I have a concern that they didn’t open the second compartment of the tank. Since it wasn’t draining out the outlet is likely clogged and if you’re lucky it has a screen on it that would need to be cleaned yearly. If it doesn’t have a screen your drain field will likely fail prematurely
I had the same thing happen here, needed to dig it out put the riser in, etc. I shot a video of it getting pumped out, but I didn’t dare post it because it was too nasty. I really didn’t think people would want to watch it, but here you are leading the way.
On my master plumber test for a certain city, we’re 25 questions on septic tanks. Couldn’t have been one or two in the whole city. Here is what I know. First, a septic tank in an anaerobic bacteria digester. No wipes! I don’t care what the package says! They are not flushable! It will not digest anything that has not passed through the digestion process. No garbage disposals please, they do make one that adds a bacteria booster. I am a skeptic. No fats or oils, that includes salad dressings. Wipe the bowls your used napkin and trash it. Limit use of chlorine products, kills bacteria that live in your tank. Liquid laundry detergent, the binders they use to make the powdered detergent, Carry through and are clogging factors in the leach field. I do add a high quality bacteria booster once a month, want to keep the bacteria count high so the can do there thing of breaking down solids and paper. Our county requires a pump out or inspection every five years. Tanks the serve large households 3 years is a good interval. Your goal is to keep solids from getting into the leach field and poisoning it! My two cents for what it’s worth!
and you forgot, don't plant trees around the leach field or close to the septic tank itself. My parents had a house built in78 that's on a well and septic. Over the years, my mom decided to plant a couple of trees close to it. A couple of years ago, it all backed up in the basement. When the plumber ran the snake down through the cleanout, it came back with a root on it. He ran it through again, and it went into the tank it snagged an even bigger root that had grown into the tank itself, it was awesome.
My great-uncle Willis had an outhouse on the old family farm near Iron Mountain, Michigan back in the 1960s! Never a problem, but in the winter when it was 40 below zero you didn't stay in there very long LOL!!!
I see that lots of folks have put their comments here already about their suggestions and experiences. Mine is... Yes, figure on calling for a pump roughly every five years. Even if not having trouble, good to have eyes looking for problems down there. Fond memories of being a kid. We moved into a brand new house, and at the 5-yr mark, my Dad called and had a guy come out. Not only did he pump us out, after the tank was emptied, and somewhat rinsed down, he put a small ladder down in there, climbed down inside with a flashlight for an inspection. He found that on both the inlet baffle and outlet baffle, the pvc pipe was hard up against the concrete baffle, so he got a hacksaw and trimmed it back to an acceptable length to allow the incoming solids to pass without forming a jam. The outlet side is supposed to be liquid only, but he trimmed it back, too. Anyways, his advice to us, was to put some yeast down there once or twice a year. He said, buy a cheap roast at the store, cut it down to fit through the toilet and pipes, send it down there. Stuff that would introduce and sustain bacteria that does the breakdown job. As for buying a roast, no way my Dad could let a roast that was otherwise edible go to waste, so he would joke that he'd watch for roadkill in the area, chuck that down in there. Truth is, that would work, but you'd just have to unearth and open the lid to get it there, as there is no way on God's green earth that my stepmother would have let him carve up some dead animal to flush down the toilet. So, he had to make sure to do it on the down-low, when she wasn't around. Some secrets are better when nobody tells. So, about every five years, he would plan having the septic truck come on a weekend when I was down for a visit. That way, I could help with the digging. Was also nice to see Mr. Devereaux, the owner of the pumping business. He was a good guy.
I would have it cleaned a little more often. Drainage issues are caused by solids migrating into your drainage system. as thick as the solids were on the top of the tank they were likely passing under the baffle in the tank. Many yrs in the business.
Its probably the bulk dumps more than anything... normal septic use is small dumps at a time while RVs are a mega dump. You are dumping a maybe a week or month worth of solids into the system in *minutes*. To actually handle that your system might need to be double or triple the size.
Drainage line blockage can happen from root intrusion, too. I've encountered this several times, friends had let vegetation overgrow the lawn covering their drain field. In just five years lots of small alder saplings sprouted up in the weeds, and the alder roots completely choked out the drainage tiles and blocked the septic outflow. In both cases, they had to clear the lot, dig out and re lay the entire drainage field. Was expensive and the household had to use a portapotty for weeks...which pleased no one.
Those additives do absolutely nothing but cost you money. It didn't make a difference how often I pumped my tank. My septic guy gave me all the info. As long as you limit how much you put in the tank other than waste(paper and wipes) you should go 3-5 years. He recommends a bidet, but we just don't flush wipes.
3-5 years is crazy... old sytems around here regularly go decade or two without being pumped. If your system is requiring pumping every 3-5 years something is seriously wrong with it or you are putting too much soap, clorox and non degradable material down the pipe.... food disposals are also a no no, get a slop bucket instead and compost it.
I’ll agree on this with exception to the natural bacteria or Rid-X maybe twice a year. Green Gobbler is totally junk much like the additives sold for RV tanks. Likely one problem you’re dealing with is the other Buses dumping into yours with no telling what in their tank plus a hell of a lot of water and since yours isn’t draining very well its killing all the bacteria. This bacteria takes from 1-4 Months to actually be concentrated enough to breakdown what’s in the tank. In Louisiana we have powered mechanical systems called MODAD’s so we don’t have to deal with this kind of problem. These are 3 chambered concrete systems that have 2 different aeration zones where the breakdown is done and then into a clarifier at the end of the process. My in-laws had the standard septic pond 70yds from the house and about 25yrs ago they filled the pond with dirt and had the MODAD installed and not once has a pump truck been out and that’s even with major hurricanes & flooding that can overwhelm a standard tank. In Arkansas they’ve never heard of MODAD but they’re about to because we have 3 systems being installed between September-November and the other septic tank will be used for RV & Camper dumps. It’s definitely hard to believe it’s only been 4yrs now since yall have been there! Ha
@Chief351L I was just making a comment, I don't have buses, just a house. I had several septic guys tell me the additives are garbage and other than toilet paper, not even "flushable wipes"(which are not flushable)I've wanted an aeration system, but replacing mine would just be too expensive. My neighbor has one(Upstate NY) and his final tank runs the sprinklers in his yard. His lawn is awesome. I think those systems are great. If I were him, I would have had a separate system for the RV's. 70-100 gallons at a time would probably overwhelm anything.
