my bad luck continues, i need advice now

[schelmischekitty]

ok, my bad week is continuing into a second week (i'm not even gonna get into the list of things, it's now over 2 dozen things gone wrong) and now i need advice.  come to find out, my washer machine was a pre-sign to bigger problems.  now i think i have problems with my septic tank, but being i've never had one i don't know.  i was told to never touch it, ever, by our real estate agent.  yeah, well, that got me a whole year down the road.  today, our two tubs are about 1/4 full of water (clean, but water that won't go away none the less), my washer still isn't working, and my toilets are full of water also.  when i flush them, i have to use the plunger madly to try to keep it from flooding my bathroom.  we occasionally have water bubbles coming up out toilets.  i'm assuming my septic tank needs to be pumped, but don't know, and don't know where it is, or how much it costs  can someone help me PLEASE!

[mama23+pyrs2]

I would assume the same, we have a septic tank too and this is the first I've had one as well. We've been here a year and so far so good, but I believe that they all eventually need to be pumped. I often wonder the cost too when I'm behind one of those trucks in traffic and thinking we will need to do it at some point. You should find a bunch of places looking under 'Septic' in the yellow pages. Good luck! Sorry I can't help.

[schelmischekitty]

i've found numbers for septic companies, but as my luck would have it, my phone is out for the THIRD time this week.  why?  because bellsouth refuses to admit that there is water getting into my phone lines and it rained yesterday some.

[mama23+pyrs2]

Oh and do you add Rid-X at all? We have on occasion but I guess you should do it monthly.

http://www.rid-x.com/

[schelmischekitty]

everything i've read says not to use anything like that because it kills beneficial bacteria, not sure if i should use it    found a page about prices

How much does it cost to have the septic tank cleaned out?  Prices range from $240 to $300 to pump the tank depending on tank size.  There is an additional charge of $10 per foot for reasonable hand digging to expose the tank lids, but this cost can be avoided if you expose the lids yourself.  (Never open the septic tank cover - this will be done by a licensed tank cleaner).  This equates to just about $100 annually to help maintain the life of your septic system.  Prices are subject to change.

Are there any other costs I should be aware of?  There can be other per hour and per foot costs associated with the following:

1.  Installing risers to bring the tank lid within 12" of the final grade as required by the Technical Standards of the Connecticut Public Health Code effective January 1, 2000.

2.  Replacing the outlet filter.  Filter cleaning is included in the pumping service, however if the filter is deteriorated or appears to be not functioning a recommendation will be made to replace the filter.

3.  Excessive solid buildup.  This can occur by not having the tank cleaned regularly and it can take considerably more time to pump and empty the tank.  Additional hourly rates apply when dealing with excessive solids.

Should I use a chemical additive to clean my septic tank?  No, a septic system is designed to work naturally and without the use of chemical additives.  In fact, chemical additives can disrupt the natural biological system within the septic tank and may cause an adverse effect on groundwater.  The State of Connecticut and local health department literature on septic systems make specific statements about NOT using commercial chemical additives to clean your septic tank.

[mama23+pyrs2]

Oh gosh, I thought it only killed the nasties that it was supposed to kill to prevent problems. I remember my MIL telling us when we moved here to remember to use it. If your phone worked you could call someone and ask them all that stuff I guess, that really sucks. Cell phone?

[schelmischekitty]

hubby has it (i'm having a great day, i thought since it was monday it would be better than last week)

[mama23+pyrs2]

EEEK, oops, sorry groundwater. So I guess this should be done annually to maintain it, well I had no idea. Good to know! Wait til I tell hubby.

[mama23+pyrs2]

Mondays are never good.

[Johnnysgirl_668]

I'm no genius when it comes to septic tanks, but there are a few things my sister has taught me about them:

• don't overuse water -- use just what you need
• always wash a full load of laundry
• anything that goes in to the septic tank has to be biodegradable -- cleaners, toilet paper, etc. -- no grease, oils, tampons
• don't get a garbage disposal, unless you want to clean out the septic tank yearly
• don't use chemical treatments to "clean" the system
• have it pumped out every 2-3 years, depending on the amount of people in the house
• have it inspected every 2 years

It depends of course where you live (US/Canada), how big your tank is, and how far they have to go to get to you. I believe ours is 800 gal. and cost around $275 give or take.

Hope this helps, GL.

[schelmischekitty]

i don't know how big ours is, when it was last used, or even where it is.  they really took advantage of us, so we didn't ask any questions (since we're supposed to "leave it alone").  i'll be calling a septic tank company as soon as my phones start working again, or when hubby gets home i'll tell him to deal with it (that's been my answer for everything since my luck started)

[mama23+pyrs2]

Gosh, out of that list I've made many no no's. I don't know how big ours is either but I was told where it was from the home inspector, so I wouldn't pull the car into the yard or something on top of it. The grass usually grows like crazy over it and is really green.

[Nicole]

Ok. Take a deep breath! That's step one! It does sound like your septic needs to be pumped. Now that you know all the rules for what not to put in it, now ya need to find it.

In our community, the septics are monitored by the Health Department. So, that is a good place to start for more information. They should be able to tell you where it is, as they need to know.. I'd start there!

Septics do need maintenence on occasion. They all do. They are a natural system, but they often fail and can be a big contributor to groundwater (and drinking water!) contamination. Its just time for you to do maintenence, that's all!

I hope things start to go better for you soon!!!

[schelmischekitty]

thanks!  i'll definately call the health department!  do you know if they'd still keep records since we're a good ways out of town?  we're probably about a 10 or more minute drive just to where town starts, a 15 or so to the "city limits" and about 30-40 minutes from downtown.  all of our grass is pretty green, nowhere stands out except one spot, but that's RIGHT in front of our front door.  could that be it?  it's a little greener than everything else, and sinks in just a little.  come to think of it, hubby ran over that area (again, despite me asking him not to) saturday.

[mama23+pyrs2]

thanks!  i'll definately call the health department!  do you know if they'd still keep records since we're a good ways out of town?  we're probably about a 10 or more minute drive just to where town starts, a 15 or so to the "city limits" and about 30-40 minutes from downtown.  all of our grass is pretty green, nowhere stands out except one spot, but that's RIGHT in front of our front door.  could that be it?  it's a little greener than everything else, and sinks in just a little.  come to think of it, hubby ran over that area (again, despite me asking him not to) saturday.

I wonder.. Ours is very close to our front door also. We have a little sidewalk thingy in front of the door and it's just beyond that. But once the grass starts growing like mad, it get very bushy and thicker there, a much darker green than the rest of the yard that is pretty green also, at least it is now that it's raining all the time.