Upfront Septic visited a property in Gig Harbor, WA, to service the property's two-compartment septic tank and pump tank, both located in the front yard and equipped with risers. During the visit, our technicians used a CrustBuster to break up accumulated solids and pumped approximately 1,400 gallons from the septic tank. The effluent filter was also removed and cleaned.
The septic tank itself appeared to be in good condition, with the inlet and outlet baffles intact and no visible signs of major deterioration in the tank floors or walls. However, our technicians found a gap where the mainline enters the tank, with root intrusion present at the connection. Resealing the mainline is recommended to help prevent further root intrusion.
The pump system also required attention. Testing revealed that the pump tank floats were wired incorrectly. When the alarm float was activated alongside one of the redundant floats, the pump turned on, but the high-level alarm did not sound. The floats and alarm will need to be rewired, and a new alarm is recommended to help ensure the system can alert the homeowner when wastewater levels become too high.
Our technicians performed a drawdown test, recording measurements of 50.5 inches and 53 inches, with an average drawdown rate of approximately 1.25 inches per minute. During pumping, the pump shut off unexpectedly while drawing down the water. A power outage was occurring in the area at the time, so further evaluation is needed to determine whether the pump has failed.
Recommended follow-up work includes resealing the mainline connection and rewiring the pump floats and alarm. If pump replacement is necessary, the recommended replacement is Model 0SP50M1 with 2.5-inch PVC piping. Addressing these items will help improve the reliability of the pump system and its high-level warning function.
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