I grew up on a septic system. I lived at home for the first 21 year of my life. I think, in those 21 years (I know when it was installed because my parents built the house I grew up in and one day they couldn't find me because they lost me in the septic tank.) we only had it pumped twice, but then there were only 3, then 4, and finally 5 of us using that system. I cringed when I saw you add an RV dump and thought, "OK, daughter and family..." Then I saw all bus/RV dump and I thought, "Holy Crap!" A solid pump every two or three years is about right, from my experience (And I owned a house with a septic system as well.).
@@BusGreaseMonkey Yes it will!! Especially with your porous soil it will percolate down and get into the tank. I had that problem on my own tank when a previous owner just set the riser rings on without sealing them. It will cause excessive loading on the tank which will ultimately kill your drainfield.
Scott, as you surmised, you have a problem with the RV's dumping but you probably also have a problem with your laundry! All the extra grease, bus lubricant type not cooking, from the washing isn't going to help. Also if the RV's are using a pine based cleaner, that doesn't help. Pine oil kills the bacteria. We had that problem on a navy ship. Everyone was used to using pine oil cleaners but it was killing the bacteria in our sewage digester. It got so bad that the captain made using (or even bringing it on board) a NJP offense.
It would be good to open both chambers to verify that no solids are in the second chamber. Solids in the second chamber can end up in the leach field and plug it up. And if solids are getting into the second chamber, you need to pump the first chamber more frequently.
I had a drainfield issue back in 2012. I then changed my system to aerobic with a bacteria tower incubator and an air pump. The air pump is inside the house, short hose run to the tank. The pump runs 24/7 but it does not consume much power, only making a few psi discharge pressure. The air goes to the bottom of the incubator and keeps the fluid circulating. There is no odour other than the odour from the decades in anaerobic service. A major difference is no scum since I converted to aerobic service back in 2012, so I have not needed to pump out. It is possible the backup could be due to scum build up getting into the discharge pipe. It took several years for the drainfield to clear and drain easily.
I had the same issue with my septic system. I then added the air pump system, with a diffuser in the tank and from that day forward we never had an issue with the septic system. Just keep up with the yearly maintenance.
Same here - my drainfield is too deep to get oxygen (36" is the limit), had no air vents, and there was no filter on the outlet (it wasn't code back when it was installed). We added an outlet filter, installed a fish pond aerator in the second tank, and have had zero problems in 7 years. In fact, with 7 people in the house, we have only 10" of soft, powdery sludge in the bottom of the tank after all this time. Zero solids on top, too. In an ideal world, the tank is anaerobic ad the field lines are aerobic, but when the tank gets overwhelmed, the anaerobic flows out and clogs the field lines. If not enough oxygen gets to your field lines, you'll have problems. Anaerobic bacteria are only 5% as aggressive as aerobic bacteria, so the problem just spirals. Fish pond aerator solves that problem, and I'm going another 5 years before I inspect the tank again. Easy to DIY as well. FYI you can make your own sludge measuring tool with a knee high sock ziptied to a bamboo pole. Slowly drop it into the tank, then slowly raise it out, and you'll see where the sludge level is.
Use no fabric softener or bleach. Also by occupation, possibly a lot of grease when washing clothing is being dumped in there. Rv’s are dumping a lot of solids, grey water and who knows what else. Perhaps a separate tank for customers you just periodically pump out would help. I do add enzymes monthly. Just had mine pumped and the system is working beautifully.
We added risers after spending TOO much time digging the covers out at the farm. But our risers had caps that were fastened with easily removed bolts. No need for equipment to remove the cap.
The RV dumps are probably not killing the bacteria, but they could easily be overloading the entire septic system. Just one RV dumping a 100 gallon black water tank a week could overwhelm a smaller septic holding tank. The bacteria can only eat so much poo at a time.
@joshg1244 i had one customer that told me he put 1 gallon of bleach in both his black and another in his grey tank before dumping into our septic tank. 2 gallons of bleach into the tank i was very mad.
I had real success with the stuff you buy at Lowe's. It's called like septic shock and is green and in a gallon bottle. When my drain lines were not working well I had the tank pumped and added 1-2 gallons of that a week till the problem went away. I believe that's what the directions called for on how to use it. I swear by the stuff. They also have maintenance bacteria treatments but that was to correct a problem. Even after pumping I had liquid topping out of the ground along the drain line even for just one load of clothes. I used that stuff for about a month and I no longer have that issue.
I hate sewer problems. With apologies to the Bard of Avon: Bubble bubble, toilet trouble, bathtub roil, and bathroom sink bubble. Our circa-1947 home originally had a septic tank. It was connected to the city sewer system in the early 1960s. The four foot, red clay pipe was ripe for root infiltration. (Were owner # si or seven) We ended up replacing the entire sewer line about five years ago. We did the w on our property to hold down costs. Unfortunately, we ended up needing to dig in the street whic is a whole other expense level. The line on our property:~$2,300. Bonded contractor and digging the street: ~$18,000.
I wish you used a tuft tite riser with tank ring. It’s much better and safer. The concrete cover on ADS pipe isn’t bad but isn’t the best. The additive is just bacteria that grows in the tank to break down the solids. it’s nice after a pump out. I noticed your tank did not have a scum layer on top of the liquid which isn’t very good. If it did and the pumped it out all your bacteria colony is gone. What’s killing the septic is the chemicals cleaners people dump. I would recommend a tee filter but you need to clean them off every few months because the TP builds up on them and if you have one I hope they cleaned it. That may have caused your back up.
I went to a nice restaurant for lunch once that was having their grease trap pumped right at the beginning of lunch time. It was about 50 ft from the front door. Absolutely revolting!
field problems where there's 100% clay--and no wide gravel around lines, and too small of a drain field--here if usage was underestimated--become fundamental. at least, lots of new drainage with gravel/soil mix (like my family had to install) might as well be expected. that 100% clay is really a problem.
My wife and I lived in a rental house with a 500 gallon septic tank and 1 leach line for over 27 years. The first 18 or so, the only thing done, was add a dose of RidX every couple of months. Then we started having trouble with the toilet and tub draining. The landlord had a septic guy come out to pump it. Since he was the one who installed it, he also followed the leach line. About 30 feet from the tank, it had been crushed by a tree root. Nothing was ever done about that. So, he came out once a year to pump after that. We moved half way across the country in 18. In 19 the landlord passed away & his brother finished the remodel & sold it.
The aeration system I had back in st Louis worked so well that the chlorinated effluent was rated for direct piping to streams after sun exposure to eliminate the chlorine. In fact, the rep said that if code allowed, it could be used for toilet flushing and tests showed it safe to drink, although too risky if it the system failed. I had a 1500 gal septic feeding the aerator. Keep adding bacteria in case it is inadvertently poisoned by cleaning chemicals and bleach. That way it will readily recover on its own.
at home we used wheat germ, it's natural and less expensive. 5 years is the norm for a pump out. You're putting more in it so there you go. I'd separate the shop water from the septic tank.
