Our little family of two has been grossly negligent of our cesspool for
four years. We've ignored it and put all sorts of horrible things in
there. No surprise when it backed up on us. We had it pumped, and went
right back to doing the same things, and within a week it was full
again. This time I did my homework, concluding that we had killed all
the bacteria in there, we were using WAY too much water, and lots of
inappropropriate products (cleaners, etc).

They pumped the tank again and now I can peer down the tube and see the
bottom of the cesspool (for the expert that came out said that since
the house was built in 1941 it is certainly a cesspool). I watch when
someone in the house runs water and it comes out quickly and cleanly
into the tank.

We've added some of the bacteria starter from Roebic, have gotten rid
of our anti bacterial soaps, are using a LOT less water, and so far as
I peer down in there everything looks good. I hope we are on the road
to recovery.

Then somebody said, well, I sure hope you're not creating conditions
for it to collapse by removing the internal pressure the water was
creating - it is 60 years old. I almost passed out - I didn't know that
was possible. Installing a new system here would be nearly impossible.
The cost would run into tens and tens of thousands of dollars if it can
be done at all. Now I am obsessed with the idea of it collasping.

Does anyone have experience with this? Is it outlandish, rare,
possible, probable, likely, certain...? What's the oldest successful
cesspool you've heard of?

Thanks! -Deeder

Deeder McDaniel wrote:
Our little family of two has been grossly negligent of our cesspool for
four years. We've ignored it and put all sorts of horrible things in
there. No surprise when it backed up on us. We had it pumped, and went
right back to doing the same things, and within a week it was full
again. This time I did my homework, concluding that we had killed all
the bacteria in there, we were using WAY too much water, and lots of
inappropropriate products (cleaners, etc).

They pumped the tank again and now I can peer down the tube and see the
bottom of the cesspool (for the expert that came out said that since
the house was built in 1941 it is certainly a cesspool). I watch when
someone in the house runs water and it comes out quickly and cleanly
into the tank.

We've added some of the bacteria starter from Roebic, have gotten rid
of our anti bacterial soaps, are using a LOT less water, and so far as
I peer down in there everything looks good. I hope we are on the road
to recovery.

Then somebody said, well, I sure hope you're not creating conditions
for it to collapse by removing the internal pressure the water was
creating - it is 60 years old. I almost passed out - I didn't know that
was possible. Installing a new system here would be nearly impossible.
The cost would run into tens and tens of thousands of dollars if it can
be done at all. Now I am obsessed with the idea of it collasping.

Does anyone have experience with this? Is it outlandish, rare,
possible, probable, likely, certain...? What's the oldest successful
cesspool you've heard of?

Thanks! -Deeder


I wouldn't be worried about it collapsing. Cesspools are pumped empty
all the time and no special precautions are taken. As long as you use
common sense and don't drive a truck over it, you should be fine.

On the other hand, the bad news is that with a 60 yr old cesspool, it's
likely at the end of it's life. The fact that it was pumped and
completely filled again in a week is a bad sign. I wouldn't be too
hard on yourself that you caused it either. 60 years worth of all
kinds of stuff going in there and eventually the surrounding soil can
become plugged up to a degree that the water can no longer filter out.

Why do you think it will be nearly impossible to install a new septic
system?

Our house is at the bottom of a hill, at the back of the lot. We have no
backyard; it's all front yard. The cesspool is at the back corner of the
house. The area there is perhaps ten feet square.

The "pro" who came out talked about an elaborate system of reversing the
plumbing in our house, setting up large pumps and tanks, and pumping
everything uphill to a leech field. There's no way to get vehicles back
there - all the work would have to be done by hand.



On 7/26/06 1:44 AM, in article
,
" wrote:


I wouldn't be worried about it collapsing. Cesspools are pumped empty
all the time and no special precautions are taken. As long as you use
common sense and don't drive a truck over it, you should be fine.

On the other hand, the bad news is that with a 60 yr old cesspool, it's
likely at the end of it's life. The fact that it was pumped and
completely filled again in a week is a bad sign. I wouldn't be too
hard on yourself that you caused it either. 60 years worth of all
kinds of stuff going in there and eventually the surrounding soil can
become plugged up to a degree that the water can no longer filter out.

Why do you think it will be nearly impossible to install a new septic
system?

Deeder Virago wrote:
Our house is at the bottom of a hill, at the back of the lot. We have no
backyard; it's all front yard. The cesspool is at the back corner of the
house. The area there is perhaps ten feet square.

If it's all front yard, why can't you put a new septic system there?




The "pro" who came out talked about an elaborate system of reversing the
plumbing in our house, setting up large pumps and tanks, and pumping
everything uphill to a leech field. There's no way to get vehicles back
there - all the work would have to be done by hand.



On 7/26/06 1:44 AM, in article
,
" wrote:


I wouldn't be worried about it collapsing. Cesspools are pumped empty
all the time and no special precautions are taken. As long as you use
common sense and don't drive a truck over it, you should be fine.

On the other hand, the bad news is that with a 60 yr old cesspool, it's
likely at the end of it's life. The fact that it was pumped and
completely filled again in a week is a bad sign. I wouldn't be too
hard on yourself that you caused it either. 60 years worth of all
kinds of stuff going in there and eventually the surrounding soil can
become plugged up to a degree that the water can no longer filter out.

Why do you think it will be nearly impossible to install a new septic
system?

On 26 Jul 2006 11:42:06 -0700, wrote:

Deeder Virago wrote:
Our house is at the bottom of a hill, at the back of the lot. We have no
backyard; it's all front yard. The cesspool is at the back corner of the
house. The area there is perhaps ten feet square.

