A few years ago, we had sewer problem, called, got the tank pumped out. and was told we needed drain field/leechfield. Had another company come in and do that they used the rubber pieces from tires. Last month our toilets started to back up, called and they came out and said our septic was full, so they again pumped it out. Within 3 weeks, only while washing clothes, you can see and smell the sewer water coming up from the ground. I called, and was told there must be a problem with the way the drain field/leechfield was done. What should we do. First septic pump out was $250, then the leechfield was $1300, the second pump out was $300, now what do we do. These are two different companies. If I call this other company that did the leechfield, what can I expect? We have no drain problems, no water backing up, just when we do laundry you can see and smell it out in the yard.

Well you do have a drainage problem. Your leach field's right on the edge of saturation. It will accept a flush or discharge from ashower or sink but when the washer pump discharges with all that force and volume the leach field is overpowered and can not leach the water away. I don't see where you have m uch choice but to call the company that installed the leach field. I expect they're going to tell you the soil's saturated and won't percolate any more.
My guess is that they'll tell you it hasto be moved and reinstalled. Have you ever had your soil tested to see exactly what size drain field would be best in your case?
Good luck, Tom

Do you know of any experiences with the F1 Super Strength the bacteria additive for leach fields or gray water?

Which will absolutely nothing to assist your soil to dispense the liquid the septic tank sends it. Besides, I think additives are a rip off. I know you don 't like my answer and are looking for a easy out. The problem is, there isn't any. You're going to hafta bite the bullet and do something with that drain field. Let me advise you on the care and feeding of your septic system.

Let me give you a few pointers. Since the septic tank is such an essential part of a sewage system, here are some points to remember about the "care and feeding" of that part of the onsite sewage treatment system.
A "starter" is not needed for bacterial action to begin in a septic tank. Many bacteria are present in the materials deposited into the tank and will thrive under the growth conditions present.
If you feel that an additive is needed, be aware that some may do great harm. Additives that advertise to "eliminate" tank cleaning may cause the sludge layer to fluff up and be washed out into the drainfield, plugging soil pores. Some additives, particularly degreasers, may contain carcinogens (cancer-causing) or suspected carcinogens that will flow into the ground water along with the water from the soil treatment unit.
Send all sewage into the septic tank. Don't run laundry wastes directly into the drainfield, since soap or detergent scum will plug the soil pores, causing failure.
Normal amounts of household detergents, bleaches, drain cleaners, and other household chemicals can be used and won't stop the bacterial action in the septic tank. But don't use excessive amounts of any household chemicals. Do not dump cleaning water for latex paint brushes and cans into the house sewer.
Don't deposit coffee grounds, cooking fats, wet-strength towels, disposable diapers, facial tissues, cigarette butts, and other non-decomposable materials into the house sewer. These materials won't decompose and will fill the septic tank and plug the system. To use a 5-gallon toilet flush to get rid of a cigarette butt is also very wasteful of water. Keep an ash tray in the bathroom, if necessary.
Avoid dumping grease down the drain. It may plug sewer pipes or build up in the septic tank and plug the inlet. Keep a separate container for waste grease and throw it out with the garbage.
If you must use a garbage disposal, you will likely need to remove septic tank solids every year or more often. Ground garbage will likely find its way out of the septic tank and plug up the drainfield. It is better to compost, incinerate, or deposit the materials in the garbage that will be hauled away. As one ad says, "You can pay me now, or pay me later."
Clean your septic tank every 1 to 3 years. How often depends on the size of the tank and how many solids go into it. A rule of thumb is once every 3 years for a 1,000 gallon tank serving a 3-bedroom home with 4 occupants (and with no garbage disposal).
Using too much soap or detergent can cause problems with the septic system. It is difficult to estimate how dirty a load of laundry is, and most people use far more cleaning power than is needed. If there are lots of suds in your laundry tub when the washer discharges, cut back on the amount of detergent for the next similar load. It's generally best not to use inexpensive detergents which may contain excessive amounts of filler or carrier. Some of these fillers are montmorillonite clay, which- is used to seal soils! The best solution may be to use a liquid laundry detergent, since they are less likely to have carriers or fillers that may harm the septic system.
Each septic system has a certain capacity. When this capacity is reached or exceeded, there will likely be problems because the system won't take as much sewage as you want to discharge into it. When the onsite sewage treatment system reaches its daily capacity, be conservative with your use of water. Each gallon of water that flows into the drain must go through the septic tank and into the soil absorption unit. Following are some ways to conserve water that should cause little hardship in anyone's standard of living:
Be sure that there are no leaking faucets or other plumbing fixtures. Routinely check the float valve on all toilets to be sure it isn't sticking and the water isn't running continuously. It doesn't take long for the water from a leaking toilet or a faucet to add up. A cup of water leaking out of a toilet every minute doesn't seem like much but that's 90 gallons a day! So be sure that there is no water flowing into the sewer when all water-using appliances are supposed to be off.
The most effective way to reduce the sewage flow from a house is to reduce the toilet wastes, which usually account for about 40 percent of the sewage flow. Many toilets use 5 to 6 gallons per flush. Some of the so-called low water use toilets are advertised to use only 3.5 gallons per flush. Usually the design of the bowl hasn't been changed, however, and often two flushes are needed to remove all solids. That's 7 gallons! Toilets are available which have been redesigned and will do a good job with one gallon or less per flush. Using a 1-gallon toilet rather than a 5 gallon toilet will reduce sewage flows from a home by about a third. This reduction may be more than enough to make the sewage system function again. While prices may vary, 1.6 gallon toilets can usually be purchased in the $200 range, far less than the cost of a new sewer system. Baths and showers can use lots of water. "Setting up camp" in the shower with a shower head flow of 5 gallons per minute will require 100 gallons in 20 minutes. Shower heads that limit the flow to 1.5 or 2 gallons per minute are available and should be used. Filling the tub not quite so full and limiting the length of showers will result in appreciable water savings.


