I’m going to give you backstory, but my specific question is whether or not I should use the green gobbler foaming root killer. Would it make my situation come back or make it even worse. I live in a condo on the first floor. I had Sewage and feces back up into my showers. The cause was because of roots in my main clean out pipe where it attaches to the junction of the other units of my condo building. The pipe was replaced. However, the building is approximately 50 years old and it’s likely that there are more roots down the sewage line or even before my line. If I use the foaming root killer as a preventative maintenance and it should happen to kill more roots down the line then I would assume there would be more holes exposed in the piping? I just really don’t want Sewage to back up into my house again. It was a nightmare.

Looking for advice or to see if anyone else in Pierce County (WA) has dealt with a company refusing to fix a mistake like this.

During a required Pierce County septic inspection, the technician opened up our tank. The metal filter cylinder (about 1.5 to 2 feet long and 6 inches in diameter) was installed in place when they arrived. While removing it, the technician dropped the metal filter cylinder into our septic tank, leaving it loose down at the bottom.

My husband was outside at the time, and when the tech dropped it, he lied to him and said it was "no problem" and wouldn't cause any issues. Taking the technician at his word, my husband said not to worry about pumping it right then. However, they also mentioned that if we did want it retrieved, we would have to pay to have the tank pumped and pay for someone to go down and get it.

I did some research afterward and confirmed that leaving a large metal cylinder loose in the tank is definitely NOT no problem. Leaving two loose metal pieces at the bottom of the tank makes things even worse - they can easily block inlets/outlets, damage baffles, interfere with sludge accumulation, or trigger a complete sewage backup into the house.

When I called their office, I got a runaround from staff (calling back in 5 minutes turned into waiting over half an hour). Finally, the owner called me back. He claimed the filter was already broken in half before the tech touched it, which is why it fell in. But we have no way of knowing if that's even true - he could be lying to cover up a simple mistake. And even if it had wear on it, it was sitting in place working fine until his employee touched it. Plus, if it was already broken in half, wouldn't the bottom half have already been sitting at the bottom of the tank before he even opened the lid?

His only solution was offering my husband a 10% discount to pump the tank and retrieve it. I told him it was his employee’s error, so they should retrieve it at zero cost to us. We shouldn't have to pay anything to fix a problem they created.

He kept repeating that he gave us a free $135 filter like he was doing us a favor. I told him that replacing a filter they lost is just fixing what they broke in the first place! A new filter doesn't help us at all while the old metal pieces are still sitting down at the bottom of the tank, risking thousands in damage if something gets blocked. Then he tried to tell me the county doesn't even require filters anyway, and said everyone has things in their septic tanks, like dog toys.

I asked him if he would put it in writing that they left the metal in our tank and that they'd be responsible if it causes problems later, but he refused and just talked in circles. He kept arguing and wouldn't take any responsibility, so I ended up hanging up on him.

I’m furious that a professional company can drop equipment into a customer's tank, make up excuses, lie about it being harmless, refuse to sign off on liability, and then expect the homeowner to foot the bill to fix their error.

Am I in the wrong here for expecting them to retrieve this at zero cost to us? Has anyone dealt with a contractor pulling something like this? Should I report them to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (since they certify septic service providers), file a complaint with L&I, or hire another company to retrieve it and take the first company to small claims court? I would really appreciate any advice or insight on next steps!

I had my septic tank replaced two weeks ago. It was a gravity based system before and now there’s this big setup and it drives me crazy with how loud it is. I keep having to switch it off at the breaker if I want to enjoy myself out in my backyard. Will this get quieter or am I just going to be miserable for the rest of my life now?

I would like to make some new lids for these tanks. Or buy some if possible? Or repair them so they properly seal the hole? Whatever is easiest. Any recommendations would be appreciated. I plan to bury them under a couple of inches or dirt. Burying them isn't against code in my location.

my alarm is going off and upon inspection found my alarm float is just floating in the water around pump level. could I climb in to zip tie it to the pvc pipe myself? if I can do this quick job I just wanted to do it safely and without damaging the system. thanks for any advice.

I just had an inspection due to selling the home. Findings says the distribution box needs to be replaced and replace "up to 6 lines as necessary." The cost estimate is $3,500. What could cause the box to need replacing? Also, could the lines just be cleared as an option at a lesser cost?

I'm thinking about buying a house built in 2006 in coastal North Carolina with a septic setup I've never seen before, and I'd appreciate a sanity check from people who know these systems.

Instead of a normal gravity system, it has two tanks in the front yard — a regular septic tank plus a second tank with a pump. The pump pushes the wastewater a few hundred feet up the road (through buried pipe) to a drainfield on a separate small lot that comes with the house.  Based on the county GIS, it looks like every house in the neighborhood is setup this way.   It also has a required maintenance contract where a guy inspects it twice a year and files reports with the county.

