We have a house that was built in the 70s and we bought it in 2004. Since this was our first house with a septic system, we didn't know all that we should have about such a system. I now realize that most of the cast iron waste pipe was replaced with (I think PVC) up to about 2 feet before the basement wall. Then the original cast iron pipe goes into the septic tank. The problem is that we are getting drips from the cast iron pipe that I assume contain waste material although there is no odor. There are what look like patches on the pipe-metal strip a couple of inches wide that wrap around the cast iron pipe and were tightened by screws.

Am I correct that the cast iron pipe is disintegrating? If so, what would be a ballpark cost to replace? We live in southeast Michigan.

Thank you.

Yes, The old cast iron must be replaced with PVC. Sorry! I can't give estimate without being on site to see what's involved. Get three estiments and go with the one you're most comfortable with. In the mean time, since you're new to septic systems here's some handy tips.

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 many years. But don't forget the septic tank does need to be cleaned out when too many solids enter the 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

How is the cast connected to the PVC? Is it possible that your drip is coming from that connection? It would be very unusual for a 40 year old cast pipe above ground to rust out or fail.

ballengerb1: yes, the cast iron is actually rusting and dripping--which I, too, thought was pretty unusual.

speedball1: thank you for your response, too. I was afraid that would be your answer! Also, thank you for the additional information--I have seen it before and appreciated answers I haven't been able to find before. One question, though, what does one do with the water from cleaning latex paint brushes?

Thank you both for your prompt replies!

Quote:

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One question, though, what does one do with the water from cleaning latex paint brushes?

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If the paint's water soluble let it go down the drain, however if it's oil based treat it the same as the oil you change from your car. Good luck, Tom

Thanks again, speedball1.