Plumber recommendation...
- Thread starter DaveO
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Check out the note on the tank and the license plate!!!:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
I've seen some really creative things on these pumpers. There is one out my way painted up like a Dr. Pepper can, except it says Dr. Pumper. :rolf:
I've seen some really creative things on these pumpers. There is one out my way painted up like a Dr. Pepper can, except it says Dr. Pumper. :rolf:
Dave,
We had a "Poo Pumper":lol: come visit us when we lived in Buncombe Co. They used a small radio transmitter which looked like a large capsule, flushed it down the toilet and went outside with a receiver and located the tank. They triangulated the location of the access with long steel rods and dug one ~20X20" hole. The transmitter was floating right on top of the poo along with other "Lost" items. I was making beer regularly at the time and declined their special yeast. Everything was ok in the tank as a result of regular infusions of dregs from my fermenter.
Moral: Make more beer! A batch a week keeps the Poo Pumper away.:tinysmile_tongue_t:
We had a "Poo Pumper":lol: come visit us when we lived in Buncombe Co. They used a small radio transmitter which looked like a large capsule, flushed it down the toilet and went outside with a receiver and located the tank. They triangulated the location of the access with long steel rods and dug one ~20X20" hole. The transmitter was floating right on top of the poo along with other "Lost" items. I was making beer regularly at the time and declined their special yeast. Everything was ok in the tank as a result of regular infusions of dregs from my fermenter.
Moral: Make more beer! A batch a week keeps the Poo Pumper away.:tinysmile_tongue_t:
So Dave you live in the country, you can build stuff.How about an out house.:lol::lol::lol:
Alan I suspect that is part of the problem. This addition wasn't done very well. I have no idea if it was permitted or not, but I would suspect not :eusa_doh:It's on a slab, and I don't think that there was any additional venting added.
Mark that's interesting. I might have to have someone do that just to find my tank. There is absolutely no evidence of it's location or any clean-outs leading to it.
Making beer might help with the digestion in the tank, but drinking beer leads to filling it up again :lol::lol::lol:
Dave
I'm following this thread cause I got the same problem. Is the whole house on a slab? If not get in the crawl space and see where the big pipes go.should run down hill and out through the foundation. that will tell you what direction to start lookin in. your septic system should be on the low part of the property [ crap runs down hill! ] and probly isnt too far from the house. 10 - 20 ft would be my guess. buy, make or borrow a probe. pointy metal rod with a "t" handle on it. try pushing it into the ground. the tank will probly be not more than a foot or so deep. if this fails you can dig around the foundation till you find the line and follow it. keep diggin till you find the tank. where is the grass the greenest? that should be the drain field. the tank will be between that and the house. you may be able to get down low and look across the yard and see a indentation in the lawn. a 4 or 5 foot circle that is slightly low might indicate where it is. good luck!
fred
fred
A couple thoughts:
Depending on the age of the house, the county may have a copy of the septic installation permit. If so, it will give you a good idea where the septic and leach lines are, and then they can be located by a probe. In my yard its easy to find the leach lines with the drought. Bent clothes hangar witching rods can get you close. The septic would be impossible if I didn't know where it is. However, it is probably within 10' of the house and directly out from where the main sewer line runs out.
Also, if there is only one vent, it can get clogged, especially if there was any high ground water situations (you mentioned water running through or around the workshop last year). Toilet paper, especially the soft fluffy type, can float for a while. If the water level goes up too much, it can float up into the vent pipe and cause a paper mache type plug. My brother had this problem, however his symptom was slow drainage, not gurgling. If you snake the line and it seems clear, also try snaking down from the roof vent (If you can do it safely).
Good luck
Go
Depending on the age of the house, the county may have a copy of the septic installation permit. If so, it will give you a good idea where the septic and leach lines are, and then they can be located by a probe. In my yard its easy to find the leach lines with the drought. Bent clothes hangar witching rods can get you close. The septic would be impossible if I didn't know where it is. However, it is probably within 10' of the house and directly out from where the main sewer line runs out.
Also, if there is only one vent, it can get clogged, especially if there was any high ground water situations (you mentioned water running through or around the workshop last year). Toilet paper, especially the soft fluffy type, can float for a while. If the water level goes up too much, it can float up into the vent pipe and cause a paper mache type plug. My brother had this problem, however his symptom was slow drainage, not gurgling. If you snake the line and it seems clear, also try snaking down from the roof vent (If you can do it safely).
Good luck
Go
Dave, If you can locate the access hole into tank, you are welcome to borrow my "sludge judge" to measure the solids content of your tank. If it is greater than 30%, you tank needs to be pumped. "Sludge Judges" were originally made to test the pulp content in fruit juices. I don't think I would want any juice that my "sludge judge" has been into! The word for the solids in the leach field is bio-solids. Is the gurgling a new thing, or has it always been present? You know with all those elvs using the toilets, your septic system may have too much inflow.
Mark would there be a vent on the septic tank itself? I have looked down the roof vent for as far as I could see with a flashlight looking for a possible clog. I should try snaking it.
Dave
I think that I am going to have to take many of y'all recommendations this weekend and do some investigative research into the location of my tank and lines.
I haven't always had this issue, it has gotten progressively worse over time. So something has changed that is causing it.
Thanks to everyone for all the advice, ideas and tips.
Dave
I haven't always had this issue, it has gotten progressively worse over time. So something has changed that is causing it.
Thanks to everyone for all the advice, ideas and tips.
Dave
The vent will probably be located on the roof above the wall your primary bathroom toilet backs up to. There probably will be not vent over the septic tank [I say probably, because back in the 40's and 50's, people sometimes put a vent pipe (inverted U shaped piece of pipe coming out of the ground) on the septic tank. It doubled as a vent and and overflow pipe]. Most older 1 bath houses were built with the vent pipe coming straight up behind the toilet. The bathroom sink was tied in either in the wall or below floor, and the rest of the sinks tied in in the crawl space, or outside the footprint of the slab if no crawl space. Somewhat newer houses had another vent for the kitchen sink. With recent construction, the vents may run half the width of the house across the attic before they go out the roof.
You may want to check in the attic for bends before snaking the vent from the roof.
Go
You may want to check in the attic for bends before snaking the vent from the roof.
Go
M
McRabbet
Dave, If you go to your Registry of Deeds Office, they should be able to give you links to the prior owners based on the recorded deeds. Many deeds also provide a reference back to the prior owner, so the old deed that the people you bought from had may show that linkage as well. It is fairly straight forward. With that information, then go to the Johnston Co, Health department with that info in hand.
Mark would there be a vent on the septic tank itself? I have looked down the roof vent for as far as I could see with a flashlight looking for a possible clog. I should try snaking it.
Dave
I had to snake a line from the roof vent of a 2 story house with a steep pitched roof. A couple women's things caused the clog! Be careful and DON'T drop the snake- been there, done that. :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:
If I was a betting man I would say your tank is full and needs to be pumped out. If the problem just started I would doubt its the vent pipe although its possible. Sounds to me like the tank just needs to be pumped. I've been wrong before though....so take it for what its worth.
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