Need help with pumping septic

[JPRambo]

300 feet of thin wall PVC from their truck mounted pump and a flex hose into your tank?

 

[Bearsixty7]

Replacing a 90 ft. bridge could be in the $100,000+ cost range.
I do not see that as a realistic solution.

Over a river that's always flowing and at least 3' deep all the time or more of a creek? If the latter, cut a crossing through and they just have to come during drier weather.

 

[LouNY]

Those trucks don't use a pump to move the fluid they draw a vacuum in the tank and that is what pulls the slop out,
it would have to lift the sewage maybe 7- 8 foot in that situation pulling into the truck sitting above the tank would be twice the lift.
Once flow is established it would become a gravity siphon as long as no air was admitted to the system.
As has been mention pvc pipe could very well be used for the extension, I'd use heavy wall.
Will it be cheap nope but when you are in a bind what is.
Or joy oh joy get a pump and a tank pump it out into your tank transport it down to the septic truck and he can unload your tank,
may take 4-5 trips.

 

[Rebeldad1]

I had mine pumped for the first time after about 30 years. We have always used "Riddex" type enzymes and hardly had any hard scum layer.

Does Riddex really work? Have heard both ways on this.

 

[Doofy]

Does Riddex really work? Have heard both ways on this.

There were different brands of enzymes throughout the years and they seemed to help. Being in this cold climate, anything that keeps your septic tank warm, alive and working is a necessity. If they pump our septic tanks late in to the fall or winter they will add some special, hot enzymes to help keep the tank working until it is full again and functioning normally.

 

[Rebeldad1]

Over a river that's always flowing and at least 3' deep all the time or more of a creek? If the latter, cut a crossing through and they just have to come during drier weather.

Are you land locked with no way out at all? Do you have a neighbor who will let you cross 1 time for this? Or a permanent easement?
Are you the only one that uses the bridge?
Pics of the bridge? What is the reason the bridge has been deemed unpassable? can it be fixed? sounds like you would almost have to to stay on your property.

Also without all the above worse case may be to run another septic tank and cap the one you are using.

 

[Rebeldad1]

There were different brands of enzymes throughout the years and they seemed to help. Being in this cold climate, anything that keeps your septic tank warm, alive and working is a necessity. If they pump our septic tanks late in to the fall or winter they will add some special, hot enzymes to help keep the tank working until it is full again and functioning normally.

Wow!! this could be a whole other subject for us who dont know a whole lot about this....

 

[dragoneggs]

There were different brands of enzymes throughout the years and they seemed to help. Being in this cold climate, anything that keeps your septic tank warm, alive and working is a necessity. If they pump our septic tanks late in to the fall or winter they will add some special, hot enzymes to help keep the tank working until it is full again and functioning normally.

Interesting... around here (mild climate) I have always been advised that no additives are necessary. Just keep chemicals out and minimize paper and sink disposal wastes (compost) and the tank should biodegrade just fine. Oh yeah, and no small toys!

 

[4570Man]

Interesting... around here (mild climate) I have always been advised that no additives are necessary. Just keep chemicals out and minimize paper and sink disposal wastes (compost) and the tank should biodegrade just fine. Oh yeah, and no small toys!

It would be better for everything except the toilet to bypass the tank and run to a separate leech field but code won’t allow that.

 

[JPRambo]

Also around here has been a new type septic system used. An air pump is used to keep the enzymes active. I think its called aerobic treatment units. Just using a large fish tank air pump to put air to the bottom of the septic tank to help in the digestion of the solids.

 

[Doofy]

Interesting... around here (mild climate) I have always been advised that no additives are necessary. Just keep chemicals out and minimize paper and sink disposal wastes (compost) and the tank should biodegrade just fine. Oh yeah, and no small toys!

You were given great advice especially about adding chemicals, food waste and grease. Not having a Lint Trap on your washing machine is also hard on your leech field and can shorten its life.

