knucklegary
Flashlight Enthusiast
Aliens who ate too much American fast food!
what is it?
- Thread starter chillinn
- Start date
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Areas where conventional septic tanks do not work well can require their own septic treatment facilities, called engineered septic systems (seems like I have heard). Elements of the system can malfunction or require scheduled maintenance, setting off an alarm. There should be a way to stop the noise. This has happened at a relative´s house.
chillinn
Flashlight Enthusiast
Vacant house, so the only person that can do it is the builder. I just hope they have a sign there. Builders usually put up signs.
Near our relative´s septic is an electrical box with the controls. It is outside, easy to access, and straight-forward to silence.
knucklegary
Flashlight Enthusiast
Builders put pad locks on electrical boxes..
I'd let authorities do there job, especially since Chillinn already called and reported..
I'd let authorities do there job, especially since Chillinn already called and reported..
chillinn
Flashlight Enthusiast
I called and left a message with dispatch. Explained the situation, loud 3K tone for 3 weeks, vacant house, etc., gave the address, asked to have a deputy stop in and look for the builder's sign, and call and ask they stop the septic alarm. I expected a call from the deputy, but he or she got to it and didn't even tell me. Noise stopped about an hour ago. Woohoo!
Thanks for the ideas and moral support, CPF!! I was surprised when I was told what it was, only because it sounded like something someone here might have known, and I am sure those that knew probably felt that way, too. I didn't even know septics had alarms.
Thanks for the ideas and moral support, CPF!! I was surprised when I was told what it was, only because it sounded like something someone here might have known, and I am sure those that knew probably felt that way, too. I didn't even know septics had alarms.
PhotonWrangler
Flashaholic
While I suspected it was something electronic, I would have never guessed that! I would expect an audible alarm to be no higher in frequency than around 2khz.
knucklegary
Flashlight Enthusiast
My guess being so close to river, new building code requirements are overflow alarms on septic systems
chillinn
Flashlight Enthusiast
I can't imagine this is an experienced builder. The lot is below the water level of the creek and the river (I haven't been over there, the Dominion technician explained it to me). That isn't collected rain in the yard. That's the water table in the yard. The pressure of the creek and river are pushing up the ground water. Without even seeing it, it's obvious to me the septic has failed, and the entire project was a monumental mistake. That might be a mistake that costs a lot more than a failed septic. Who would buy that house? I don't even understand how he got the permit.
Sea level is only rising from now on, so it will never be better than it is now. It's not that there will be water in the house (well, eventually there will be, but it might be 50 years from now). It's that a drain field is never going to work there. No septic could work there. It'll spill raw sewage into the creek and river. I'm just glad it's new and isn't being used.
Sea level is only rising from now on, so it will never be better than it is now. It's not that there will be water in the house (well, eventually there will be, but it might be 50 years from now). It's that a drain field is never going to work there. No septic could work there. It'll spill raw sewage into the creek and river. I'm just glad it's new and isn't being used.
knucklegary
Flashlight Enthusiast
I wouldn't be surprised if the contractor never received a final inspection on the home. In fact it sounds like the place should be red tagged..
I'm afraid to ask, where does your drinking water come from?
I'm afraid to ask, where does your drinking water come from?
Toulouse42
Enlightened
Good point. Polluted drinking water is no joke especially when there are small children in the house.
chillinn
Flashlight Enthusiast
I buy bottled spring water and haul it in. I hate to do it, because of the plastic bottles and the cost. But the well water is pretty awful, hard with iron and other minerals. I'm sure it would be fine if the water softener worked, but that's sat broken for at least 8 years, 3 years before I moved in, and will probably never be fixed.
What's really annoying is the pump is on my meter, which means means I'm paying for the water for 3 people next door. I don't think it's the pump, but as soon as they moved in, my electricity bills stopped making sense. There was another couple in there when I moved in, and I had normal bills. They moved out and the house next door was vacant for 3 months, and my bills were really low for those three months. Then the current neighbor moved in, and my electric bills have been high ever since. One year they went through the roof. This neighbor plugged in a 600W dock light at the dock, and left it running day and night. When I figured out those outlets were on my meter, I would cut the breaker when he went to sleep. One night he woke up late and saw the light was off, and freaked out on me. I left the breaker off ever since, but over those 7 months that damn light cost me over $200 in electricity. But cutting that breaker still didn't solve the mystery, my bills are still high. It's a tiny home, the bills should be small. I suspect but haven't yet determined that it's possible the separated garage is on my meter, and maybe he has things plugged in there that are costing me.
The property owner is very nice, I really like him. but because I can't afford to live anywhere else, if I try to resolve this through him, I fear I'll be evicted. I have already tried and his wife, the property manager, wants to kill the messenger. Total loon. Maybe it is just the pump. The neighbor is the worst kind of resource hog. The night he moved in he left his sink water running for 6 hours for no reason. He just forgot it was on. In the summer, he'll leave a hose running for days, weeks, sapping the water pressure. He's inconsiderate, dishonest, oblivious. The less interaction with him the better.
What's really annoying is the pump is on my meter, which means means I'm paying for the water for 3 people next door. I don't think it's the pump, but as soon as they moved in, my electricity bills stopped making sense. There was another couple in there when I moved in, and I had normal bills. They moved out and the house next door was vacant for 3 months, and my bills were really low for those three months. Then the current neighbor moved in, and my electric bills have been high ever since. One year they went through the roof. This neighbor plugged in a 600W dock light at the dock, and left it running day and night. When I figured out those outlets were on my meter, I would cut the breaker when he went to sleep. One night he woke up late and saw the light was off, and freaked out on me. I left the breaker off ever since, but over those 7 months that damn light cost me over $200 in electricity. But cutting that breaker still didn't solve the mystery, my bills are still high. It's a tiny home, the bills should be small. I suspect but haven't yet determined that it's possible the separated garage is on my meter, and maybe he has things plugged in there that are costing me.
The property owner is very nice, I really like him. but because I can't afford to live anywhere else, if I try to resolve this through him, I fear I'll be evicted. I have already tried and his wife, the property manager, wants to kill the messenger. Total loon. Maybe it is just the pump. The neighbor is the worst kind of resource hog. The night he moved in he left his sink water running for 6 hours for no reason. He just forgot it was on. In the summer, he'll leave a hose running for days, weeks, sapping the water pressure. He's inconsiderate, dishonest, oblivious. The less interaction with him the better.
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