Shifting Solutions

Understand that vehicular traffic atop drywell lid should be avoided and is not warranted by manufacturer. When a leaching pit is placed where vehicles may occasionally pass near, you should always consult a local soil engineer. Rock fill, poorly percolating soil, ground water and/or saturation of perimeter with runoff may dictate an advanced engineering approach we can not supply you with. The minimal approach taken by engineers is to require a reinforced concrete base/pad under the drywell bottom panel and a 4 inch diameter Sch40 riser pipe from base to bottom of lid (vertical loading as per image above). In worst case scenarios, you might see engineeers add a reinforced concrete pad atop too. When stacking drywells, order the set of three side panels and assemble with the full kit of three panels and lid. Stabilize the stacked drywells with several half inch screws at each level and then lower the entire stack into the hole at one time. Backfill evenly to avoid tipping the stacked drywells.

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Backfill evenly around the drywell with soil or gravel, raising the level in stages to avoid tipping the unit. The drywell may be surrounded with stone if desired to increase leaching capacity, but do not fill the inside of drywell with stone. It is typical to use 1-1/2 inch diameter crushed gravel for a leaching pit, but anything down to about 3/4 inch will work. Do not use small “pea” gravel and avoid smooth river rock whenever possible.

Bury the drywell at least well all the way up to finish grade. Exposed gravel will allow the leaching pit to get rid of water through evaporation in additional to percolation. These drawings do not highlight like the installation diagrams at top of page, but always vent your leach pit for best performance and soil health.

This is a great project for those of you just outside the city limits or for your vacation homes. It can be adaptable  as well for those homes with in the city limits how have less yard or lawn and gardens. Other projects for home improvement and building on a sustainable life style, while reducing your share of the carbon footprint AND saving money in a big way is to explore the possibility of a renewable energy system. Learning to build your own solar panels to replace your utility with the use of home solar power is easier than you think and fun too!  it doesn’t take much time at all to build one solar panel and build your home solar systems over time as you can afford it. Adding a wind power generator only caps off a great project and give you a complete all season system. Click this link to find out more on wind power generators and home solar power systems.

INSTALLATION AS A DRYWELL

Knock out or cut out the 1 inch ports to allow water to drain out. Hit the “X” marks on the inside of each panel with a small hammer. Rest the outside of the drywell atop a 2 by 4 laid close to the hole being removed. As you might guess, this is a great time to have a bored 10 year old handy. Knock out 4 inch port in top lid and side panels as needed for pipe connections.

If you are NOT planning to fill under and around with gravel, wrap landscaping fabric around the drywell  to prevent soil from entering the drain holes and secure in place with duct tape. When back filling with gravel, install landscaping fabric above gravel layer (as per sketches at top of page).

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As with most fixes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.   Since hydrogen peroxide is relatively cheap, simply pouring a five or fifteen gallon bucket into the lateral line vents every five years, or so, is good maintenance in a well-ventilated leach field.   Once a leach field fails (stops percolating), it becomes necessary to flush the accumulated bio-mat out of lateral lines with high pressure water and then add hydrogen peroxide to loosen and aerate soil.   “How to fix a leach field” is more involved than just flushing the lateral lines, though.   You have to examine why it failed in the first place.   The most common reasons for leach field failure are: trying to use a single compartment septic tank, absence of a particulate filter, under-sized leach field, and lack of ventilation in the leach field.   Oxygen is very important to leach field health and a drywell with surface vent at end of lateral line is an instant fix for that while greatly increasing the capacity and drying out the lateral lines at the same time.   Taking the load off your failing leach field is crucial to any repair.   An excellent long-term fix is to add one (or more) of our drywell kits to the end of each leach field lateral line after flushing the pipes: drywell kits.   These amazingly strong plastic leach pit kits can be buried as deep as you need to dispose of household septic effluent.   Gravel backfill around and under the drywells will increase the capacity of your leaching pit and extend the serviceable life expectancy.   A single drywell with a foot of gravel under and around it will dispose of 200+ gallons per day in most soils, but you can not have too large of a leaching pit – the more gravel the better.   As with all of our products, we’ll work closely with you, providing toll-free consultation during construction!

drywell kits can be stacked for additional surge capacity

Please note two critical design errors in the system sketch shown above. Never install bends before the septic tank (they clog) and always install a cleanout, just in case the line does clog. From the outlet side of septic tank, effluent flows downhill 1/8 inch minimum drop per foot to the leach field.

