Fixing the Septic

After eight years of an overflowing toilet in "The Flipper" bathroom, Larry now has the time to hand-dig out the septic pipe to the tank to see what the problem is. The dig is back-wrenching work in clay and rock. But at 60, Larry is up to the task. He may complain of a stiff back and feeling like his humped-over father taking a stroll across the room to loosen it up, but he is taking his time. Hot showers and aspirin provide some discomfort relief for him. But, "He's all right."

Larry decided power equipment was too brutal for the sensitive area where the septic pipe co-habitates underground with power wires and water pipes. His brother brought over a professional concrete cutting saw, so they could cut out the pad for the outdoor shower Larry also had to remove. The sturdy lattice privacy panels surrounding steel walls for the shower stall sat directly over the bend in the septic pipe. Underneath was a nest of roots, as expected. The pipe was a conglomerate of cast-iron pipe nested into a terracotta bend also nested into another cast iron pipe connected to PVC connected to cast iron again leading into a brick and concrete-block septic tank originally built in the 1950's. Both connections to the terracotta bend leak, which means tree roots have found entries. And, lo and behold, the pipe travels uphill to the tank. Who woulda guessed that? No wonder we can't flush toilet paper for more than three days after snaking the pipe.