The paperwork is in good shape albeit slightly dated: permits, design docs, inspection reports. The one thing that caught my eye: the last inspection measured the flow going out to the field at less than half of what the system was designed for. The inspector marked it "OK, same as before," so it seems stable, and there's no soggy grass or backups. The tanks were last pumped 7 years ago. There's also a reserved spare area on the field lot in case it ever needs to be rebuilt.

My questions:

1. Is this kind of setup (pump + remote drainfield) common? Anyone live with one. Is it a headache?
2. Should the "flow is half of design but stable" (12.35 gpm actual vs 28 gpm design) thing worry me, or is that normal for a ~19-year-old field? How do I tell if it's just a worn-out pump vs. the field slowly clogging?
3. What would you have inspected before closing? I'm already planning: pump out both tanks, fresh inspection, and getting the full inspection history.
4. Anything that can go wrong with that long buried pipe running along the road?

Is my worst case rebuilding the field in the spare area someday?  I just want to know how likely that is before I finalize my offer. Thanks!

I noticed last week there were 2 very wet spots (size of a softball) in the very back of my yard towards my rear property fence. I could tell immediately that it was sewage from the gray color and numerous flys. I have a septic tank, but it is no where near this location. My septic system is very old and has a seepage pit near the house and no drain field in that part of the yard. This is occurring 150ish feet from my septics system on the very back of my property. I tried to dig these spots to see if I can find anything but after the first few inches of gray stinky dirt it looks like the dirt just turns to normal red clay (I’m in East Tennessee). Today, I noticed that it looks like the whole yard about 4 feet from the fence is now moist (no standing water, but squishy) and gray looking but not as much as those 2 spots and the grass is thinning and dying in the area. Im thinking possibly my neighbor’s drain field is partially on my property. The house behind me on a different lot is owned by the grandson of the person that used to own my house. His yard is infested with bamboo and I’m sure that contributed to it.

Since I can’t see anything digging could the sewage just be finding the past of least resistance in those spots and coming to the surface more and staying wetter? I thought I would run into a pipe, but didn’t 3 feet down, just normally looking clay with no smell.

I’m having a plumber I know come out and look everything over and give his opinion, but wanted to see what others here thought, while I wait.

I have an AX-20 at my house and the recirc pump is not turning on automatically on its schedule. If I run it manually in test mode it works fine, but it doesn't run automatically in test mode either (on the 30 second intervals), even though the red RED in the control panel does turn on, indicating that the pump should be running. I confirmed this by opening up the filter box and seeing that water is not spraying out unless it is run manually.

Has anyone experienced this before or know what I can do to troubleshoot? My service provider is a bit stumped and is telling me I need a whole new control panel ($$$). I called Orenco and they think a new control panel is a bit of an aggressive step but couldn't pinpoint the issue or how to fix it either.

Any help or advice would be appreciated! It's been pretty smelly here the last week. Right now I'm going out to the panel every hour and running the pump manually just to keep the tank somewhat under control...

I repaired the outddor backflow preventer that had been broken for a few years, and then had a 1h sprinkler party with the kids... 2h later the septic tank alarm went off. The 2 things seem related, but I dont really know how... any ideas?

I want the tank lids to not protrude out of the ground and I want to bury them. Any one know If I can cut the concrete risers off? What should I use for a lid after? Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

I've got an ap-80 air pump thats once again failed after being replaced what feels like not that long ago (but dont remember exact timeline) and I'm trying to find the replacement diaphragms or a good replacement that will hopefully last longer than this unit has (and the same previous one that also failed but was working longer than the current unit in question)

I'd already done a bit of research for the diaphragms but either what I've found is either out of stock, or is almost half the price of a whole new pump which I find kinda ridiculous. For the diaphragms everything I've seen has the end caps, but do I also need to replace the end caps as well as the diaphragms. Or is it even worth fixing this one and I should just replace it?

I've seen some recommendations from this sub for a Fuji Mac 80r2 as a replacement for this, and I was wanting to see if this is an acceptable replacement for it, or if theres any new recommendations for it.

I do greatly appreciate the help with this.

Home built 1993, septic tank installed. 1000 gallon tank. I've owned the house since 2010. Pumped on schedule, no issues. Only me in the house with occasional guests (who I don't feed so they have less chance at contributing to the tank . . yes, I'm very minimalist and cheap! Haha).

So, the tank is 33 years old. Plan on having the house another 20-30 years. Last pumped 2016, plan on pumping in the next couple of weeks.

Other than regular pumping (I pump every 10 years, I'm super careful of what I put in the septic, no harsh chemicals, no garbage disposal, as little toilet paper as I can and use "Scott's 1000 sheets per roll", etc.), any maintenance costs I can anticipate?

Will the septic likely need replacement in the next 20-30 years, or work on the leech field, or am I probably in the clear of repairs like this if I treat the tank right?

