hand dug septic? are we crazy?

[tamsam]

I don't know where you are located in N-S Carolina but you should check codes before doing anything. My past experence with inspectors tells me you should put it where he pointed out. Also it may have to be inspected before being covered or used. Unless you are in really soft soil and no trees I would never attempt it without renting a good back hoe. Sam

[HermitJohn]

The longest march starts with the first step. I've known couple guys who dug full basement with pick shovel and wheelbarrow. Hey if you dont have the money to hire it done, what else you got thats more important to do, watch tv? It'll take long time compared to a backhoe but it eventually will get done.

As to septic tanks, my opinion that a pre cast concrete tank is way to go, but health dept at least used to have free instructions to build out of concrete block. That was back in the day before everything had to be done by licensed bonded experts who have paid the correct bribes to those in power.

And I still remember one guy who used some old Buick as his septic tank. Hey it worked ok for lot of years.

[FarmboyBill]

We, dad and brother and me, and dug ours in the mid 50s when I and my brother was still in grade school. We dug out our basement with pick, schovels. a horse and a slip after that. Dad, and FIL#2 and me dug mine out with pick, schovels a fresno and a F-20

[clovis]

Digging by hand is a GREAT option if you have the time, expertise and can do it according to code.

This nation was built by people like you that are not afraid of a little hard work.

I would do my homework first....some counties are becoming very, very strict and stringent on septic systems. Make sure you can pass code inspection, or if it applies to you.

As a side note, how much would it cost to find someone with a backhoe that would do it for you on the side, maybe by the hour? Probably not going to find that person in the yellow pages, but by word of mouth.

Again, I would do my homework to be within code. Maybe study some books at the library just to learn.

My hat is off to you. It is nice to see someone working to be proactive with their own efforts, and not just taking out another mortgage and overpaying for property upgrades.

Clove

[beaglebiz]

have you checked out local requirements?? We had to purchase a permit, find out how the land percs, get a "septic designer" to draw it up, have a prefessional install. All thats allowed these days anywhere in PA are sand mounds (aka turkey mounds). Our land is high water table, didnt perc that well, and we ended up with a giant sand mound behind the house we have filled in around over the years and attempted to disguise.
I have a local friend, that got the "septic design". and had his own backhoe and a bit of know how and installed his own sand mound. he inspector comes at regular intervals.
i would just call the township or whatever and as a vague question about needing a permit. All of my neighbors have the old fashioned septic tanks, but will be forced to put in a sand mound when the original needs replacing or repair
Just check it out, I would hat to see you do all of that work, and have a prob in the future

the sand mound includes two tanks, a webbing of piping,, gravel topsoil and straw I believe, topped with more topsoil

[meanwhile]

When we bought part of our land, there was/is a Cabin and the man said he dug the septic himself, it is only a 50 gallon metal barrel in the ground with only one pipe in and....I do not know what goes out of it.....we have never seen, nor smelled a thing. In the five years we have owned it, and hundreds of guests staying there per year, no trouble at all with the septic.

We recently met a Homesteading couple, young with 3 little kids and they bought a place that had the septic run into a "pit" - an actual hole in the ground where the septic dumped from the house. They said it did not smell, had nothing in it but good looking dirt, they did say they were not allowing the kids near it, and they are not using it now, but it was there and was used and apparently it worked at one point.....

None of this is to say one should dump raw sewage in a hole, nor into barrels.....however......there is more than one way to approach most anything......

We have three outhouses on our properties (in addition to "normal" inside bathrooms) and people use them, no one complains, they do not smell bad......maybe you can use an outhouse for a while.....

Good luck -

[cnsilver]

Thank you all for your replies and advise. maybe if we go to the health dep't and get some regulations on them we may be able to start before the ground freezes!!! We will keep you posted !! CN

[Gary in ohio]

Who (if anyone) need to approve a septic system. Around here only approved septic systems are permitted

[texican]

A "Tiller" and a shovel? Slackers... I dug mine with only a shovel. Did the whole thing in a long long day. At the end of the day, after leveling the bottom, and making sure the depth was correct, I threw my shovels out of the hole... and... then looked around for 'a way out'... Ooops I finally got my pocket knife out and carved some steps and handholds and climbed myself out.

It can be done. At that time, I didn't have the extra cash for a backhoe. I did have a 'can of beans' and that's all it took.

[mamita]

my hubby dug the hole for the 1,000 gal. septic tank by hand...8ft. deep, 8ft. diameter round hole. (I was the lucky 'bucket' person when he got deep. boy do we have tons of rock) when the fella brought the tank, he was amazed and said he only ever saw one other person in his life do that. (meaning he thought hub was nuts) when it came to digging for the leach bed, I said 'don't even think about it'. that backhoe was worth every cent. then we did all the other stuff just the two of us. (I never...ever want to fill a leach bed with tons of gravel, one wheelbarrow at a time. ever. it's how we spent our week vacation that year. do we know how to have fun, or what?) laid the pipe, etc., and it had to be inspected before filling in. (I fell in love with the inspector the moment he said it was great. I would have had his children. don't know what I would have done if he said it didn't pass....but then again I could hardly move from all that (insert swear word of choice here) gravel) so while I don't think you're crazy, I will still say do yourself the favor of getting the backhoe!

