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#1
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
Forgive me asking this "odious" question in this group, but I know that
a lot of keen gardeners live on isolated properties which are not connected to the usual sewage system. We have a reasonably-sized septic tank embedded in the front garden and we understand that the previous owner had it cleaned every year, at a cost of about £120. There has been a suggestion that this annual cleaning is a bit excessive. On the other hand, I have read that if the solids mount up and leave the tank and move into the soakaway area then the soakaway area becomes clogged and you then have to build a new septic tank at another (clean) spot - which is a real bother and a considerable expense. So, clearly, regular cleaning is worthwhile. But how often is regular for a two-person household? Any ideas? Thanks, Eddy. |
#2
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
On 3/12/07 15:43, in article , "Eddy
Bentley" wrote: Forgive me asking this "odious" question in this group, but I know that a lot of keen gardeners live on isolated properties which are not connected to the usual sewage system. We have a reasonably-sized septic tank embedded in the front garden and we understand that the previous owner had it cleaned every year, at a cost of about £120. There has been a suggestion that this annual cleaning is a bit excessive. On the other hand, I have read that if the solids mount up and leave the tank and move into the soakaway area then the soakaway area becomes clogged and you then have to build a new septic tank at another (clean) spot - which is a real bother and a considerable expense. So, clearly, regular cleaning is worthwhile. But how often is regular for a two-person household? Any ideas? I think it all depends on the size of the chamber, to be honest. I had one at my old house that had to be emptied once a year and it was used by my house which varied in occupancy from 1 to 4 at varying times and the house next door which had 4 occupants. Some of the answer also depends on location. One of my children owns a house on a highish water table and if that septic tank isn't emptied annually, it gets water in it and then fills up and.....you can imagine the rest. That house has between 1 and 2 occupants so its septic not exactly over-used! Then there's the question of whether the occupants use baths (lots of water daily) or showers (much less water daily). IOW, I'd go for the annual clean out option on the grounds of peace of mind and probably cheaper in the possibly disastrous long-run. -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove weeds from address) 'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.' |
#3
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
Eddy please email me at mikeATrneba.org.uk changing AT for @ and noting 'r'
and 'n' which looks like 'm' I regret that septic tanks are rather like cars, wallpaper, fashions, colours etc etc etc.All are different. I had Septic Tank which certainly DID NOT conform to the posts you have had so far and my neighbour had one different again to mine. You need to describe just what sort of tank you have. We cleared ours out about every 3/4 years, our neighbour, because of the construction and system of his tank NEVER had it emptied in the 20 years I knew of him. Kind regards Mike -- www.rnshipmates.co.uk for ALL Royal Navy Association matters www.rneba.org.uk. The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association. 'THE' Association to find your ex-Greenie mess mates. www.iowtours.com for all ex-Service Reunions. More being added regularly "Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will be there. "Eddy Bentley" wrote in message ... Forgive me asking this "odious" question in this group, but I know that a lot of keen gardeners live on isolated properties which are not connected to the usual sewage system. We have a reasonably-sized septic tank embedded in the front garden and we understand that the previous owner had it cleaned every year, at a cost of about £120. There has been a suggestion that this annual cleaning is a bit excessive. On the other hand, I have read that if the solids mount up and leave the tank and move into the soakaway area then the soakaway area becomes clogged and you then have to build a new septic tank at another (clean) spot - which is a real bother and a considerable expense. So, clearly, regular cleaning is worthwhile. But how often is regular for a two-person household? Any ideas? Thanks, Eddy. |
#4
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
"Malcolm" wrote in message ... I've lived with septic tanks (if you get my meaning!) for the last 35 years. At our last house, we had it emptied about every three years, which seemed to be adequate until the day it started overflowing following a torrential downpour, which just happened to coincide with higher than normal use of baths, etc. The clear-up was not pleasant and involved some expensive alterations. I've gone for annual emptying ever since, which has been well worth the cost, in my view. I now have a standing order with the local council and don't even have to remember to ask for it to be emptied. A daughter lives on a Welsh mountain with a septic tank, they've been there for at least twelve years and have never had the tank emptied. I thought the system developed bacteria which dealt with solids and they drained away harmlessly. Hers is an organic farm and she is scrupulous about not allowing anything which would be hostile to the bacteria down the drain. She uses special dishwasher tablets, laundry and other preparations. There are two adults and a small child so baths are frequent and laundry is too - she only uses washable nappies. When we go we live in our tiny caravan and have to use similar bacteria-friendly products if we empty into the tank - which we do. When I use conventional washing up liquid for dishes the waste is poured into a ditch. I daren't do anything else! Mary |
#5
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
