Thank's dozerdave,We run the leech line's dead level.This job was on a hillside with 4 leech lines so each line was at a different elevation .We use a distribution box to meter the water equally to each line.
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Chamber type septic system
- Thread starter td25c
- Start date
Thank's dozerdave,We run the leech line's dead level.This job was on a hillside with 4 leech lines so each line was at a different elevation .We use a distribution box to meter the water equally to each line.
Deeretime
Senior Member
Lol in alberta the old trench style has been banned for 10 years and U have to be a licenced installer to do the new systems now Are u ?? and do u have to have it designed and engineerd with soil analisis or is it usualy just the contractors choice
I have to say that they are definately a way better system to install and maintain tho
Good to see the picks
I have to say that they are definately a way better system to install and maintain tho
Good to see the picks
Hi Deeretime & welcome to the forum.I dont have a septic licence.A septic job in my area starts out with a soil test and the soil scientist determins the area & best type of leech system to use.We also have a county inspector that looks at the job and signs off on it.
adv.wastewater
Well-Known Member
Here in Alabama the most common system is 300 linear feet of conventional stone and pipe drainfield in a 36" trench, using infiltrator chambers you get a 40% reduction which comes out to 180 linear feet. I put them in by myself and do my whole system with a CAT 304C CR mini EX. I like using them because I don't need to have gravel hauled in, don't have to dig up nearly as much area, don't need another machine to move the gravel to my trenches, and a lot less labor. As long as your trench bottom is right, you just clip them together (Quick4) and put your end caps where needed. No more raking stone in a trench anymore.
adv.wastewater
Well-Known Member
Thank you CM1995... I see you are from Birmingham, what kind of work do you do?
adv.wastewater
Well-Known Member
i am very curious to know what the average cost of a basic septic system is in everyones areas... i would appreciate someone to post a new thread so we can share what the average system is, and cost of the system... for some reason this forum will not let me post a thread, only reply.
xcv8tr7
Member
I know- old thread alert. Maybe it's just me, I can't understand how installing chambers is more work than rock and pipe. It's the opposite for me. While I'm digging the trench, my ground man is checking with the laser as we go- making sure we are perfectly level. When I'm finished digging a setting (reach of the hoe) he sets the chambers while I move ahead and start on the next setting. By the time I'm getting close to grade he's done installing those and is checking with the laser again. Smooth as silk! It is so much faster and easier than using rock and pipe for us- only two of us- and we don't get more reduction for chambers. It actually takes more footage than rock here. If we do use rock, we dig the entire trench level & to length, fill rock up to desired level throughout trench- checked with laser so pipe will lay level too. Lay pipe, cover with fabric & rock, backfill. I've also installed them myself, dug entire trench, spray paint marks on side of trench so I could see how much rock to dump in as I go. Prices probably range from 4-6K lately.
Willis Bushogin
Senior Member
Of course, I gave up my license 12-10, just not enough work in my area, to depend on this. The State started a required license, in 08-09, that ends up costing about $1000-$1400 a year. We went from being about a month behind on our work, to almost no work. I think we did like 10 systems in 10. We were getting around $2500 for a basic system, 1000 gal tank, 3-50ft lines, 18" deep. At last- some of the other installers, went down to $2100, for this same system, so I let them have it, they can work for nothing if they want to.
I really like the instructions, on how to use the sled, for rock. I couldnt have written it better. We started out with batter boards also, boy what a mess. My first system took me and 2 helpers, a week to do. Then I was introduced to a sled and I went home and built one that night, shortly after that, we were doing one a day
Chamber systems, at one time I went to almost all chamber systems. Mostly it was because, it was cheaper, than for us to truck the rock in, we were doing a bunch of work out of our general area and farther away from the rock quarry. I have mixed emotions about the chamber system, it installs great in sandy, soft dirt-but try to level a trench bottom in a clay type soil (another story, another time) you have to bring in leveling dirt to get the trench bottoms almost perfect. The inspectors, in our area didnt like chambers and they were very picky about their inspections
Chamber system is alot less, messy, no rock cleanup after the job. I did charge about $200-$300 more for the chamber system, they did cost more than the rock systems
Mound/pump systems, no one asked about this, but they cost about $12,000.00
Drip systems, about $15,000.00 plus, plus a monthly monitoring fee
Hope all this helps someone
jrtraderny
Well-Known Member
Quit using chambers 2 yrs. ago, too expensive. Someone needs to show me a picture of a "sled"., never seen one up here.
jr
jr
Infiltrators got the accusations of getting filled up by rodent borowings, gophors, moles etc, it seems that maybe the problem was the hundreds of linear feet some localities required 450' for a four bedroomed house.