If it's all front yard, why can't you put a new septic system there?



Keep in mind the old saying, "**** rolls down hill."

Exactly right - with the house at the back of the lot, it would all have to
be pumped elaborately up the hill somehow.


On 7/26/06 11:51 AM, in article ,
"GWB" wrote:

On 26 Jul 2006 11:42:06 -0700, wrote:

Deeder Virago wrote:
Our house is at the bottom of a hill, at the back of the lot. We have no
backyard; it's all front yard. The cesspool is at the back corner of the
house. The area there is perhaps ten feet square.

If it's all front yard, why can't you put a new septic system there?



Keep in mind the old saying, "**** rolls down hill."

Deeder Virago wrote:
Exactly right - with the house at the back of the lot, it would all have to
be pumped elaborately up the hill somehow.

While not desirable if other options are available, this is done with a
pump in septic systems where it's necessary.






On 7/26/06 11:51 AM, in article ,
"GWB" wrote:

On 26 Jul 2006 11:42:06 -0700, wrote:

Deeder Virago wrote:
Our house is at the bottom of a hill, at the back of the lot. We have no
backyard; it's all front yard. The cesspool is at the back corner of the
house. The area there is perhaps ten feet square.

If it's all front yard, why can't you put a new septic system there?



Keep in mind the old saying, "**** rolls down hill."

Yikes! $$$$, I'm sure. Thanks for all your input! Any additional comments
are welcome.


On 7/26/06 12:38 PM, in article
,
" wrote:


Deeder Virago wrote:
Exactly right - with the house at the back of the lot, it would all have to
be pumped elaborately up the hill somehow.

While not desirable if other options are available, this is done with a
pump in septic systems where it's necessary.






On 7/26/06 11:51 AM, in article ,
"GWB" wrote:

On 26 Jul 2006 11:42:06 -0700, wrote:

Deeder Virago wrote:
Our house is at the bottom of a hill, at the back of the lot. We have no
backyard; it's all front yard. The cesspool is at the back corner of the
house. The area there is perhaps ten feet square.

If it's all front yard, why can't you put a new septic system there?



Keep in mind the old saying, "**** rolls down hill."

Deeder Virago wrote:
Yikes! $$$$, I'm sure. Thanks for all your input! Any additional comments
are welcome.

While having to use a pump because you need to go uphill is not
desirable and adds cost, I think it's still not a killer in the cost of
a whole new system, which isn't gonna be cheap to begin with, whether
it uses a pump or not. And if going that route makes to overall job
easier, it could lower the total cost. For example, you indicated that
excavating machinery could not get into your back yard, while they can
get to your uphill front yard. That factor alone would IMO more than
offset the pump cost.

There are situations with far bigger problems, like soil that has poor
perc, or cases where a lot of soil must be built up to put the system
on top of existing grade, etc.






On 7/26/06 12:38 PM, in article
,
" wrote:


Deeder Virago wrote:
Exactly right - with the house at the back of the lot, it would all have to
be pumped elaborately up the hill somehow.

While not desirable if other options are available, this is done with a
pump in septic systems where it's necessary.






On 7/26/06 11:51 AM, in article ,
"GWB" wrote:

On 26 Jul 2006 11:42:06 -0700, wrote:

Deeder Virago wrote:
Our house is at the bottom of a hill, at the back of the lot. We have no
backyard; it's all front yard. The cesspool is at the back corner of the
house. The area there is perhaps ten feet square.

If it's all front yard, why can't you put a new septic system there?



Keep in mind the old saying, "**** rolls down hill."

Sounds like you have a lot of experience with this, and I really appreciate
your expertise. I hope it will not come to this drastic type of solution.
I'm sure the cost will be extraordinary.


On 7/26/06 5:32 PM, in article
,
" wrote:


Deeder Virago wrote:
Yikes! $$$$, I'm sure. Thanks for all your input! Any additional comments
are welcome.

While having to use a pump because you need to go uphill is not
desirable and adds cost, I think it's still not a killer in the cost of
a whole new system, which isn't gonna be cheap to begin with, whether
it uses a pump or not. And if going that route makes to overall job
easier, it could lower the total cost. For example, you indicated that
excavating machinery could not get into your back yard, while they can
get to your uphill front yard. That factor alone would IMO more than
offset the pump cost.

There are situations with far bigger problems, like soil that has poor
perc, or cases where a lot of soil must be built up to put the system
on top of existing grade, etc.






On 7/26/06 12:38 PM, in article
,
" wrote:


Deeder Virago wrote:
Exactly right - with the house at the back of the lot, it would all have to
be pumped elaborately up the hill somehow.

While not desirable if other options are available, this is done with a
pump in septic systems where it's necessary.






On 7/26/06 11:51 AM, in article ,
"GWB" wrote:

On 26 Jul 2006 11:42:06 -0700, wrote:

Deeder Virago wrote:
Our house is at the bottom of a hill, at the back of the lot. We have no
backyard; it's all front yard. The cesspool is at the back corner of the
house. The area there is perhaps ten feet square.

If it's all front yard, why can't you put a new septic system there?



Keep in mind the old saying, "**** rolls down hill."

On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 20:21:07 GMT, someone wrote:

Yikes! $$$$, I'm sure. Thanks for all your input! Any additional comments
are welcome.

The pump is not the major cost of the system. It is an incremental
cost and yes another item that will someday need to be maintained.
Also, you can't get many flushes during a power failure.

But the pump and the pump chamber and wiring out to the chamber, are a
few thousand at the most.

A cesspool in a 10x10 foot the corner of the property, that's gotta be
SO outside of current standards, I'm amazed it is still legal for you
to have it/

Get some financing and do it up right!


Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.