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Septic company says tank is 'frozen shut.'

17 years ago

We bought a beautiful but run down place in the country. Very little maintenance had been done on the house since it was built in 1972, so we bought it "as is." The roof leaked, the boiler failed, etc., etc., but we never had a plumbing problem - that we knew about. But we've been here 5 years, so we thought we should have the septic tank drained and cleaned. First, we got the diagram from the county "code enforcement" office, and it was completely bogus. Not even the house was located where their drawing said it was, much less the septic tank. So we called a septic company to locate the tank and drain it. They found it alright, but the man couldn't open it with his crow bar. He said both tops were frozen in place and had probably never been opened in the 36 years it's been there and would probably require a blow torch. He left and sent us his bill. Nothing more he can do. Does anyone have any experience with this? What do I do now? Advice would be much appreciated!

Desperado

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Comments (6)

peteyboy
17 years ago
Have another company come out; a piece of equipment (backhoe) will lift the lids on that tank to expose the baffled tank.

Have it pumped thoroughly with water running in the house so they can keep drudging that tank and get all the solids out.

Either core drill holes into the concrete lid so you can install cleanouts on the tank without future digging or pour a new top with cleanouts installed.

Once every 3 to 5 years is a good rule for pumping. The "stick" test through the cleanout is a better rule; more than a 1/3 solids, time to pump.

Check the incoming sewer line from the house into the tank to see if soap buildup is present, same goes for the outgoing line to leaching field.

word
meremor
Original Author
17 years ago
Wow! I feel like I struck gold on this forum. Thank you Peteyboy. It's obvious that you really know what you're talking about. Thanks a million. -Meremor
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So the issue is that we could not pump our tank because a giant tree is growing over it and it is slanted into the ground. We have a really small house with one toilet. And it is slow at times, but no backing up thank goodness. I also needed to vent and new perspectives on the septic system since we are new to all this. This is past week, my husband and I bought an axe and root saw and we tore apart all of roots above it so we can access one hatch. There is a gap between the lids (less than an inch) that were covered with garbage bags. When removed, we noticed that every time we take a shower or flush the toilet, it over flows into that hole. Not a nasty smell -- just a bit icky. As for the temporary solution -- we are planning on getting it pumped now that we can get it open and seeing if that solves our issue for now. It was hard work for the two of us, but we are glad we finished. As for the price of the septic tank, it is for a tiny house (we are at 1000 sq. ft.) with only one bathroom. Honestly, it is a small apartment size. 10k is a significant percentage of the house value which is the issue. We won't likely recoup a lot of that value unfortunately. The other complication is that they want us to raise the lines above ground so we would have to build a hill into our backyard which is unpreferred. Although I guess it would be more exercise for my overweight dog. You know, throw treats on top of the hill.
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bus_driver
17 years ago
Sounds as if it might be a steel tank. But do get another company next time.
castoff
17 years ago
If that septic field was installed 36 years ago, I would be surprised if the tanks were made of steel. Rarely do steel tanks survive that long unless the soil conditions are extremely friendly.

My guess is that the tank is pre-cast concrete. If a septic tank is working properly, they generate enough heat to not only prevent the lids from freezing in place but also the dirt directly above the tank itself. This has been a mild winter for many parts of the country so I have to wonder why your lids are "frozen" in place.

Concrete lids can be unfrozen by using a propane fired Tiger Torch, usually in a few minutes. Now, if this IS a steel tank, then a Tiger Torch can often get the lids to release unless they are rusted so solid that you need an oxy-acetylene set that will heat the steel to higher temps and break the rust.

I suppose that all you can do is to call around to companies that install septic tanks and fields, tell them what happened and ask them if they have a service department that can get these tank covers to open freely.

Don't get too upset with the first guy you hired. Experience has likely taught him to only go so far before calling it quits. Without proper tools to apply the needed heat, he risked doing damage to your tank and if he did so, then he might have had a liability issue.

If your lids opened as they should have, he would have pumped your tank and you wouldn't be posting.
lazypup
17 years ago
Using a torch to try to open a septic tank is a good way to get your head blown off. Sewer gasses in high concentration are extrememely flamable and potentially explosive.

I think when they told you the tank was froze shut they meant that it would not move in the same manner that we might say a nut or bolt is froze rather than implying that it was literally frozen from cold temperature.
jca1
17 years ago
Search around and find a "everything" septic company in your area. These type companies can get your lid(s) off even if it means breaking them and making you some more. I ran over a septic tank several years ago (that was old as the hills) with a loaded bobtail and crushed the top in. Somehow managed not to fall in though, still wonder about that one. The septic company we deal with simply made a new top for it.

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