Id open the lid in a week or so. If i t's high again.check the clean out to leachfield or if it has inspection ports on the enviro tubes. You might have an outlet filter. Some new septics have them. They need to be replaced or cleaned yearly. It be located in the outlet baffle at the cover on other end of tank. Your septic plans would show it. The enviro septics on my state nerrd a leachfield vent especially if they are buried over 18 inches deep. Id put some bolsters or Jersey barriers in front of the septic tank to protect it from bus parking
Some observations from a septic tank regulator. That top layer is grease and quite a bit of it. I suspect the RVers are dumping their cooking grease down their sinks. I am surprised that is not a two compartment tank, It may be but I only saw the guy pump one tank. In a two compartment tank, the first compartment settles the solids and the septage flows over a weir into the second compartment which has far fewer solids if both compartments are pumped regularly. I also did not see him clean an outlet filter which keeps solids from flowing into the distribution box and drain field. Solids entering the drain field is what ruins the system and costs big $ to fix. If you don't have an outlet filter, you really need to have one installed. Zabel is a popular brand. Typically, tanks are pumped at 3 to 5 year intervals. Based on what I saw you should pump at 3 year intervals. Get an outlet filter and do not let any RVs or other heavy equipment anywhere near the drain field. If the drain field pipes are crushed you have real problems.
Looks like you have a leaching field problem do you have a D box coming off that tank for your leaching lines find that and see if that is clear I used to install septics in a different state and we had strict plans and inspections we had to do
Ive been on septic for 25 years at two different property's and have replaced two drain fields also. Get rid of the laundry water to the septic !!! Its the soap.! We drain ours into the back yard. It makes all the difference . My 2 Cents.
Should be pumped a minimum every 2 years, who knows what the RV's are dumping also ,,, I don't remember how big your leach field was , I'll have to go back and see an old video
yeap i agree, i would get it pumped every 1-2 years if you are letting your customers dump in there. also install risers so you dont have to dig it out everytime
scott, i think running the drain on your clothes washing machine outside to another area is a must. number one killer of a septic system. not to mention the oil and grease from the clothes, which is more than a normal system might see day to day. but in all honesty, i think you are going to have to look at another septic system altogether for the rv dumps. those are just adding too much at one time for your system, and i bet you ae having issues with tree roots growing into your leach lines as well.
You always need access for venting and pumping out but I had to dig out my septic tank a couple of months ago. The pipe from the tank to the soakaway was bunged up with toilet paper.
Grease and flushable wipes are the destroyers of septic system. The wipes flush ok but then they are there, they’re hard on public works and fill your tank. Grease coats the inside of your tail lines and won’t let the water off your sewage out to evaporate.
Every 3 years i did our pump out, had a few emergency drains of the liquid side as our drain field clogged up, mega bucks to bring everything up to modern code, so $100 submersible pump solved the problem, flick the switch and out it would flow, grass was thriving in summer, not supposed to water above ground with it but i did.
We grew up with septic systems and were always told as a family of three to pump it every three years. My personal thoughts would be RV treatments that are not biological in nature rather chemical, I’ve seen a number that have formaldehyde in them which would wipe out the septic system ecology
Mix a 5 gallon bucket of warm water, a pound of sugar and a pound of meat and flush it down your toilet every 6 months and you're good to go, especially if you're using household chemicals and dumping rvs. That will totally solve your issue
My septic tank has been installed for 28 years and never been pumped. If it is working correctly it should last a long long time. Clogged field lines no doubt about it tree roots growing into them will clog it up fast the water has to drain into the field lines or it will keep clogging.
Is your washing machine drain connected to your septic tank. Some folk build a separate septic for the washing machine. Possibly on new construction have the washing machine, sinks and showers separate from the toilet
No way that system should need any maintenance after only 4 years... I'm curious if the original company wasn't considered? I remember watching the video of them putting in that tank and they had people in the hole with no shoring…. Sketchy as I recall.. I never thought of the petroleum products washed into the septic system to cause such a thick “poop cake” top layer. You may be onto something. Thanks and good luck! Love your channel
Chemotherapy drugs can kill the friendly bacteria in the tank. This can lead to sewage backups and even system failure. If you receive chemotherapy on a temporary basis for cancer treatment, plan to have the tank pumped soon after your scheduled treatment end date. You can add 5lbs of sugar to feed your bacteria.
Here in New England they recommend the 3/5 rule. Family of 3 every 5 years...Family of 5 every 3 years for pump out. Yeah, RV tank maintenance is unlike septic maintenance in that the RVs add cheicals to fight odor and not necessarily promote bacterial growth. Is your septic tank oxygenated? (to feed bacteria) If not, does it have a breather pipe? (can help...looks like a candy cane coming up out of the ground). Your additives sound like a great idea but I wonder if your additives are enough to offset the RV chemicals. Another tip is to make sure that your household or shop is not using chlorine bleach (laundry?) Instead use any product with oxygen bleach...anything with OXY in the title. This is superior to chlorine for cleaning , will not harm fabrics like cotton and is actually good for your septic system. 30 years septic experience and no problems.
Another thing tha kills the bacteria is biological washing powders, when we had a septic tank we never used those powders which are actually designed to destroy bacteria. Also the stuff we add to holding tanks on RV's are designed to kill bacterial activity which causes smells.
How often do you use "anti-bacterial" soap? If you remember about 25 years ago, they aired PSA's asking people to stop using them. I need to add a riser to my tank.
Scott.... Ridex and those kinds of additives do nada. Total waste of money. I was told by a few septic pump out companies that these additives over time will break solids down and plug your leech field pipes thus backing up your septic. The best thing you can do is not pour any grease/oils, including cooking oils, into your septic system. Secondly, any washing machines... like dish and clothes washer machines do not drain into your septic. If you can drain those machines to daylight, away from your septic & leech field. Thirdly, any baby wipes, or wipes that say they are bio-degradable/flushable, and women's sanitary products do not go into a septic tank. Lastly, no garburator food should go into the tank either. Just human waste, shower and sink drain should be going into a tank. The items listed above will kill your septic bacteria. I would be very apprehensive allowing RV's using your only septic tank to dump into, because you just don't know what they put into their black water tank..... specially the items that I listed above that will shorten the life of your septic system thus causing you to get it pumped out more often. Hope this helps.
