Finally fixed Septic System Permanently

[Michael]

After four years of having issues with the mound septic system at my place I finally just bit the bullet and had a complete new pump system installed in my tank with a new controller installed. The issues I had were the old floats would last a year and fail which would take out the pump and then over flow into the back yard.

In December the county sent me a not so nice letter saying that all systems in my neighborhood had to comply with new rules and that I had 2 months to comply, so I called a approved company that was listed and had them do a complete in tank replacement with a new pump, transducer, risers, new baffles, filter and a complete new electrical system with new controller. The whole system is now electronic controlled so no more clunk from the old mechanical controller. I was really surprised that the new controller is silent compared to the old controller. The reason I wanted new electrical hook up as the old electric system was direct burial of the lines to the back side of my new garage and I knew that this was not code. I also wanted the electrical hookup into the houses breaker box.

I hired the company after they sent me a bid that was a bit high priced but they also had a 3 year warranty on everything they did. I also signed a contract with them to perform yearly maintenance for five years (I am required to have yearly maintenance by the county as this is one of the new rules)

I did save some money as I did all the digging in my back yard and I will do the finish work as I did not want the cost of having someone else do the digging when I had my JD 2305 with a backhoe. When my electrician (who happens to be my neighbor) showed up he ask me where was the tench and I said where do you want it and how deep, he laid it out and I went to my tractor shed and got the 2305 out and he said I cheated him, I asked why and he said "I figured that you were going to dig it out with a shovel" The finish work can be done next spring after our winter rains are over.

So the cost was $550.00 for the tank pump out, $2600.00 for the new system and my sparky (electrician) was another $500.00

The rest of the system including the tanks, the plumbing and the mound were in great shape and passed all test as required by the county.

[MacLawn]

Great to know your 2305 did the job for you!

[SonnyT]

You know this Michael...

[Michael]

For some reason when I attempt posting pictures the manage attachment window starts then goes white and nothing happens. I tried clearing all cookies and tried even running Firefox and Safari the issue is on both versions. I would try my iPhone but I have not had the time to try from there if it even would allow me to post from phone.

[Brad]

Sounds like a good job to have done and over with and no worries for the foreseeable future.

You can always link photos from a hosting site, or email them to me and I'll put them in if you like.

Nice to see you on again!

[Michael]

Well I finally got all the bills and it was $2,890 for the controller, pump, ground lever covers on the septic tank (4 each) new transducer with new connections. The septic repair company did one additional thing and it was flush the lines of the mound and put in ground level maintenance plugs on the mound runners. I had to get a pump out of my septic system and it was $753 for 2,000 gallons. The bill from my electrician was $983.00 for wiring the pump to the controller, wiring from the house to the controller this also included the cost of the electrical permit required to connect to the house.

I think that the issues are finally solved for the septic and everything done is under warranty for 3 years.

All testing by the septic repair company after the repairs and the setup of the system is showing good operation of the system, this was all due to the changing the rules by the county requiring yearly inspection and maintenance but I also annoyed by the fact that the system was really worn out in the tank and doing the repair with all new equipment in the tank with a new controller should take care of the system for the next ten years. When we pulled the old control box from the small post under my back deck it was rusted out on the under side of it. The new control box is made out fiberglass and should take the elements better as I also had it mounted a lot higher on the side of the house.

So basically I have a new pump system on a 20 year old septic tank and mound.

[racer4]

Glad to see you used a filter. I just saw one of those for the first time on a renovation job we just did which involved new tanks. I like the idea of keeping stuff out of the drainfield (or mound). Ground level risers are nice too, and you can hide the with something decorative. Beats the **** out of trying to find the lid underground. We do property maintenance on about 40 vacation houses and I can't tell you how many hours I've spent looking for tanks and lids with a piece of steel rod and a hammer! Sucks you have to get a mandated yearly maintenance though. What exactly does that involve? Flushing the pipes? That should be unnecessary with a filter installed, right?

[rockford]

You got easy! On an island made of lava and coral you dig six inches down and hit solid rock! Now the gummint making everyone hook up to sewer, and it is expensive! We pay around $250 a month sewer charges, and they keep raising it to pay for everything else>

[witco]

I ve done septic work and have held a liscense (inactive at this time). I am a big beleiver of filters and added one to my system when I installed new latterals. Only three of use living at home now. I have my system pumped every 2/3 years and pull the filter and clean it. You will be suprised what that thing will stop from going out to the latterals. I would tell my customers that their systems were just a very large "filters" and the cleaner the stuff you put through it and the more you maintain it the longer it should last.

[Michael]

Because we are in a watershed that has high levels of fecal chloroform we are now required to have yearly maintenance and inspections. Our system is 20 years old and a mound system because my property has a lot of clay in it.

The inspection is to check the sludge layer, scum layer, the operation of the pump system, cleaning the filter, flushing the mound and checking the operation of the laterals.

Since I decided not to have repairs but to replace everything in the pump chamber and have the ground level risors installed. I am getting a $200 rebate for the inspection and $150.00 for the risors.


The filters are required on all systems in our area as the filter really do protect the mounds.