Cha-ching $$

Today (Friday) I had a company come out and pump our septic tank.  We do this about every 5 years.  There have never been any surprises.  It isn't cheap by any means, running close to 400$ to pump a 1k gallons.  I did have a couple questions for them this time as we have experienced some sulphur smells around the system this past year that we have not ever had previously.  They checked it out and didn't see anything, and it wasn't that all unusual to get that smell.  There could be any number of factors involved and nearly impossible to tell exactly.  Then they opened the tank.  The concrete lid was decayed/corroded and broke apart on opening.  The lid sits right over a pipe (I don't really know what is't called) and that was where most of the decay of the lid was located.  He explained that is where the sulphur smell was coming from.  The sulfur (along with another big word) gas had deteriorated the lid and that was why we had been smelling the gas on occasion, depending on several factors i.e. weather, dry or wet etc.  But it wasn't anything real serious it was just unusual for a house without a water softener to have that much 'sulphur something' build up.  There was nothing wrong with the rest of the system thankfully.  

They made a couple of recommendations for lid replacement.  Since it is over 30 years old I would have to get a custom made lid or do it myself.  NOPE.  Or place a 'riser' that would stick up in the yard but I wouldn't ever have to uncover that lid again with that hard packed earth and miss the location while digging until I finally found it again.  I bet you can guess which route I took.  I also opted to have it done than try to figure out how to do it right on my own.  The septic truck driver offered to do it on his own outside the company he works for.  That cuts the price in half and will only cost around a hundred or so.  It should get done before the weekend is over.  

Glad this only happens every 5 years.  But this is what happens with home ownership and a house that is 30+ years old.  Don't get me wrong, it's worth it in the long run and I wouldn't change the choices we have made about the home we live in and built those many years ago even if it was a 'budget house' as our builder called it and made the wife mad.  Yeah.  

Happy Trails