-Is the water from the faucet cold enough to drink? How long do you let it run to cool down? Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Then it won't be necessary to run water from your faucets in order to get a cool drink.
There may be other ways to conserve water that you can think of in your home. The main idea is to consider water as a valuable resource and not to waste it.
Following a few simple rules like not using too much water and not depositing materials in the septic tank that bacteria can't decompose should help to make a septic system trouble-free for m, too! Any years. But don't forget the septic tank does need to be cleaned out when too many solids builtreatment system.
With a water meter you can determine how much water your automatic washer uses per cycle. Many washers now have settings to reduce the amount of water used for small loads. Front loading washers and suds savers use less water than top loading machines. If your sewage treatment system is reaching its maximum capacity, try to spread the washing out during the week to avoid overloading the sewage system on a single day. Septic tanks need tender, loving care too. Good luck and thank you for rating my answer, Tom

Thank you so much for your help. We are going to try these.

If the leach field is clogged, you'll need to unclog it.

My recommendation is cut water usage down as much as possible. Do your laundry at the laundromat. All cleaners(soap, shampoo, dishwasher) should be biodegradable. Any type of antibacterial cleaner should be avoided. Your local department stores and supermarkets will usually have 'better' cleaners.

A bottle or 2 of each: roebic, cess-flo, and septi-free will do wonders for systems that have mild soap/fat clogging of the leach field. I would definitely try these products. They have saved me much money in leach fields that I now don't have to replace. Do not buy any of the additives online that try to sell 'quantity'.

The other option is go go 'aerobic'. There are limitations to our septic systems. An aerobic engine will buy you 5-10 more years out of a sick or dying septic system and is worth the $1k invested.
Your local septic companies should have information concerning blowing air into the storage tank.
Septic Tank Aerator and Diffuser Assembly - Aerate your Septic Tank
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Tom gave you great advice. In addition to it: washer dumps out lots of water filling septic / leach field to to point where ground cannot absorb any more water. This is true especially with large families where laundry runs every day. If you live on large property, you could consider this: Many of my customers disconnect washer from their septic systems completely and run washer drain to the exterior using this laundry discharge water for irrigation.

The problem with ?blowing air into the septic tank" is that this isn'ta septic tank problem.
It'sa drain field problem. The soil's so saturated it won't accept the discharge the washer pump sends it. The solution doesn't lie with additives or "quick fixes".
Puumping the tank will only help until the tank fills up again. The drain field needs to be moved to a spot where it will percolate. I can see no other way. Good luck, Tom

The leach field is likely clogged with soap, paper waste, and fat. You need to reestablish the bacteria to eat away that soap/fat/cellulose, and keep that bacteria alive. The water has no place to go but back up. His leach field is clogged. The soil worked fine for 10-30years and is finally choked up. Don't blame the soil. Blame the crud stud in the soil.

Around here, relocation or replacing a septic system costs between $8k-$12k. And, sure, it is the definite answer. But, my experience tells me that he has other options worth considering before making the boat payments for the local septic installer.

And, its not just blowing air. Its developing and culturing aerobic bacteria. That oxygenated bacteria in the waste water will work throughout the entire leach field and eat away that buildup.

Its uncommon technology. I would personally avoid any septic business that doesn't offer 'blower' or aeration option. Its pretty much standard around here for solving and preventing problems in place of selling a new septic system.

I went back and checked F1 Suoer Strength Drainfield Restorer. A little pricy at between $198 and $269 plus between 9 and 18 bucks shipping but if it will do,as it says it will It's got to be better then sliced bread. There's a 12 month guarantee so if they back their warranty whadda you got to lose? DeadRX7 has another "miracle cure" Kind of reminds you of two kids. " My bacteris'a stronger then your bacteria".
I always kind of figured that if you saw water on the ground the soil was so saturated with liquid it refuses to percolate. I didn't realize they had bacteria for that. Learn something new every day! Have a good one, Tom

You need to start at the beginning.
After doing a percolation test it becomes clear how absorbent the ground is and what size drain field the property needs for the number of people living and working there.
Then you build a home for that number of people, or less.
The septic would be sized for the number of people, or be of minimum size, usually four people.
The drain field will be laid for the number of people who will live or work in the home.

That is why, when you have lots of people for a party the drain field cannot cope.

If you use a lot of salt/sodium in your cooking, the salt will over time harden the soil round the drain field and make it hard and waterproof and it stops working.

So, the questions are, how many people are living there, was the drain field designed for that number of people, do you use the average nation wide amount of water each day, do you have a dishwasher or water softener or do you use a lot of salt?
Did the company who designed and installed the drain field get it right for the number of people, the amount of water, the ability of the ground to absorb that amount of water over 12 hours.
Do you save water, spread the load, make the most of what you have?