[Magdalen] More prayers, PLEASE!

[Charles Wohlers]

There's a difference - septic systems should last a couple of decades at 
least - ours up here in VT was pumped out last Spring - likely for the first 
time since the house was built 50 years ago. (We had a *lot* of fun just 
finding the stupid thing under a foot of snow in March). Cesspools, OTOH, 
usually need to be pumped out more often - like every few years. Ours in 
Mass. has been pumped twice in the 30 years we've been there, and it didn't 
really need it either time. It may be that something is stuck in the 
plumbing somewhere, not that the septic needs pumping. As Jim implies, 
having a high water table and/or a lot of melting snow or rain can also 
temporarily mess up a septic system. Don't assume it needs to be pumped out.

Having a house in bad shape does not mean you can't sell it - just that 
you'll end up selling it for less (which is the case for our house in Mass.) 
OTOH, title problems are definitely a major problem in selling a house. Get 
the title cleared up - don't worry about what shape the house is in.

Lots of prayers -

Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, VT USA
chadwohl at satucket.com


-----Original Message----- 
From: Jim Guthrie
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2016 2:59 PM
To: magdalen at herberthouse.org
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] More prayers, PLEASE!

>Geez, it never rains but it pours! There is *something* wrong with the
septic system at my house in Tennessee and for the second time since
>Christmas it's backed up into the washing machine. We've had to call
the septic tank company again. this place is nothing but a money pit

It sounds like it needs to be dug out and replaced. Servicing the septic
tank should make it good for at least a year or two, and some of the
companies that do the service actually offer a guarantee of a year or more.

Old Septic tank/Cesspool systems can be a real pain.

When we lived in Lynbrook, the bottom of the tank was often below the
water level (only about 8 feet below the bottom of the basement!) and
sometimes after a heavy series of rains, the backyard would be flooded.
I seem to recall some sort of device on the line that prevented backflow
into the house, but we moved away when i was 10, so don't  know any
details. I know some neighbors didn't have that and so their basements
would be flooded. They installed a city sewer system the year after we
moved, which solved everyone's problems with high water.

I have vague memories of discovering flowing water in the back yard as a
toddler, and building dams and streams before my horrified mother yanked
me out of the mud and into a bathtub for a good scrubbing, interrupted
by her calling the cesspool service company.

My parents' marriage was bookended by overflowing septic systems -- the
Cesspool overflowed while they were in the church getting married, and
one cousin who stayed at the house to supervise the caterer set-up for
the reception noticed and called the cesspool company-- and their truck
was parked out front when the wedding party returned-- but they were
close to being finished.

Forty-eight years later, while living in Smithtown, the cesspool
overflowed while we were in the church for my Dad's memorial service.

Twilight Zone music, anyone?

Cheers,
Jim .