Do you have a lot of clay? How many drain fields do you have? Are mixing black water with gray water? Is the ground slopped to prevent run off of ground water? Black water tanks need time to dissolve and no more than 50 gallons per day. Gray tanks can take 75 gallons per day. These are the things I do on my property 900 gallon tank and 500 gallon tank, proper mix to prevent backup tanks. Done correctly first pump over 30 years and was not needed. Pay at the beginning or pay three times at the end.
RV septic systems likely have more chemicals from cleaning, perhaps chlorine etc but should not impact too much unless RV dumps are a significant share of load. As far as solids pump out, every two years is a good for a 4 Sm3/yrd tank for a family of four. You may have had solids transport into the drain system but lest hope not. More frequent pump outs should could make system last for decades
That tank and, more importantly, drain field just aren’t sized for the volume of RV dumps. Having to pump after 4-5 years isn’t unusual, but having solids up that high in the tank could mean that your drain field pipe is clogged as well. Hopefully that’s not the case.
I’d seriously consider installing just a holding tank for rv dumps and charge a flat fee to dump. Then just set up a schedule to get the holding tank dumped. Just an idea.
my septic tank been in ground 30 something years pumped out 3 years ago due to a truck crushing the filler pipe the septic tank was good,pipe was broken before it got to tank
An adequately sized and properly functioning septic system should never need to be pumped out. Many factors are taken into consideration when designing a septic system, soil type and soil permeability testing is used to determine the placement and sizing of leech lines or leech fields. The bacteria and enzyme treatments are for solid waste. You have to determine if you are having a problem with solid waste, liquid waste or both. It sounds like your system is just being overloaded with liquid waste. If your washing machine is draining into the septic tank you should install a good lint trap if you don't already have one. Did anyone conduct soil permeability testing before installing the septic system. Soil is only capable of absorbing and dissipating so much water and the main way to increase capacities is by expanding the leech lines or leeching field.
My dad would have his tank emptied every year after the finger system failed and he had to put a new finger system. That was when there were 4 kids at home after that he would do it every three years
If you're dumping clients rv sewage into your tank you will need to pump at least every year, probably even every 8 months. Typical home septic tank is way too small for this
@@BusGreaseMonkey I grew up in a household of 9 people. Two bathrooms, one kitchen. The washer ran 18 hours a day for many years. We had two tanks, one 1200 gallon and one 500 and pumped one every year, just because.
@@BusGreaseMonkey getting my tank pumped next friday. Maybe I'll video it and kick off my Utoob channel. I'll be in touch after I retire from UPS next June. May have Luke go over my MC8 for a safety inspection before I sign up for time at BM garage. Not "Bowel movement Garage", I do mean Bus grease Monkey,lol . I'll probably be towing my awesome VW super beetle down with me. Have volks meet
Remember, liquid laundry and dishwasher soaps or pods will poison a septic field! I had to replace my entire field because of liquid laundry detergent!
Do you guys use any sort of enzyme. I have never used anything other than an enzyme. Yes, the system needs emptied. RidX the only thing I use. I use it personally as well as professionally.
My wife and I were told it's best to have your septic tank pumped out every35 years. We try to do it on a 3 year schedule. Ours was just pumped in June, do we son't need to worry about it until 2027.
Here the thing your system is set up for your house how many bedrooms or bathrooms you have. If I was you I would put a 5000 gallon tank in and have the RV uses that tank when it gets full have it pump. It's cheaper than a whole new septic system
I would guess that your just over useing it. I assume it was sized for maybe 2-4 people and the apartment, but with dumping buses even if every few weeks or something your just over working it. It's more like 4-6 people are living in the house I'd guess? They also tell you to pump every year, I guess I would do every year or two of others are dumping into it . I just thought you have Jonathan and his wife dumping regular into it.
It takes a special kind of person to work in the septic industry. I'm glad they exist so that I don't have to do it.
Did it for years, helped alot of people.
When designed & installed correctly, should never need pump out or ant special treatment.
Ever watch DrainAddict?🤮🤣
@@leeharris3061 yup he's done a few clogged speptic tanks and many more forbidden oatmeal gushers. 360 and 402 are 2 particularly nasty ones
I have a concern that they didn’t open the second compartment of the tank. Since it wasn’t draining out the outlet is likely clogged and if you’re lucky it has a screen on it that would need to be cleaned yearly.
If it doesn’t have a screen your drain field will likely fail prematurely
I agree, I guess we might see another video on this.
I had the same thing happen here, needed to dig it out put the riser in, etc. I shot a video of it getting pumped out, but I didn’t dare post it because it was too nasty. I really didn’t think people would want to watch it, but here you are leading the way.
On my master plumber test for a certain city, we’re 25 questions on septic tanks. Couldn’t have been one or two in the whole city. Here is what I know. First, a septic tank in an anaerobic bacteria digester. No wipes! I don’t care what the package says! They are not flushable! It will not digest anything that has not passed through the digestion process. No garbage disposals please, they do make one that adds a bacteria booster. I am a skeptic. No fats or oils, that includes salad dressings. Wipe the bowls your used napkin and trash it. Limit use of chlorine products, kills bacteria that live in your tank. Liquid laundry detergent, the binders they use to make the powdered detergent, Carry through and are clogging factors in the leach field. I do add a high quality bacteria booster once a month, want to keep the bacteria count high so the can do there thing of breaking down solids and paper. Our county requires a pump out or inspection every five years. Tanks the serve large households 3 years is a good interval. Your goal is to keep solids from getting into the leach field and poisoning it! My two cents for what it’s worth!
and you forgot, don't plant trees around the leach field or close to the septic tank itself.
My parents had a house built in78 that's on a well and septic. Over the years, my mom decided to plant a couple of trees close to it.
A couple of years ago, it all backed up in the basement.
When the plumber ran the snake down through the cleanout, it came back with a root on it. He ran it through again, and it went into the tank it snagged an even bigger root that had grown into the tank itself, it was awesome.
Which one is better, RidEx, the one that's been around forever, or the new, cheaper Green Goblin?
My great-uncle Willis had an outhouse on the old family farm near Iron Mountain, Michigan back in the 1960s! Never a problem, but in the winter when it was 40 below zero you didn't stay in there very long LOL!!!
Sounds like a cure for constipation ; )
I see that lots of folks have put their comments here already about their suggestions and experiences.
Mine is... Yes, figure on calling for a pump roughly every five years. Even if not having trouble, good to have eyes looking for problems down there.
