...and payday is on Friday.

[Pat]

ROZETT, Thanks for the info. Your testamonial makes a powerful sell for doing it right the first time and not cutting corners. My builder has recommended that we install a smaller but regular multi-chambered septic tank downhill from the walkout basement and pump the effluent (liquid only, no solids) uphill to the leach field or main septic tank. Avoiding the cost/maint problems of a "grinder" pump was one of the criteria. Also, since our area is subject to fairly frequent and sometimes extended power outages, it is good to have the basement drains gravity operated and have fair reserve capacity in the "lower" tank.

Thre are probably lots of ways to handle this situation although I can't think of a better one just now. Someone will probably suggest a real good clever trouble free innexpensive system, right after we "plant" the lower tank and plumb it up.

By the way... is there anyone out there who didn't know that our word "plumb", whether refering to plumbing/pipes or plumb as verticaly alligned with gravity as with a Plumb bob, stems from the Latin word plumbum which translates as lead, the metal, chemical symbol Pb. Well, it's true... a lead pipe cinch, thanks to the Roman's lead lined water conduits AKA pipes.

OK, I'm back... Thanks again for the advice. I will ensure we don't go too cheap with our liquid pump and regret it. As far as the freezing considerations... Our code depth for frostline is 18 inches but I pretty much go for a minimum of 24 because I am sort of a belt AND suspenders kinda engineer.

Thanks again,

Patrick

[ScottAR]

Sounds great. One tip: Be sure someone fills the septic tank(s) with water after installation. If it rains and the tank is empty, they tend to get buoyant and shoot out of the ground. You probably know this already but I thought I'd pass it along.

[Pat]

Scott, Thanks for the warning. This isn't my first time out, septic wise, but it could have been and your thoughtfullness could have averted a disaster. I would rather be warned when not needed than to not be warned because someone overestimated my knowledge with disastrous results.

You'd think it was obvious, huh? Well, on my first install I didn't think of it but luckily the installer did. They disassembled my well house to get access to the well so they could power it up and fill the new tank out of concern for the dammage if it should rain.

This was one of "those" deals. I had interviewed 3 installers and made my selection. I told him he was selected but not to start till I got back from a cross country trip. Well, when I returned the job was almost done. The septic tank was in and covered (and filled...see comment above). There was a pile of ground up tires (gravel substitute) that caught my eye whe I drove up. At first I thought they were just pre-staging some materials but NO! They did the whole job, had a doubt about their laser level and cancelled the inspector. They dug all the lateral lines up and dug new ones in between thte originals and used more "gravel substitute" and relayed the lines. As a resullt I got to see the (second) installation and inspection. It turned out that the laser was OK and the extra work wasn't actually required. They brought two lasers on this last day.

There was no complaining about their extra time and materials. They said it was their problem and it was just a part of being in business. Botom line is that thte extra trenches with "gravel substitute" between the used trenches, increases capacity to almost double what was intended, a free bonus for me. In addition, the lead man gave me several good landscaping/terraforming recommendatons and came out to check on my progress tractoring them into reality. That is CUSTOMER FRIENDLY in action. He also warned me about impending rules changes that might negatively impact my curent building site and monitored the rules change and let me know the disposition and how it related to me. (My perk tests, over a year old, were grandfathered).

You can bet I'll' give him a shot at my new job and recommend him to anyone needing his services.

Thanks again for the heads up.

Patrick