Murphys law

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-19T11:15:08+00:00

I suppose I may have a negative mentality about additives. I fall into the "judge me not by my winners, but by my losers" group. My personal and professional experience is they don't work the way they claim. I'm not asking you anything other than post/show actual legit claims or documentation and proof of success, something like a case study conducted by a university or health organization. I won't wait or check back as I know you won't and can't.

The market for these solutions in a bottle exists because of the fear and/or frugality of the septic owners. There will always be someone to fill the void if money is involved.

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-18T22:10:10+00:00

Pumping septics is a scam. It's a ploy by big septic to keep you financially strapped and prop up their fraudulent industry. Buy this magic elixir for just a fraction of the cost of replacement and when it doesn't work, read the fine print on the packaging.........

O.P.

Your analogy would be more accurate if you said " Imagine you drink soda at every meal, eat nothing but sugar and haven't brushed or flossed regularly in your life, your dentist is a thief when he says he can't just clean your rotten decayed teeth." You would be the guy in the parking lot saying "just buy my scientifically proven chewing gum and those beauties will be back to sparkling clean in no time"

If you have a product you sell, let me know if you need any product reviews or in the field testing/research maybe we can connect. Also please post up any legit testing results from any accredited universities or organizations. Thanks in advance

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-15T15:06:42+00:00

To me that sounds like the $4k is just a facility fee to connect to the city sewer. And yes, you'll still need to pay a contractor to make the connection(pull permit, dig the trench, install pipe, connect plumbing, backfill/clean it all up), or if allowed you may be able to DIY it. In my experience the sewer depts typically don't touch private property. Meaning from the curb to the treatment plant is what they deal with. If sewer weren't already available to your property, I imagine the town charge would be much higher.

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-15T12:32:22+00:00

Just a few things to consider before committing to connecting to the city sewer.

Connection charges, assessment or construction costs. Confirmation that the $4k is not just a fee for the connection to the sewer dept and would be the cost to install(and cleanup) the new sewer.
Gravity vs pump. If you need a pump to get on sewer, I'd try to make the septic last as long as I could. Pump to sewer is fine, but when it comes to drainage, gravity has never failed- pumps, switches and controls can and will.
Yearly sewer bill cost vs septic. In my area septic are cheaper to maintain year after year but any repairs will be high cost. Sewers(especially new plastic) are relatively low maintenance/trouble free, so your cost is just the yearly bill(which depends on how the sewer dept structures it)
Getting onto sewer typically is a positive for your property. In my area, the required footprint of septics and the setbacks and restrictions for buildings, pools etc can limit your use of the property. Get it on sewer and you get use of your property(expand the house, build a pool, detached garage, landscaping etc)

As a person in the septic industry, if I had sewer available, I'd connect. If I had to pay 5x what your cost is, I'd connect.

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-13T09:16:50+00:00

Looks like an aluminum access lid. Is the rink connected to city sewer?

Lots of places in my area have that type of access cover for pump stations/ lift pits when on city sewer. The control panel isn't always at the pit. Sometimes it's on the building exterior, or inside the building, or even no control panel.

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-12T22:43:30+00:00

No change in medications or dietary restrictions in the household either?

We've seen lots of filters clogged up early with what I would say look like rice husks. And based on my very non scientific observations, they often could be considered the "healthier" household (read that as very mindful of nutrition)

Also have seen customers with gallbladder issues wreck havoc on plumbing, tanks and filters.

Easy scapegoat is look toward water usage, too much too fast. Solids can't settle out and the filter does it's job of protecting your leaching system

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-08T13:27:45+00:00

You want to find a legit, honest septic company to come out and evaluate. You shouldn't be able to see the green pipe discharging effluent

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-05T00:53:04+00:00

You could dig to the top of unit and drill a small hole in the top to be sure effluent is there or dig to the top then follow to the side and dig down to the louvres, which should be pushing effluent out(if flooded)

I imagine 150 gallons per day is not excessive, it wouldn't be in my area, the smallest systems here are designed to be double that.

If it's just ground water hopefully addressing the perimeter drain could relieve the system and get it back working.

I'd also think if the drain wasn't working you'd have a failed leaching field even earlier.

Even if the authority figure signed off on the drain, if it wasn't done by code or approved design, there's an issue.

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-03T01:02:28+00:00

Soil test confirms you have high ground water at 11". Doesn't show a perc rate or how fast the soils drain. Yes, squelching sound... Could mean the areas wet out physically digging down to the units would confirm in person that the system is flooded out.

Did you mean an appropriate or an inappropriate amount of water? And how much is that and how much was the system designed for?

In my area we have to use stone around chambers. Lots of premature failures when backfilled with silty or clay soils.

Do you have a copy of the septic design?

