Continued aeration of drain field lines. Has this ever been tried? Using a blower connected to D-box and supply air to increase aerobic bacteria. Good video. Thanks for making it.
I have had done the same thing. I used to work for a septic & sewage company. We had a rejuvenator machine instead of a bobcat like you're using. I bet it was a whole lot easier to steer with the bobcat than the rejuvenator machine.
How many holes can one drill and how close does it need to be to the line? Also, I have the cheap just rock with the little black like infiltrator leach field chamber (so NO piping inside the rock) would aeration work for me?
We are probing the stone surrounding the pipe. The small stones just fill the probe hole so there are no longer holes in your yard and also allows oxygen down through the probe holes.
Forgive my question but I tried to find other video of similar techniques and couldn't find any. Is this something you guys came up with? And where are you air probing (part of the drain field)? Penetrating the baffles, perf pipe, etc. thanks
We have one of those filters for our drain field. Every year we gets smell in the basement of sewer. It’s really bad. So I go out and dig up the filter access. I pull out the filter to the drain field and sure enough it’s completely clogged up with black muck. I clean it and the smell is gone within a few minutes to an hour. My question is. Is there a way to minimize the build up? We had our tank pumped last year. Thinking that would help. There are only two people living here. For a 3 bedroom house. Permit for build was a 4 bedroom. We don’t use harsh cleaners. Etc. that would kill good bacteria. But we do have a garbage disposal. I beg my wife not to put any food waste down it. But he’s constantly putting egg shells, vegetable seeds like peppers and tomatoes. Could that be the source?
Joel T garbage disposals are terrible on the septic system. A tank is designed to separate “previously digested foods” and have a hard time breaking down raw foods due to the lack of oxidation. It is better to totally remove the garbage disposal to keep it from being used. Hope this helps.
I am wanting to rejuvenate my drain field since its failing. But the guy that came out to pump my septic said since i have "chambers" i cant do a rejuvenation. Is that true?
It's not impossible, but it's difficult to restore them because the clogged soil is below the chambers and not accessible with the air probe. You may get enough restoration by probing next to the chambers. Another option would be to retrofit something a SludgeHammer that introduces rejuvenating bacteria and oxygen into your system. It would heal itself that way over time, as long as the current drain area is properly sized and no roots present. Otherwise an immediate resolution would be new drain area. Contact us if you need any more help! pumpthatseptic.com
So we're planning on buying a house soon the owners had the septic pumped, it's a 1500 gal tank. Can you tell me how they managed to pump 1825 gals?? Is there leeway for more than 1500 gals?
If your drainfield is saturated the water from the field can cause runback into the tank. You might want to have a camera inspection done into the drainfield pipes to see if your field is failing. Sounds like it is from how much they pumped out of the tank.
Thank you for the video. But what about the guideline of never driving heavy equipment over the drain field? So you are aerating the drain field? How does this help long term?
+Basic Poke Aerating the drain field will not help anything. Think about it. Once these areas are saturated with water, where is the additional water going to go? That video is a scam along with the ones about additives and worms. Just contact your health dept for advice.
+Jaw Tooth. The problem in any leaching system failure 95% of the time isn't due to hydraulic overload or over saturation. It is due to biomat and the changing of the bacterial environment in the leaching system. You need to have aerobic bacteria in a leaching system for it to work properly. Inside the tanks is where you have the anerobic bacteria. Once the effluent reaches the leach system, it changes to an aerobic or oxygenated state. If the bacteria stay in the anerobic state in the leach, it produces the black slime or biomat. it coats the pipes and the soil and gravel. It is that slime that prevents the system from percolating. By aerating the soil like this by using this type of system or like the terralift, breaks up the biomat, refractures the soil, and allows the soil to perc. It also allows the oxygen back in to the leaching system and changing the bacteria to an aerobic state.
Didn’t clearly explain how this process clears biomass, what the machine is doing, or how long this process will extend the life / function of the leach field!
With an LPD system equipped with 1 1/4" lateral lines that are 12" deep, that Bobcat would crush the lines. How would you drive over the drain field without damaging the lateral lines?