Fond memories of being a kid. We moved into a brand new house, and at the 5-yr mark, my Dad called and had a guy come out. Not only did he pump us out, after the tank was emptied, and somewhat rinsed down, he put a small ladder down in there, climbed down inside with a flashlight for an inspection. He found that on both the inlet baffle and outlet baffle, the pvc pipe was hard up against the concrete baffle, so he got a hacksaw and trimmed it back to an acceptable length to allow the incoming solids to pass without forming a jam. The outlet side is supposed to be liquid only, but he trimmed it back, too.
Anyways, his advice to us, was to put some yeast down there once or twice a year. He said, buy a cheap roast at the store, cut it down to fit through the toilet and pipes, send it down there. Stuff that would introduce and sustain bacteria that does the breakdown job. As for buying a roast, no way my Dad could let a roast that was otherwise edible go to waste, so he would joke that he'd watch for roadkill in the area, chuck that down in there. Truth is, that would work, but you'd just have to unearth and open the lid to get it there, as there is no way on God's green earth that my stepmother would have let him carve up some dead animal to flush down the toilet. So, he had to make sure to do it on the down-low, when she wasn't around. Some secrets are better when nobody tells.
So, about every five years, he would plan having the septic truck come on a weekend when I was down for a visit. That way, I could help with the digging. Was also nice to see Mr. Devereaux, the owner of the pumping business. He was a good guy.
That explains why my uncle had the cover on his always available... then again, my aunt did come up missing ...
Kidding. The old bitty is still alive.
I would have it cleaned a little more often. Drainage issues are caused by solids migrating into your drainage system. as thick as the solids were on the top of the tank they were likely passing under the baffle in the tank. Many yrs in the business.
Its probably the bulk dumps more than anything... normal septic use is small dumps at a time while RVs are a mega dump. You are dumping a maybe a week or month worth of solids into the system in *minutes*. To actually handle that your system might need to be double or triple the size.
Drainage line blockage can happen from root intrusion, too. I've encountered this several times, friends had let vegetation overgrow the lawn covering their drain field. In just five years lots of small alder saplings sprouted up in the weeds, and the alder roots completely choked out the drainage tiles and blocked the septic outflow. In both cases, they had to clear the lot, dig out and re lay the entire drainage field. Was expensive and the household had to use a portapotty for weeks...which pleased no one.
grateful to learn from your experience, taking notes since the install vid. thanks!
RV dumps are volume dumps. The bacteria can't keep up with the volume. You either need a larger system or regular pumping.
Those additives do absolutely nothing but cost you money. It didn't make a difference how often I pumped my tank. My septic guy gave me all the info. As long as you limit how much you put in the tank other than waste(paper and wipes) you should go 3-5 years. He recommends a bidet, but we just don't flush wipes.
3-5 years is crazy... old sytems around here regularly go decade or two without being pumped. If your system is requiring pumping every 3-5 years something is seriously wrong with it or you are putting too much soap, clorox and non degradable material down the pipe.... food disposals are also a no no, get a slop bucket instead and compost it.
I’ll agree on this with exception to the natural bacteria or Rid-X maybe twice a year. Green Gobbler is totally junk much like the additives sold for RV tanks. Likely one problem you’re dealing with is the other Buses dumping into yours with no telling what in their tank plus a hell of a lot of water and since yours isn’t draining very well its killing all the bacteria. This bacteria takes from 1-4 Months to actually be concentrated enough to breakdown what’s in the tank.
In Louisiana we have powered mechanical systems called MODAD’s so we don’t have to deal with this kind of problem. These are 3 chambered concrete systems that have 2 different aeration zones where the breakdown is done and then into a clarifier at the end of the process. My in-laws had the standard septic pond 70yds from the house and about 25yrs ago they filled the pond with dirt and had the MODAD installed and not once has a pump truck been out and that’s even with major hurricanes & flooding that can overwhelm a standard tank.
In Arkansas they’ve never heard of MODAD but they’re about to because we have 3 systems being installed between September-November and the other septic tank will be used for RV & Camper dumps.
It’s definitely hard to believe it’s only been 4yrs now since yall have been there! Ha
@Chief351L I was just making a comment, I don't have buses, just a house. I had several septic guys tell me the additives are garbage and other than toilet paper, not even "flushable wipes"(which are not flushable)I've wanted an aeration system, but replacing mine would just be too expensive. My neighbor has one(Upstate NY) and his final tank runs the sprinklers in his yard. His lawn is awesome. I think those systems are great. If I were him, I would have had a separate system for the RV's. 70-100 gallons at a time would probably overwhelm anything.
I grew up on a septic system. I lived at home for the first 21 year of my life. I think, in those 21 years (I know when it was installed because my parents built the house I grew up in and one day they couldn't find me because they lost me in the septic tank.) we only had it pumped twice, but then there were only 3, then 4, and finally 5 of us using that system. I cringed when I saw you add an RV dump and thought, "OK, daughter and family..." Then I saw all bus/RV dump and I thought, "Holy Crap!" A solid pump every two or three years is about right, from my experience (And I owned a house with a septic system as well.).
First time seeing somebody use plastic drainage pipe for a cover riser.I helped install a few years ago and we used cement rings.
Mine has cement rings too
It doesn't look like he sealed the riser to the tank. Rain water will get in to the tank now.
Rain water will not get into the tank.
@@BusGreaseMonkey Yes it will!! Especially with your porous soil it will percolate down and get into the tank. I had that problem on my own tank when a previous owner just set the riser rings on without sealing them. It will cause excessive loading on the tank which will ultimately kill your drainfield.
It’s under our covered shelter mr dipity do exclamation mark x2
Scott, as you surmised, you have a problem with the RV's dumping but you probably also have a problem with your laundry! All the extra grease, bus lubricant type not cooking, from the washing isn't going to help. Also if the RV's are using a pine based cleaner, that doesn't help. Pine oil kills the bacteria. We had that problem on a navy ship. Everyone was used to using pine oil cleaners but it was killing the bacteria in our sewage digester. It got so bad that the captain made using (or even bringing it on board) a NJP offense.
A dedicated septic tank for RV's might be a solution.
I was going to suggest the same thing, just a separate system to handle that load.
$$$$$
It would be good to open both chambers to verify that no solids are in the second chamber. Solids in the second chamber can end up in the leach field and plug it up. And if solids are getting into the second chamber, you need to pump the first chamber more frequently.
i would hope they put a riser on the outlet too
@@onewayt I only saw one riser
Yep exactly, second chamber outlet to leach field probably plugged or not flowing correctly.
Agreed. Your problem is in the second tank. Check the outlet.