Normal usage would not fill the capacity and the empty hundreds of feet made good gopher homes?
Normal usage would not fill the capacity and the empty hundreds of feet made good gopher homes?
lgammon
Senior Member
i need to see this sled. when i started installing septic systems in the early 90's, the backhoe dug the ditch ten carried the rock and dumped it in the ditch, the labor ME! would tell him how much, then while he went to get more rock i would get in the ditch and shovel the rock to each side of the ditch and make a v in the gravel. this would go for a 20-30 feet then i would start going back and clipping 10' sections of pipe together and raking the gravel back over the pipe. cover with straw or paper then off to the next on. now this was a lot of work and i always slept well. 330' is the average 3 bedroom system here. this would take a good hard long day to install. 8-10 hours
now when we do gravel we take a skid with us. as dad digs i carry with the skid. when i dump the gravel in the ditch, i take the bucket and rake the gravel to each side with the bucket. THIS IS THE BEST IDEA I EVER HAD!!!! then i take a shovel or sometimes just my foot and level any little spots that need it as i lay the pipe. then get another bucket of gravel and sprinkle a little gravel to cover the pipe. then straw or paper over that. we can put these in about 5-7 hours.
now we do a lot of chambers how they go in has been discussed, it takes us about 3-4 hours to install one of these systems. we get a 30% reduction for useing them here. i think they work alright, but would rather install gravel as i get a full days work out of them and i am just labor on these jobs. they do save quite a bit for us. my pay is around half, material is the same, and no wear and tear on a tracked skid.
we did put in the gravel-less pipe for a while but the inspecters really hate them now, and i hated dragging those 20' sections of 10'' pipe up and down hills.
when it came to installing one at my house i went rock all the way......i think they are the best, guess i am a little old school.
now when we do gravel we take a skid with us. as dad digs i carry with the skid. when i dump the gravel in the ditch, i take the bucket and rake the gravel to each side with the bucket. THIS IS THE BEST IDEA I EVER HAD!!!! then i take a shovel or sometimes just my foot and level any little spots that need it as i lay the pipe. then get another bucket of gravel and sprinkle a little gravel to cover the pipe. then straw or paper over that. we can put these in about 5-7 hours.
now we do a lot of chambers how they go in has been discussed, it takes us about 3-4 hours to install one of these systems. we get a 30% reduction for useing them here. i think they work alright, but would rather install gravel as i get a full days work out of them and i am just labor on these jobs. they do save quite a bit for us. my pay is around half, material is the same, and no wear and tear on a tracked skid.
we did put in the gravel-less pipe for a while but the inspecters really hate them now, and i hated dragging those 20' sections of 10'' pipe up and down hills.
when it came to installing one at my house i went rock all the way......i think they are the best, guess i am a little old school.
The graveless systems didn't work well around here, most failed in five to ten years. The county was pushing them real hard for a few years, now illegal to install. Once I get started the plumber starts setting pipe to grade, being held by pipe supports. Then i backfill either with the backhoe or skidsteer. The county is pretty good about inspections, we call when getting close to done and they will check right away. So usually are done in one day.
xcv8tr7
Member
I have always done rock systems like lgammon started. I need to see this sled too- wanna understand how it works. Maybe I would be tempted to use rock more. There is a company here that has come up with some type of hanger thingy. They set them every 10' to carry the pipes. They are the correct height already- dig the trench, set the hangers, set pipes on hangers, fill trench with rock over pipe, pull hanger out and pipe stays at correct level.
xcv8tr7
Member
Gravelless pipe was a total failure here too. The only soil they ever worked in was clay. If they were installed in sand- certain disaster. I saw some of my competitors' drainfields fail after 1 year!
lgammon
Senior Member
come on guys we need pics of these sleds!
jrtraderny
Well-Known Member
I'll second that !!!
WV earth mover
Well-Known Member
Chamber is by far the most popular system in WV mainly due to 40% reduction over gravel trench or 10'' graveless pipe but my crew still puts a 2'' bed of 57's under and then 12'' up each cover with cloth and topsoil and the main thing is not to go to deep we never have more than 10'' of cover somtimes only 6'' to stay in good soil . Most oldtimers think deeper is better but this is slowly being proved wrong with each new failure
xcv8tr7
Member
We don't put any rock under or cloth over. Here we have a max. bottom depth of 4'. We try to keep at least 1' of cover but the cold is more of an issue here too.
waterman28
Well-Known Member
What Is a sled? Pics Please!