Question about septic tank (1 Viewer)

[Ben & Jerry's]

We recently moved from a municipal sanitary system to the country with a septic tank. I told my daughter never to flush anything besides toilet paper down the toilet.

Apparently I was not adamant enough (or failed to explain exactly why) and now find she flushed a wipe down the toilet.

How concerned should I be that this will clog a pump or burn out a motor ?

signed,

Paranoid in Indiana

 

[Tom Servo]

Don't sweat it.

 

[Baloney Sandwich]

You are fine

 

[McGarnicle]

You'll need to replace the tank and drainfield, which conservatively will run you around $16,000.

 

[Fennis]

sounds like a horrible flavor of ice cream

 

[Ben & Jerry's]

You'll need to replace the tank and drainfield, which conservatively will run you around $16,000.

Found a guy willing to do it for $14,500. Told him I better run it by the FFA.Seriously thanks for the honest replies. Sounds like if this was an isolated incident and doesn't happen again we should be OK. 16 year old daughter just assumed if it got past the toilet it was OK. :shudder:

 

[glumpy]

There could be an issue if your lines have to pump uphill to the drainfield but otherwise you are ok. When you're on a septic system generally you should look for cleaning supplies and such to be easily biodegradable, and don't go for the TP that brags about how you can't poke a finger through. Once every five years or so you'll want to have a professional come out and pump out your tank anyway, and if you notice at some point that it either develops a wet spot in the ground around where the holding tank is or if the flush noticeably slows down that's an indicator. There should be an above ground cap for cleanout.

This looks like a good overview: http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/pdf/ww/septic/pl_fall04.pdf

 

[McGarnicle]

With teenagers in the house you should have it pumped out every six months, because of all the condoms.

 

[Clown Car]

I throw a wipe down every so often. We get ours pumped every three years because of how many of us there are.

 

[flapgreen]

With teenagers in the house you should have it pumped out every six months, because of all the condoms.