+Christinecedar yes it is electricity free. We aerate the field manually to give the bacteria the oxygen needed to restore the soils under the field. The probe holes are filled with small piston to follow oxygen to continue to get into the system.
You don't have to disconnect your water softener, just disconnect the discharge from going through the septic tank. If your area allows it you can surface discharge the water or put in a separate drywell or trench to handle the discharge like the video recommends.
+Dervin Witmer You would have to get a permit from the health dept to install any new trenches or septic components. You cannot disconnect any plumbing device from the septic without approval and or a variance.
The #1 reason for drain field failure is tank outlet failure or not pumping often enough either allowing slug to escape into field lines an plugging off the ability of the soil in an around lines to absorb water!!
rabone biggy that's the mistake I made I let my take go and I should have had it pumped last summer .about a month ago sewage started to pool over the leech field . I immediately had the tanked pumped. No more sewage is pooling .but I notice just non smelling liquid in the same spot. My question is , how can I get all the sludge out of the pipes is there any chemicals I can pour into septic to disolve all the sludge and clear the pipes or is the leech field ruined ?
Note that when the tank is pumped, it may take a month or so for the tank to fill back up again with waste - it depends on how much waste you have flowing into the tank. During that time, the drain field is idle. No, there is no safe chemical you can use to dissolve the sludge. The leech field may not be ruined, but it is probably at least partly saturated with liquid. Since it is non-smelly, the system is probably working ok - but there is no place for the resulting liquids to go, so they percolate to the surface. Another possibility is that the other leech field lines are plugged and all the effluent is having to go through one or two lines, or even portions of those lines. This would cause local overloading of the field.
@@buggsy5 - While the drain field is idle, any idea what happens to the biomat? If the field is idle, does that mean the field has time to somewhat self-restore? Products like Roebic K-57 aren't chemicals for dissolving sludge, they are bacteria that digest / process the sludge. Might they provide some benefit?
Thanks for showing how professionals use cameras and electronic location to inspect and locate leach lines. Light years beyond those guys who failed 8th grade, and drive a shit truck...Well designed and sized systems in reasonably decent soil, not killed by household chemicals can work for decades. Our tank getting its first pumping in 40 years. Too many undersize systems out there, and too much ignorant use of cleaners, and crap.
+Capt Larry Most systems fail due to being improperly installed in poor soil, undersized, with poor drainage and high water useage. Nothing that these guys did in this video is going to help that septic long term. That system was installed way too deep. Look how deep that first line was. It was sitting right in the clay and seasonal high water table and there is no way that it is going to absorb liquids properly. Watch out for snake oil scammers of the such.
True 47 years and got a blocked and backed up I thought I’ll just snake. Till it came up mud. Replaced both lines going in know Iam finding Iam blocked out by tank no access on both sides so I core drilled 12” holes Know having access. Both baffles missing and line broke going out just out side tank what I found is just lateral line as a out line from tanks ? Anyway Mimi x rental Tuesday will see how far Iam blocked Iam hopeful it. - 5’ out and once replaced the field is ok. Wish me luck
Hello, again Dervin....just wanted to say "nice job" on your septic system rejuvenation video. Any other newer technologies out there now besides blasting open the biomat? Just wondering as this video is 4-1/2 years old now. Thanks, man. Dan S
Yes, We now offer @Sludgehamer ABG technology that can be installed in your septic tank. (Some restrictions apply like small drainfield or prohibitions by the local health depts.)
The biomat is absolutely necessary for the leech field to work properly. The bacteria there destroy viruses, other pathogens and some fine organic matter that are not decomposed in the anaerobic conditions found in the septic tank. There are companies that produce oxygenators that are meant to be installed in the septic tank. From my understanding, that is absolutely the WRONG thing to do. You need anaerobic conditions in the tank, even if it is two chambered. I don't recall if the bacteria in the biomat are aerobic or anaerobic. If the latter, then you don't want to be injecting air/oxygen into the drain field.
