bad toilet clog

[nutz]

"Such an environment"? It's a tank. Heavy stuff settles (i.e. kitty litter). Grease and fat floats.

The content of the tank is crap and piss and toilet paper (should be anyway). What do you think could react with kitty litter than would make it float, not to the surface mind you (the outlet has a tee to prevent floatables like grease and fat from entering the drain field) but to a few inches below the surface of the water, enter the outlet, to the distribution box, float in there, and then clog the 5/8" holes in the 100' or so of perforated pipe making up the drain field?

As you mentioned, kitty litter is inert, so bacteria won't break it down (but it will sit at the bottom of the tank waiting to be pumped out) and as someone else mentioned previously, kitty litter is made of clay and hardens.

If the OP had said they'v ebeen dumping kitty litter for a long time, I'd agree with you. But since it's one time, the septic is fine (assuming they're on septic).

O boy, plus shampoo, other hair and body products, toothpaste, denture cleaner, leftover drinks (tequila, scotch, beer), laundry supplies, dishwasher stuff, etc. Let’s not forget most people toss feminine and latex products too.
100’ of line per what combination of bedrooms and bathrooms?

 

[glhs837]

Hopefully with gravity restored. Did anyone mention the old adage, “pressure goes where you want, crap goes downhill and dont bite your nails while you work”?

Should that be "pressure goes where it wants"?

 

[Chris0nllyn]

There are too many inaccurate points here. Liquids float off, nothing is skimmed. Not all systems have a distribution box, Settling does not occur at the distribution box, if it does something is wrong. If solids make it to the d-box, you have problems. A 1000 gallon would be more standard than 1500. Depth of tank is dependent upon proper slope of total system ( unless its a pressure system) some are 3” below grade, some are really deep and need risers added to gain access. In this case, baffles and dividers would be the same .

Liquids don't float off. If that was the case, there wouldn't be a tee/baffle at the effluent to stop grease and fat from entering the pipe. The middle layer goes out.
While every system may not have one, it's very likely they do (unless they have a seepage pit). There's no other way to evenly distribute the effluent to the drain field.
Settling would occur at the D-Box because the bottom of all the drain field pipes are the same elevation. There is a few inches below those pipes where something like kitty litter (or toilet paper) would settle out.
I'm talking the depth of the tank itself, not how deep the tank is buried.

 

[nutz]

Should that be "pressure goes where it wants"?

Only if you have a bad joint or leak

 

[glhs837]

O boy, plus shampoo, other hair and body products, toothpaste, denture cleaner, leftover drinks (tequila, scotch, beer), laundry supplies, dishwasher stuff, etc.
100’ of line per what combination of bedrooms and bathrooms?

Yeah, back when my tanks inlet got clogged to bad with fine roots that not only torn loose the mortar that the inlet pipe but also formed a blockage at the inlet t , and I had the nice man from Calvert come pump it out I got quire an education about what else there might be as he wielded his mighty modded weedwacker to break stuff up. ....... hell, I got quite an education just removing the roots and resealing the inlet pipe.

 

[nutz]

Liquids don't float off. If that was the case, there wouldn't be a tee/baffle at the effluent to stop grease and fat from entering the pipe. The middle layer goes out.
While every system may not have one, it's very likely they do (unless they have a seepage pit). There's no other way to evenly distribute the effluent to the drain field.
Settling would occur at the D-Box because the bottom of all the drain field pipes are the same elevation. There is a few inches below those pipes where something like kitty litter (or toilet paper) would settle out.
I'm talking the depth of the tank itself, not how deep the tank is buried.

Seepage pit??

1000 gallon- 55” tall
1500 gallon- 61” tall

Again, overall system design and correct installation are key to a good system

 

[Chris0nllyn]

O boy, plus shampoo, other hair and body products, toothpaste, denture cleaner, leftover drinks (tequila, scotch, beer), laundry supplies, dishwasher stuff, etc. Let’s not forget most people toss feminine and latex products too.
100’ of line per what combination of bedrooms and bathrooms?

Thank you. Yes, plenty of stuff gets flushed and subsequently pumped out if it does not get broken down by the bacteria in the tank.
The drain field length has more to do with the perc rate than size of the home. Design flows are based on bedrooms. (150 gallons per day according to MDE). I was just using 100' (and the 1,500 gallons) as a means for discussion. MD says the max length of a drain field leg is 100'. Total length would be shown on the perc slip.

 

[DoWhat]

Another question.
Do we know if it is a basement bathroom that requires a pump to pump it out?

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Seepage pit??

1000 gallon- 55” tall
1500 gallon- 61” tall

Again, overall system design and correct installation are key to a good system

Yea, or dry well. Whatever you want to call it. Essentially the effluent runs to a gravel-filled pit in lieu of drain field.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Well, not really. She has repeated that "It's not a well". Really don't know what they are connect to.
She hasn't posted back on success, so probably still struggling with it.

I knew someone who lived in a rental house for three years with no idea it had a septic system, she had poop backup in the house and found out.

 

[limblips]

Who thought a little kitty litter would cause such an in-depth discussion?

 

[DoWhat]

Who thought a little kitty litter would cause such an in-depth discussion?

Damn cats.
Get a Dog, they $hit outside (in the neighbors yard).

 

[Grumpy]

Damn cats.
Get a Dog, they $hit outside (in the neighbors yard).

or on your deck

 

[limblips]

Damn cats.
Get a Dog, they $hit outside (in the neighbors yard).

I told my wife that the neighbors dog $hit in the yard again. She said, 'Get a shovel and throw it over the fence." So now I still have dog $hit in my backyard and my neighbor has my shovel. I'll never understand her logic.

 

[DoWhat]

or on your deck

:sad: I miss that girl (dog).
I miss all of our past pups that have past away.
But guess what?
We have a pig. Lucky me.

 

[RoseRed]

:sad: I miss that girl (dog).
I miss all of our past pups that have past away.
But guess what?
We have a pig. Lucky me.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Damn cats.
Get a Dog, they $hit outside (in the neighbors yard).

And will take care of the cat crap if you let some of them.

 

[nutz]

Yea, or dry well. Whatever you want to call it. Essentially the effluent runs to a gravel-filled pit in lieu of drain field.

You may want to pursue some different resources for information or reference a different jurisdiction.

 

[nutz]

:sad: I miss that girl (dog).
I miss all of our past pups that have past away.
But guess what?
We have a pig. Lucky me.

According to the others you live with, would that be a total of one or 2 in the house ?

 

[nutz]

I told my wife that the neighbors dog $hit in the yard again. She said, 'Get a shovel and throw it over the fence." So now I still have dog $hit in my backyard and my neighbor has my shovel. I'll never understand her logic.