drywell installation suggestions, tips and hints …

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Lack of venting at the ends (at least) of each leach field lateral line (finger) is the most common cause of leach field failure – no fresh air in the pipes. Drywells are most highly recommended for the end of each lateral line, with two drywells in series the optimal long-term answer. This allows the first drywell to act as a settling catchment, ensuring long-term viability on a failed/failing system by keeping the perforated pipes lines dry most of the time. If you are not professionally pumping and removing the material flushed from septic field fingers (only sensible approach), you end up having to dig to a large hole at end of each lateral line to receive all the flushed bio-mat. Should the ends of fingers not be vented, you have to find them first. Without a detailed survey of leach field location, you must use a metal spike/probe to find the end of each line. Luckily, the ground tends to be softer over the top of your leach field lateral lines. Do not use this hole for your drywell location … the soil will be saturated with bio-mat and is best left well-alone, marked and buried under at least three feet of native soil. Once lines have been flushed, temporarily cap/plug the pipe ends and then pour a 55 gallon drum of hydrogen peroxide into cleanout, so it fills the lateral lines. Put the lines under pressure for a few minutes, if possible. Keep the ends plugged until the hydrogen peroxide has done its job (give it a few hours, if not overnight) and then flush the leach field lines with clear water again for best effect. The same thing it does on a cut, peroxide will do in the leach field lines: loosen up the bio-mat (scab) and restore healthy aerobic (oxygen rich) bacterial culture. Careful now, this is a nasty job and best left to professionals since the biomat sludge is highly contaminated with bacteria galore. If your local code allows, just let the bio-mat drop down into a pit off end of lateral line and cover with soil (and maybe a little lime) later. Trying to catch it in some type of barrel or basket is a nasty mess just waiting to happen. Wear disposable protective clothes, head/skin/face coverings, gloves, and goggles … and pay attention. Due to motor freight costs, we do not retail industrial strength hydrogen peroxide, but it is readily available from your local pool cleaning or chemical supply store.

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Drywell kits repairing failed septic system leaching field

Our drywell leaching pit kits are excellent for new septic systems, adding on to one that is too small, or repairing a failed pipe-in-gravel leach field. If you have a failing leach field, there truly is nothing permanent you can do to repair it unless you add additional leach line or drywell pits.   Please dont believe those ads for “all natural, biodegradable, miracle cures” – at best you buy a couple of months, at worst you pollute the groundwater and kill local soil organisms with such additives.   Septic waste digesters are generally too little, too late and schemes to punch holes in your yard to cure the problem are just that – schemes to take your money.   If you want to “revitalize” your leach field health in a more natural way, use industrial strength hydrogen peroxide.   Home use hydrogen peroxide is around 3% strength with pool chemical supply stores selling barrels of 30% strength up to 50%, or more.   Highest strength hydrogen peroxide is preferred for cleaning leach fields and the price difference is typically minimal ($6 to $8 per gallon).   Note that 35% strength and above is considered a hazardous material (HazMat) by HomeLand security.   So be sure to post a placard in your front and rear window when transporting above 30% strength; or better yet, have the store deliver for you.   And keep in mind that a 55 gallon drum is going to weigh about 450 pounds, so plan ahead for delivery … at least you can roll a barrel.

You always hire a professional to flush the lines FIRST (power jetting) prior to adding hydrogen peroxide. They locate cleanout in front of leach field and thread hose down through perforated field pipe, flushing the accumulated bio-mat OUT of the leach field. Lacking the proper power jetting head for four inch pipe, you can do a passable job with a Fire Hose equipped with disruptor (shower) head. The strainer fitting used for end of hose when pulling water out (like a well) is commonly used to create spray around the full circle inside pipe. If you get stuck trying to do the job with a spigot and garden hose, always increase the water pressure with an in-line booster pump.

