DIY drainfield de-ice?

[Ole and Lena]

Well, this winter is really getting on my nerves now. Darn drainfield froze up on me. Anybody know of a DIY method to de-ice and get the proverbial s--t running downhill or do I have to get the expensive guy out to steam it.

System is a mound type with lift pump. Line from lift pump to first cleanout is clear. Black water is currently overflowing at the cleanout and running down into the low pasture. Not the most desirable situation naturally but it's not running towards any other property or buildings and can collect and percolate in a fallow area so it's not the end of the world if I have to wait for nature to thaw it out.

 

[Life is Good!]

Not sure of your set-up, here, when our line freezes, we've installed a clean-out/attachment 'Y' that we hook up to an external (i.e. overland) hose. This secondary hose works well, EXCEPT when the temps freeze the bloomin' hose!!! That's been our downfall this winter. For just as everything seems to be thawing out - BLAM - we get another cold snap and the hose freezes. So we've got 3 sets of hoses - one on the pump; one thawing out in an oversized garbage pail dedicated to the purpose; one waiting to be used.

However, ours is not a sanitary situation but a water only situation (sump-pump and downspout connected together). So if you're dealing with waste....I'd call the expensive steam guy. Unless you've tried boiling water in the line - or perhaps water softener salt....both we've used this winter to keep the lines open and the house from flooding.