[Cabin Fever]

I am familiar with the rules of many states. Generally speaking, a compliant septic system must be "perked" and designed by a licensed professional. However, the system can be installed by the homeower...according to the county approved design.

Now, if you don't want to install a compliant system, anything is possible.

[marvella]

to what cf said, i once had a house in which the septic system was 2 55 gallon barrels welded together. it was working when i sold it 11 years later. beats what was happening when i got the place... used to be in the mountains, straight piping the toilet into the nearest creek was common. old timers swore the fishing was better but yuck. lots died of typhoid too.

to the op- have you looked into constructed wetlands? it's very difficult to perk a septic in this part of the country. TN has built a few in places where a traidtional tank system wouldn't be sufficient and will approve them for home use if built correctly. it involves a tank in which the solids settle out and decompose while liquides flow into a type of lagoon that contains various plants (such as reeds and elephant ears) that will clean the liquid. i've seen pictures of a professor drinking the effluent....

[cindy-e]

Originally Posted by marvella

i've seen pictures of a professor drinking the effluent....

Yuk! Hey I like wetlands as a solution to the septic tank problem, but to DRINK the water? Let's just say that wouldn't be my cup of tea.
For those of you in that part of the country, Chincotigue National park (where the wild horses are) has one of those wetlands systems around their public bathrooms with a fairly detailed explaination of how it works posted in the building. It is actually quite pretty to look at. Might be worth going to look at if you are considering it.
Cindyc.

[Jolly]

The problem down here is that the power company will not supply electricity (other than a temporary pole) until you have a valid septic system installed and approved.

[-TWO-]

Originally Posted by texican

A "Tiller" and a shovel? Slackers... I dug mine with only a shovel. Did the whole thing in a long long day. At the end of the day, after leveling the bottom, and making sure the depth was correct, I threw my shovels out of the hole... and... then looked around for 'a way out'... Ooops I finally got my pocket knife out and carved some steps and handholds and climbed myself out.

It can be done. At that time, I didn't have the extra cash for a backhoe. I did have a 'can of beans' and that's all it took.

Ha! Texican. I thought I was the only one that ever did that. Lucky for me the wife was just coming home from town. After she got control of herself & wiped the tears from her eyes, (unpleasant woman) I convinced her to drop me down a ladder.

[Ken Scharabok]

Yes, you might do it yourself or for probably $60-100 hour hire a professional backhoe operator to come in and dig out the tank and field lines in a couple of hours. Tank delivery service should place tank for you in hole. Where you might benefit here is the backfilling of the tank hole and leach field. But, then again, a backhoe operator may do the backfill in a half-hour while you might take several days.

A good backhoe operator could probably move more dirt in 5 minutes than I could in an hour.

Hey, I own an old backhoe and still hire a professional to come in and do major jobs.

[Gary in ohio]

Its the classic time vs money. Can you did it yes, are you allowed, maybe. can you hire someone with equipment to do it faster yes.

Look at it from another standpoint, wear on your body. What would it cost if you did the digging and hurt your back or strained your muscles. What would a DR visit cost and maybe time off from work. A couple of hours with a backhoe would most likely be all you need along with a couple hundred dollars. a Dr visit with meds would come close to that. a day off would most likely be more than that.

[DrBraeburn]

my septic tank and drain field stopped working after 30 plus years and I have to hook up to sewer their hook up end is 4 foot deep and my end will be at least 3 foot deep and a good 40 foot long plus the tank has to be crushed and filled with gravel I aint killing this old man with a shovel, tiller or anything else laffin I like me so i'm getting a back hoe I would suggest you do the same

[tiogacounty]

Originally Posted by beaglebiz

have you checked out local requirements?? We had to purchase a permit, find out how the land percs, get a "septic designer" to draw it up, have a prefessional install. All thats allowed these days anywhere in PA are sand mounds (aka turkey mounds).
the sand mound includes two tanks, a webbing of piping,, gravel topsoil and straw I believe, topped with more topsoil

Actually, needing an elevated sand mound depends on the soil profile portion of the "perc test". This test also determines how tall the mound would be, if one is required. In reality 99% of new construction requires a mound, but I'm starting a new home in spring for a neighbor of mine who ended up with an in ground system. His property is in a rare area where several nearby properties also perced standard. One recent change to the PA code involved a triple tank. First tank is the black water, the next is a settling tank to clarify the water, then the pump tank.

[mixtapesyndicat]

My house was built in 1943 the septic tank was from the same period. It is an open bottom brick lined tank about 6 ft long by 4 foot wide by 4 foot high. I'm quite familiar with my system because i've had to dig it out and empty it with a shovel and 5 gal bucket. To me it seems like it works pretty well except when a contractor doesn't seal the lid and it fills up with sand. When I build my cabin I plan on digging my own septic system and building it in the exact same way. I figure if this tank has held up this long on the florida coast that it would work perfectly well other places (except high water table). Permits, inspectors, and government be ----ed.