I have a manufactured home with a cast iron P trap between the home and the septic tank. As far as I know it was installed in 1976 when the home was placed here. The septic tank and field line were put in new by the county when road work was done but they did not touch the P trap. I have a lot of trouble with it plugging up. How can I replace it hopefully without a plumber. I am on a fixed income. My son would be doing the work.

I was told by the county superintendent that he only knew of two in our county. Mine and one two streets from me.

Septic tanks do not have P traps so we should talk about your home a bit further. Here is some reading for you How Septic Systems Work - Septic Tanks - Septic Tank Design - Septic System Design - Septic Fields - Septic Tank Systems - In-depth Expert Septic System Information on Septic Tank Pumping, Septic Pumps, Septic System Maintenance, Septic Repairs, Sept Ok now for the discussion, do you actually see the cast iron pipe and is there a trap along it above ground or even below ground? Most counties have a health department and/or building department that keep copies of septic plans, do they have yours? Have you ever removed the tank lid or had the system pumped?

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Originally Posted by martysworkmail

I have a manufactured home with a cast iron P trap between the home and the septic tank. As far as I know it was installed in 1976 when the home was placed here. The septic tank and field line were put in new by the county when road work was done but they did not touch the P trap. I have a lot of trouble with it plugging up. How can I replace it hopefully without a plumber. I am on a fixed income. My son would be doing the work.

I was told by the county superintendent that he only knew of two in our county. Mine and one two streets from me.

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Bob's bang on! You don't have a "P" trap in your sewer line. What you have installed is a "running trap" (see image)and if the traps in your unit are working you may remove it and replace it with a straight pipe. Good luck and thank you for rating my answer. Tom

Tom' thanks for the pic, you are always so good with that stuff. At least in Illinoius we don't even use a running trap on the line to the septic tank, it's just atsraight shot to the tank just so we don't get clogs. Maybe Marty should tell us more details about what he means that the system is plugged up. When I was a kid my dad never once had our tank pumped over the 35 years he own the land. I have to get my pumped every 5 years by local code. Maybe Marty needs pumping too.