I had a drainfield issue back in 2012. I then changed my system to aerobic with a bacteria tower incubator and an air pump. The air pump is inside the house, short hose run to the tank. The pump runs 24/7 but it does not consume much power, only making a few psi discharge pressure. The air goes to the bottom of the incubator and keeps the fluid circulating. There is no odour other than the odour from the decades in anaerobic service. A major difference is no scum since I converted to aerobic service back in 2012, so I have not needed to pump out.
It is possible the backup could be due to scum build up getting into the discharge pipe. It took several years for the drainfield to clear and drain easily.
I had the same issue with my septic system. I then added the air pump system, with a diffuser in the tank and from that day forward we never had an issue with the septic system. Just keep up with the yearly maintenance.
Same here - my drainfield is too deep to get oxygen (36" is the limit), had no air vents, and there was no filter on the outlet (it wasn't code back when it was installed). We added an outlet filter, installed a fish pond aerator in the second tank, and have had zero problems in 7 years. In fact, with 7 people in the house, we have only 10" of soft, powdery sludge in the bottom of the tank after all this time. Zero solids on top, too. In an ideal world, the tank is anaerobic ad the field lines are aerobic, but when the tank gets overwhelmed, the anaerobic flows out and clogs the field lines. If not enough oxygen gets to your field lines, you'll have problems. Anaerobic bacteria are only 5% as aggressive as aerobic bacteria, so the problem just spirals. Fish pond aerator solves that problem, and I'm going another 5 years before I inspect the tank again. Easy to DIY as well. FYI you can make your own sludge measuring tool with a knee high sock ziptied to a bamboo pole. Slowly drop it into the tank, then slowly raise it out, and you'll see where the sludge level is.
Use no fabric softener or bleach. Also by occupation, possibly a lot of grease when washing clothing is being dumped in there. Rv’s are dumping a lot of solids, grey water and who knows what else. Perhaps a separate tank for customers you just periodically pump out would help. I do add enzymes monthly. Just had mine pumped and the system is working beautifully.
We added risers after spending TOO much time digging the covers out at the farm. But our risers had caps that were fastened with easily removed bolts. No need for equipment to remove the cap.
Just a bar now you can remove the caps since they are level with the ground.
The RV dumps are probably not killing the bacteria, but they could easily be overloading the entire septic system. Just one RV dumping a 100 gallon black water tank a week could overwhelm a smaller septic holding tank. The bacteria can only eat so much poo at a time.
Yea I agree I think the RV dumps are probably the issue.
@joshg1244 i had one customer that told me he put 1 gallon of bleach in both his black and another in his grey tank before dumping into our septic tank. 2 gallons of bleach into the tank i was very mad.
@@BusGreaseMonkey If you are doing RV dumps (without bleach), you need to have it pumped yearly.
O the fun of living in the country. I was really happy when our house connected to the city sewer system.
I had real success with the stuff you buy at Lowe's. It's called like septic shock and is green and in a gallon bottle. When my drain lines were not working well I had the tank pumped and added 1-2 gallons of that a week till the problem went away. I believe that's what the directions called for on how to use it. I swear by the stuff. They also have maintenance bacteria treatments but that was to correct a problem. Even after pumping I had liquid topping out of the ground along the drain line even for just one load of clothes. I used that stuff for about a month and I no longer have that issue.
I hate sewer problems. With apologies to the Bard of Avon: Bubble bubble, toilet trouble, bathtub roil, and bathroom sink bubble. Our circa-1947 home originally had a septic tank. It was connected to the city sewer system in the early 1960s. The four foot, red clay pipe was ripe for root infiltration. (Were owner # si or seven) We ended up replacing the entire sewer line about five years ago. We did the w on our property to hold down costs. Unfortunately, we ended up needing to dig in the street whic is a whole other expense level. The line on our property:~$2,300. Bonded contractor and digging the street: ~$18,000.
Feel for you, new sewer line from house to road was reasonable but the last 10 feet to the city main sewer line was hideously expensive.
We get ours pumped every two years and we figure it is a small amount of cash not to have a ruined basement.
It's not too bad when a tank just smells, you really have to worry when one starts singing ;-)
In Wisconsin all the septic have above ground access never have to dig. Most on average pump every 3 years. Some townships require it to be pumped
Here in the UK builders septic tank installers and builders
would start the growth of bacteria off by placing a dead animal carcass in the tank
I wish you used a tuft tite riser with tank ring. It’s much better and safer. The concrete cover on ADS pipe isn’t bad but isn’t the best. The additive is just bacteria that grows in the tank to break down the solids. it’s nice after a pump out. I noticed your tank did not have a scum layer on top of the liquid which isn’t very good. If it did and the pumped it out all your bacteria colony is gone. What’s killing the septic is the chemicals cleaners people dump. I would recommend a tee filter but you need to clean them off every few months because the TP builds up on them and if you have one I hope they cleaned it. That may have caused your back up.
The worst smell is a restaurant that recycles their oil. That rancid oil is nasty as it is being pumped out of the holding tank.
The worst!
I went to a nice restaurant for lunch once that was having their grease trap pumped right at the beginning of lunch time. It was about 50 ft from the front door. Absolutely revolting!
Good look at your tank. when I lived in Mt Juliet the red dirt and rocks did not perk well.
field problems where there's 100% clay--and no wide gravel around lines, and too small of a drain field--here if usage was underestimated--become fundamental. at least, lots of new drainage with gravel/soil mix (like my family had to install) might as well be expected. that 100% clay is really a problem.
Our perk tests were very good for drainage. System size installed for 6 bedroom house. 4.5 years is a decent 1st pumping required i think
We call the leech field seen in video bio diffusers and they are the worst. Simply laid on native ground. Did yours have gravel under them?
Recommend using wide bucket to dig field trenches in clay also go deep 6ft
Need that sand layer
Mr poop man will tell you that’s the sweet smell of success!
My wife and I lived in a rental house with a 500 gallon septic tank and 1 leach line for over 27 years. The first 18 or so, the only thing done, was add a dose of RidX every couple of months. Then we started having trouble with the toilet and tub draining. The landlord had a septic guy come out to pump it. Since he was the one who installed it, he also followed the leach line. About 30 feet from the tank, it had been crushed by a tree root. Nothing was ever done about that. So, he came out once a year to pump after that. We moved half way across the country in 18. In 19 the landlord passed away & his brother finished the remodel & sold it.
The aeration system I had back in st Louis worked so well that the chlorinated effluent was rated for direct piping to streams after sun exposure to eliminate the chlorine. In fact, the rep said that if code allowed, it could be used for toilet flushing and tests showed it safe to drink, although too risky if it the system failed. I had a 1500 gal septic feeding the aerator.
Keep adding bacteria in case it is inadvertently poisoned by cleaning chemicals and bleach. That way it will readily recover on its own.
