Built our house 7 yrs ago and had the septic system installed by a well respected plumber in our area. Our soil is mostly clay beneath the topsoil. Last spring we had a back up into the basement ( luckily unfinished ) and called the plumber who installed it . He popped the cap off one of the pump out stacks and said listen to that running water. He said that's water from the recent rain running 'up hill' into your septic tank so naturally it would back up into the house. He then proceeded to pump the water out with a trash pump.
The water in the basement receded. He said you'll have to keep an eye on the water level and pump out when needed. I went out and bought a trash pump and did what he said pumping whenever I heard water running into the tank.
Everything was fine for a period when we had no rain, then another back up for no apparent reason. I called him back out. He decided to dig down to the tank to see if a line had collapsed. The line going out to the drain field was partially collapsed in about a one foot section. When he went to cut that piece out, the water rushed back up from the drain field and into the area around the tank which told me the drain field was saturated. He replaced that section of pipe and filled it back in.
He then dug down to the drain field line and 'Tee'd' off of it and ran a 10 ' piece of drain tile farther down the slope then another T and came up to the surface of the yard and put a removable cap on it. He said when you see water seeping out you better pump it out.
This has worked so far but I don't think it's legal. Since it's now well below the elevation of our basement there's no need to pump it just seeps out the top of the cap and makes a small puddle in the yard. We are in a rural area so no neighbors to complain of odor and in the summer the wind is usually blowing it away from our house. I asked him about pumping out the tank and he said you shouldn't need to for 10 yrs.
In the winter I have to use a pond heater under the cap so it doesn't freeze and back up into the basement again. What's my cure? Do I call a different plumber? New drain field? Ground not absorbing water? If we ever sell this place it's going to have to be fixed. Thanks for your replies in advance.
The water in the basement receded. He said you'll have to keep an eye on the water level and pump out when needed. I went out and bought a trash pump and did what he said pumping whenever I heard water running into the tank.
Everything was fine for a period when we had no rain, then another back up for no apparent reason. I called him back out. He decided to dig down to the tank to see if a line had collapsed. The line going out to the drain field was partially collapsed in about a one foot section. When he went to cut that piece out, the water rushed back up from the drain field and into the area around the tank which told me the drain field was saturated. He replaced that section of pipe and filled it back in.
He then dug down to the drain field line and 'Tee'd' off of it and ran a 10 ' piece of drain tile farther down the slope then another T and came up to the surface of the yard and put a removable cap on it. He said when you see water seeping out you better pump it out.
This has worked so far but I don't think it's legal. Since it's now well below the elevation of our basement there's no need to pump it just seeps out the top of the cap and makes a small puddle in the yard. We are in a rural area so no neighbors to complain of odor and in the summer the wind is usually blowing it away from our house. I asked him about pumping out the tank and he said you shouldn't need to for 10 yrs.
In the winter I have to use a pond heater under the cap so it doesn't freeze and back up into the basement again. What's my cure? Do I call a different plumber? New drain field? Ground not absorbing water? If we ever sell this place it's going to have to be fixed. Thanks for your replies in advance.