This is why im so confused on my septic issues. I have no soggy ground and most of the time no issues at all! I only have a problem if someone uses specific things at the same time. then my toilet bubbles and draining slows down a lot. I had someone come out and check for clogs in the house and they found nothing so i would guess it has to be with the septic tank/drain field. had tank pumped and pretty much instantly still had the same issue even after my wife and I weren't in the house for 3 days (had our baby on the 31st woo!). Sadly no one in the area i can find on google ACTUALLY tests stuff like you seem to. they just pump and go "oh its your drain field we need to replace it all" without actually looking. I didnt even know there is supposed to be a box between the tank and field so for all i know thats just clogged. Frankly its prolly time though i think the system is from the 70s i just hate that they refuse to actually check to be sure :( i cant afford it either way. i can afford this sort of thing maybe though but i dont want to do it if no one can check to see if it will work first..
If you haven’t pumped your tank in the last three years I would start with that. Otherwise, it almost sounds like an air-lock situation where a vent pipe is plugged not allowing the flow of air in behind a flush of water. Also, have you recently changed indoor plumbing? Improperly vented drain lines will have air-locks and cause flow trouble.
@@DigItExcavating I did pump the tank and I thought that about an air lock issue too. They checked the ones coming out of my roof but I was thinking maybe there is something somewhere else as they only checked the roof. As for the history I have no idea :( I guess I'll have to see if someone in a bigger city might be willing to do a real diagnosis on it
Depending on how deep your system is installed you may not have water surfacing but if two people flush it the same time and something backs up in another place it could be that your pipes are too small or there’s a restriction between the house and the septic tank.
Yes we've found that aeration does not last long for drain areas that are undersized or placed in low-lying areas/water table. Also if the stone around the pipes has dirt intrusion or roots present, replacement would be the best option. HOWEVER, if the drain field is adequately sized and not in a water table, but merely needs the biomat to be broken up to work again, aeration is a viable and affordable alternative to replacement.
+Clatten Strait No it wasnt. Laundry is required to go into the septic. Your system failed for another reason. Probably poor soil, high water use and improper installation.
+Clatten Strait have you installed an effluent filter in the septic tank of your new system? That will help with future failure due to lint. Just clean the filter each time it fills with the lint.
My house was built in 83. Everything’s going into my system including my softener when it regens and no issues at all. Undersized systems or flushing crap you shouldn’t is the reason these systems fail
Aeration can be a real life saver..way to go Dervin....love the agitator...
Thanks Henry John's Awesome YT Channel!
Continued aeration of drain field lines. Has this ever been tried? Using a blower connected to D-box and supply air to increase aerobic bacteria. Good video. Thanks for making it.
Yes, there are many secondary treatment and aeration treatment options available these days.
I have had done the same thing. I used to work for a septic & sewage company. We had a rejuvenator machine instead of a bobcat like you're using. I bet it was a whole lot easier to steer with the bobcat than the rejuvenator machine.
How many holes can one drill and how close does it need to be to the line? Also, I have the cheap just rock with the little black like infiltrator leach field chamber (so NO piping inside the rock) would aeration work for me?
Do you prove through the drain pipes or are you probing beside them? Also why do you put the tiny gravel in the probe hole?
We are probing the stone surrounding the pipe. The small stones just fill the probe hole so there are no longer holes in your yard and also allows oxygen down through the probe holes.
Forgive my question but I tried to find other video of similar techniques and couldn't find any. Is this something you guys came up with? And where are you air probing (part of the drain field)? Penetrating the baffles, perf pipe, etc. thanks
Yes, we are probing the soils around the pipe and under the drainfield.
Pump That Septic thank you for your reply. Love the videos
is a perc test required when replacing an existing drain field / Leach field
We have one of those filters for our drain field. Every year we gets smell in the basement of sewer. It’s really bad. So I go out and dig up the filter access. I pull out the filter to the drain field and sure enough it’s completely clogged up with black muck. I clean it and the smell is gone within a few minutes to an hour. My question is. Is there a way to minimize the build up? We had our tank pumped last year. Thinking that would help. There are only two people living here. For a 3 bedroom house. Permit for build was a 4 bedroom. We don’t use harsh cleaners. Etc. that would kill good bacteria. But we do have a garbage disposal. I beg my wife not to put any food waste down it. But he’s constantly putting egg shells, vegetable seeds like peppers and tomatoes. Could that be the source?