15 years before mine was done . Big lid 15 mins job done .
at home we used wheat germ, it's natural and less expensive. 5 years is the norm for a pump out. You're putting more in it so there you go. I'd separate the shop water from the septic tank.
keep the clips coming
Id open the lid in a week or so. If i
t's high again.check the clean out to leachfield or if it has inspection ports on the enviro tubes. You might have an outlet filter. Some new septics have them. They need to be replaced or cleaned yearly. It be located in the outlet baffle at the cover on other end of tank. Your septic plans would show it. The enviro septics on my state nerrd a leachfield vent especially if they are buried over 18 inches deep. Id put some bolsters or Jersey barriers in front of the septic tank to protect it from bus parking
Some observations from a septic tank regulator. That top layer is grease and quite a bit of it. I suspect the RVers are dumping their cooking grease down their sinks. I am surprised that is not a two compartment tank, It may be but I only saw the guy pump one tank. In a two compartment tank, the first compartment settles the solids and the septage flows over a weir into the second compartment which has far fewer solids if both compartments are pumped regularly. I also did not see him clean an outlet filter which keeps solids from flowing into the distribution box and drain field. Solids entering the drain field is what ruins the system and costs big $ to fix. If you don't have an outlet filter, you really need to have one installed. Zabel is a popular brand. Typically, tanks are pumped at 3 to 5 year intervals. Based on what I saw you should pump at 3 year intervals. Get an outlet filter and do not let any RVs or other heavy equipment anywhere near the drain field. If the drain field pipes are crushed you have real problems.
Looks like you have a leaching field problem do you have a D box coming off that tank for your leaching lines find that and see if that is clear I used to install septics in a different state and we had strict plans and inspections we had to do
We always added Rid-X treatment to our septic tank and never had any issues.
Ive been on septic for 25 years at two different property's and have replaced two drain fields also. Get rid of the laundry water to the septic !!! Its the soap.! We drain ours into the back yard. It makes all the difference . My 2 Cents.
As I sit here eating my toast. The septic man just smells money when he's pumping
Should be pumped a minimum every 2 years, who knows what the RV's are dumping also ,,, I don't
remember how big your leach field was , I'll have to go back and see an old video
yeap i agree, i would get it pumped every 1-2 years if you are letting your customers dump in there. also install risers so you dont have to dig it out everytime
scott, i think running the drain on your clothes washing machine outside to another area is a must. number one killer of a septic system. not to mention the oil and grease from the clothes, which is more than a normal system might see day to day. but in all honesty, i think you are going to have to look at another septic system altogether for the rv dumps. those are just adding too much at one time for your system, and i bet you ae having issues with tree roots growing into your leach lines as well.
You always need access for venting and pumping out but I had to dig out my septic tank a couple of months ago. The pipe from the tank to the soakaway was bunged up with toilet paper.
My septic tank guy recommended Roebic. Might give it a try. I get it at Lowe’s, I’d guess it’s available at most other big box stores, too.
Grease and flushable wipes are the destroyers of septic system. The wipes flush ok but then they are there, they’re hard on public works and fill your tank. Grease coats the inside of your tail lines and won’t let the water off your sewage out to evaporate.
Every 3 years i did our pump out, had a few emergency drains of the liquid side as our drain field clogged up, mega bucks to bring everything up to modern code, so $100 submersible pump solved the problem, flick the switch and out it would flow, grass was thriving in summer, not supposed to water above ground with it but i did.
We grew up with septic systems and were always told as a family of three to pump it every three years.
My personal thoughts would be RV treatments that are not biological in nature rather chemical, I’ve seen a number that have formaldehyde in them which would wipe out the septic system ecology
The forbidden slushie
Mix a 5 gallon bucket of warm water, a pound of sugar and a pound of meat and flush it down your toilet every 6 months and you're good to go, especially if you're using household chemicals and dumping rvs. That will totally solve your issue
I apologize that should be a.pound of yeast, not a pound of meat...gotta love autocorrect
@@williamhastings7182 Sounded more like a recipe with the meat LOL.
That smell to the guy pumping it out smells like $$$$$$
My septic tank has been installed for 28 years and never been pumped. If it is working correctly it should last a long long time. Clogged field lines no doubt about it tree roots growing into them will clog it up fast the water has to drain into the field lines or it will keep clogging.
In the south-central Wisconsin county I live in septic systems are tracked and must be pumped every three years. Cost is moderate ($150)
Is your washing machine drain connected to your septic tank. Some folk build a separate septic for the washing machine. Possibly on new construction have the washing machine, sinks and showers separate from the toilet
No way that system should need any maintenance after only 4 years... I'm curious if the original company wasn't considered? I remember watching the video of them putting in that tank and they had people in the hole with no shoring…. Sketchy as I recall.. I never thought of the petroleum products washed into the septic system to cause such a thick “poop cake” top layer. You may be onto something.
Thanks and good luck! Love your channel
Chemotherapy drugs can kill the friendly bacteria in the tank. This can lead to sewage backups and even system failure. If you receive chemotherapy on a temporary basis for cancer treatment, plan to have the tank pumped soon after your scheduled treatment end date.
You can add 5lbs of sugar to feed your bacteria.
Use plenty of dawn dish detergent to keep greasy stuff dissolved too
I pour a shot of degreaser straight down kitchen sink and set overnight once in awhile
Plumber recommended it
Here in New England they recommend the 3/5 rule. Family of 3 every 5 years...Family of 5 every 3 years for pump out.
Yeah, RV tank maintenance is unlike septic maintenance in that the RVs add cheicals to fight odor and not necessarily promote bacterial growth. Is your septic tank oxygenated? (to feed bacteria) If not, does it have a breather pipe? (can help...looks like a candy cane coming up out of the ground). Your additives sound like a great idea but I wonder if your additives are enough to offset the RV chemicals.
Another tip is to make sure that your household or shop is not using chlorine bleach (laundry?) Instead use any product with oxygen bleach...anything with OXY in the title. This is superior to chlorine for cleaning , will not harm fabrics like cotton and is actually good for your septic system.
30 years septic experience and no problems.
Another thing tha kills the bacteria is biological washing powders, when we had a septic tank we never used those powders which are actually designed to destroy bacteria. Also the stuff we add to holding tanks on RV's are designed to kill bacterial activity which causes smells.
How often do you use "anti-bacterial" soap? If you remember about 25 years ago, they aired PSA's asking people to stop using them. I need to add a riser to my tank.
You should check your leach field to ensure it’s working properly. I’d also say the cleaning agents you’re using to clean your hands etc don’t help.
