawings so when it needs fixing in a decade or three they'll know where to dig.
My grandfather had to dig up his tank when I was a kid, and still had the measured drawing from when he put that tank in the ground 43 years earlier. I know where the caps are for mine - I set flat stones flush in the dirt directly on top of them, after digging to find them the first time - but I have zero documentation of the leach field, just "over there somewhere" from the previous owner.
Great job Shawn and crew. We had to replace our leach field almost 5 years ago and we replaced it with the chamber system also. I believe ours is around 4 ft deep and it works great. Glad you posted this video. Can't wait to see the next one.
Thanks Shane! Those chambers are an awesome technology.
I love the septic system videos and hope we see more in the future.
Thank you! I like installing them too.
It will settle a little and only a little because of all the space those sewer covers take up. Very nice video.
Great video guys, Shawn you have a very good crew working with you, I am impressed with their enthusiasm and commitment to
all the great jobs you do and in this vid I particularly enjoyed the overhead drone footage of the "Ronald dance" between 20:09 and 20:23.
He got quite the jig going there. Thanks heaps for all that you do...
Thank you Nathan! Yes I got lucky with the drone flying while Ronald was doing his thing!
Never knew how a leach field worked or in this case didn’t work. Great video and as always the process was explained perfectly.
I had no glitches or tech problems watching this video.
Awesome thank you Antoni!
I've lived in flats my whole life and am grateful not to have to deal with stuff like this. But if I ever leave the town life behind Ive at least learned how to syphon without sucking! Thank you, Shawn! 😊
Physics!
Shawn, and to all the guys and gals on the crew Great Job. 👍
I added a double sanitary T in order to access and if need be clean out my lines in either direction and it allows me to check out what's going on in case of a blockage.
They work very well for cleanouts that go both ways 👍
Great information on septic system, thanks for another great video, also loving the drone pictures.
Thank you JAK!
Well done man! Very professional. I love the drone footage! Nice touch.
Thank you Mikey!!
Should never have a problem with the new addition. Good job guys.
that's what I think too! Those chambers are so awesome.
As a lifelong city dweller, I found this interesting. I'd love to have some acreage, but don't want to deal with well and septic. Nice work, Shawn and crew.
👍 I'm glad you found it interesting.
Excellent video,thats why I like watching your videos you explain things so someone like me can understand well done and thank you the information.
Thank you Taylor!
Nice video of a nice job. Very pleasant to watch. Thanks for sharing. 👍
Thank you!
Great video Shawn.
Thank you Ed!
HELLO SHAWN. I'VE CHECKED ALOT OF DRAINAGE CHANNELS ON RUclips , AND YOU ARE BY FAR THE MOST KNOWLEGABLE AND EXPIERIENCED I'VE SEEN. I AM CURIOUS HOW DEEP YOUR ENGINEERING EDUCATION IS. I'M THINKING 6 YEARS OF ENGINEERING .
Hahah 8 years of biology!
@@GCFD WOW! You got me there. Your brilliant. You think like an Engineer. I love your Channel...
Great video! I know nothing about leach fields, so I found it interesting. I'm also loving the 5K at 60fps. I recently had full fibre installed, and have a system capable of viewing it, so it looks really nice and clear.
thank you for commenting. I'm glad the 5k is working for you. I need to figure out what's going on with others.
Another very interesting job, well done 👍
thank you martin1
Those are the greatest ways of replacing a waterlogged leach field, I’ve had this system for over five years also tied into the old and not a problem with my septic since. Nice to see you git r done.what’s nice is the strength that can support a three axle loaded dump truck with no flex.
Nice. I didn't know they were that strong! Those chambers are really awesome.
You are a perfectionist. If I was the homeowner I would have cut out the patio and started over. I would have wanted the pvc pipe like you said was best from tank to T.
It's worth noting that the pipe from the tank has worked fine for almost 20 years so I felt all right tying onto it.
Need more videos, like the work and videos you do.
Thank you JK! More on the way
Great stuff as always. 👌
Great job and great video. Have a good day Brother.
Thank you Brent!
Great show 👍
thank you Julie!
That was great. Thanks Shawn
Thank you Allan!