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Drywell kits repairing failed septic system leaching field

Drywell leaching pit kits are excellent for new septic systems, adding on to one that is too small, or repairing a failed pipe-in-gravel leach field. If you have a failing leach field, there truly is nothing permanent you can do to repair it unless you add additional leach line or drywell pits.   Please don’t believe those ads for “all natural, biodegradable, miracle cures” – at best you buy a couple of months, at worst you pollute the groundwater and kill local soil organisms with such additives.   Septic waste digesters are generally too little, too late and schemes to punch holes in your yard to cure the problem are just that – schemes to take your money.   If you want to “revitalize” your leach field health in a more natural way, use industrial strength hydrogen peroxide.   Home use hydrogen peroxide is around 3% strength with pool chemical supply stores selling barrels of 30% strength up to 50%, or more.   Highest strength hydrogen peroxide is preferred for cleaning leach fields and the price difference is typically minimal ($6 to $8 per gallon).   Note that 35% strength and above is considered a hazardous material (HazMat) by Home Land security.   So be sure to post a placard in your front and rear window when transporting above 30% strength; or better yet, have the store deliver for you.   And keep in mind that a 55 gallon drum is going to weigh about 450 pounds, so plan ahead for delivery … at least you can roll a barrel.

You always hire a professional to flush the lines FIRST (power jetting) prior to adding hydrogen peroxide. They locate cleanout in front of leach field and thread hose down through perforated field pipe, flushing the accumulated bio-mat OUT of the leach field. Lacking the proper power jetting head for four inch pipe, you can do a passable job with a Fire Hose equipped with disruptor (shower) head. The strainer fitting used for end of hose when pulling water out (like a well) is commonly used to create spray around the full circle inside pipe. If you get stuck trying to do the job with a spigot and garden hose, always increase the water pressure with an in-line booster pump

This project is one way to save money and reduce the carbon footprint some. There are other great projects as well, such as building a home solar system for your own home solar power to replace your homes energy grid and find independence from the utility company. Saving money is an all American endeavor and learning to build your own solar panels fits that philosophy. Having your own renewable energy system creates a bit of freedom in the sense that you can turn the heat up in winter or the air conditioner up in summer and NOT worry about those sky rocketing  energy bills from your energy provider. You help with the Green and sustainable living  code for today’s environmental concerns and by having your own renewable energy system you not without energy during a shortage or power break down. Click the link and look for the many other projects that are availalble to make your home a more comfortable place.

SIZING A LEACH PIT and CALCULATING NUMBER OF DRYWELLS

Residential home sewage system (septic) leach fields, roof gutter runoff, driveway and yard drainage are common applications for drywells. It is not necessary to have multiple drywells, just larger holes (leach pit) filled with more gravel (3/4 inch to 1-1/2 inch crushed aggregate size is the norm).   You can not have too large of a leaching pit when disposing of large amounts of water. It is always wise to install at least two drywells in series, as per the sketch above.   This arrangement allows the first drywell to act as a settling basin for dirt, leaves, and other particulates, ensuring a long lasting system by keeping the second drywell free of debris.   Units can be stacked to increase the amount of surge potential for storm or sewage water disposal.   The “capacity” of a drywell system is only limited by the size of the gravel filled hole you put it in (leaching pit).   The drywell itself is about fifty gallons dry (surge potential), but this quickly disperses into the surrounding leach pit.   Your local building department sets the equations (code) used to determine leach pit size for septic systems and yard drainage.   A rule of thumb in well percolating soil is about 200 gallons per day, every day, with 1 foot of gravel under and around it.   With gutter and downspout disposal, a two inch rainfall is the standard normally used, but that will naturally vary with local weather patterns.   Two inches of rain equates to 1.25 gallons per square foot of roof surface area (1 gallon being 231 cubic inches, 1 cubic foot (1728 cubic inches) being 7.48 gallons).   A 1000 square foot roof, generating about 1250 gallons of water in a two inch rainfall, would, as a very general rule of thumb, require a gravel filled hole (leaching pit) large enough to hold that amount of water when empty.   Certainly knowing the actual percolation rate of the soil is the only way of being certain, but a 4′ by 4′ by 12′ long leach pit can be estimated to disperse about 1250 gallons of rainwater in most soils.   A hole this size could use at least 100 gallons of surge (2 drywells) – more in slower percolating soils where you may wish to stack them, as pictured below.
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Water softener backwash brine and washing machine water should not be run through your septic tank. Septic tanks function by “digesting” solids while detergents, salt and other anti-microbial chemicals slow/stop this natural bacterial digestion.   Always run water softener brine backwash to a separate drywell disposal area (leach pit).   Ideally, all gray water (showers and sinks) would also be diverted to separate leach pits, but at least divert your soapy washing machine water (gray water).   Most manufacturers can provide a removable center spindle lint filter for your washing machine.   Anyone on a septic system should ALWAYS trap lint … only folks on city sewer can just send it down the drain.   And like any project … there are Good, Better and Best approaches with greywater disposal in drywells.   Good … with cleanable/removable lint filter on your washing machine (does not back flush lint down the drain) you could install a single drywell kit.   Better … 2 drywell kits in series (diagram below) allows the first drywell to act as lint & sediment trap.   Best … gray water systems subject to laundry lint, sediment and/or grease from sinks should invest in a full Gray water System with settling tank and filter.

