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quenie1975 · Mar 5, 2009, 06:52 PM

Is it a good idea to go from a 3 inch pipe to a 1 inch reduction in plumbing in the same line.

massplumber2008 · Mar 5, 2009, 07:06 PM

Hi Quenie'75...

A few questions... O.K.

1" is an uncommon sized pipe in plumbing...especially from a 3" pipe?

Let us know the specific application... see what we can think of...

MARK

quenie1975 · Mar 5, 2009, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by massplumber2008

Hi Quenie'75...

A few questions...O.K.?

1" is an uncommon sized pipe in plumbing...especially from a 3" pipe?

Let us know the specific application...see what we can think of...

MARK

We had to put in a leach pit, due to failing system. We bought 1 inch pipe to go from the 3 inch pipe coming out of septic tank. Had to have in a hurry and could not find 2 inch pipe or 3 inch pipe we could afford. Is this going to put too much pressure on system and water back up in my house.

mygirlsdad77 · Mar 5, 2009, 07:20 PM

Should never decrease pipe size in a drainage system. Im afraid you are going to have some problems with this. Can you post some pics of your system?

quenie1975 · Mar 5, 2009, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by mygirlsdad77

Should never decrease pipe size in a drainage system. Im afraid you are going to have some problems with this. Can you post some pics of your system?

Don't have pics but can give a mental image, We have 1500 gallon tank. Solid white 3 inch pipe that comes out water side and goes about 50 feet out, about every 8 feet we have another 3 inch straight pipe that is about 8 inches long that goes into our chambers. We do not have distribution box. We do not have a gravel system. Our chambers look like 50 gallon drums cut in half and dirt poured over them. Our chambers do not work. We bought the home only 3 years ago and have had problems with our system starting 3 months after we moved in.

speedball1 · Mar 6, 2009, 06:09 AM

You choked down a 3" pipe exiting out of the septic tank to 1 inch and expected the system to drain normally? This night just work in a one person household but if liquid builds up in the tank one inch isn't going to handle the volume.

Had to have in a hurry and could not find 2 inch pipe or 3 inch pipe we could afford

Where do you live that 3" PVC can't be found? Regards, Tom

quenie1975 · Mar 6, 2009, 06:26 AM

Where do you live that 3" PVC can't be found? Regards, Tom[/QUOTE

It not that we could not find it, we could not find any we could afford. My husband and I have both been laid off from work and are struggling to make ends meet. I went from working in hospital to working in fast food. It is honest work, just a lot less pay. We left the other 4 chambers hooked up. We have been told our system work like this: Water fills in tank and runs out to fifth chamber, when it fills with water, the water back up to the fourth chamber, when it fills up the water just keeps moving up the line. When the first line finally fills up the other 4 are susposed to have already percolated into dirt and the whole process repeats itself. Ours does not quite work that well, system was half-assed when it was put in, this was 3 years before we moved into home. When last chamber would fill with water, it would not move up to other chamber, it would just blow out PVC pipe leading into chamber and we would have standing water in backyard. We removed the last chamber, hoping the other 4 would take over,it had collapsed. But alas, this did not happen. The one inch pipe starts almost 45 feet away from the septic tank, and runs the length of almost 75 feet straight downhill from tank to leach pit. We have a family of 5 with a 1500 gallon tank. When we cut into the pipe to hook leach pit pipe to it we have a constant trickle of water. We are going today to get innerds for toilets. I am afraid this is not going to work. My husband and I get out there and dig by hand. This is getting really old. We have dug and dug. It is not fun digging a trench 3 or 4 foot deep and almost 100 feet long in clay. And I do not want to have to dig back up when water backs into house.

Milo Dolezal · Mar 6, 2009, 09:34 AM

Sorry to say, but: Leach field pipe system is carefully designed run-off system with close attention paid to pipe sizes. You cannot just reduce them to 1" pipe. As Tom said your system will not work and back ups will occur. PVC is cheap even in 3". You can also use ABS or PVC of lighter schedule.