Living Filter Septic System - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

jmic · 07-17-2007, 06:52 PM

On Mon. we installed this septic system by www.greenleach.com . I've held my Ct. septic license for over 16 yrs. and have never installed a product like these. All and all they went in pretty smoothly. The company sent 2 employees out to oversee and help with the installation.
This system is made entirely of biodegradeable cardboard within a couple of weeks the cardboard will turn to mush just leaving the fabric inter twining between all the fingers of sand and washed stone.
What this system does is give you much more leaching capacity than other methods of septic systems. So you can put a system for a larger house into a smaller area. This was about a 30K system for everything which included bringing septic sand, this system, pump chamber, and 1250 tank.
I'll try and post some pics. of the install. Bear with me it may be a while , tomorrow I'll post pics. of the other components.

As you can see they use what sort of looks like oars that are cut down to approx. 3.5" to move the sand and stone in between the fingers . The cardboard shoot pcs. that are on top an either side of the 4" pipe are only temp. to guide the stone inside the units.

mdshunk · 07-17-2007, 07:16 PM

30 grand worth of cloth backed cardboard?

Dag-gone, I'm in the wrong business.

**denick** · 07-17-2007, 08:09 PM

Joe, Is this really your job or did you just happen by and have your camera with you?

How long have they been approved in Conn?

LNG24 · 07-17-2007, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdshunk

30 grand worth of cloth backed cardboard?

Dag-gone, I'm in the wrong business.

I'd bet the cloth backed cardboard cost little compared to the man hours that went into using the product.

Seems like a lot of work for the job. Aren't the private Wastewater Treatment Systems much less expensive?

jmic · 07-17-2007, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by denick

Joe, Is this really your job or did you just happen by and have your camera with you?

How long have they been approved in Conn?

Nick this co. has been in business I believe for about a yr. There's another co. from Mass. that has been approved in Ct. for I believe about 3 yrs.

rino1494 · 07-17-2007, 08:31 PM

That is very labor intensive placing all of the sand and stone by hand. I don't understand the benefits of having fabric in between the pockets of sand. I can see the entire absorbtion area wrapped in fabric, but don't see the benefit of having it in the middle of the bed.

rino1494 · 07-17-2007, 08:32 PM

Also, it appears that you dug a big trench, placed the septic sand in and then dug out a smaller trench for the leach bed. Is this correct Joe ?

tgeb · 07-17-2007, 08:35 PM

I am looking at this and I can see the increased "filtration" capabilities of this system but I fail to see any increase in the "absorption" capability that would be needed to approve a larger house on a small lot.

Am I missing something?

Quote:

What this system does is give you much more leaching capacity than other methods of septic systems.

Our systems are stone filled trenches, if yours are of a different design that could be my confusion.

jmic · 07-17-2007, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rino1494

Also, it appears that you dug a big trench, placed the septic sand in and then dug out a smaller trench for the leach bed. Is this correct Joe ?

Yes that's correct, the plan called for 5' of septic sand around the perimeter of the system and 4" below it. Good eye! Guess you haven't been drinking tonight.

jmic · 07-17-2007, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgeb

I am looking at this and I can see the increased "filtration" capabilities of this system but I fail to see any increase in the "absorption" capability that would be needed to approve a larger house on a small lot.

Am I missing something?

Our systems are stone filled trenches, if yours are of a different design that could be my confusion.

Tom we have all kinds of different types of allowable systems for different situations. This system has by far the most leaching surface because of all the fingers. Visit their web site for a clearer explanation.

Tscarborough · 07-17-2007, 11:37 PM

It is all about the surface area.

tgeb · 07-18-2007, 05:29 PM

Yeah, OK. I understand that the greater the surface area, the greater the rate of absorption would be.

But I see the absorption area as the bottom and sides of the trench, I would think that you have no greater absorption area than if you simply filled the trench with stone. Since you are not increasing the walls or floor of the trench.

Am I wrong, again?

We have never done a "sand system" here so that could be my problem.
Or it could be my abnormally thick cranium.

rino1494 · 07-18-2007, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tgeb

Yeah, OK. I understand that the greater the surface area, the greater the rate of absorption would be.

But I see the absorption area as the bottom and sides of the trench, I would think that you have no greater absorption area than if you simply filled the trench with stone. Since you are not increasing the walls or floor of the trench.

Am I wrong, again?

We have never done a "sand system" here so that could be my problem.
Or it could be my abnormally thick cranium.

Tom, I totally agree with you.

Tscarborough · 07-18-2007, 10:04 PM

The surface area has to do with remediation of the effluent, not the dispersion of the volume, if that makes sense.

tgeb · 07-18-2007, 10:16 PM

Yes, that does make sense.

As I said earlier

Quote:

I can see the increased "filtration" capabilities of this system

But "cleaning" the water is only part of the equation, the surrounding soil must also absorb or get rid of the water. Other wise you have a swampy smelly mess.

Maybe I should go look at that web site Joe referenced in the first place.

jmic · 07-19-2007, 05:42 PM

Ok a few more pics. of lower D-Box, risers from 1000 gal. pump tank, 1250 gal. septic tank, and upper baffle box.

Received the ok to cover system which I did today before the monsoon rains.

sonny · 07-19-2007, 09:38 PM

You guys ever hear of the infiltrator product up there?

No stone - no membrane - dig trench - install infiltrator boxes

product works awesome! only thing that I ever found better was

Straight Piping into the nearest creek - which of course is frowned

on these days! Course up here when ever it rains real heavy the various municipalities straight pipe all there sewage straight into Lake Erie. And I'm talking millions of gallons of raw sewage.

But of course that is allowed. They post the required - Do Not Swim signs & give warnings on the TV.

Sonny

LNG24 · 07-20-2007, 07:59 PM

Its funny how sewage is sewage anywhere you are, but different areas insist on different systems. I had a system fail inspection because there was a heavy rain before the inspection and the sandy trench walls fell on top of the gravel in some spots. Ended up just adding another leg to make him happy. So here we have sand going right on top of the gravel. Sand around the gravel and no means of seperation between them. Go Figure.

jmic · 07-20-2007, 08:31 PM

Digger if you're talking about the system above, the stone and sand are kept seperated by the fabric.