4 replies to this topic

[neehowhenhow]

Greetings all!

I hope that this is posted in the right place!

We have a problem with our drainage; ie. toilets sinks showers and septic.

I plan on calling to have the septic drained, its been over 18 months (yikes)

Last night, our basement toilet was overrun with soap bubbles. The soap smelled like coconut, because just an hour earlier the girls took a bath 2 floors up with their coconut shampoo.

We have 4 toilets, 4 sinks, 2 tubs, and 1 shower that seem to be on one drain circuit.We have 3 floors. 1960's home.

This morning, my dear husband was shaving in the top floor bathroom and the sink he was using filled with coconut soap.

Now, on top of this, we have an ongoing situation with the 2nd floor toilet (off the kitchen) that never flushes completely and in the winter time, wreaks of septic.

We have thought about getting all our lines snaked, and replacing the 2nd floor toilet (see below).

What do you think is the best plan of attack?

Any insight on how to combat our septic drama would be greatly appreciated! 

Thank you so very very much!

[RussTech]

Haha, pump the septic, plan on snaking all your lines, and get that second story stool vented properly.
Your household plumbing is in need of some love and maintenance.

[jumptrout]

Pay special attention to your drain field lines leaving the tank.
Eighteen months on a tank pump out is too soon.
Are sanitary napkins being flushed?

[certified tech group 51]

Septic tanks could go up to 10 years between pumping if used properly.. .. SEPTIC TANK....the only things that should be going into it , is what has been processed thru you...I.E. sh*t and p*ss and the T.P.. ( pardon my french ) .......When garbage disposers put in ground up food that needs to Decompose............ anti- bacterial hand soap the kills the living bacteria........kitchen grease that coat the top layer of the drain field that stops the water from seeping back into the ground........Too much hair shampoo...... toilet bowl cleaners........no feminine products.........ALL BAD........ ............. You just need to add baking yeast a few times a year.......It appears that the lines from the house to the tank would be a place to start, too much blockage to keep the ( only ) three previously mentioned items flowing freely....................The stack vent could be blocked with some thing ..I.E. birds nest, bats, that is stopping the air movement during the flushing/water flow and the venting of septic gas....

[nickfixit]

After the septic is pumped out, and ask the guy if the system is suited to the family size and water usage. Then, I would have a real plumber evaluate the home plumbing system and perform the needed modifications and maintainence. Use a company that can run a camera through the lines to check them out. The newer process of "water-jetting" the drain lines instead of just snaking them will clean out the entire inside of the pipes.

Also you might want to try to take steps to reduce the ammount of water you are putting into the system. You might just be putting out more than the leach field can take. A High Efficiency washer would help if you are using a standard washer. So would flow restriction facuets and shower heads. If you toilets are old, 3 gallon flush, replace them with 1.6 gal flush models.