Warming septic system

[MasterPlumbersKeymaster]

question: No snow minus 20 below, worried about septic lines freezing. Would it be ok to put a heater(milkhouse or submersible)in the septic tank?

thank you:Bethann

[John Aldrich1Participant]

bethann, Yes! I have used a floating stock tank heater to thaw out a frozen septic tank. It worked quite well. Don’t worry about the sewer pipe from the house to the septic tank. The sewage flowing through the pipe will not freeze. The flow through the septic tank is very slow, so there is a potential of the sewage freezing if the soil frost depth is very deep and the septic tank is shallow.

Another approach to “prevent” freezing is to place several bales of straw or hay over the septic tank. If the sewage in the septic tank is already frozen, then it must be thawed before the straw bales are placed. It may be prudent to place bales over the leach field also.

[clear pipeParticipant]

I have had my septic freeze in the past. What the previous reply mentioned was using stock tank heaters to prevent the freezing. This is a method that works, however, it is very dangerous. I have done extensive trying to solve my problem. The septic system has very dangerous and explosive gases in it, and stock tank heaters are not build for that environment. Hay & straw is effective if it is thick enough and placed early enough. The final solution I chose was a Septic Heater which is built specifically for it. They are not cheap, but the unit I bought has already paid for itself, plus it gives me peace of mind.

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