Septic alarm just went off at my rental property...

fishhead · #21 11/16/10, 02:55 PM

If they don't take responsibility I would take them to small claims court. Get photos and documentation.

My pump is wired through a float that turns the pump on and off according to water level. There is no time involved. It's a simple matter of plugging the pump into the plug of the float just like Christmas lights.

Trisha in WA · #22 11/16/10, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishhead

My pump is wired through a float that turns the pump on and off according to water level. There is no time involved.

Ours was that way too.

**Cabin Fever** · #23 11/16/10, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishhead

....My pump is wired through a float that turns the pump on and off according to water level. There is no time involved....

Jill's septic system was apparently designed to use “timed dosing.” Most standard septic dosing systems send wastewater out to the drainfield during high water use periods...generally morning and evening. The rest of the day and night...when water use is low...no wastewater is sent to the drainfield.

With timed dosing, small volumes of water are sent to the drainfield all day and night long. In other words, peak daily flows are stored and metered out throughout a 24-hour period.

Here is a compariosn, with standard dosing, 200 gallons may be sent to the drainfield in only two doses during a 24-hour day. With a timed-dosing system, 20 gallons of wastewater may be sent to the drainfield in each of 20 doses during a 24-hour day.

A timed dosed system allows for better soil treatment of the wastewater. And, it is an advantage for those who cannot fit a standard sized drainfield on their lot.

Macybaby · #24 11/16/10, 04:34 PM

We lived on the side of the hill in WI, and had a mound system installed. Had the alarm and all, seemed to be working fine. WI requires the tank be pumped and inspected every three years. We had the pumper guy out and he opened the first tank - and it was full to the top, he opened the second, and it was also full.

Took two loads to get it emptied, and everything looked alright but the pump had no power. So we cut the lock on the electrical box and opened it up - wires came from house to box, wires came from pump to box - but nothing was hooked up inside.

Contacted the builder and the plumbing company came out and fixed it ASAP, and paid for the extra pumping too. We found out that they had an installer that got lazy, and would lock things up with plans of heading another day to finish the job, but he'd mark "completed" on the form. Was the Boss's Dad, helping out on a few jobs. Dad quit helping and no one knew the problem until the phone calls started. Most were for new constuction, so until someone started living in the house, there was no problem.

Ours went for so long because of the slope - the drainfiled was downhill enough from the tank that it gravity fed into the mound. The whole system was downhill enough from the house that sewage would have come out of the top of the holding tank before it would have backed into the house. BTW- the alarm in the house "tested" OK - but it wasn't hooked to the float out in the box, so nothing would have ever caused it to go off.

All our wires to the pump ran through a buried PVC pipe. they told us that was so they could fish new wires in if ever needed without having to dig anything up. We would have needed to open up a wall in the basement to get at them, but that would be way better than digging up the yard.

jill.costello · #25 11/16/10, 04:48 PM

Well, this is getting interesting! The builder contacted the original installer and he wants to come out personally tommorrow AM! At exactly the same time as "my" guy wants to start work!

Now, I'm in a moral pickle: IF the original guy says "oh, shoot, yup, I DID screw up, I'll fix it for free.", then I have to essentially "fire" the guy I verbally agreed (over the phone) could do the job......hmmmm....makes me feel like a jerk.

I am TRYING to facilitate a phone call between these two gentlemen tonight. I left a message for the original installer to please call "my" guy and discuss the "diagnosis"....now, I'm not so sure that was a good idea??? If my guy was just padding his ticket and the problem isn't so severe as he says, this could get ugly.....

I WISH I was THERE!!!!! argh!!! Makes me want to jump on a plane and fly up there to "mediate" between these two fellows!

Lazy J · #26 11/16/10, 07:44 PM

This thread should be mandatory reading for anyone on HT contemplating long distance ownership of rental properties. It is just a bad idea.

Jim

Alice In TX/MO · #27 11/16/10, 10:44 PM

I have rental property in three cities in two states. These occasional situations are normal, and as long as you don't overreact, it's not a problem. You make phone calls, get things done. Just like if the property was across town.

This year Renter #1 in Austin had a plugged drain. Called the plumber, got it fixed.

