Septic systems woes...

Where I live, you can have 2000 acres, doesn't matter. For a dwelling, you need an accepted septic properly engineered, & built by a licenced contractor. Can't build or modify your own. While many different types might be 'allowed', practically 80% or more are mound systems. Older systems are grandfathered in, but if land changes hands, put aside some money for the $$$$ septic system.

Actually I'm surprised there are areas left that do not have regulations on septic. There are national, um, suggestions & pressures, for all to be following this stuff. Man, the regulations that are coming to Minnesota for protecting wetlands & water ways..... Every paved parking lot needs a holding pond now. Farming & general living will become regulated out of exsistance.

--->Paul

thats why im putting the kind of system i posted they are legal even though i dont need one i beleive you shouls have one

Okay everyone we ARE going to replace the strange little system we have now with the holey pipe(that technical term again) or maybe the infiltrator(they have it at Lowes)

The perforated pipe is $30/100'.

The infiltrator is $30 for about 10'.

A trencher is $100/day.

The reason I first stated 'NO WAY' was we were rpiced about $1500 to replace it at one time...

It should be a fun and new experience....LOL

Put in a proper drain field. Just because the guy who built the house in the first place didn't take the high road doesn't mean you can't. I just replaced our drain-field to the tune of 7K.

thats a lot of money why didnt you do it yourself

Okay we have had a VERY productive day...

We bought the vault style drainage system and replaced everything from the septic outlet.From researching it each vault can be next to each other-minimising the holes you have to put in the yard.

We then went and rented an mini-excavator until Sunday.

The excitement started when we started to dig...almost the first bucket broke our water pipe... seems the guy who built our house also thought it a WONDERFUL idea to run the waterline right next to the septic line.... :no:

So Mrs oz ran BACK to Lowes(a 50 mile roundtrip) to pick up repair parts and one extra piece of pipe..

I meanwhile dug and dug AND dug(it was quite fun really ) and managed to get most of the field done...

Mrs oz came back and was gluing the pipe and fixing that.

We finished the trench by hand-smoothing the bottom and leveling it and then went to test the water pipe-it leaked...

We gave up on that for the moment and installed the vaults-they went in pretty quickly although it did require a little work to get it level.

BACK to Lowes goes Mrs oz(lesson learned here-by at least twice as much as you think you will need) while I play around attempting to pull out an old oak stump-no luck.

I fill in some of the holes left from the old 'system' and attempt to back my truck down the driveway-fail miserably-what can I say,I am not a REAL man....

We had also bought some fabric that goes over the vaults(although it is not needed we figured it can't hurt) and started to put dirt back in...

Did I mention it was dark?

Mrs oz got back and we fixed the water pipe(hopefully-haven't tested it yet)
I gave up on trying to fill the field back in as it was difficult to see even with the lights on the excavator...

SO we called for a pizza for dinner and of course it was after 9pm and they wouldln't deliver out here... so BACK out again goes Mrs oz-she is a trooper.

So hopefully everything will go smoothly tomorrow and we shuold have a working septic system tomorrow...

Costs have been:

$500 for the vaults,PVC pipes,elbows,PVC cement,etc(we DID buy too many vaults so we will get some of the $$$ back.

$175 for the excavator.

$40 or so for reciever,tow ball and pin.

The joy of doing it right-priceless.

Congratulations on the DIY job OZ!

In most situations the physics of a septic system is pretty simple isn't it.

Well it did seem kind of straightforward.

Of course you never know,it might not work tomorrow...LOL.

what kind of system is the vault

I'm really surprised at all of the *do it yourself* suggestions. In my county, you have to be licensed to install septic systems which involves passing a written test. A typical septic system here runs around $7500. we aren't required to put in a new septic system when land changes hands. however, if you apply for a building permit to add on or renovate, they can and will force you to install a new one if they deem your current one is too old.

Well unless you tell them,how would they KNOW???

''It's easier to beg forgiveness, than to ask for permission''

Homesteader types shouldn't be all THAT concerned about what the government decides is 'right'...in MY opinion.

Anyway we are heading back out there and finishing off today,although we have a small problem with SOME of a water outlets-the kitchen sink just dribbles out and the master bathroom toilet won't refill-I am guessing there is air in the lines somewhere...hopefully.LOL

I tried. It had to be an "engineered" system by "qualified" people. They gave me a list of "acceptable" designers and a list of acceptable installers. They would allow me to do the installation but not the design.

I made a bill of materials including equipment rental etc. It was only $800 less than if I had some do it. Not to mention the system was totally failed and I needed it done quick. I had band-aided the thing along for two years and it finally failed completely and totally.

There is no way in my county that you could sell a house without proof of a to-spec system. I suppose there is an outside chance of finding an all cash buyer who would not go through a realtor, but that is very unlikely.

Septic system inspection and certification is written into every realestate contract I've seen around here. Furthermore if the inspector finds out you used somebody that was not on the counties approved list, many times he will walk and not sign off on it.

In my county there is a physical inspection before any property changes hands. They have the technology to determine if the field is too spec. If you live in county where you are absolutely sure you can sell the house with a semi-jacked up system, then more power to you.

Otherwise... you can pay now, or pay me later.

Well as there was NO codes back 27 years ago,how could the house be found to not meet the code??

Of course IF we had asked permission we would have been made to spend thousands of dollars and hired a professional...to achieve the same results.

I understand what you are saying,sad isn't it that you are no longer allowed to work on your own house and its systems without the gov't forcing you to ask permission...of course it is to save us from ourselves....

We went and dug up(LOL-a little septic humor) our inspection from when we bought the house and it states little about the state of the septic beyond it was green around the tank suggesting a problem with the drainfield...kind of funny considering there was NO drainfield.

So much for the value of an inspection.

Well it is working fine and we solved the water blockage issue,now we are spreading grass seed over the big dirt spot.

All told it was about $500 in parts.