Garbage Disposal And Septic Systems

SMITTY wrote:It's always fun figuring stuff out on a new house.

Here you there, the auctioneer that sold my house had the electrician there the day of the sale, they could not turn off lights at the switch,they would just flicker off and right back on. There is a security switch when on, 1/2 of the lights go on. Then there is a switch in the bathroom that did not seem to do anything, turns out it turns off 1/2 the electric heating element(not being used anymore) Same with my sewer, has a tank that pumps out to the street, it's only 1' below grade where it starts. Darn engineers have the pitch wrong in the street, guess I don't have to worry about it backing up into the basement from the street.

I have septic and a garbage disposal but, I don't use the disposal the city folks do. IE, I'd never peel an entire tomato and grind the peelings. However, to me, it's great to be able to grind that last little piece of peel that you'd normally have to dig out of the drain with a spoon. A few bits of something get ground and down. The serious stuff goes out back in a fencerow.

It's grease I get all bent out of shape over. Empty plastic coffee cans are a valued commodity around here. Grease goes in the can, NOT down the drain.

My mystery switch was a steam shower generator that no longer worked!

Richard S. wrote:

AA130FIREMAN wrote:
Here you there, the auctioneer that sold my house had the electrician there the day of the sale, they could not turn off lights at the switch,they would just flicker off and right back on..

There is two switches we have absolutely no clue what they do, haven't had the time to investigate. One is in closet and the other is not far from it on a wall. The weird thing is there nothing they can operate, everything is accounted for.

Outdoor recpticles run off the closet switch ??? They are nice for christmas lights, no need to go out in the cold.

Maybe there is a secret compartment and it controls 'grow lights'......doubt it though....

I maintain quite a few homes with garbage disposers. The key is monitoring the buildup of solids in the septic tank. When solids (both floatable and settled) approach 1/3 the tank's liquid depth it is time to clean out the septic tank. Proper "Septic Tank Pumping" is the key to the extending the life of your septic sytem. Don't use the disposer as a trash can and monitor solids buildup and you will be fine.
Jeff Rachlin - OnSite Management, Inc.
http://www.OnSiteMGT.com

So,,,,,,, What have we learned from this interchange?

don't have one

use is sparingly if at all and pump the tank a lot

Leave a stinky pan next to the sink for the crap you fish off the drain strainer

or

Is there a 4th option?

Dump it in the outhouse to entice wild animals to visit.....making the capture of said beasts easier while 'multi-tasking in private', ...............more ingredients for 'scrabble'. Yummy!!

I should not post this but here goes. I just pumped mine after 20 years. Septic only, 4 people for the first 12 or 13 years. Separate tank and drain for gray water stuff. All sites I researched advised that additives are useless. The 77 years old guy that pumped it, been doing it since they invented septic tanks, said it was fine and was not in desperate need of being pumped. Most sites recommend 5-7 years with everything going into them from a bunch of people. I will not pump mine again unless I live to 70. Just the 2 of us now. I think it is bad to trust the ones you pay to pump it for the right info. Just like every other trade/service. Let the buyer/consumer beware!

Kevin

My schedule for pumping the tank is every presidential election year. Makes it easy to remember, by association. That does seem pretty frequent, but one time we let it go seven years (with three kids in the house who are now gone), and the guys who pumped it got all excited and concerned when they saw the build-up in the tank. I have been told by plumbers and septic people that it is best not to drain the washing machine into the septic, due to the large volume of water. So mine drains straight down through the floor, then the pipe makes a right angle and comes out through the sill timbers and is carried away from the house and into the lilacs by that black light weight flex pipe like you would use for underground drainage. Anyone who sees it, outside, assumes it is a sump pump drain so the rare inspector who comes by does not get excited.

While the operating principles and designs of private septic systems are similar in all parts of the country, the local geology will have a significant bearing on what works and for how long. Maryland is a state with varied geology; mountains, Piedmont flats and ocean shores. The state health department and the dept of environment set the standards for septic systems. The local building officials administer what gets built.

The link below describes septic system construction in general:

http://extension.umd.edu/environment/wa ... eptic.html

The link below describes the septic systems in my county. Be sure to read the section titled: "FOR BEST SERVICE THESE PRECAUTIONS ARE SUGGESTED"

Near the end there is a section titled: "How to Check Your Septic Tank"

It tells you how to use simple tools to check sludge depth and scum level. Only you can know after testing if you system needs pumping. I've had to replace a system once and now play it very conservative in frequency of pumping. My washing machine discharge does not go into the septic system. I built a drain field just for it. I believe my first system failed largely because of the large washing machine produced water volume.

http://www.carrollhealthdepartment.dhmh ... anual.html

I am a septic tank pumping contractor and I replace install septic systems. In our area a routine septic tank pumping costs about $215. Installing septic systems goes from $12,000 up to $35,000 or as much as $40,000. Which do you think I would rather do? Maintenance is inexpensive compared to replacing a system. The very core of our mission statement reflects that. "Our commitment to you is to use our knowledge to preserve the environment, conserve the valuable asset of your property, and to minimize or eliminate the costly expense of system failures." You decide what you want to pay. I just want to give you options before it is too late. Education is the key. The more you know, the more you'll save. Its up to you!
Jeff Rachlin - OnSite Management, Inc.
www.OnSiteMGT.com

Yanche wrote:The local building officials administer what gets built.

I had a system designed a few years ago, and I asked the designer who would inspect and certify it after it was built. The designer said he was also the local inspector, but that would be a conflict of interest so the guy from the next town over would do the inspection. I asked him, when the OTHER town's guy designs a system, who inspects it? "I do," he said. "We don't have many that fail inspection."