Joel T garbage disposals are terrible on the septic system. A tank is designed to separate “previously digested foods” and have a hard time breaking down raw foods due to the lack of oxidation. It is better to totally remove the garbage disposal to keep it from being used. Hope this helps.
This is better than CSI!! My cat like the music!!
@Semper Fi hahaha nice to visit this comment 2 yrs later
I am wanting to rejuvenate my drain field since its failing. But the guy that came out to pump my septic said since i have "chambers" i cant do a rejuvenation. Is that true?
It's not impossible, but it's difficult to restore them because the clogged soil is below the chambers and not accessible with the air probe. You may get enough restoration by probing next to the chambers. Another option would be to retrofit something a SludgeHammer that introduces rejuvenating bacteria and oxygen into your system. It would heal itself that way over time, as long as the current drain area is properly sized and no roots present. Otherwise an immediate resolution would be new drain area. Contact us if you need any more help! pumpthatseptic.com
It’s interesting how many different opinions have on septic systems; it’s almost like it’s a religion.
Also the music volume is just fine 👌🏾🔥
Can you turn the background music down so we can actually hear the guy...
Amen
Huh
So we're planning on buying a house soon the owners had the septic pumped, it's a 1500 gal tank. Can you tell me how they managed to pump 1825 gals?? Is there leeway for more than 1500 gals?
If your drainfield is saturated the water from the field can cause runback into the tank. You might want to have a camera inspection done into the drainfield pipes to see if your field is failing. Sounds like it is from how much they pumped out of the tank.
Yup. Back flow from drain field.
Good idea getting the septic pumpers to tell you how much came out.
Thank you for the video. But what about the guideline of never driving heavy equipment over the drain field? So you are aerating the drain field? How does this help long term?
+Basic Poke Aerating the drain field will not help anything. Think about it. Once these areas are saturated with water, where is the additional water going to go? That video is a scam along with the ones about additives and worms. Just contact your health dept for advice.
+Basic Poke thanks for the question. We use rubber tracked equipment to minimize the impact on the soils while aerating.
+Jaw Tooth. The problem in any leaching system failure 95% of the time isn't due to hydraulic overload or over saturation. It is due to biomat and the changing of the bacterial environment in the leaching system. You need to have aerobic bacteria in a leaching system for it to work properly. Inside the tanks is where you have the anerobic bacteria. Once the effluent reaches the leach system, it changes to an aerobic or oxygenated state. If the bacteria stay in the anerobic state in the leach, it produces the black slime or biomat. it coats the pipes and the soil and gravel. It is that slime that prevents the system from percolating. By aerating the soil like this by using this type of system or like the terralift, breaks up the biomat, refractures the soil, and allows the soil to perc. It also allows the oxygen back in to the leaching system and changing the bacteria to an aerobic state.
Very interesting video! Are you still under the belief that water softeners are bad for septic systems? Thanks
Yes, the hydraulic load of a water softener is not necessary to run through the septic tank.
How do you know it’s not the drain pipe to the field full of roots and dirt etc ?
We have scoped the drain lines with our pipe cameras.
Scope it from tank to field
How much does this cost? Can it be done in South Florida?
Good presentation but but music background is way too loud or even something softer and "sweet" in nature Thanks Bob
Didn’t clearly explain how this process clears biomass, what the machine is doing, or how long this process will extend the life / function of the leach field!
Can you dry out biomat?? without using system.
With an LPD system equipped with 1 1/4" lateral lines that are 12" deep, that Bobcat would crush the lines.
How would you drive over the drain field without damaging the lateral lines?
Is your final septic system electricity free?
+Christinecedar yes it is electricity free. We aerate the field manually to give the bacteria the oxygen needed to restore the soils under the field. The probe holes are filled with small piston to follow oxygen to continue to get into the system.