Renter #2 had some drywall repair that's been pending since the last resident in that house, but he had been putting me off. He said he was ready, and I made a phone call, got an email bid, got it done.

Doesn't matter where it's located. You just make phone calls and arrange the work.

You're doing fine, Jill!

fishhead · #28 11/17/10, 09:20 AM

As long as you contact "your guy" and let him know ahead of time I don't see anything wrong with it. Just let him know that the original guy may fix it but if he doesn't you would like him to do the job.

jill.costello · #29 11/17/10, 09:38 AM

The plot thickens......

This morning, I get a call from "my guy"......suddenly, the pump is working.

Seems he went out there this morning and lo and behold! The pump is pumping....

Methinks he had all night to worry about the original installer "discovering" the pump was JUST FINE, tearing him a new one, and telling me I was being scammed, and so he decided to call me on his own to tell me his "surprising discovery"......

To give him an itsy, bitsy bit of credit, though, he did go to the permit office, pull my original permit, and it DOES show that the wiring was done wrong. The permit requires the timing, at set intervals, etc, etc.

He has "ammended" his original diagnosis, and now says that we'll "just watch it" over the next couple of days and make sure the pump is good to go before we fix the wiring and call the job done.

Still haven't heard from the original installer; but at least now I have the permit pulled to say, "hey, buddy, you didn't follow the permit....please re-wire this correctly for free."
.

copperkid3 · #30 11/17/10, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jill.costello

The plot thickens......

This morning, I get a call from "my guy"......suddenly, the pump is working.

Seems he went out there this morning and lo and behold! The pump is pumping....

Methinks he had all night to worry about the original installer "discovering" the pump was JUST FINE, tearing him a new one, and telling me I was being scammed, and so he decided to call me on his own to tell me his "surprising discovery"......

To give him an itsy, bitsy bit of credit, though, he did go to the permit office, pull my original permit, and it DOES show that the wiring was done wrong. The permit requires the timing, at set intervals, etc, etc.

He has "ammended" his original diagnosis, and now says that we'll "just watch it" over the next couple of days and make sure the pump is good to go before we fix the wiring and call the job done.

Still haven't heard from the original installer; but at least now I have the permit pulled to say, "hey, buddy, you didn't follow the permit....please re-wire this correctly for free."
.

************************************************** ***
You've made the 'logical' deduction that he was about to scam you on
having to get a new pump that suddenly 'magically' has started to work
on it's own......then you buy into his new scam of pulling the original permit
and just happening to find that it was 'wired wrong'......

By NO MEANS would I give this 'new' contractor ANY of your business;
now or in the future......call the original installer and inform him of this 'news' and have him
take care of it.....it's his reputation on the table and "if" (that's a BIG 'IF' at this point)
it wasn't wired correctly, then he'll likely want to make it right at no charge......if it isn't wired
wrong and since the pump is suddenly working......that seems most likely, then you'll soon know
that you were about to be scammed by the new contractor .......again.

fishhead · #31 11/17/10, 10:16 AM

There was a similar thread recently. A septic installer told of homeowners being charged $1,500+ for a couple hours worth of work and a $200 pump.

jill.costello · #32 11/17/10, 10:51 AM

Ok, I'm on top of it! I get ANOTHER call from "my guy" about an hour ago. He says the original installer showed up, and they talked it over together.

HE SAYS that when he showed the permit to the original installer and told him that the system wasn't wired right, that the original guy said, "I never wire according to the permit; I always do it this way."

I don't know WHO to believe, now.

My guy SAYS "the original installer says he will replace the pump (huh?) but NOT REWIRE according to the permit (WHAT?????)."

I am THROUGH with this game of he-said, so I called the permit office MYSELF.

I told them exactly what was going on, told them the names of BOTH these guys, and they are taking it up the chain and say they will get back to me sometime today.

Problem is, the dern original installer has NOT CALLED ME. I have left 3 messages. The last message I left last night told him specifically to CALL ME before he went to my property......but he DIDN'T and he showed up on my property, anyway, and is "supposedly" going to change out my pump.....without asking me first??? without calling me??

fishhead · #33 11/17/10, 10:56 AM

"I am THROUGH with this game of he-said, so I called the permit office MYSELF."

Good idea!