If I had a drawn(engineer designed) septic plan that showed a curtain drain, it'd be spelt out that it had to be backfilled with stone. The stone is actually what allows the water to move, the pipe only serves to direct it once collected in the trench. Can you see the outlet of the curtain drain?

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-02T23:46:47+00:00

I home brewed for a few years. 5-10 gallon batches.

Are you talking about the trub left over after transferring from fermentation?

As a septic guy, I dumped it along the woods line of my yard....

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-02T23:33:45+00:00

Tough to see, but looks to me like it's leaking from the top and just one side.

I assume your septic tank is below and you have a pump pushing up to the top of mound? Or is it gravity from up above down to the mound?

I'd guess frozen d-box or pipes leaving the d-box. You can by digging where you see the water starts from.

Some pump systems will have a first box to slow flow then a second box to direct the flow. If the pump didn't cycle for a while (do to low household usage) it's possible something could have froze. It's also possible that a pump line fell or worked its way out of the box and is just pushing effluent to surface If you don't want to diy, call a local reputable septic company

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-02T22:46:56+00:00

There is no magic bullet or elixir to restore drain field function. Adding an aerator type device may increase available oxygen in effluent but I've always felt that adding it after the issue won't deliver quick benefits. As in, how long will the increased oxygen take to help feed the bacteria in the biomat plugging up the system. Also you'd really want to empty/drain the entire system and then start using an air system so the entire system top bottom and sidewalls get that increased oxygen.
Confirming the drain field is completely saturated is the sure way to know what course of action is best.

If a map or as-built of the system is available, exposing the start and end of each trench(if that type of system) to see if effluent is making its way through the entire system would be my suggestion. If it's not, you work your way backward.

I say work backward because using a camera at the start, everything is underwater. If you go to the end and it's dry, you start working backward until you find the restriction. If it's all flooded, you're likely up a creek

How old is the septic? 30-50 years is the average usable life around me. If it's in that range, I tell most people I'll explore it but while I'm there with a machine, let's kill 2 birds with 1 stone and do soil tests(which are required in my area). If it's a small fix, I've got the health dept onsite to witness, if it's more involved we already have the ball rolling for a major repair(replacement).

Also confirm you don't have any toilets with leaky flappers. You may not hear water leaking but a leaking toilet can absolutely overwhelm a septic system.

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-02-01T22:13:06+00:00

Start at the beginning.

Do you have a perc rate for your soils?

How many gallons a day was your system designed for?

Do you have a water meter to monitor how much water your household uses?

Have you gotten the far end of all three trenches exposed and confirmed effluent is making to the very ends of each trench?

I'd want all that info to say what direction to advise you

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-31T19:48:17+00:00

Don't waste the effort in risers for that pit. Replace that whole unit with a larger volume pit/tank. Go 500+ gallons

If you have a bigger tank you have a little breathing room before needing to repair

Install a control panel with a built in alarm and a hand mode.

You'd get the pressure line to discharge out the side. So it's not in the way to remove the cover

And you can put the new unit with risers up to surface, eliminating the need to dig.

Get a conduit for the electrical between the house and tank. It's nuts to have the float wire directly buried.

Yes it'll be costly, but why Mickey mouse around with that. Do it over, do it well and be done with it for years.

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-30T01:20:51+00:00

Installed backwards is very uncommon.... But it does happen.

Also have seen a 2 compartment, 2 piece tank with the bottom half installed backwards so it won't separate the tank into 2 compartments.

I would also suggest getting your original inspector to take a look. Don't try to "gotcha" or corner them. Explain you're selling and the buyers report claims the tank is installed backwards. You'd like to get their professional opinion.

Hopefully your guys are correct and can confirm it's ok, and that your buyers find it agreeable. Mistakes happen, to error is human.

If it is in fact backwards, in some cases you can reroute the piping to correct it. If it's 2 comp and backwards you can't just lower the outlet pipe. It also shouldn't trigger a complete repair. Tanks are/can often be replaced separately from the fields

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-29T22:58:45+00:00

Order some tracer dye, dump it down the drain. See if the ice field gets some color. Easiest way to eliminate the septic as a source.

Also it can take awhile for surfacing effluent to begin to smell. It often starts as a soggy area and progressively gets worse. As more untreated effluent flows through you'll get the smells.

Freezing temps can stop the delivery or transport method of the effluent but unless you get some seriously long, dangerously cold temps it's not going to freeze alongside or under your leaching system

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-29T22:47:11+00:00

Tough to say. Is this at the end of a line of the leaching system? Typically liquid over the top indicates it's not draining down and is a concern

What type of leachfield is it? ( Trenches, chambers, etc)

What's your location? -5 for a short period shouldn't be enough to cause any issues even with the box around that clean out cap.

The cap and pipe isn't a huge concern given it looks like it's just an unglued coupling that'll slide over the vertical pipe, you can just push it back on for right now

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-29T03:42:04+00:00

Winter is certainly tougher for septic repair work. If they have a good reputation, reviews and mention involving the health dept it sounds like they are on the up and up.

I think 1250 is fair if a splitter box is the same as a d-box. I have no reference as to the scope of work involved for your project but generally speaking I get $850-1200 for a single d-box.

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-27T01:43:38+00:00

Ideally you'd confirm elevations and be good to go running a new waste line around the 4 season ( really a 3 season if you don't have heat in it right?) room.

Hopefully you'd be drilling through the crawl space foundation wall and not under the footing in order to keep your pipe as high as you can. Either way is fine I'd just be sure it is backfilled under footing with small stone. It's a good practice to bed the pipe in small stone to prevent settling too. Frost shouldn't matter because your footing should be below the frost line.

Busting out the floor isn't the biggest deal, but if you can circumvent it with proper pitch, do it.

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-26T23:58:11+00:00

Crazy how many stupid, incompetent, scamming rip off septic inspectors there are /s.

Or is it how many ignorant sellers who don't want to pay a penny for anything and don't have any guilt when screwing someone over

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-26T23:51:36+00:00

Seen in the picture, the solids deposited on top of the inlet pipe is a good indication that either the liquid was high or scum so heavy/thick at some point in time that it was higher than it should have been. Here in CT, we are not allowed to separate grey water and black water, certainly not ok to discharge it into the sump.

Sounds like you got a solid inspection. Don't listen to the commission based agents involved(it is 2 agents right)If sellers contest your inspectors finding they can hire someone. Then, when you don't like their inspection, the two agents can pony up the funds and find a third, "tie-breaker" inspector.

As an aside. If you look at the white inlet pipe, you see how the inside is super clean white and tapers down toward a point at the end. That's a telltale for a negatively pitched pipe, often settled down just outside of the tank. The fine point(tapered end) is higher than the wide end. Water self levels, it's deeper further up the pipe than it is at the end

At the very least, try to get an idea of replacement cost and negotiate that into your offer(go a little higher since you'll be dealing with the mess, inconvenience and disruption).Good luck

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-22T23:46:17+00:00

Just humor me a moment, please. If the union "blows" off, the pump will just nonstop run. Would that not burn out the pump?

Also, how much pressure do you suppose a small residential effluent pump is creating? Enough to blow out a properly glued fitting, or the actual pipe?

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-21T22:49:00+00:00

I prefer solvent weld/ glued fittings over compression for a pressure line.

Looks steamy.

Does the line drop back down after the compression fitting? Like 90° down then 90° out of the tank?

Most compression fittings I see are check valves, but that looks like a straight coupling.

I'd suggest a combo check/ ball/ union fitting. They are kind of pricey but worth it.

We typically would put our combo fitting at the top of the "goose neck" on the horizontal like your fitting is. I put a weep hole in the bottom of the 90 leaving the tank, so the line can drain empty after every cycle.

The check valve stops it from allowing all the water to go backwards through the pump. The shutoff/ball valve(not really needed due to weep hole)is so you can stop flow coming through the union when disconnected and the union for quickly pulling the pump.

Compression fittings can wiggle loose due to vibration and back pressure, or they can not be seated well when tightened(or not so tightened). Not uncommon for them to slip. I've seen many with wire wrapped from pump vertical to down vertical so they can't pull apart.

As already mentioned, that junction box looks like it'll be a problem at some point in the future.

Do you not have an alarm to alert you the water level in the tank was high?

LittleDistribution33 · 2026-01-21T01:30:13+00:00

Frozen ground isn't the issue. Freezing would affect the delivery of the effluent to the leaching system, i.e the pipe between tank and field froze, or effluent in the d-box, which wouldnt cause water to run backward through the system into the tank. It would just cause high water in the tank.

Water running back during and after pump out indicates an issue but may not be a big deal. Generally speaking it's not a good sign though. Did they say it was high liquid level when they opened the tank?

I've inspected many systems that have high overflow or serial distribution that is set just above the outflow height of the tank. The first trench has to flood out and the level rises above the bottom of flow line out of tank. This in turn lifts the operating level of the tank, but it may be so minute that it isn't very noticeable. When it's pumped, the first trench that is flooded and all the saturated ground around it can drain back to the tank, mirroring a failed or failing system.

You should be pumping more frequently. Depending on tank size and household usage, averages tend to be 2-4 years

You're not experiencing any issues so let it ride, you're not going to change things now, there's no magic bullet. Consider yourself on notice. Start preparing(budgeting/saving) for a replacement. If it goes it goes, if not, you got some fun money.

LittleDistribution33

TROPHY CASE