I appreciate your knowledge and your explanations of your methods and the follow up. One other youtuber who "specializes" in french drains "guy" has completely opposite philosophy as you. As I watch his videos, I cringe as I can see the homeowner will be extremely disappointed when it floods again: using fabric, corrugated perforated pipes, river rock, covers the drain with dirt and sod, pumping water to a dead end, leaving downspouts to drain a french drain covered with grass that isn't tied to any drain. The corner of the house is already sagging and cracked, and his handiwork will guarantee further erosion and eventual collapse of the corner of the house. And the most ridiculous part is that there are so many who comment on how wonderful his work is... on video without a follow-up. Appreciate you!
You are correct - Shawn's videos are like a Master Class of how to get rid of water. I don't even look at other videos, there is no point.
Great video!👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you Troy!
Very informative. Thank you
Great job as always shawn, and the gang of course.............🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Thank you Edward!
Great video...do like your "how to videos" especially when it involves a real innovative solution. As a bonus, your physics solution was a classic. More and more septic systems are becoming real problems ...please include more of these if you get the chance. I think your scuba friend is going to regret not having you replacing the pipe to the septic tank even if it involves removing part or all of the patio slab. BTW: Video quality was fine for me Shawn
It's a possibility but the pipe has been flowing for almost 30 years so we went ahead and did it. I told him if he ever replaces that patio to definitely do the pipe.
Great information ‼️
We just call them drain fields here. When my parents built a new septic system in the 1970's they used a 12" concrete pipe with tons of holes. It is still there and working fine. :)
👍
Great job.
Thank you Matthew!
You popped up first when I logged in to youtube, so I guess that's good. Nice video!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. - Shawn
Great video 👍🏾
Great Video!
Thank you!
Does your county require that they come out to inspect prior to covering? We had to replace our leach field (and clear a bunch of trees - doubled(!) the cost...) and the county required submitted plans and then a post installation inspection before covering (North Georgia) - and you are 100% correct about letting the soil compact naturally for a month or more! The chambers are the cat's meow too - efficient and a joy to install.
Yes inspections are required. The homeowner can pull the permit and my role is helping them (since I'm not a septic guy). I've done a few that way.
This was very interesting, never knew that there was another type of leach fields than the old gravel way actually, not sure if they would approve this in my country, but I sure will keep it in mind if it would be needed in the future
I never did either but these chamber systems are awesome.
Learned about these chambers about 12 yo. Great option imo
Good one, repairs are tough as long as you have enough real estate to work with luckily the remaining pipe was useable... Suggest Ronald picking up those with the knees and not full bend, That tree just didnt want to give up, that was a Bad leaner.
The camera died right when the tree was coming down too, so I lost the money shot from the best angle.
Have my leach field fixed last year and they did try to pack it down but it still settled 12 to 18" so they came back to level it out and put down more grass seed and all done. Also I had a raiser added to my tank so no more digging to get it cleaned out the best 100.00 bucks you can spend.😁
That's why we leave it mounded like that Daryl. It settles and flattens back out. Some people throw a fit that we leave it mounded like that but it's the best way overall.
Wow another great job! Amazing how many types of jobs you can do! I was going to ask if you would be back with the Harley rake but you answered my question at the end of the video. All Good 👍!
Thank you Steve!
I used to used something like those new diffusers for rain drains. Except the ones i used were smaller in size. And 18-24" was all that was needed to install.
👍👍
All I saw was clay soil and said this is going to be messy. Nice work hope your buddy has many years of happy flushes!
Thank you! So far so good!
I probably know more about septic tank leech systems than what I would ever need but this was very entertaining to watch. Will use physics. Here is a cicada nymph (also biology 😀). This was awesome.
Thank you loco! I try hard to make my videos entertaining and informative. Thanks for watching and commenting - Shawn
Content on my birthday omg!
Happy birthday Jimmy!
@@GCFD Thank you! Keep up the great work/content!
I think this is so amazing you can do this, I've got issues, don't know who to call, but the health department department on what to do, thanks ❤
My advice: Call a reputable septic pumper, get your tank pumped, and ask him for recommendations on who to call.
I like it.Better than normal leak pipes.
What do I think? That the chamber s look like corrugated which you dislike. But they are upside down and have room for water to flow and perculate. Plus they are strong. Great idea. Nice fix. Timber!!!!
I'm impressed. That's a real hard-bitten bunch you've got there Shawn - sittin' around for your late lunch at 14:38, just downwind from the open septic tank tank with the dog wandering around peeing on the back of your lawn chairs. If I'm ever privileged to work in your crew, you'll have to excuse me when I want to eat my lunch alone in the truck !