Two drywells in series – bringing sewage or storm water in through the lid of first kit – is standard practice for the vast majority of installations.   The first drywell acts as a sediment catch for leaves, salt, grease, lint, or other particulates and is easily cleaned by reaching down through surface vent with a wet vacuum. Venting your leaching pit is always suggested. The vent grate (included with kit) allows inspection, cleaning and most important of all, AIR into your leach pit.   Oxygen keeps your pit dry between soakings and the soil around it much healthier.   Stagnant soil goes “septic”, creating a dense bio-mat that prevents water from percolating (absorbing) into the ground.   Freezing is rarely, if ever, a problem with running water, especially that far underground, but you can always cap the vents in deep winter, if need be.   Top loading (sending water into drywell through lid with enclosed kit venting parts) also ensures maximum surge capacity for the drywell.   We provide all of the fittings pictured with every kit (four inch san tee, riser, coupler & vent grate, and geotextile fabric).   Please note geotextile fabric is installed primarily ABOVE the leach pit gravel to keep topsoil out of the hole.   It is not necessary to wrap fabric around the drywell itself when you backfill with crushed gravel 3/4 inch to 1-1/2 inch diameter.   When under pressure after installations, very little, if any, gravel will fall into drywell from side holes.

Installing a system to convert your gray water for re use is usefull in many ways. Not only does your lawn or garden get the water they need, after all they are  not fussy about where the water comes from, but you save a bundle on the water bills and in turn help to keep a green environment. But if you don’t carte a bout all that, then heck, it make for a great project to keep your hands busy.

Another way to get those hands busy and make a sustainable living lifestyle is to build your own renewable energy system. Learning how to build your won solar panels is easy and fun and ever so practical. There are many uses for  home solar systems such as solar water heating or replacing the energy off your grid.  Creating your own home solar power or even installing a wind power generator is easier than you think and will save you a bundle on electrical power as well as the fees charged by large companies. Click the link and explore the possibilities.

Dispose of storm water roof runoff, gray water, gutter driveway, sidewalk & yard water away from your damp leaky basement Great solution for repairing a failed septic system leach field, too!

One of our favorite, most practical products … the Drywell Kit to dispose of storm water roof runoff, gutter, driveway, sump pump, sidewalk & yard drainage water and French drains away from your wet leaky basement.   If you are serious about saving energy in your home, one of the most cost-effective fixes is to divert rainwater AWAY from your foundation to drywells  installed in large gravel-filled holes in yard (leach pits).   A dry foundation is a warm foundation.   Underground pipe (French drain) can be run to drywells along with roof run-off, driveway and yard drainage. Gutter downspouts that allow rainwater to soak the soil around your house do nothing but STEAL energy … in huge quantities summer and winter alike. Our 2 foot diameter by 2 foot tall (plus 5 inch high lid) 28.75 inch overall height, heavy-duty recycled high-density polyethylene HDPE drywells come shipped in a handy thirty pound carrying case (26″ x 10″ x 25″ box) ready for on-site assembly.   Groundwater problems, roof gutter water runoff, puddles in the yard, poolside showers, BBQ area sink and other household drainage problems find a solution with our drywell kit.   The key to a warm, waterproof basement is taking roof gutter runoff at least 20 feet away from the foundation to be disposed of in a leaching pit (at least one per gutter is best).

This project is one way to save costs and energy. There are other neat projects you can get involved in as well. DIY  kits on home solar systems can show you how to build your own solar panels or wind power generator, learn to build a solar water heater and many other do it yourself kind of projects. Creating a home solar power system and installing it on your home can be  fun and generally these things do not take all that much time to build. Having a sustainable living lifestyle by installing a renewable energy system can be vastly rewarding on many levels. Check out the web site at the link above and explore the possibilities.