My Septic Update - Some Guidance Please

Hi Grizz,

Happy spring. It’s been awhile since I posted. I was so sorry to read your updated septic manifesto to find that your field is clogged up again. I really hope you can get it resolved.

Here’s my current situation. Quick recap. Did one application of sodium percarbonate in July and it worked like a charm till about a month ago. System is single tank about 35 years old. D-box has 3 lines coming out of it. I know my lines are full when my basement toilet gurgles. The toilet two floors above gets flushed and the air in front of the water gurgles up through the basement toilet because it’s the first place it can escape. This means the water level in the tank is above the pipe leading into it. Fortunately the water seeps out of the top of the tank instead of backing up into the house. Definitely got a few whiffs of septic smell dumping leaves into the woods near the tank last Sunday. Ground is now unfrozen so I can dig up the tanks and D-box.

So, after reviewing your septic doc I see you now prefer hydrogen peroxide instead of sodium percarbonate to avoid hardpan. I’m thinking of jetting my lines first before the peroxide application. Here are my questions…

Is this something I can do myself, if so what do I buy or can I rent the proper device or is it best left to a professional do it? It seems you intend to hire someone to do it based on your 4/4/14 manifesto post.

Do I need to have the tank, D-box and lines pumped out before I jet the lines? My gut reaction to this question would be yes.

It seems you never got around to installing a system to aerate your D-box. Do you still think this is a viable option to prevent biomat? Do you know of anyone who has tried it?

Let’s continue to fight the good fight and not spend a third to half our salaries replacing leach fields unnecessarily. Thanks for keeping this thread going.
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