Re: Inexpensive Aerators for the Septic Tank

Hey guys, sparing all the gory (and slimy) details, suffice to say I've been a lone warrior fighting this thing for almost two years, Google has NOT helped just as you found and I'm SUPER stoked to find a community of folks on the same mission: refusal to cash in a retirement bond to dig up the back yard. Grizz, thanks for that OUTSTANDING timeline of your experience; it was JUST what I've been looking for. So here's where I am in a nutshell:

Aerator's been about 18 months, single tank, same results you've seen (to a T, literally-lol), I diverted grey water (wash and even shower) to a seep well years ago, which helped for awhile. Now I've got a non-moving septic system again.

I've wondered if during that sweet spot of about 3-4 months when the water stayed at level I had shut off the aerator and gone anaerobic I would've been fine, thinking so. So now the plan is to install a D box, try the oxy/H-peroxide thing to get it moving again, and aerate only the D-box. The problem is two fold: I have clay drain to the leach field and the ClogHog folks discourage use in clay, also I'm in the Indiana/Ohio climate and we're getting into the nasty (don't want to dig my yard up) weather, but I may need to find a decent Saturday and just git er dun.

I will add to your conclusions, they key is separating the settling and aeration process. A local septic guy gave me the preview a couple years ago, and I appreciate his candor: "You gotta have at least 300 gallons of aeration space, so what you may do is build a cinder block barrier in your 1000 gallon tank separating the first 700 gallons for separation and the second 300 for aeration." **BIG WARNING** (I'll go further than he did), climbing down into a drained septic tank without proper equipment and knowing exactly what your doing can be deadly!!! Processing that through my brain/simulator did not yield good results (if you pass out down in there, who's doing to drag you out before you give it up).

Long story short if he's right a simple D box may not be enough space to properly aerate. I wondered about extending a hose down each leg of the 4" lines to keep fresh air pumped in to supplement?? Dunno.

Thanks again for this thread!!! Good to know I'm not fighting alone. :) Tweet