CK20 does super .. crappy job

[bearhawk]

Well as some of you know, my enviro-septic system failed for a number of reasons.

So with a long weekend coming, and the prospect of a nice weekend. What better time to get some seat time..

First I scraped all the topsoil off to save for later...

Next was to remove as much sand that I could reuse and relocate it out of the way..

 

[bearhawk]

Next was to actually remove the old pipes

 

[bearhawk]

I had to cut a ramp to be able to back my little HST out with a full load of wet sand..

 

[atgreene]

I haven't been to the site in a while, so bear with me. Why did the Presby system fail? What was the failure?

Just curious, I install septics and haven't had nor seen a Presby fail,......yet.

Thanks.

 

[bearhawk]

I haven't been to the site in a while, so bear with me. Why did the Presby system fail? What was the failure?

Just curious, I install septics and haven't had nor seen a Presby fail,......yet.

Thanks.

A number of reasons...

But I believe the primary cause was the water filter discharged into the system.

Funny, I have had two separate people in the septic business say that I was lucky to get it to last the 9 years it did. They were replacing many of these in the 5th or 6th year

 

[Dmace]

Looks like fun! Hopefully you have a port-o-potty there for the time being.

If you find that you need a backhoe or hand with some work, send me a PM. For the cost of the trailer rental ($85/dayｱ), I wouldn't mind bringing the ole Kioti over for some digging fun.

 

[atgreene]

Interesting.

When I took the cert class from Presby they were pushing them pretty hard for commercial apps. I've only installed a couple, primarily because of their limited space requirements, although an Eljin In-drain takes less room, so we use them a lot around the lake.

What are you replacing it with, stone bed, in-drains or infiltrators?

 

[bearhawk]

Looks like fun! Hopefully you have a port-o-potty there for the time being.

If you find that you need a backhoe or hand with some work, send me a PM. For the cost of the trailer rental ($85/day ｱ), I wouldn't mind bringing the ole Kioti over for some digging fun.

Well, truth be told... I had the tank pumped Friday morning. It should give me almost a week before it fills up :-(

So I have all the pipes out, tomorrow I'll dig out the rest of the saturated sand and let it dry out a little.
I should have the new pipes back in by the end of the day Monday.

Thanks for the offer, but I should be ok with just the bucket.

Now for the guys that think you should be able to clean and reuse these pipes...

YUK

 

[bearhawk]

Interesting.

When I took the cert class from Presby they were pushing them pretty hard for commercial apps. I've only installed a couple, primarily because of their limited space requirements, although an Eljin In-drain takes less room, so we use them a lot around the lake.

What are you replacing it with, stone bed, in-drains or infiltrators?

The designers like it because of the small space requirements. My field for instance for a three bedroom is 5 tubes x 35' fits completely in a 10' x 40' space.

I can only legally rebuild it as originally designed, so thats what I am doing. I don't have room for a stone bed. Although I have been recommended to put crushed stone under the field. It's not exactly approved by the state.

I will be adding a vent, the original design did not have one. When I tried rejuvenating the field last fall I added a vent to see if it would help. But as you can see.. It only delayed the replacement.. At least the weather is better!

 

[atgreene]

I saw the vent in the background and wondered why it would have failed so soon with a vent. He told us in the class that w/o a vent the systems are destined to fail. I wondered if that was something they came up with recently as earlier systems w/o vents failed.

I know they are about the only system that will last in a McDonalds restaurant, mainly due to the fact they can be stacked and placed under pavement and the maze helps with solids, preventing them from entering the field.

Good info, thanks for posting and good luck.

 

[bearhawk]

I saw the vent in the background and wondered why it would have failed so soon with a vent. He told us in the class that w/o a vent the systems are destined to fail. I wondered if that was something they came up with recently as earlier systems w/o vents failed.

I know they are about the only system that will last in a McDonalds restaurant, mainly due to the fact they can be stacked and placed under pavement and the maze helps with solids, preventing them from entering the field.

Good info, thanks for posting and good luck.

I guess that when mine was designed in 99 venting was not required, but is almost always done now..

 

[nh DRAGON]

[

QUOTE=atgreene]Interesting.

When I took the cert class from Presby they were pushing them pretty hard for commercial apps. I've only installed a couple, primarily because of their limited space requirements, although an Eljin In-drain takes less room, so we use them a lot around the lake.

I have been installing Presby for over ten years and never has one fail yet. The Eljin are another story! Over 50% failure rate of the ones we know of people in
stalling. We stopped using them years ago.

 

[RexB]

Well as some of you know, my enviro-septic system failed for a number of reasons.

So with a long weekend coming, and the prospect of a nice weekend. What better time to get some seat time.. First I scraped all the topsoil off to save for later... Next was to remove as much sand that I could reuse and relocate it out of the way..

What's the saying? -- Well it's a s***ty job but somebody's gotta' do it." Sorry, couldn't resist and I'm glad it ain't me. I've got a pressure-mound system that I hope never ever fails while alive . .

Your picture-taker does a good job, keep the progress photos coming!

 

[bearhawk]

Update:
Cleaned up the rest of the soiled sand and opened up the 5 pipes in preparation for the new sand.

 

[Dmace]

Looking good. Just be careful that the bed bottom is perfectly level or you will have another premature failure as the "effulent" will build-up on one end. I am a firm beleiver that the Presby Enviro's are the best system out there for cost and size.

 

[bearhawk]

Just be careful that the bed bottom is perfectly level or you will have another premature failure as the "effulent" will build-up on one end.

Thats for Monday, I have a water level to make sure it's nice and flat.

The plan is to level the base, set the pipes, and gently start placing the sand around the pipes.

Oh what fun !

 

[MikeD74T]

I'm still at a loss as to what you are calling a failure. To me a Presby system failure would be the units are holding, and not releasing, the water. If so the sand would not be saturated. I've seen my neighbor's leach field saturated on a couple of occasions. It's a rental property & the tennants didn't tell the landlord their toilet was running continuously until the field wouldn't take any more water. Both times it dried out in a few days. Are you simply flooding your system with more water than it can get rid of ? MikeD74T

 

[bearhawk]

The failure as it was explained to me.

The membrane surrounding the pipe and the first couple of inches of sand get plugged with a black Tar like substance.

This does not allow the field to work correctly.

Only recourse is to remove and replace...

 

[RexB]

That's a heckuva' project you have going Bearhawk and mountains of materials, you aren't scrimping on it and good job! I empathize with your situation and add my best wishes that the field works as required when you're done, that's a job to be proud of.

 

[Gittyup]

Why aren't dry well systems used anymore. I have one and it works great, now in it's 36 year.