Hahah Steve. I was debating on adding that lunch with the dog or not.
I'm going to call what Ronald did at 20:14 - 20 the SewRon Dance! 😁 He's such a hard worker!
Haha It was just pure luck that I was flying the drone right at that moment. Classic.
Curious to hear the length of the the chamber system length. It’s hard to guess from the low camera angle. Quality work Shawn and guys. 👌
Nice work. Glad im on sewer but I had my line get blocked and broken by tree roots before. That was a very bad day.
that's a bad day for sure. We've done a bunch of repairs like that before.
Nice job on the fix. LP Line... who knew...
IF there isn't a "bubble" reference I am not happy 😅 Nice dude! Glad you talk about proper backfilling. Sequence and material type is super important but so many people cut corners on it. Had to dig up the 4" outlet to tank piping and replace due to improper backfilling. Belly in a section causing it to clog and backup...pissed me off.
Yes bedding the pipe is soo important.
Well... I learned a new Syphon technique today!
Haha. It might come in handy for you!
Some years ago I watched my friend's father-in-law install a very similar system however he put a layer of stone/gravel under the chambers. He used four legs of chambers. then covered it over with gravel before the fill.
Interesting. The whole point of chambers is to not use gravel. The idea is the bare soil has more surface area to absorb water into it.
Yes. I had just had my drain field done so I wanted to see if his was done different.
Thanks for the video. Did you consider/propose backwashing/jetting from the tank to the double tee to ensure that wasn't blocked in any way? Great channel, thanks.
Yes, I brought my snake and jetter/pressure washer but the line was flowing very well.
Perfect fix, did you add a tank riser? Great video
They are going to do something with a riser and then re-pour to patch the patio.
Need the Smell-O-Vision for this one!
hahah Jeremy
This leach field is not lnstalled right, the leach field should be filled with pea or three quarter rock before the pipes are runed next thing that is not a double sanitary tee,that is a two way clean out tee.
Two questions:
1. Was there an advantage to the one 40' run vs. two 20' runs 9f the chambers?
2. Did you consider installing a distribution box ( D-box) instead of the double sanitary T to provide for future inspections of the field?
You think that's bad. The genius which extended my house (before I bought it.) Built part of the extension on top the septic tank!
My question is about perc. You want lots of perc? With the rain water just sitting there and not going anywhere I am surprised this area worked. I was always told it needs to drain away in a certain amount of time??
Nice repair Shawn, I've never seen a leach field that was designed by a professional, done with corrugated pipe. Around here, Maine, we use either sch 20 or SDR Sch 35 perf pipe for a basic pipe and stone field.
I like Ronald's dance moves at 20:17.
Haha yea I just got luck with the drone flying at the right time!
Pretty forest.
For sure! That's an awesome location.
I didn't see your location of propane gas line. I was a gas line location tech for a utility so it's a pet peeve. I always loved digging in the dirt and structures below ground level. Trying to fix a poorly built system is a battle some won't touch. The concrete patio shows how previous owner just built what ever and where ever
I'm not seeing any soil, weed barrier type cloth being used on the effluent discharge pipes. Is there something like that built into the design of them already. I like how your not crushing the new pipes by over compacting the dirt also.
We have that style system currently. The field has a lot of solids/heavy material in it at this time. What’s the best solution for cleaning or clearing that out?
🇺🇸🇵🇪🇵🇷😎 Love your channel, I have watched for a couple of years...But just now subscribed. About 15 years ago I did my down spouts and a sump pump drain in my front yard with Schedule 40, And ran a bunch of 3/4 inch conduit conduit for electric lines, A lot of work but deftly worth the trip. Love your work And the guys you have working for you. 💖 Oh! I like the bug lessons!!
How does those chambers actually suppose to function. I reckon you will have a updated video in a few on how it is working. Thanks Shawn for the video. Do you ever get any jobs close to the Danville area, just curious.
They leave the open space under them and that's what fills with water. The large surface area of bare soil under there is what absorbs the water back into the soil. No, we only work in/around greensboro.
What keeps the chambers from filling with mud?
Question: was that a pump house for a well I saw in the video?
Awesome video and work as always. One question, shouldn't that effluent have been pumped out instead dumped on the surface? Mind your regs on that. hard to get a reputation back in the county Environmental Health Office.
In the northeast, those chambers need to be bedded on at least 12 inches of sand or stone, that clay will not perc correctly. Also, no county inspection before you closed the trench?
