The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Buildings & planning => Topic started by: Notasausage on April 06, 2013, 08:45:54 pm
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Now that the land isn't so saturated it is apparent that our septic tank simply is not draining. We think the outlet pipe(s) is blocked but as we know nothing about this tank (or any tank for tht matter) or the soak away pipe layout, we're a bit stumped where to start. Can anyone give us some insight into how these things work or how we would find out. Has anyone used a company to fix something like this that they could recommend (central Scotland) though we're up for giving it a shot ourselves. Thanks
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Is it a brick built structure if so there should be a plunger pipe sometimes the crust blocks this and does not allow the water to drain all you need to do is plunge with a couple of sections of draining rods with plunger attachment or make up something that will do the same job. Best of luck a lovely job.
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I would say contact the Council - they empty them (or contract it out) so they will probably have someone who has knowledge of them. When we bought our croft in 1994 our old fashioned concrete box type septic tank was blocked; fortunately our local plumber knew about them and went down into it (yuk!) and discovered that the 'T-piece', whatever that is, was broken. He replaced that and it worked perfectly till the day I moved and still does to my knowledge.
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It's not brick built. The house is about 14 yrs old so it's relatively modern but it was completely dry when we moved in as the house had been empty for a year and our inlet pipe was blocked which was a relatively easy fix.
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I'm still new to this too but just as a stupid question, is it supposed to drain naturally or are you supposed to get it emptied? We had a big discussion when we moved in because our predecessor had never had ours emptied in twenty years and swore it was designed to soak away. We've now found the access point and to us it looks like it's supposed to be emptied - and it's just he never used it much compared with us. We're having building work done shortly and the septic tank has been added to the list of things to address.
H
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I think most are designed to drain naturally, though there are some that are just collection tanks. The liquid should drain and the solids need emptied. We've only been here a year and have been told that it is normal for the tank to be full of liquid but when we can see the solid layer it's time to empty. However when we empty the bath we can see the water leaking out the top which is clearly not right!
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Sounds like it needs emptying and when they are there you can ask them if it's draining correctly
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I'm still new to this too but just as a stupid question, is it supposed to drain naturally or are you supposed to get it emptied?
H
A septic tank is a mini treatment plant the broken down solids settle out in the tank and need to be emptied regularly (usually every year or two - but depends on usage/size etc).The liquid portion drains away to land (and final polishing) through a series of land drains. If the solids are not emptied regularly or the land drains not laid properly they can block up with sediment etc. and need clearing or relaying.
A cess pit on the other hand is completely self contained and holds the liquid and solids until you empty it with a tanker. Other than for holiday homes they should probably be avoided at all costs!
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Before you go to the expence of getting in a professional check that the tank is full by full I mean very little water and mostly sediment. If it is full then get in a professional if not full then there is a blockage which could be the out flow t pipe. Google septic tank design.
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Well, after a week of research and a day digging out the 6m pipe that connects the tank to the soakaway, we think we've fixed it. We have learned a lot more about septic tanks in the process! All I can say is if you have one of those infamous tanks that never needs emptied please go and lift the lid and have a look inside because if your solids start to get into your soakaway it's TERMINAL! And digging out a new one is horrendously expensive to the extent that if what we've done today doesn't work it will be as cheep to buy and install a new sewage treatment plant - about £5K.
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Henchard's notes and other comments are spot on. we found the lid of ours 2.5 feet down and after 3 digs in the wrong part of the lawn. The fosse had not been emptied for years so the solids took the young girl from the "s**t shovelers company" an age to break up with her suction hose. As said above - a neglected tank meant that solids had gone thru the outlet pipe and blocked the cast concrete double layered zig zag trap and contimanated our sand filter bed. I dug out all and had a chest infection for 3 weekes after the digging and cleaning out but all works well now.
NOTE - if you get the tank emptied then make sure you fill it up with water so as to support the structure and prevent external pressures from cracking the tank.
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Just to add to MAK's point. If you have a fibreglass unit in wet ground be sure it has a concrete collar on the top before emptying it, otherwise it will float out of the ground. Viewed a house last month with just that potential problem.
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Hi
just reading what you have said and would like to add that if your outlet is blocked and even full with solids to dig a new herrin bone drainage line for the tank would not be that expensive. i think 2 days with a 5 ton machine and all the stone and the pipe. i would recon that £2,500 would cover that work. thats a saving of £2,500 on a new system. It all counts. ;) :thumbsup:
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Since having a septic tank ourselves (some 21yrs) I have always been very careful what I put down the drains (all fat goes into the waste bin) and regularly dose with a Bio Treatment for septic tanks.. Farmers merchants like Mole Valley Farmers / Scats etc sell these and you just pour down the drain overnight. No absolute proof they work but I would not risk not using them as much less problems since we started with them years ago.
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Just had to repair broken (crushed) outlet pipe from our tank. Quotes from builders were frightening but Oh hired a mate with a digger to dig out around the broken area and fitted a new section of pipe himself. Rotten job and he felt quite unwell for a few days but :fc: :fc: :fc: he has saved us a fortune. We are now always going to get it emptied regularly. I blame it on the visitors ;)
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Yep - ours blocked up when we had visitors. Chris and I used the woods but we had to buy a camping loo that sat upstairs for the visitors.
Pleased you got is all sorted and saved so much money. I too was ill after the diry job of cllearing the outlet.
I have been digging again this week ! Made a large soakaway to take the water that comes off the barn roof and was flooding an area too near the kitchen soakaway.
Oh for the pleasure of mains drainage !
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Call Dicks of Throsk they will be able to re do the soak a way pipe
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we had problems when we moved here and after getting a farmer to fix it, we found the pipes were upside down as obviously who ever had put the tank in place had done it wrong.
getting a farming / drainage contractor can be an awful lot cheaper than the other guys.