tropics surfer
Member
A small hole has appeared next to the clean-out opening and is about 3/8" across, just in the past week.
This is a concrete septic tank built by a local builder and started being used by the two of us in 2009. It is approx. 10'x 20' and has a raised step on one end for solids and a lower cavity for liquids. Has never been emptied and has worked perfectly since new. No gray water goes in it.
It has a cleanout on the solid side but I was tripping over it so I used a flush mounted cap and put a small covering of cement over it to hide it. (work shed is the reason.) The floor is approx. 3 inch thick concrete.
But. ..this is PR and the locals build them without a standard drain field. What they do is use full size concrete blocks and space them about 1/2" apart and that becomes the drain...this soil here has a slight clay content and holds it's shape. I've cut steps in the hillside with a spade shovel and they're still usable years later. Plenty of trees and fern plants growing around the septic. Plus we are in the middle of a long drought so the water table is low.
So when I open the door and go in I can smell you-know-what. Not powerful but it's there.
I've heard of septic explosions and they don't sound pleasant.
Getting a cleaning service to come would be challenging given our hilly terrain. But I'm not sure it's needed.
Ideas? thanks
This is a concrete septic tank built by a local builder and started being used by the two of us in 2009. It is approx. 10'x 20' and has a raised step on one end for solids and a lower cavity for liquids. Has never been emptied and has worked perfectly since new. No gray water goes in it.
It has a cleanout on the solid side but I was tripping over it so I used a flush mounted cap and put a small covering of cement over it to hide it. (work shed is the reason.) The floor is approx. 3 inch thick concrete.
But. ..this is PR and the locals build them without a standard drain field. What they do is use full size concrete blocks and space them about 1/2" apart and that becomes the drain...this soil here has a slight clay content and holds it's shape. I've cut steps in the hillside with a spade shovel and they're still usable years later. Plenty of trees and fern plants growing around the septic. Plus we are in the middle of a long drought so the water table is low.
So when I open the door and go in I can smell you-know-what. Not powerful but it's there.
I've heard of septic explosions and they don't sound pleasant.
Getting a cleaning service to come would be challenging given our hilly terrain. But I'm not sure it's needed.
Ideas? thanks
