Need help from TBH braintrust...

[Russ79]

It's kinda outdoor related and there are lots of folks on here with a wide array of knowledge...I have one of my field lines for my septic system that is staying wet with some water making its way to the surface at the end of it. I am not having any problems with sinks or toilet draining and it is only the one line and just at the end. My fiancee keeps telling me that I need to have my septic tank pumped out but I figured since I am not having any slow draining issues that wouldn't be necessary. The septic system was put in new when I bought the house with two 750 gallon tanks. I lived by myself for about 10 years before I coupled up with my sweetie. I can't remember how long my field lines are. Anybody got any ideas....


Oh, and my finacee says...."don't be getting on TBH and talking about our septic". But being the contrary person I am I go where I need to go

[chief262]

I fixed mine by digging a hole 10 to 12 feet deep, dumping in 10 yards of gravel and covering up. Did it on the corner of the lateral lines furtherest from tanks.

[cosmiccowboy]

It sounds like your lateral manifold has shifted/settled and just one lateral is taking the load.

[rubydog]

Several things can be going on. The lateral line pipe can be "saturated" meaning it could be filling up with sand due to the fact that the installer didn't cover the pipe properly with membrane material. The soil around the lateral line could be developing "biomat". Which is where the the soil contains a bio material that does not allow the liquids to pass through and be absorbed whereby leaving the ground wet. The soil could be so saturated by rain that it has reached its saturation point. The installer didn't engineer the system properly and the system you have will not work for your soil type. You may not have enough lateral line to support the amount of usage.
That being said, I would have it pumped offering the soil some drying/saturation time. Make sure you add enzymes to eat up any solids and see where it goes from there.
It's a crappy job so good luck!!!

[huntman933]

Sounds like some of your other lateral lines are blocked. And that can come from over flow of solids from your 2 holding tanks. If the line leaking up to the top plugged by some reason, you would have slow draining or no draining issues. It wouldn't hurt to have the tanks pumped. I have a friend who owns a pumping truck. What he tells people is cr*p in a 5 gallon bucket and see how long it takes it to fill up!!
Also something to think about is the tp you use. It can carry down the lines and cause issues.

[El Coyote]

It sounds like your lateral manifold has shifted/settled and just one lateral is taking the load.

the end of that post is awesome!!!! i pump out are septic about very 7years or so.

[Russ79]

Thanks guys. I didn't want to have to go to the expense of having the tanks pumped out right now, but maybe that is what I will need to have done. I am going to rent a small backhoe in the next few weeks to bury some barrels for a septic for my lease members cabin so while I have it I may try to uncover that lateral line and see what I find.

[Monster Buck]

Our septic has a valve that goes to another set of lines if you have a valve you might want to turn it to the other set of lines so that one can dry out.

[Froggy]

You came to the right place for advice. Lot's of "feces" experts on here.