 

[GSVette]

The length of hose run must be what is putting the guys off-300’ is an awful lot of 3” hose to carry on a pumper truck-the guys that pump my holding tank run about 50’ or thereabouts with a vertical lift of about 15’ ( vertical lift being the most significant issue for a vacuum truck).

Personally, I’d go the small porta-potty pumper route with a hose and sprayer to wash down the sludge while pumping. Unless you can talk a pumper truck into bringing an extra hose truck or two to get you to the 300’ you need- he may or may not need a boost pump to deal with friction loss over 300’ of pump out hose.

 

[Doofy]

Yep, anaerobic bacteria digest and liquify the solids (Poop) and the resulting liquids make their way out in to the leech field and is dissipated in to the sewer rock and out in to the soils. Very interesting.

 

[dragoneggs]

The length of hose run must be what is putting the guys off-300’ is an awful lot of 3” hose to carry on a pumper truck-the guys that pump my holding tank run about 50’ or thereabouts with a vertical lift of about 15’ ( vertical lift being the most significant issue for a vacuum truck).

Personally, I’d go the small ports-potty pumper route with a hose and sprayer to wash down the sludge while pumping. Unless you can talk a pumper truck into bringing an extra hose truck or two to get you to the 300’ you need- he may or may not need a boost pump to deal with friction loss over 300’ of pump out hose.

Like I said earlier, it should be just a matter of the septic tank company bringing more hose. The guys that did my neighbor's, brought a separate vehicle with extra hose. He probably paid extra (I didn't ask him) but to me that would be far more desirable than monkeying around some non traditional way.

 

[Rebeldad1]

2nd that

 

[dodge man]

I have an aerobic system, basically a fiberglass manhole with a motor that stirs and aerates it. There are also a bunch of sock filters. I pay a fee to have it maintained, something like $150 a year. I just had the motor replaced, something like $350, and it still has to be pumped, but not very often.

 

[drssg]

Replacing a 90 ft. bridge could be in the $100,000+ cost range.
I do not see that as a realistic solution.

My eye for detail seems to be going downhill. I missed that part in the OP. In my brain, it was a much smaller bridge.

 

[grsthegreat]

We have had our system pumped once in 27 years, and that was because the stupid 2 piece tank began leaking at joint. Had unit pumped, then ripped it out of ground and replaced with fiberglass unit. Other than that, ive never had any issues. I do electrical pump wiring on new septic systems (only new) for a contractor up here. He uses 1 hp, 240 volt sewage solids ejector pumps when transfer between holding tanks (non digesting) and the true septic tank that digest it and sends it to leach field. These are sized for length of run and lift required thru the supplier.

When we had our tank pumped, the truck that came only carried 100’ of hose, and it took up a heck of alot of space on truck. I can only imagine what 300 feet would take up. Luckily no bridges and flat land here.

Some of the newer septic systems are truly scary. I hooked up a system by the lake here that used 3 solid concrete tanks and one of these are filled with gravel. The system runs thru a computer dose timer. Multiple pumps and floats. Timed dose rates to cycle effluent. Myriad of wires and pipes. A true cluster f that only an engineer can design. Will it work, probably. Will it last. Doubtful. Need an MIT degree to program it. Costs exceed $40,000.

 

[Doofy]

We had a somewhat similar system in our High School Auto & Welding Shop. The tank and aerator were located in the building and there was a chlorine tablet system on the outfall to the leech field. Never had any smells unless the tank roof vent would freeze solid. Worked well. Pumped it once in 20 years.

 

[grsthegreat]

My eye for detail seems to be going downhill. I missed that part in the OP. In my brain, it was a much smaller bridge.

he said small bridge, not a 90 foot span. A small bridge can be 5 feet to whatever. But 90 feet is not a small bridge. Heres a thought, move the septic tank. Make the 1st tank pump to a new tank closer to bridge. Better yet, pump it into neighbors tank :cool2: