"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Havew the typical septic system with a "chamber" that feeds several
perforated pipes in a leaching field. Believe the pipes are nestled in
gravel, and covered with soil.

These pipes with the holes are, I believe, clogged.
Or, the gravel and surrounding soil are "clogged.

Question:

Before I call anyone in:

a. Are there treatments, or perhaps steam-cleaning for the perforated
pipes that is effective ?

b. Are there treatments or steam cleaning for the gravel and/or
surrounding soil ?


Are any of these doable without removing any over-soil ?

e.g. just a steam probe inserted thru the main feeder pipe to the field,
or... ?

I keep thinking of steam, as it's hard to believe anything else might
work.
Thoughts ?

Thanks,
Bob

Having the same problem, and am in the middle of it. Here's what happened.
Septic tank filled and backed up. Removed cap, and vacuumed septic tank.
Very little solids, indicating that there was a problem with the leach
field. The leach field has grass on top of it, and I had been watering it
quite a bit over the summer. I may have created my own problem. So, in the
last two weeks, the tank has been filling, and since it isn't going out into
the leach field, the leach field has had a chance of drying out. We will
not know if that was the problem until the tank fills and it starts going
into the leach lines again. That should happen this week.

So, in answer to your question, the answer is yes, no, definitely, maybe,
and I don't know. Have you called a professional? We have a top rated guy,
top rated by people I know who have used him. He's not one of these that
it's all shot and everything needs to be replaced, but who identifies the
problem, then goes after that.

Google septic tank problems, and that will tell you a lot about things which
can affect your leach field performance. Such as overwatering, having a
garbage disposal, putting eggshells coffee grounds or fats down the pipe,
paving over it, doing too much laundry and overloading it, making changes
such as adding toilets or baths or showers since the original build, if the
sizing was cheepo minimal from the start, and other things. You may want to
have it pumped, give the leach field a break, cut back on the things that
will overload the system, and then see what you have.

It's a big, stinky, expensive mess to redo a leach field. So, if I have to
give up some grass, take shorter showers, wear my clothes a little longer,
whatever, it's worth it.

Yes, there are all sorts of things that they can do, all expensive. They
can put a camera down there. They can steam it. But, if the system is
sized right from the start, and none of the things mentioned above are
happening to overload it or plug it up, they should run forever with just
occasional pumping. Save your money on septic tank wonder products. They
are a natural process, and if something like floor wax or degreaser or XO
Special Cleaner is going in there and disrupting the natural process, then
the thing will not work naturally.

HTH

Steve