New tanks for systems with a working field
Syracuse Septic Pros Septic Tank Replacement in Syracuse
Swapping a rusted, cracked or undersized tank for a properly sized concrete one, without touching a field that still works.
- Syracuse and ten towns within 20 miles
- Written price before any digging
- Licensed, insured local contractors
- Built around Onondaga County soils
Syracuse Septic Pros connects homeowners around Syracuse with local crews who replace failed septic tanks. When the tank is the problem and the leach field is still healthy, replacing the tank alone is one of the best-value septic jobs there is, and it protects the field from the solids a failing tank lets through.
A collapsing steel tank that lets solids pour into the trenches can turn a $3,000 to $6,000 tank swap into an $8,000 to $15,000 field replacement within a season.
$3,000 to $6,000 for a tank-only replacement
Septic tank replacement around Syracuse typically costs $3,000 to $6,000 when the field is still functional, the range a Syracuse excavator publishes for tank-only replacement. A 1,000 to 1,500 gallon concrete tank is about $1,200 to $2,500 delivered and set. Excavation, removal or abandonment of the old tank, new inlet and outlet lines and any riser make up the rest.
Get a price: (315) 922-5458Signs the tank itself has failed
- The pumper reports a steel tank rusting through at the top or the baffles
- A cracked or collapsing lid, or soil falling into the tank
- Groundwater leaking in, so the tank fills when no one is using water
- A tank far smaller than the bedroom count needs
- A sinkhole or depression over the tank
Why older tanks around Syracuse fail
Many older systems in the towns around Syracuse were built with steel tanks, which corrode from the top down, or with concrete tanks whose baffles have rotted away. A tank that lets groundwater in is also a problem on the wet lake-plain soils north of the city, because it fills itself in spring and pushes that water out into the field.
Undersized tanks are the other common story. A house that has added bedrooms since the system was built is often running on a tank sized for a smaller household.
What the new tank has to meet
New tanks are built to New York's residential standard, Appendix 75-A:
- Sized by bedrooms: 1,000 gallons for one to three, 1,250 for four, 1,500 for five, 1,750 for six
- Watertight and made of durable material that resists corrosion, frost damage and cracking
- Able to support at least 300 pounds per square foot after installation
- An access manhole into each compartment
- Set 50 feet from a well or watercourse and 10 feet from the house and the property line
Replacing a tank like for like in the same spot may not need a design professional. Moving it, changing the system, or anything that touches the absorption area can. The contractor you speak with will know which applies.
Not sure what the system needs? Describe what you are seeing and get a straight answer on what it usually takes.
Call (315) 922-5458Checking the field before committing
A tank replacement only makes sense if the field is healthy. Before quoting, a good crew pumps the tank, watches for water flowing back from the field, and checks the distribution box. If solids have already reached the trenches, the conversation turns to leach field repair or replacement, and it is far better to know that before the new tank goes in.
In Lysander and Van Buren, near the Seneca River, a tank replacement can also be part of a larger job that qualifies for the state replacement fund, so ask before work starts.
Pumper says the tank is rusting through
Do not drive or park over it. A failing steel lid can collapse. Call to arrange a replacement and a check of the field so the new tank protects what is still working.
Call (315) 922-5458Questions people ask
How much does septic tank replacement cost in Syracuse?
Typically $3,000 to $6,000 for a tank-only replacement when the field still works.
What size septic tank do I need?
New York requires 1,000 gallons for one to three bedrooms, 1,250 for four, 1,500 for five and 1,750 for six.
What are the signs my septic tank needs replacing?
A rusting steel tank, cracked or collapsing lid, groundwater leaking in, a sinkhole over the tank, or a tank too small for the house.
Can I replace just the septic tank and keep the leach field?
Yes, if the field is healthy. It should be checked before the new tank goes in.
Are concrete or plastic septic tanks better?
Both can meet the standard if they are watertight and strong enough. Concrete is heavy, which helps a tank stay put in wet ground; plastic is lighter to set and must be anchored where groundwater is high.
Often done together
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Septic system replacement
Tank, distribution box and absorption field replaced together when the old system is past saving.
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Septic repair
Baffles, inlet and outlet lines, cracked lids and clogged filters fixed before they turn into a field problem.
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Leach field repair
Finding out why a field is slowing down, and fixing the causes that can be fixed before the only answer is a new one.
Talk it through before anyone digs
Say what the house is doing, how old the system is and when the tank was last pumped. You will hear what the job usually involves, what it tends to cost, and whether it needs digging at all.
Call (315) 922-5458