What is that Ridgid tool at 1:40? (with the two spheres on it)
@Ridgid Scout Locator
Scout Locator.
You don't have to disconnect your water softener, just disconnect the discharge from going through the septic tank. If your area allows it you can surface discharge the water or put in a separate drywell or trench to handle the discharge like the video recommends.
How would you do that if all of your softened water flows into the sewer water except for the grey water
+Dervin Witmer You would have to get a permit from the health dept to install any new trenches or septic components. You cannot disconnect any plumbing device from the septic without approval and or a variance.
How much does a job like the one shown on this video cost?
AngelWitchee 6k
The #1 reason for drain field failure is tank outlet failure or not pumping often enough either allowing slug to escape into field lines an plugging off the ability of the soil in an around lines to absorb water!!
rabone biggy that's the mistake I made I let my take go and I should have had it pumped last summer .about a month ago sewage started to pool over the leech field . I immediately had the tanked pumped. No more sewage is pooling .but I notice just non smelling liquid in the same spot. My question is , how can I get all the sludge out of the pipes is there any chemicals I can pour into septic to disolve all the sludge and clear the pipes or is the leech field ruined ?
Note that when the tank is pumped, it may take a month or so for the tank to fill back up again with waste - it depends on how much waste you have flowing into the tank. During that time, the drain field is idle.
No, there is no safe chemical you can use to dissolve the sludge.
The leech field may not be ruined, but it is probably at least partly saturated with liquid. Since it is non-smelly, the system is probably working ok - but there is no place for the resulting liquids to go, so they percolate to the surface.
Another possibility is that the other leech field lines are plugged and all the effluent is having to go through one or two lines, or even portions of those lines. This would cause local overloading of the field.
@@buggsy5 - While the drain field is idle, any idea what happens to the biomat? If the field is idle, does that mean the field has time to somewhat self-restore?
Products like Roebic K-57 aren't chemicals for dissolving sludge, they are bacteria that digest / process the sludge. Might they provide some benefit?
Why don't you tell us the theory behind the process, would like to know
Thanks for showing how professionals use cameras and electronic location to inspect and locate leach lines. Light years beyond those guys who failed 8th grade, and drive a shit truck...Well designed and sized systems in reasonably decent soil, not killed by household chemicals can work for decades. Our tank getting its first pumping in 40 years. Too many undersize systems out there, and too much ignorant use of cleaners, and crap.
+Capt Larry Most systems fail due to being improperly installed in poor soil, undersized, with poor drainage and high water useage. Nothing that these guys did in this video is going to help that septic long term. That system was installed way too deep. Look how deep that first line was. It was sitting right in the clay and seasonal high water table and there is no way that it is going to absorb liquids properly. Watch out for snake oil scammers of the such.
+Capt Larry thanks for your kind words! Professionalism is our motto.
@@JawTooth How do you know where the seasonal high water table is by looking at this video?
True 47 years and got a blocked and backed up I thought I’ll just snake. Till it came up mud. Replaced both lines going in know Iam finding Iam blocked out by tank no access on both sides so I core drilled 12” holes Know having access. Both baffles missing and line broke going out just out side tank what I found is just lateral line as a out line from tanks ? Anyway Mimi x rental Tuesday will see how far Iam blocked Iam hopeful it. - 5’ out and once replaced the field is ok. Wish me luck
On the most part 50 gallons a day of use family 3-5
Hello, again Dervin....just wanted to say "nice job" on your septic system rejuvenation video. Any other newer technologies out there now besides blasting open the biomat? Just wondering as this video is 4-1/2 years old now. Thanks, man. Dan S
Yes, We now offer @Sludgehamer ABG technology that can be installed in your septic tank. (Some restrictions apply like small drainfield or prohibitions by the local health depts.)
We do use the Sludgehammer ABG units for restoration as well. This converts an Anaerobic system to Aerobic.
VERY INFORMATIVE SERIES OF VIDEOS. THANX.
House was built in 83 and had water softener discharge going through it since then and no issues. Nothing wrong w the salt going through the system.
