Failing leach field

[zenn68]

Hope this is the right section for this post
Here is the situation. House built approx 1965. I just purchased it a few months ago. Septic is a 500gal metal tank. I dont know the last time if any that it has been pumped. Tank is buried and the soil on top hasnt been disturbed in at least a few years. House was vacant for over a year before I moved in. The leach field is also overgrown and spongy.

I got a quote to dig out the old and install a 1500 gal poly tank, $3500.
this I'm fine with, getting done Monday. As far as the leach field, was offered a bio solution for $4000. at time of new tank install. Garuanteed to bring my leach field back from the dead. This is giving me sticker shock.
Its still cheaper than digging up and installing a new field, plus I dont have a lot of space, property is 1/2acre.

What do you guys think.

 

[Redwood]

I'm sorry to say the only proven method to revive a failing leaching field is to give it a break. All of the "alternative" methods are temporary at best. You do need to install another leaching field. However, that said provide a method of alternating back to the old field. In a few short years that old field barring a mechanical failure if the piping will be ready for use again as the bio-matt breaks up and the soil becomes ready to accept water again. With 2 alternating fields you will be all set!

 

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[RealJeep]

I just went through a similar situation last year. The cost floored me and I wondered "How hard can a septic be to work on?" It's nothing more than a big vault, a distribution box, some pipes and rocks and that's it. The first thing I had done was to have it pumped out, this is paramont! Next, I started by digging up my "D" box and opening the lid. There were roots and sand galore in it so that was step two, clean out the D box. I next took a garden hose with a leaf sweeper nozzle and started feeding it into the drain pipes as far as I could shove it. When the backwash filled up the D box I shop vacuumed out the sludge and sand. (I never said it wasn't a nasty job!) After getting the pipes cleaned out I poured a complete overkill treatment of Root Destroyer into the D Box. This is also known as copper sulfate, Tree roots HATE copper and some actually go as far as feeding bare wire as far into the drain pipes as they can shove it. I also poured a bunch of enzymes and bacteria into the D Box to eat any goop that might have been plugging up the holes of the drain pipes. Yeah, the whole job took days, smelled really bad, was as nasty as could be but I saved $$$ by doing it myself!

If that won't work for you another option is to have a company come out and "soften up" the drain field with a machine that has long steel rods that penetrate deep into the drain field. In theory this machine aerates the soil around the drain pipe allowing the water to flow again. I didn't need that but you may.

 

[Redwood]

The use of copper sulfate is not legal in all states.
See this link below.
http://www.inspect-ny.com/septic/fieldplants5.htm

 

[bgbuffalo]

I had a similar experience. The first thing I did was to pump the tank and install a sanitary tee and effluent filter in tank. I also had to replace the distribution box (crushed) and both snaked and flushed the lines as best I could. Next step was to poke some holes at various points along the lines. I poured some humic acid ( a biodegradeable organic soil chelater) into the holes, waited a while and then flushed them again. I will wait a few weeks and then add some bacteria and enzymes into the lines (not the tank). So far so good. The levels in the drain pipes are very low so it seems that the field is absorbing the effluent.

I also rerouted the drain from my water softener to a dry well and am temporarily running my washing machine into there also. Once I am convinced the fields are draining properly I will put the washer back online.

Does anyone know what the normal ph of a leeching field should be?