A topic of frequent conversation. Ideally we'd like a single level home on some property - property that doesn't require the maintenance I have now. Detached garage with a big concrete pad. We have some time yet and are trying to figure out where.
** single level home means I could actually get the teacup pig I've always talked about.
I have been giving love to my septic system for 23+ years. Took down dozens of trees to open up the leech field, have the 1000 gallon tank pumped every third year and yet still managed to suffer a collapsed pipe between the house and the tank. Generally behaves itself and is unnoticeable except when it wants something - and when it wants something its usually s**tloads of money.
One of the things that I have found, since I have lived in the mountains for 12 years now, is that
a septic tank doesn't need too much, if it is placed properly to begin with. But most of the time
we ourselves have no choice in that decision - since it's done by the builder.
However, you can save yourself quite a bit of money if you will cut the load in half or rather
somewhere near a third less. Take a 55 gallon drum and punch a three inch hole on the bottom of one side. You will be making a hole to place this in, right side up in a bit, so you need to work on this when nobody is looking, such as building inspectors (at night is preferred).
Dig a hole in your yard, so that the top of the barrel is about two feet from
the level of your land, or below the street level. Yes, it's a deep hole, and that's why we do this part at night, or else your neighbors will swear you are burying one of your ex-wives there.
We will be attaching a three inch drain pipe in pvc, which we have pre-drilled with three eights
holes all over the damn place, and this should be two sections of pipe or about 24 feet total length.
This needs to go as deep as the drum, but since it is much narrower, it is easier.
If your ground is sandy you can even use a 1 inch sprinkler hose - which is what I got
away with in Florida, but up in the north you will need to wait for spring and use the pvc.
to the top of the buried 55 gallon drum and buried drain, you will input all of the water and
soap from your washing machine. And your shop sink as well if you like. That will
cut down on the work for your septic tank, and the total cost is less than $50. Mine in
Florida lasted at least 10 years that I was there, and I put one in Texas in the springtime
and it lasted a few years as well.
Happy digging.
PS Kids can dig too. Remember Hucklebury Finn when he charged the neighbor kids 5o cent
to paint his fence? Same concept.