Scott.... Ridex and those kinds of additives do nada. Total waste of money. I was told by a few septic pump out companies that these additives over time will break solids down and plug your leech field pipes thus backing up your septic. The best thing you can do is not pour any grease/oils, including cooking oils, into your septic system. Secondly, any washing machines... like dish and clothes washer machines do not drain into your septic. If you can drain those machines to daylight, away from your septic & leech field. Thirdly, any baby wipes, or wipes that say they are bio-degradable/flushable, and women's sanitary products do not go into a septic tank. Lastly, no garburator food should go into the tank either. Just human waste, shower and sink drain should be going into a tank. The items listed above will kill your septic bacteria. I would be very apprehensive allowing RV's using your only septic tank to dump into, because you just don't know what they put into their black water tank..... specially the items that I listed above that will shorten the life of your septic system thus causing you to get it pumped out more often. Hope this helps.
Do you have a lot of clay? How many drain fields do you have? Are mixing black water with gray water? Is the ground slopped to prevent run off of ground water? Black water tanks need time to dissolve and no more than 50 gallons per day. Gray tanks can take 75 gallons per day. These are the things I do on my property 900 gallon tank and 500 gallon tank, proper mix to prevent backup tanks. Done correctly first pump over 30 years and was not needed. Pay at the beginning or pay three times at the end.
RV septic systems likely have more chemicals from cleaning, perhaps chlorine etc but should not impact too much unless RV dumps are a significant share of load. As far as solids pump out, every two years is a good for a 4 Sm3/yrd tank for a family of four. You may have had solids transport into the drain system but lest hope not. More frequent pump outs should could make system last for decades
1 add yeast best is to go a restaurant supply and get bulk yeast Or add spoiled yeast! And only human waste into septic system!
Somebody's full of it!
For many years, we've added a pack of yeast monthly. So far, no problems.
Use Roebic.
Leach field opener straight into distribution box
I put it in a 5gal bucket of warm water overnight then pour in to the D box
We used to pump ours every other year before we hooked onto the city sewer.
You've been in TN four years? I remember videos describing the HOA where you used to live not liking a bus parked there. Time goes by fast.
That tank and, more importantly, drain field just aren’t sized for the volume of RV dumps. Having to pump after 4-5 years isn’t unusual, but having solids up that high in the tank could mean that your drain field pipe is clogged as well. Hopefully that’s not the case.
I’d seriously consider installing just a holding tank for rv dumps and charge a flat fee to dump. Then just set up a schedule to get the holding tank dumped. Just an idea.
The "Honeymooners" Ed Norton approves this video.
Add bacteria each month and with each RV dump. Pump septic yearly. Add an aerator to increase capacity and improve quality of effluent.
you should at least pump it out once a year if people are dumping their tanks in your septic. What for the poop smoothie, yum smells like money!
my septic tank been in ground 30 something years pumped out 3 years ago due to a truck crushing the filler pipe the septic tank was good,pipe was broken before it got to tank
Quextion- do all of your clients staying on the property dump into this tank?
An adequately sized and properly functioning septic system should never need to be pumped out. Many factors are taken into consideration when designing a septic system, soil type and soil permeability testing is used to determine the placement and sizing of leech lines or leech fields. The bacteria and enzyme treatments are for solid waste. You have to determine if you are having a problem with solid waste, liquid waste or both. It sounds like your system is just being overloaded with liquid waste. If your washing machine is draining into the septic tank you should install a good lint trap if you don't already have one.
Did anyone conduct soil permeability testing before installing the septic system. Soil is only capable of absorbing and dissipating so much water and the main way to increase capacities is by expanding the leech lines or leeching field.
My dad would have his tank emptied every year after the finger system failed and he had to put a new finger system. That was when there were 4 kids at home after that he would do it every three years
If you're dumping clients rv sewage into your tank you will need to pump at least every year, probably even every 8 months. Typical home septic tank is way too small for this
We specifically installed a huge tank so it’s not a normal home size
@@BusGreaseMonkey I grew up in a household of 9 people. Two bathrooms, one kitchen. The washer ran 18 hours a day for many years. We had two tanks, one 1200 gallon and one 500 and pumped one every year, just because.
never thought I'd wanna ralf watching BGM. lol I'd pump that more often for sure.
I never thought i would make $200 in ad revenue from a video of someone picking up my poo 💩
@@BusGreaseMonkey getting my tank pumped next friday. Maybe I'll video it and kick off my Utoob channel. I'll be in touch after I retire from UPS next June. May have Luke go over my MC8 for a safety inspection before I sign up for time at BM garage. Not "Bowel movement Garage", I do mean Bus grease Monkey,lol . I'll probably be towing my awesome VW super beetle down with me. Have volks meet
My plumber installed a separate leach system for the washer drain so it doesn’t go in the septic tank. Ours is 30 plus years and had never been pumped
Remember, liquid laundry and dishwasher soaps or pods will poison a septic field!
I had to replace my entire field because of liquid laundry detergent!
You may have to think about installing a separate dump tank just for the buses and not attached to the house septic system
Does your system have a leech field as well as a tank....they can help as that take a lot of the fluids away.
Do you guys use any sort of enzyme. I have never used anything other than an enzyme. Yes, the system needs emptied. RidX the only thing I use. I use it personally as well as professionally.
Hey Grease Monkey, Is that smell as bad as following an old Power Stroke Ford down the highway when he has bad injectors?
My wife and I were told it's best to have your septic tank pumped out every35 years. We try to do it on a 3 year schedule. Ours was just pumped in June, do we son't need to worry about it until 2027.
Here the thing your system is set up for your house how many bedrooms or bathrooms you have. If I was you I would put a 5000 gallon tank in and have the RV uses that tank when it gets full have it pump. It's cheaper than a whole new septic system
I pump my 1500 gal tank religiously every 3 years
I would guess that your just over useing it. I assume it was sized for maybe 2-4 people and the apartment, but with dumping buses even if every few weeks or something your just over working it. It's more like 4-6 people are living in the house I'd guess? They also tell you to pump every year, I guess I would do every year or two of others are dumping into it .
I just thought you have Jonathan and his wife dumping regular into it.
Does it have a filter on there?
Wonder if you need a grease trap on the garage sink to trap the heavy grease and oil.
Soap stops fermentation.
These passive septic tanks don't work very well at all with large loads. Active aeration systems work much better for this type of use...
My system was over 50 years old and failed. It cost me over 20k for a repair versus a new one.
Having a riser takes the anxiety out of it when or if it happen again
Watch out for those flushable wipes that don’t break down that well.