Converting Your Cesspool To A Leach Field: How To Prepare In Advance

Posted on: 12 May 2017

If you discover that a property you just inherited has a cesspool on it, you probably also have a septic system. Cesspools are an antiquated means of collecting everything that is flushed from the house. Tanks replaced many cesspools, but if you still have a cesspool, you may or may not have a working septic tank. A septic system specialist can help you locate the tank, if there is one, and then find out if it is working or if it is just enroute to the cesspool. Then you may want to convert from a cesspool to a leach field. Here are some advance preparations you should make for this project.

Rent a Couple of Portable Toilets

If your sanitation and septic contractor does not include portable toilets in your quote, you will have to rent a couple on your own. During the duration of this conversion project, the whole of your yard is going to be excavated to find any buried tanks, and then the cesspool will have to be pumped and removed. While this is going on outside, you will not be able to use your toilets inside the house. The rented porta-potties are your only source for restroom relief.

Cover All of the Drains in Your House

As the crew works to find a tank and dig up the lines to the cesspool, you are going to get a lot of unpleasant odors flowing back into the house. You may even get a little raw sewage, but that depends on how the septic lines are situated in the ground. The smells, however, can overwhelm your entire house, so you will want to cover all drains. You may want to open windows to air the house out as well, but with the project being what it is, you may get more odors blowing into the house than out.

Consider Spending a Few Days at a Hotel

Because it will take time to pump out the cesspool, break it down, unearth it, remove it completely, fill in the hole with dirt, and then create pipelines from a working septic tank to a newly-crafted leach field before filling in areas with dirt, you may want to spend a few days in a hotel. This way you can avoid the smells, not forget to avoid running any water appliance and not turn on any faucets, and have a clean, quiet living space for those few days. You can follow up with your contractor every day, either in person or over the phone to see how the project is coming along. Check online at a site liek http://www.zebwattsseptic.com for more information.

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Restoring Order at Your Home

A few months ago, I visited my parents’ lovely farmhouse for the weekend. On Sunday morning, everyone experienced chaos when my parents’ septic tank backed up. While I was taking a morning shower, I started hearing a gurgling sound. Immediately, I knew what was happening. I quickly finished my shower and informed my dad of the problem. Because it was Sunday, he couldn’t contact professional help until the next day. Thankfully, he was able to fix the problem temporarily. On this blog, you will discover various ways to temporarily solve a sanitation issue while you are waiting for experienced experts to get to your home. Enjoy!

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