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 The Outhouse
Song
Logan County is a combination of both city and rural living. In many
Logan County communities they have collective water systems to
provide healthy water and collective sewer systems to carry away the
wastes. In rural areas individual homeowners have private wells for
potable water and septic systems for disposal of wastewater and
wastes. City and rural systems each have their advantages and
drawbacks. What is common to both is that these systems require
maintenance and sometimes replacement.
Every home and business has a combination of wastewater systems:
those located inside and those outside.
Inside, there are drain pipes from sinks, bathing fixtures, and
toilets. Two issues happen with these drain pipes. They can often
become clogged, and they can age and begin to leak. Clogging can
often be an issue with abuse: pouring cooking grease down a drain
causes an accumulation of fat on the insides of the drainpipe and
over time has narrowed the drain so it no longer adequately allows
the water to flow. Or items not meant to be flushed are put down the
toilet and lead to clogs. Even though the boxes say so, tampons and
medicated or disinfectant wipes are not safe for any sewer or septic
system and can lead to clogs.
Clearing clogged drains can often be done by taking apart the j trap
beneath the sink and clearing it of obstructions, or using a drain
eel to rod out the close obstructions. These are skills most
homeowners should learn. Liquid drain cleaners, which should be used
with great caution, often cause noxious fumes in the house or
corroded drain lines which later prematurely fail. More serious
clogs and leaks should be dealt with by professionals.
Some plumbers offer drain clearing services, but there are
professionals who specialize in "rodding" drain pipes and clearing
obstructions. In aging homes, drain pipes beneath the concrete
basement floor often become congested because they have rusted and
are no longer smooth inside, causing frequent clogs. A professional
with good rodding equipment can restore the original smooth finish
to hidden steel drain pipes, and the problems go away for longer
periods of time. John Roche from Fitzpatrick Construction and
Plumbing provides power rodding service to clear home drains. You
can reach him at 217-671-0432.
How To
Clean A Main Line Sewer
In homes that have sewer service, there is a section of sewer pipe
that connects the inside of your home to the city sewer system. That
section is your private sewer line and is your responsibility to
maintain. Older sewer lines can collapse over time or become clogged
by tree roots (it's never a good idea to plant a Willow tree in your
yard near your sewer line). A short term fix for root-clogged lines
is to have them power-rodded by a professional. However, the roots
will over time grow back and lines infiltrated by roots often need
replacing. Collapsed lines can often be inlaid by professionals with
reinforcing pipes or will need to be totally replaced.
Outside sewer or septic work often requires big equipment, approval
by health departments, and adherence to local building and plumbing
codes, requiring professional help.
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A septic system is a private sewer system, used in
rural areas for homes and businesses for the underground disposal of
wastes and wastewater. It consists of a pipe leading from the home
to what is called a septic tank placed underground in the yard. The
septic tank and system is located a safe distance from the potable
water well in the yard so that wastewater and freshwater never mix.
Overview of
Septic Systems
The septic tank is often an underground concrete structure that
holds five hundred gallons or more for the purpose of holding solids
and providing access for periodic pumping to remove the buildup of
solid wastes. The more people you have occupying your house, the
more often wastes accumulate and the septic tank should be pumped.
It is advisable to have your system inspected (a professional can
open the lid on the septic tank and assess the level of its solid
waste contents) about every five years.
Pumping out
a full septic tank
The septic tank is connected to an underground field of drain tiles
to carry off the wastewater known as "gray water." The field tiles
are porous to allow the gray water to flow into the soil around them
for aerobic bacteria to take care of the wastes. A septic tank that
is not regularly maintained can allow solids to overflow into the
field tiles and clog the tiles, resulting in wet spots or "green
spots" in your yard. These spots in your yard are signs that your
drain field has been damaged either by collapsed or clogged tiles.
Ignoring these signs can cause wastewater and wastes to backup into
your house.
Unscrupulous vendors offer various products to relieve wet and green
spots in your yard. These products are said to reduce wastes in your
septic system. However, as soon as you see wet or green spots in the
yard, your system is beyond help from these products. Your field
tiles need to be replaced. A septic system professional can provide
all the necessary services to design, get health department permits,
dig, install new field tiles, and submit to necessary inspections.
Septic
system replacement
While there are monthly costs associated with city sewer service,
these charges are often insignificant when compared with the cost of
maintaining or replacing a septic system. A sewer/septic
professional has the experience and the heavy equipment to deal with
serious septic and sewer problems.
In Logan County you can call D&D Sewer at (217) 732-8137 for
professional sewer and septic services.
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