Hi, first post here. This issue may have come up before but I wasn't able to find it using the Search feature.

I've got a two-chamber concrete septic tank. The previous owners used to pump out the tank by removing only the lid on the inlet-side chamber. Now the concrete lid on the outlet-side chamber can't be removed. The septic serviceman said that it hadn't been removed in so long, the concrete had "re-set". The way he explained it, irrigation and rain water soak through the soil, then get into the concrete, and over time form a bond. He also said that you can't pump/clean/inspect the tank properly without removing that lid. Naturally, I called up the previous owner, but he had a different story. I wanted to get some impartial advice to find out who was right, so here goes:

1. The previous owner didn't think it was necessary to remove the outlet-side cover. He said the septic pumping company was able to put their hose in over the baffle and pump out the outlet-side chamber. I'm no expert but I don't see how that's possible, given the size and flexibility of the hose, and the extremely limited visibility with the hose in the hole. Is it possible to properly pump out the tank removing only the inlet-side lid? If so, how?

2. If the answer to the first question is that you truly need to remove the outlet-side lid, what is the best way to solve the problem of the "re-set" concrete in the lid? The tank is located close to my house, beneath a lawn with sprinkler lines (both water and electrical) cleverly running right over the tank. Not the best choice on the part of the installer but naturally I want to minimize the excavation in that area.

In case the options are specific to location, I'm located in Northern Colorado.

Thanks!

what are you using to lift the lid? I have never had a problem even when the lid was set with mortar.

The lid has what looks like a curved piece of re-bar set into it. The septic service guy was prying up on that with something, I didn't see exactly what he was doing. Then he took a digging bar and started chipping away little pieces at the seam between the tank top and the lid, then tried prying up in that little space. After doing that unsuccessfully he said the concrete had "re-set".

Fasten a chain to the lid handle and then wrap and tie it off around a digging bar that is held horizontally 2-3 feet above the tank. Have someone (a helper?) apply upward leverage on the bar against the ground while you take a second digging bar and, using the hammer end, gently but firmly pound on the outer edge of the concrete lid. It will come up.

The lids are often set in tar to seal them against water seepage into the tank so they are tight, but it will release.



Edited 1 times.

Thanks, m&m. Now that you mention that, I remember the septic service guy talking about that briefly, and also a variation using a jack to apply the force. He said he thought since it had been so long since it was last removed, the re-bar would break out of the concrete before the lid came up. I know that the previous owner had not removed it since 1995. Don't know about the owner before that, but he might not have taken it off since it was installed in 1978!

There was no tar or tar paper visible in the chipped-away sections.. some sort of barrier seems like an obvious step for anyone who installs these things for a living, but it looks like it was omitted in this case.

I usually call a tow truck and use his hook in that rebar.

A couple of log splitting wedges between the lid and the tank will also help.

"A couple of log splitting wedges between the lid and the tank will also help"....

About all they'll help in doing is to obliterate the lid.

The lid is about 8" thick, it is not going to be "obliterated" unless it is completely deteriorated.

Thanks for all the replies so far, about how to free up the stuck lid.

Anyone for the first question? Is it possible to properly pump out the tank removing only the inlet-side lid? If so, how?

Thank you.

Logically...........Why would they put 2 access holes if one was enough?

It appears that there are NO access holes just two halves of the lid. The center baffle doesn't come up the bottom of the lid so they just stick the hose into the other side.

Re: It appears that there are NO access holes just two halves of the lid. The center baffle doesn't come up the bottom of the lid so they just stick the hose into the other side.

--> Perhaps I've been using the wrong terminology. What I meant by "lid" was a roughly 18"x18" opening in the top of the tank, i.e., the covering for the access hole.


Re: Why would they put 2 access holes if one was enough?

--> The same track that my mind took. The question arose from the claim of the previous owner that one was sufficient, and that the hose could be put over the baffle into the outlet-side chamber. My skepticism comes from imagining a stiff 4" hose maneuvering down a hole, over the baffle, and then into the other chamber. Two access holes would certainly make it more convenient. My question is, can it be done properly using only the one on the inlet-side?

Thanks again for your time.

18 x 18 ports are NOT the same as two tank halves. It would be difficult to put the hose across, IF you have a center baffle. In this case there may not be one and everything can be done from a single port.