Sorry if im not using the correct term. We have an RV dump setup. Years ago i was told its (2) 50 gallon drums welded together with holes drilled in it. Worked great for over 10 years. I think we finally clogged it up. It will only take around 10-20 gallons now before overflowing. Even if i wait over a month between dumps. In the past i could wait 1 day and continue dumping/flushing. There is an ABS threaded cap to keep debris out. Im thinking about drilling a hole in that cap and installing an automotive valve stem so i can pressurize the setup and hopefully blow out the clogged holes. Looking for a quick fix. Probably should have dumped some type of breakdown chemical down there months ago. Years ago. Im a cheapo and dont want to pay someone to come clean it out. Not even sure if you would call it a septic tank. The man who installed it is no longer with us. So im not sure how big the holes are. How many holes. I do have an endoscope but not ready to sacrifice it just yet. Think air pressure is worth a shot? Also considering a hose adapter. Blast it out with pressurized water. The schrader valve seems cleaner and easier. More control on pressure and no worries about backflow. I think there are still a few unclogged holes towards the top of the tanks which allows me 10-20 gallons of space. If i used a hose adapter i could leave the hose on and walk away. With the air pressure it might seep out the holes in a few seconds and never clear the problem area.

Be sure to get a video of you doing that. It might just win a spot on America's Funniest Videos. Put a copy on YouTube and post a link to on here. I'd love to see it.

wopachop wrote:Sorry if im not using the correct term. We have an RV dump setup. Years ago i was told its (2) 50 gallon drums welded together with holes drilled in it. Worked great for over 10 years. I think we finally clogged it up. It will only take around 10-20 gallons now before overflowing. Even if i wait over a month between dumps. In the past i could wait 1 day and continue dumping/flushing. There is an ABS threaded cap to keep debris out. Im thinking about drilling a hole in that cap and installing an automotive valve stem so i can pressurize the setup and hopefully blow out the clogged holes. Looking for a quick fix. Probably should have dumped some type of breakdown chemical down there months ago. Years ago. Im a cheapo and dont want to pay someone to come clean it out. Not even sure if you would call it a septic tank. The man who installed it is no longer with us. So im not sure how big the holes are. How many holes. I do have an endoscope but not ready to sacrifice it just yet. Think air pressure is worth a shot? Also considering a hose adapter. Blast it out with pressurized water. The schrader valve seems cleaner and easier. More control on pressure and no worries about backflow. I think there are still a few unclogged holes towards the top of the tanks which allows me 10-20 gallons of space. If i used a hose adapter i could leave the hose on and walk away. With the air pressure it might seep out the holes in a few seconds and never clear the problem area.If you're not in a huge hurry, there's a product called Bio-Clean that literally eats the stuff that is probably blocking your system. It does take a few days to work, so it's not a quick fix, but it isn't expensive either. I used it to clear a clogged basement drain last year. Took about a week of adding the stuff to the open end to work it's way through about 15 feet of sewer pipe. After a week, I could blast water through it with a garden hose. Can be used for maintenance, as well. There are all sorts of similar products out there, I'm sure.

DFord wrote:Be sure to get a video of you doing that. It might just win a spot on America's Funniest Videos. Put a copy on YouTube and post a link to on here. I'd love to see it. Hey youre the guy who replied in 1 minute to dog on a complete stranger over the internet. Think about that for a bit.

MDKMDK wrote:If you're not in a huge hurry, there's a product called Bio-Clean that literally eats the stuff that is probably blocking your system. It does take a few days to work, so it's not a quick fix, but it isn't expensive either. I used it to clear a clogged basement drain last year. Took about a week of adding the stuff to the open end to work it's way through about 15 feet of sewer pipe. After a week, I could blast water through it with a garden hose. Can be used for maintenance, as well. There are all sorts of similar products out there, I'm sure.Thanks i just looked that up. They have a drain clean and a septic treatment. Depending on the advice other people give i might do the air pressure first and then get on a routine of septic treatment.

wopachop wrote:.... We have an RV dump setup. Years ago i was told its (2) 50 gallon drums welded together with holes drilled in it. Worked great for over 10 years. I think we finally clogged it up. ... .You indicated you had two barrels welded together I'm assuming they were steel and not plastic.I've had single 50 gallon drums sitting in the yard with the lids still clamped on that were sealed with left over grease residue inside them that didn't last half that long before the bottoms and tops rusted out.What you basically have is a now failed improvised septic system. I doubt there's much left of the original barrels still in the ground it hasn't rusted away. The holes would only let the liquid drain out so any undissolve toilet paper and solids would have collected in the barrels for 10 years. I doubt that you're going to just blow them out the holes in the barrels. Most likely the barrels have been rusting away, filling up with solids and or caved in by now.I think you're going to need an entirely new improvised septic system for the trailer to dump into.

