# Septic system



## Plumber patt (Jan 26, 2011)

So I get called to a house today for, the issue is "floor drains are backing up with sewage", so I figure, easy drain call, I head to the home, talk to the customer and he tells me he is on septic. So the first thing I say is "let's have a look at your tank first" he replies with "the tank is not even a year old, there shouldn't be anything wrong, just snake it" at this point he is very insistent, so I have him sign off on our price and get to snaking, after he leaves us alone, I tell my apprentice that this guys tank has to be full and we are wasting our time, so I have him run down and remove the lids, and what we found was in my opinion quite funny, seeing as the tank is "brand new"

First tank
Second tank
And finally the pump chamber

After showing the customer his tank with no lids, he then insists that my snaking will fix his problem, he can't grasp the fact that the pipe between the first chamber and second chamber was frozen and there was nothing I could do.... Sometimes it just boggles my mind how people can be soo oblivious!


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## Plumber patt (Jan 26, 2011)

The picture of the second chamber won't load for some reason, by dumb iPad won't let it, ill try and figure it out


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Weird it would freeze.....

Was the tank not in use for some time...... the tank and piping should stay warm enough with the bacteria breaking every thing down to stop it from freezing...

How cold is it were you are from.... we get days on end at - 30 deg C and nothing freezes here


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## Plumber patt (Jan 26, 2011)

It was only minus 10, minus 15 tops, after talking with him he said it hasn't really been used all winter, they have been away, and that's exactly what I told him, I said that his culture died and was no longer breaking down the waste and in turn, it froze, but it didn't matter what I said, he wasn't going to listen, it's hard for me to deal with some customers because I am young, they just assume they know more than me and ignore what I have to say, so finally I just told him to call the guy who installed the system seeing as he wasn't going to listen to me


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

I would have told him to pump it out and restart his bacteria.... by the time it filled up enough there would be enough heat created to unthaw the tank and pipe


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## Plumber patt (Jan 26, 2011)

Oh pumping it was definitely part of the conversation, in the first place when I asked to look at it and he said no lol


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Plumber patt said:


> but it didn't matter what I said, he wasn't going to listen, it's hard for me to deal with some customers because I am young, they just assume they know more than me and ignore what I have to say, so finally I just told him to call the guy who installed the system seeing as he wasn't going to listen to me


I feel your pain bro, I get the same thing.

Like UA says were just young whippersnappers!


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

it isn't age necessarily i'm 66 and have people tell me that kind of crap, also. i just charge them for a cleaning. breid.................:rockon:


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## Plumber patt (Jan 26, 2011)

Well I'm 22 years old and licensed, a lot of people think I'm still I'm high school and have no interest in listening to what I have to say


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

I don't know where you are located but i'd guess there is a clogged filter with a short handle under the water. We've had to put on a filter for the last 15 years or so and 99% of the time I get a call on a sewage backup on a relatively new new septic field its that filter or a hung up float.


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## PLUMB TIME (Feb 2, 2009)

Ask the guy in the bottom of the tank taking pictures, he may know. :laughing:


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## Plumber patt (Jan 26, 2011)

Haha you like that eh? Who would have guessed a blackberry took photos with such great quality lol!


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Plumber patt said:


> Haha you like that eh? Who would have guessed a blackberry took photos with such great quality lol!


Even submerged in frozen doo doo!

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


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