Drain Feild Question

Anyone ever have any drain field issues in the winter? I am pretty sure I have a clogged drain field, there is a bare spot in the middle of my back yard were all the snow has melted away to the bare ground with a small hole in the ground where it looks like water has been coming out. Had this happen about ten years ago where water was shooting up out of the ground and it was from a clogged drain field, the water had no where else to go. My question is has anyone ever had this issue in the winter, I am afraid it will cost an arm and a leg to have it worked on this time of year with the frozen ground and all this snow.

Winter is not a good time for this. Have heard of people with frozen drain feilds that end up waiting until the spring thaw to get them going again. My best advice is have someone out quick to look at it. Standing water is more likely to freeze.

A hole in the ground? Wonder if your cover fell in or tank colapased.

We don’t have hardly any frost in the ground here Steve. I know a guy that digs graves and he hasn’t hit frozen ground much deeper than a foot. Still, you might have a blocked tile. Is water backing up in the home?

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A hole in the ground? Wonder if your cover fell in or tank collapsed.

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It is a very small hole about the size of a kitten faucet, I am guessing that there is water coming out out of it that is what happened the last time, it is no where near the tank that is why I am thinking drain field. The tank is only around 13 years old.

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Still, you might have a blocked tile. Is water backing up in the home?

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No the water is not backing up in the house but my Wife thinks that the water in the washer stinks and thinks that the tank needs to be emptied, the last time it was done was about three years ago. I am hoping that she is wrong about the smelly water in the washer and that the two things are not related.

I would get the tank pumped. If it is an emergency and you wont upset anyone by doing it you can put a pump in the tank and run the hose out onto the ground if it cannot be fixed right away. Have only seen this done as a last resort or if a mound system freezes up.

If your system is like mine…and have three tanks, the last tank has a pump to lift the liquid to the drain field.

IF the tile going to the drain field is blocked your alarm in the last tank should be sounding.

I’m guessing it isn’t because you would have mentioned it. (Test alarm)

So the next piece is one of the tubes in the drain field has a root in it or is clogged some other way.

As long as your alarm isn’t going off on your last tank, I would wait until spring. After all the water that’s going to your drain field is seeping into the ground anyway.

If your system is not like mine…disregard all of the above.

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If your system is like mine…and have three tanks, the last tank has a pump to lift the liquid to the drain field.

IF the tile going to the drain field is blocked your alarm in the last tank should be sounding.

I’m guessing it isn’t because you would have mentioned it. (Test alarm)

So the next piece is one of the tubes in the drain field has a root in it or is clogged some other way.

As long as your alarm isn’t going off on your last tank, I would wait until spring. After all the water that’s going to your drain field is seeping into the ground anyway.

If your system is not like mine…disregard all of the above.

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Not sure about the three tanks but the alarm is not going off, I did test it and it does work. I looked at the spot in the yard again tonight when I got home and the hole is a bit bigger now then the last time I looked at it around a week ago, the hole is about the dimension of a garden hose. Here are a couple of pics.

Is it just your hot water that stinks?

Highly unlikley the drain field would leech into your well.

How deep is your well?

I can’t call myself an armchair drain field specialist…but I’m guessing the pump is working and pushing the warm water to your drain field like it should.

At some point it’s being blocked an that’s what you’re seeing in the photos.

Again, since it’s water that would normally seep into the ground below your drain field, I would keep an eye on it, talk to a professional and fix it in spring.

Remember, I don’t charge for my advice and that’s what it’s worth.

PS Jeff is right on. If your water is leeching into your well all of your water would have a smell. If that’s the case….stop using your well water!

It its eating threw the soil a change in diet may be in order.

If your system is vented with pipe and you are getting a gassy smell in the house, I’d be outside digging those vents clear of snow. I guess I’d also consider having the tank pumped, but not by running a hose out on the yard that is attatched to a submersible….illegal in this county.

Gasses that build up in septic systems can be both explosive [methane] and a breathing hazard. Quite often the smell is what gives away the need to empty the tank. Start with that.

You have several lines that run thru your drainway and if one is blocked the others can handle the rest. I’d set a silo stave or pation block over the hole, heap a ton of snow on it and wait until spring to do any digging in the field. But I would get the tank emptied.

I would hate to see you have more problems due to not having it taken care of. IMHO, call a septic company and have them pump it. Show them what is happening and see if they think you can limp it along until spring, or if it is in need of an immediate fix. They should be able to give profesional advise and make the decision easy for you.

Good luck, Septic problems sure stink.