Cleaning out a DIY septic tank | Good Sam Community

winniman
Explorer II
Sep 25, 2019
A properly built septic tank has a baffle of some sort to prevent solids from getting to the septic field. In Ontario, septic tanks have had two chambers for many decades. They now also require a filter at the exit of the tank. The only thing that separates the two chambers, is a baffle wall in the centre. Solids stay in the first chamber. Effluent goes over the baffle into the second chamber, and on into the septic field. This is why you should have your tank pumped on occasion to make sure no solids build up and get into the second chamber. Once they are into the second chamber, they could possibly get to the septic field. Solids reaching the septic field will soon plug the entire bed. Every area has slightly different rules for septic due to different soil conditions and percolation rates of the soils.
wopachop
Explorer
Sep 24, 2019
Roger that....150psi, check!
Cuzzin Eddie outfit, check!
Volcano eruption in 3...2...1
maillemaker
Explorer
Sep 24, 2019
I want you to crank up the air pressure to 150 PSI and fill 'er up!

:) :) :) :)
wopachop
Explorer
Sep 24, 2019
It very well might have a DIY outlet baffle. I know I said it's a barrel with holes drilled. That's the story I was told years ago. Asked the homeowner again if metal or plastic and she didnt know. So maybe the holes are not true.

I tried air pressure. Around 3psi. Not enough to register on a cheap pencil tire gauge. Air was leaking out the cap. It was just a quick test. Added teflon tape. Hit it again with a quick blast. I heard movement in the tank. Waited about an hour and unscrewed the cap. It was like holding your finger on a straw. Cap came off and water and air rushed down. Tank was full and overflowing when I screwed on the cap. Its clean looking water. No odor at all. I had filled the tank with hose water.

I hear everyone that it's time for a new one. It takes around 20ish gallons and there is no time rush. So for now we can dump which isn't very often. Just means doing it in stages a couple times a day. It's weird how the 20 gallons will become available in half a day. Maybe it takes 20g at first and then only 10g after. Either way it seems to drain a small portion off rather quickly for something I think is absorbing into close to saturated soil.

I'm still hoping enzyme and air pressure might clear out a soft clog if indeed its holes drilled in a barrel. Again no rush for the liquid to drain. So even 1 or 2 holes cleared lower in the barrel would help regain some capacity. Unless the barrels have disintegrated and filled with sand. I will sacrifice my cheasy endoscope at some point and feed it down the hole.

To answer a fellas question there is no RV dump into the main septic. City water, no wells.

Thanks to those with the helpful pics and info. I've been wanting to install a valve stem in the cap for months. People telling me no was the inspiration to finally do it!!

Giving the enzyme a few weeks and then will test capacity with a 5gal bucket. Fill it to overflow and then try air pressure again. Wait another time period and check again.

I think the endoscope would help answer lots of questions. Looking down the hole it's a double wye.
John_Joey
Explorer
Sep 23, 2019
So how far away is the nearest well to this? Should be 100 or more feet away. Hopefully if you got neighbors they don’t have shallow water sources supplying a family.
wing_zealot
Explorer
Sep 23, 2019
winniman is correct. Although it"s possible to not have 2 chambers (the vast majority do), you must have the outlet baffle. A barrel with holes drilled in it does not have the outlet baffle. And if the holes are drilled all the way (or most of the way) to the bottom of the barrel, it's useless. What the OP has is a rusted and probably broken and dilapidated "used to be barrel" full of ****. Full being the operative word. No baffle, no standing water, no organisms to breakdown the solids in the OP's barrel, hence, the solids didn't breakdown.
What he had was an outhouse and just like the old timers did when the hole got full, it's now time to dig a new hole.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Sep 23, 2019
Actually there ARE 2 versions of septic tanks:
Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Sep 23, 2019
A septic system consists of a tank with two chambers

Hmmmm, if you gazed down into mine it is just one round tank. Way they are here, the regular ones that is.
JRscooby
Explorer II
Sep 23, 2019
winniman wrote:
Curious how the OP made out with his air compressor trick. Not well Im guessing. A barrel with holes in it is not a septic system. A septic system consists of a tank with two chambers, and a properly constructed field to disperse effluent in such a manner that bacteria has time to consume the organics BEFORE they reach the water table. No solids ever reach a properly designed septic field. You barrel is full of solidified ****. Its done. Dig a new one, or better yet, dump into a proper septic system.

Well, I planted more than a few tanks that just one chamber, and dug up many more. The 2 chamber deal is a fairly recent change, added because of dish washers and and home laundry. With a proper leach field, a plastic drum would be plenty big to dump a normal used RV tank...
winniman
Explorer II
Sep 23, 2019
Curious how the OP made out with his air compressor trick. Not well Im guessing. A barrel with holes in it is not a septic system. A septic system consists of a tank with two chambers, and a properly constructed field to disperse effluent in such a manner that bacteria has time to consume the organics BEFORE they reach the water table. No solids ever reach a properly designed septic field. You barrel is full of solidified ****. Its done. Dig a new one, or better yet, dump into a proper septic system.