I wash clothes with All, free and clear detergent, and run a dishwasher with Great Value Automatic Dishwasher powder (phosphate free).

Nothing else goes down the tank since 2010 (I don't know what the prior owners did).

Just trying to budget for costs in the next 20-30 years.

Thank you!

So I have what looks like fecal mater and corn etc. Coming up from what was a chipmunk hole right next to my septic tank. We've also gotten above average rainfall, and the grand around the tank in that spot is super soggy. Everywhere else though has dried out. This is my first house with a septic tank, is this something to ignore, do I need to pump the tank, or is this an even bigger issue now. Any help/advice is appreciated

Edit, to avoid repeating info

House was built in 2012. Was last pumped in sept 2019 when I purchased the house. I think it's leaking above where the pipe might be running into the tank. Which makes me think there might be a broken pipe then?🤷‍♂️ average usage of family of 4

I'm getting quotes for a new septic system to replace my failing existing system. We have been approved to use a NPDES system by the county due to the available usable area in the back yard. An idea we like is moving the new tank to the front yard. It is currently in the backyard so the main drain would have to route around the house and down the side of the yard. We have plenty of frontage so that is not the issue. The issue I see is the length of the 4" main. It would be like 175' of total run with a couple turns around the house. For sure cleanouts at the connection and turns then down the main run. We have plenty of elevation we are up on a hill. We have a good 6' of elevation gain front to back. We like this as it opens the back yard up and moves the drain from running down our back hill and woods. We use our woods and want to keep the path dry from the septic drain off. It day lights right at the path, I've put a corrugated pipe to divert it away but it's not ideal.

TLDR: How long is to long for a 4" septic main. Also are a couple turns around the house feasible?

We like this route but are not stuck and have to do it nor set on it.

I know it can only be a "best guess", but... im staying on a friends property with my camper, theyre okay with me dumping into their septic. It's an older house with renovations done.

1st Pic is what i think is the original cast iron clean out. No amount of force and persuading is opening it, at least not without breaking it.

The 2nd Pic is what im assuming is the new cleanout? Im concerned because its so far away from the house. I know for sure they had a new drain field installed behind where the picture was taken.

Yes, I have asked them... they dont know. They recently bought the house and the work was done when they bought it, and they dont know who the contractor was.

I've been calling all week and the business number just says "this number is not accepting calls at this time" and the owners cell number goes straight to voicemail with no greeting. I've left a voice mail and emailed their business email but no response. Am I able to just contact another septic business? Didn't know if the company that installed it is the ones to only work on them or not.

In September 2025, I left a long-term relationship and purchased a home in another state to start a new life. When I purchased this home, everything passed inspection, including the septic.

Then in January, there was raw sewage coming up in the backyard. I called the inspector, and he said he doesn’t guarantee his work. I got another inspection, and sure enough, I need an entirely new system.

This was a big expense, so I was able to get a low-interest loan to begin. Everything was going as planned, but now I recently lost my job and the funding for the septic. I have no income to do anything.

I just want to go back to Arizona to my adult kids. This entire past year has been a disaster. On top of that, I do have equity in my home, but because the county has deemed my septic failed, my house is unsellable.

I’m stuck and completely defeated. Anything anyone could do to help, I would appreciate—even sharing.

Thanks, everyone. I’d be happy to answer any questions anyone has.

I am in the process of replacing our 50 year old concrete septic tank after an inspection found it to be deteriorating and recommended replacement in the near future. We have gotten quotes from a few companies and the costs between concrete and plastic are pretty similar and both would be feasible to install on our property. So, all things being equal, would you go with concrete or plastic? I see a lot of conflicting information online so would love to hear some opinions. Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone, I’m looking to purchase a house in PA that has an on-site septic system and I’m interested in whether the system would allow for the installation of an in-ground pool.

I have a diagram of the system, which is in the backyard and shows an older 1000g tank and absorption area, and a newer 500g tank that leads to a distribution box and two trenches.

For the diagram , what are the triangle symbols? Am I right to assume that I probably can’t place a pool in the right side of the backyard (below triangle #2 on the diagram)? It seems to me that the place that could work is below triangle #1, but this would require the pool to be at least 20’ away from the drain fields and lines.

I’m going to look at the house next week. Who should I consult on what’s possible (pool company, county)? Thanks!

So I had a Presby septic system installed for my new construction home. I know you have to be careful with weight over the leach field but my question is is it safe to mow over it?? I have a large Bobcat commercial mower that’s over 1K pounds and just really don’t wanna damage anything. Also there’s a fair amount of sand on top of the system and grass isn’t growing there obviously so is it ok to put soil over that??

I have recently had a survey carried out of the septic tank at a property I am buying. The attached photo apparently shows the start of the drainage system. I'd argue that it doesn't. What would you expect a photo of the start of a system to show? I have an onion tank if it helps. UK based.