Your System’s Distribution Box

                   Your System’s Distribution Box 

It seems that I’m getting a lot of calls from customers who want a second opinion because they’ve been told that they need a new system.  The first thing I tell them is that I’d need to open up their outlet cover (where the pipe leaves the tank and goes to the distribution box).  Often, replacement baffles were installed and a filter inserted which over the years clogged, so no water could go out to the leaching field.  When that happens, water bubbles out of the tank and backs into the basement, which many people, including pumpers, construe to mean a failed system.  This has happened dozens of times over the past five years.  Many times, I just need to clean the filter.  Other times, the line leaving the tank and going into the distribution box (d-box) has roots or has collapsed due to a backhoe or tree removal, which crushes the pipes and prevents water from going into the d-box.  This is another simple fix:  replace the line.  At this juncture, it’s a good idea to open up the d-box to make sure it’s in good condition, because it can also be crushed by a backhoe or tree removal truck.  It could also be structurally unsound, which means we’re not out of the woods yet but need to see what’s going on by water jetting the lines or replacing the line going into it.  This doesn’t mean that your system is failing; it just means that things get old and need to be replaced. 

I have so many more stories to tell, but let’s talk about your d-box instead. 

As you know from earlier installments, your septic tank holds wastewater and solids which come from your house, and will fill up anywhere from one to three weeks, depending on how many people are in your house, and how big your tank is.  After that time, water used will go into your tank, then leave it through an outlet line and go to your d-box, which is a small concrete box, usually a 20” cube, with multiple pipes protruding from it.  It’s imperative that you have a professional locate and open up your d-box during the first eight to twelve years of a system.  Because the d-box is made of concrete, gasses from your septic water can disintegrate it.  As the concrete turns to powder, covers collapse and sides fall in, and dirt, water, and septic can flow into your leaching field, all of which can mean premature failure of your septic system.  Your pumper will dig up your d-box, check its condition, and see if there are any carryovers, like the top scum layer.  If there’s a lot of carryover or the box is collapsed, replacing the d-box is no big deal, but you need to have a professional who will pull a permit, open up and dispose of the old one, and attach new lines to your box and existing leaching lines.  After that, it’s a good idea to check the d-box in another 8 to 12 years.  Here is where you want a professional that has no ties with installing.  The pumper can also tell if the outlet lines, which are your leaching lines, need to be water jetted.  Water-jetting involves a hose that scours backwards as it goes down to the end of the pipe.  It clears all debris, soil, and sand out of the lines and back into the d-box at the same time the system is pumped from the d-box.  This lets the water from the tank drain through the perforated holes in your leaching lines.  Sometimes you may need to put in oxidizers, but never let anyone put sulphuric acid in your tank.  It turns your sand into glass because of its hot temperature.  People that have been in the business longer than I have will tell you that glass holds water and doesn’t allow drainage.  Oxidizers, called scrubs, bubble and gurgle and penetrate the stone from the perforated holes in the bottom of your leaching field lines.  It’s a good idea to pump your tank within a week to two weeks, so that there’s no chance of water going into your leaching field through your d-box.  This gives your field needed oxygen and lets the scrubs have a chance to dry it.  Then you can throw bacteria into the tank, so the first thing going into your leaching field after your septic tank fills up is bacteria and effluence (waste water).  This is a good thing.

There are thousands of reasons why some people will tell you your system failed, but good old commonsense should prevail.  It doesn’t mean you need an excavator on your neighbor’s lawn to put a new system in.  There’s almost always a solution.  Go small.  It’s a good idea, even if nothing’s wrong, to open up the d-box to remove any contaminants or debris that may have piled up over the years.  This is all part of maintenance.  I have a couple of other things I can tell you, but I’d rather talk to you in person.  Sincerely, your friendly neighborhood Spider Man—oops I mean John Murphy.  If you have any questions, please e-mail me at johnsepticsolutions@hotmail.com or call me at 978-587-1192.