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B
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B asked in Home & GardenMaintenance & Repairs · 1 decade ago

My septic tanks leach bed was seeping to the top of the ground?

What I want to know is will I have to have my leach bed replaced? And if I do how will I go about doing that and how long does the leach bed have to be? Oh and by the way I just had my septic tank pumped, its a 500 or 750 gal. tank! How long will it take to start seeping back up through the ground?

Update:

northville I just moved about two years ago, this is the first time I have ever had a septic tank. I lived in the city!

hiker when you say backing up do you mean in the house, if so no it has never done that! Thank god! I just had it pumped last week. So if I put yeast in it that will help? I'm so worried I wish I had, had it pumped when I first bought this place, because now I'm low on money! Thanks for all the good answers!

6 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    With your leach bed seeping to the top,it will need to be replaced,because the lines are already clogged,and backing up. Here in N.C. we would go the the environmental health office ,thy will issue a certificate for a licensed septic installer to take care of. The paper has on it the amount of line ,and the size of bed it needs.This is no DIY job. It might take a few weeks for it to start seeping back again depending on how many people live at this home,and if your washer,is connected to the tank ,for a washer will fill one fast.

    Source(s): experence
  • 1 decade ago

    Well, your not going to like this, Hiker didn't finish his answer.

    Your leach field is full, the "peculation test" the Country codes division gives the soil, probably needs another one here.

    The soil has reached it's limit on the amount of moisture it can take from your tank and will not take any more.

    What has to be done? You have to hire someone to come out and scrape the soil, about two to three feet of it, off the entire area of the leach field and have it replaced with new soil. It has to be of a certain type of sand and rock.

    It will then be tested again and it will be ready for another X amount of years.

    No amount of yeast or Rid-X will help it at this stage.

    If you just bought the home, check with the Realtor to see if there's an Escrow account to pay for this or ? your stuck with the bill which could reach into the thousands of dollars.

    Source(s): retired contractor 47 years
  • 1 decade ago

    The answers to your questions depend on the drainage capability of the soil in your leach field. If it's backing up even after you had the tank pumped you probably need the leach field replaced. Leach fields are often ruined by waiting too long between pump jobs.

  • 1 decade ago

    I have never had a septic tank till now. I had it emptied when I moved in and then again a year later. I heard the field should last 15 years. Does rain make a difference?

    My neighbor had to have hers moved to her side yard- it cost her 15 grand. I have no place to move mine and no money if I have problems- so I am looking forward to anyone answering our questions. How do you keep a field from clogging?

    Does Rid X really make a difference?

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  • 1 decade ago

    Well I was about to say that you prolly need your tank pumped out, but now I see you already have that covered.

    If it's your weeping bed, then I would say it depends on how old the tile bed is.

    If it's old then you will have to replace it. Where I live there are municipal codes that have to be met, & it usually adds up to needing a substatially larger tile bed than you had before.

    Call in a contractor, this isn't a common DIY job.

  • 1 decade ago

    you might have to have it replaced. The best thing to do is flush a packet of yeast (the kind you bake with) down the toilet. This will help so you don't need to pump it out so much.

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