Walk across the entire drainfield checking for odors and damp areas. Are there any mushy or swampy areas or surfacing effluent? Open and look inside each inspection port (some systems). You may need a flashlight.
A septic inspection costs $550 on average and ranges between $200 and $900. You could pay as little as $100 for a routine inspection of a small system sized for a 1,000-square-foot home or as much as $1,300 for a detailed inspection for a real estate transaction for a larger home.
When the drainfield fails, or is saturated with water, sewage may backup into the home. Wet, soggy areas may develop above or near the drainfield and you may see spongy bright green grass over the area. There may also be odors near the tank or drainfield.
Typically, the drainfield consists of three to five trenches that are 18 to 24 inches deep, up to 100 ft long, with a perforated pipe in 12 to 18 inches deep gravel covered by 12 inches of soil.
A properly designed, installed and maintained field will need to be replaced once every 15 to 30 years. If the field is not designed and constructed adequately or receives poor maintenance, it may need to be replaced before the 15 years.
One service that can help remove septic tank drainfield pipe clogs after they first develop to potentially extend the life of a drainfield is septic line hydro jetting.
Use your septic tank to point the way.
It will point in the general direction of an area large enough to house your drainfield. Once you have a general sense of where your drainfield might be, look for an open area clear of trees and buildings. This is likely the location of your septic drainfield.
Reshape or fill the ground surface over the drainfield and reserve area. However, just adding topsoil is generally OK if it isn't more than a couple of inches.
The actual cost to replace your leach field will vary, depending on the type, size, and location of your existing system, though the average cost is between $5,000 and $20,000. Fortunately, if you maintain your septic system properly, you can expect your leach field to last up to 20 years.
Walk across the entire drainfield checking for odors and damp areas. Are there any mushy or swampy areas or surfacing effluent? Open and look inside each inspection port (some systems). You may need a flashlight.
While there are many different types of home insurance, most standard homeowners insurance does cover septic tank collapse, failures and other damage from covered perils. Commonly covered perils include: Fire: If a fire causes damage to your septic system in any way, repairs may be covered by your policy.
While drainfields, like septic tanks, are designed to last for a long time, they do require maintenance in order to continue to work properly. For a drainfield that has failed, there typically isn't a way to repair it – you'll probably need to replace some or all of your septic system if it stops working correctly.
Pools of Water in the Drain Field
Soggy spots in the yard are a possible sign that you have a problem with the drain field. This could mean that you have a crushed pipe or a clog. Or, perhaps the soil and gravel are not treating the wastewater properly. If this is the case, then you may need to replace these materials.
Leach field rejuvenation or drain field repair costs $1,000 to $5,000 on average.
As a general rule, it is advised that you pump out your septic tank once every 2-5 years.
In general, no, you shouldn't drive over a septic leach/drain field. If it's shallow (3 or 4 feet down) or poorly constructed, you could damage the piping. If it's shallow, you may compact the soils a bit (but soils ABOVE the gravel backfill don't matter, only those alongside the gravel backfill).
Herbaceous plants, such as annuals, perennials, bulbs and ornamental grasses are generally the best choices for use on a septic drain field. Ornamental grasses also offer the advantages of having a fibrous root system that holds soil in place, and providing year-round cover.
While you should consider all of the factors above, many professionals believe that the maximum weight for a leach field is around 10,000 pounds. Still, it's important to be cautious of what you choose to do over your leach field to ensure it's working properly.
A septic drain field, when properly maintained, can typically last between 20 to 30 years. Yet, numerous factors can considerably impact this lifespan.
This is typically a result of the field lines becoming clogged, causing the wastewater to back up to the surface. Changes in your home's plumbing can also hint at a problem. Slow drains, frequent toilet backups, or gurgling sounds from your drains can all be symptoms of a failing field line.
Generally speaking, septic drain lines are buried between 18 and 36 inches underground, and the pipes are surrounded by gravel and sand to aid in the filtration and water treatment process.
If you suspect one of the leach field pipes has a clog, the easiest way to clean it is with a pressurized sewer jetter. If the clog doesn't clear with a jetter, there may be tree roots that you can cut with a mechanical auger.
The average cost to pump a septic tank is $423, with most people paying between $289 and $557. Septic tank pumping isn't the most glamorous task, but it's one that you should definitely stay on top of every three to five years to keep your system working properly and avoid an unsightly (and smelly) mess in your yard.
If you need to do several loads of laundry per week, do one or two loads per day, not ten loads on any given day. 4. Reduce the use of the garbage disposal. In general, garbage disposals are a bad idea when you have a septic system as they can cause you to quickly fill your septic tank.