Septic Tank Chemistry

[dmccarty]

my comment was directed tot he prev owner / setup.. etc.. not you

I was not offended. I was just having fun.

Later,
Dan

 

[kenmac]

One issue is that most people just go bare minimum on their septic tank size. If the bare minimum code calls for 1,200 GAL, they go 1,200 GAL. It's always better to up-size when building a new system.

Don't know how it is elsewhere. But here, the Health Dept. Dicates everything about your septic system. How big the tank can be & how many field lines can be installed. The even inspect after a pump b-4 the tank is closed back up

 

[Soundguy]

Don't know how it is elsewhere. But here, the Health Dept. Dicates everything about your septic system. How big the tank can be & how many field lines can be installed. The even inspect after a pump b-4 the tank is closed back up

code is different everywhere. where i am, your tank size is based on estimated capacity, with some minimums.. you can get away with larger systems, if you can show a higher estimated capacity need. for instance. the house I built in 99.. only me and the wife.. we could have got by witht he minimum prescribed by law.. but since our house is technically 4 bedroom due to closet layouts and such, we wear able to upsize is 2x and did..

had we made the den closes a foot bigger and thus shrunk the closet by the front door, it would have been classified as 5 bedrooms.. we didn't want that due to a couple other reasons.. and thus pulled space from that closet and xfered it to the front door coat closet for just that reason.. when the closet shrunk past a certain size, it was no longer classed a bedroom.. gotta love codes and laws you can legally scootch to one side or the other... the one i had the biggest gripe with was egress.. they wanted me to have a window in the bedroom.. they said even a lil transome at top would do.. I'd burn to death trying to climb out one of them things... i had a exterior door installed inthe bedroom instead... inspector tried to argue with me.. i won.. seems i knew building code betterthan he did.. sad...

 

[Pettrix]

Don't know how it is elsewhere. But here, the Health Dept. Dicates everything about your septic system. How big the tank can be & how many field lines can be installed. The even inspect after a pump b-4 the tank is closed back up

Here the codes allow one to go larger. The county gives you the BARE MINIMUM allowed based on home size but one can always go larger, it is better to go large when building than to go back later and try it.

A larger tank and leach field gives one larger capacity. This comes into play during heavy usage or home expansion.

 

[EE_Bota]

Dan,

Your probably right-it may well have met code. If so, it seems like another example of why code should be looked at as a minimum standard.

In my county, they don't appreciate exceeding the standard. I got more an more flack for it, so I gave that up, and did only the standard, and things got better.