I'm a hands on mechanical guy, but this septic stuff has a lot of variations......
I cant hear what you are saying well because of the distracting background music. WOULD have been a good informative video if you fix that.
It this process a permanent repair or just another bandaid on a gunshot wound?
In my opinion, it is a bandaid - at best.
buggsy5
That’s what I thought. Anytime I called a septic guy for jobs with failed leach field ; they almost always resulted in a replacement.
The biomat is absolutely necessary for the leech field to work properly. The bacteria there destroy viruses, other pathogens and some fine organic matter that are not decomposed in the anaerobic conditions found in the septic tank.
There are companies that produce oxygenators that are meant to be installed in the septic tank. From my understanding, that is absolutely the WRONG thing to do. You need anaerobic conditions in the tank, even if it is two chambered.
I don't recall if the bacteria in the biomat are aerobic or anaerobic. If the latter, then you don't want to be injecting air/oxygen into the drain field.
You had it right with the tank is anaerobic (lack of oxygen) and the field being aerobic sufficient oxygen.
would apple cider vinegar work?
This is why im so confused on my septic issues. I have no soggy ground and most of the time no issues at all! I only have a problem if someone uses specific things at the same time. then my toilet bubbles and draining slows down a lot.
I had someone come out and check for clogs in the house and they found nothing so i would guess it has to be with the septic tank/drain field. had tank pumped and pretty much instantly still had the same issue even after my wife and I weren't in the house for 3 days (had our baby on the 31st woo!).
Sadly no one in the area i can find on google ACTUALLY tests stuff like you seem to. they just pump and go "oh its your drain field we need to replace it all" without actually looking. I didnt even know there is supposed to be a box between the tank and field so for all i know thats just clogged.
Frankly its prolly time though i think the system is from the 70s i just hate that they refuse to actually check to be sure :( i cant afford it either way. i can afford this sort of thing maybe though but i dont want to do it if no one can check to see if it will work first..
If you haven’t pumped your tank in the last three years I would start with that. Otherwise, it almost sounds like an air-lock situation where a vent pipe is plugged not allowing the flow of air in behind a flush of water. Also, have you recently changed indoor plumbing? Improperly vented drain lines will have air-locks and cause flow trouble.
@@DigItExcavating I did pump the tank and I thought that about an air lock issue too. They checked the ones coming out of my roof but I was thinking maybe there is something somewhere else as they only checked the roof.
As for the history I have no idea :( I guess I'll have to see if someone in a bigger city might be willing to do a real diagnosis on it
Depending on how deep your system is installed you may not have water surfacing but if two people flush it the same time and something backs up in another place it could be that your pipes are too small or there’s a restriction between the house and the septic tank.
next time skip the music please
Amen
People who use this type of system don't know how to do it the right way .They will be back in a short time .
Yes we've found that aeration does not last long for drain areas that are undersized or placed in low-lying areas/water table. Also if the stone around the pipes has dirt intrusion or roots present, replacement would be the best option.
HOWEVER, if the drain field is adequately sized and not in a water table, but merely needs the biomat to be broken up to work again, aeration is a viable and affordable alternative to replacement.
THE MUSIC IS TOO LOUD
Get rid of the music. Can't understand what the guy is saying part of the time.
King county drain field
Our first drain field was destroyed by running our laundry machine water through it (all that lint plugged it up).
+Clatten Strait No it wasnt. Laundry is required to go into the septic. Your system failed for another reason. Probably poor soil, high water use and improper installation.
+Clatten Strait have you installed an effluent filter in the septic tank of your new system? That will help with future failure due to lint. Just clean the filter each time it fills with the lint.
My house was built in 83. Everything’s going into my system including my softener when it regens and no issues at all. Undersized systems or flushing crap you shouldn’t is the reason these systems fail
This is not a fix. A poor bandaid at best
Do you have any reference material for this statement
The music is loud.
I'd like to know more.. send your email please
To much work. Honestly. Just replace those lines. Illegal? Who cares it's your yard. You've been grand fathered in😉 plus you'll save some money
Shitty job eh..