For the government inspections, trade off of inspection versus hassle and cost of dealing with government.
I'm in CA, would be very curious to know how much my prices would go up if government had to inspect that
I replaced my pipe from the basement wall to the tank inlet, and found out the day after I closed it that I was supposed to get it inspected. Oops. That was probably 18 years ago.
This subsoil does perc. Their system had been fine for 30 years.
Do the sharp angles hooking up the PVC create a potential problem. Do you provide a schematic for the homeowner for the future. A good map of piping, field direction?
✨👍. Great job. Question ❓❓. Is there a perferated or line running under the chamber length or is there just a line going in from the septic tank? How does water go down the whole length of the chamber ...I didn't see any lines under the chambers ...So the bottom of the chambers are just dirt ? No need for gravel? Was that good perking soil ? Looked like some clay ...Did the town require a perk test ? Looks great for a repair..kinda weird covering the septic tank...Not good to have weight on it...✨👍. Also... Couldn't you use a distribution box at the line junction? Just curious ✨.
The chambers leave the soil open along their length. Think about a piece of gravel sitting on soil. That area is no longer available to absorb water. That's why you can use 1 foot of chamber as 2 feet of traditional field. The soil was clay but it percs well enough. They did a perc test for the original building permit. We could use a d box, but typically only use those for 3+ laterals.
Where did you purchase the chamber system? I live in SC, is that system able to be purchased here?
I tried to view this episode in 5K and my computer viewed it for a few seconds and then buffered. I tried to change the resolution, but it was 5K only . Finally had to go to the TV to view it. Ronald makes a very good tamping machine to settle the hoods. Can your transmissions be viewed in 4K in the future?
This has to be a RUclips issue because they normally render the video out into multiple resolution settings, it's not GCF's doing. They upload at the highest quality and RUclips should be downscaling from there.
How does the chambers work for the septic field. I'm sure I understand the process of keeping the liquid in the ground. Thanks from Ohio
Hi Shawn. Recognizing that different municipalities have different building codes, I'm wondering if you considered placing a distribution sump (A.K.A., "D-box") at the location that you placed the double sanitary "T." D-boxes provide an auxiliary location for small solids to settle (and decompose), as well as provide a way to access/control the even flow of gray water into either leach location.
It’s a good point Dave. I usually only use a d box with three or more let’s if the field. I also use speed levelers.
Can I say that it would awful deep for a D-box - I think the whole original system wasn't sone as well as it should have been - including the corrugated pipe - which will go bad.
Do you not have to lay some kind of warning tape above a gas line when burying it? Would make sense, even if it’s not required by building regs.
are those chambers permisable in michigan
The codes down there must be much more lenient than they are up here in Illinois for septic tank & leach field repair, I couldn't have gotten away with doing most of what you did on that job.
A true gift to a friend. A place to put their sh**.
Haha 👍
I couldn't understand how the black chambers work. Is just the top half plastic and nothing underneath? Just on bare dirt with no gravel? If so does the dirt need to be roughed up to absorb septic water?
Were also in NC and the pipe going from the tank is corrugated just like that one. No solid pipe anywhere. Looks like it's the same exact set up as this. Our leach field is also failing.
So how do you apply enough pressure with the clamp to the corrugated pipe to get a good connection? Seems as though it would collapse .
Do you need special certificates to work on sewage/drain fields in NC?
In this instance I'm just helping out a friend do a repair. When I do new installs I basically am helping the homeowner. Here in NC the HO can pull the septic permit and get it inspected after installed. To be a professional septic guy you have to get certified, which is fairly simple.
I'm surprised that the property passed a perc test before the original installation with all that red clay
The clay does eventually perc with standing water on it. Amazingly, right?
Would you ever consider doing a job down in Jacksonville, NC?
No that's too far from greensboro. We work within about 20 mins of greensboro.
So no distribution box on that septic? In Virginia, the Health dept. would have to be involved with a project like this, unfortunately.
Well i guess that makes me smart too, i did the same thing to drain my pool a few years ago lol.. And here i thought it was something i thought of but come to find out its a common trick :(
👍👍 Clever tip!
Didn't know you could use chambers in an environment with clay like that one. I know they use them here in FL where everything is sandy.....seems like that system would find trouble getting absorbed into the soil.
I've never seen a leach field so close to the house. Is that common in North Carolina?