"Mary Fisher" wrote in message t... "Malcolm" wrote in message ... I've lived with septic tanks (if you get my meaning!) for the last 35 years. At our last house, we had it emptied about every three years, which seemed to be adequate until the day it started overflowing following a torrential downpour, which just happened to coincide with higher than normal use of baths, etc. The clear-up was not pleasant and involved some expensive alterations. I've gone for annual emptying ever since, which has been well worth the cost, in my view. I now have a standing order with the local council and don't even have to remember to ask for it to be emptied. A daughter lives on a Welsh mountain with a septic tank, they've been there for at least twelve years and have never had the tank emptied. I thought the system developed bacteria which dealt with solids and they drained away harmlessly. Hers is an organic farm and she is scrupulous about not allowing anything which would be hostile to the bacteria down the drain. She uses special dishwasher tablets, laundry and other preparations. There are two adults and a small child so baths are frequent and laundry is too - she only uses washable nappies. When we go we live in our tiny caravan and have to use similar bacteria-friendly products if we empty into the tank - which we do. When I use conventional washing up liquid for dishes the waste is poured into a ditch. I daren't do anything else! Mary Thank you so much Mary :-)) I regret that there are certain people on this newsgroup who take great delight in trying to ridicule what I say. You have shown that the more mouth they have, the bigger foot they can put in it :-)) Kindest possible regards Mike -- www.rnshipmates.co.uk for ALL Royal Navy Association matters www.rneba.org.uk. The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association. 'THE' Association to find your ex-Greenie mess mates. www.iowtours.com for all ex-Service Reunions. More being added regularly "Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will be there. |
#6
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
'Mike' wrote:
Eddy please email me at mikeATrneba.org.uk changing AT for @ and noting 'r' and 'n' which looks like 'm' I regret that septic tanks are rather like cars, wallpaper, fashions, colours etc etc etc.All are different. I had Septic Tank which certainly DID NOT conform to the posts you have had so far and my neighbour had one different again to mine. You need to describe just what sort of tank you have. We cleared ours out about every 3/4 years, our neighbour, because of the construction and system of his tank NEVER had it emptied in the 20 years I knew of him. Kind regards Mike How big is the average septic tank? Not that big I think. It will become "full" quite quickly, however the surplus will drain off with no harm, assuming it is well designed. Why should it need to be emptied, if when full I think you would have to do it every few weeks? |
#7
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
"Eddy Bentley" wrote in message ... Forgive me asking this "odious" question in this group, but I know that a lot of keen gardeners live on isolated properties which are not connected to the usual sewage system. We have a reasonably-sized septic tank embedded in the front garden and we understand that the previous owner had it cleaned every year, at a cost of about £120. There has been a suggestion that this annual cleaning is a bit excessive. On the other hand, I have read that if the solids mount up and leave the tank and move into the soakaway area then the soakaway area becomes clogged and you then have to build a new septic tank at another (clean) spot - which is a real bother and a considerable expense. So, clearly, regular cleaning is worthwhile. But how often is regular for a two-person household? Any ideas? Thanks, Eddy. When you say "septic tank" what exactly are you referring to. If it is one of the modern multi chamber "Clargester" tanks they must be emptied regularly to avoid damage. If the solid waste is allowed to build up, when it is the emptied the upper chambers wont take the weight once the lower chamber is empty and it is highly likely to collapse. I know this because a near neighbour had just that happen. I had the same system and had it emptied every year with never a problem. If however you have an old type brick built multi tank, (normally these will have more than one standard manhole cover whilst the modern type have just one often oval). Then if well built these will go several years without emptying. I know this because my next door neighbour and my mother both had this type and next door didn't have his emptied for 12 years with two people using it. It does depend on what you flush down it though. Using lots of modern detergents and bleach kills the bacteria that breaks down the crap. But hey. 120quid a year is nothing compared to what I now have to pay in water rates now I live in a town with sewers. Give me the septic tank anytime. Mike |
#8
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
On Mon, 3 Dec 2007 18:01:22 -0000, "'Mike'" wrote:
Thank you so much Mary :-)) I regret that there are certain people on this newsgroup who take great delight in trying to ridicule what I say. You have shown that the more mouth they have, the bigger foot they can put in it :-)) Most of what you say is eminently suitable for the septic tank. |
#10
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
On 3/12/07 16:48, in article , "Malcolm"
wrote: In article , Sacha writes On 3/12/07 15:43, in article , "Eddy Bentley" wrote: Forgive me asking this "odious" question in this group, but I know that a lot of keen gardeners live on isolated properties which are not connected to the usual sewage system. We have a reasonably-sized septic tank embedded in the front garden and we understand that the previous owner had it cleaned every year, at a cost of about £120. There has been a suggestion that this annual cleaning is a bit excessive. On the other hand, I have read that if the solids mount up and leave the tank and move into the soakaway area then the soakaway area becomes clogged and you then have to build a new septic tank at another (clean) spot - which is a real bother and a considerable expense. So, clearly, regular cleaning is worthwhile. But how often is regular for a two-person household? Any ideas? I think it all depends on the size of the chamber, to be honest. I had one at my old house that had to be emptied once a year and it was used by my house which varied in occupancy from 1 to 4 at varying times and the house next door which had 4 occupants. Some of the answer also depends on location. One of my children owns a house on a highish water table and if that septic tank isn't emptied annually, it gets water in it and then fills up and.....you can imagine the rest. That house has between 1 and 2 occupants so its septic not exactly over-used! Then there's the question of whether the occupants use baths (lots of water daily) or showers (much less water daily). IOW, I'd go for the annual clean out option on the grounds of peace of mind and probably cheaper in the possibly disastrous long-run. I wholeheartedly agree with you, Sacha. I've lived with septic tanks (if you get my meaning!) for the last 35 years. At our last house, we had it emptied about every three years, which seemed to be adequate until the day it started overflowing following a torrential downpour, which just happened to coincide with higher than normal use of baths, etc. The clear-up was not pleasant and involved some expensive alterations. I've gone for annual emptying ever since, which has been well worth the cost, in my view. I now have a standing order with the local council and don't even have to remember to ask for it to be emptied. Yes, I had the standing order thingy and as long as they have access you don't need to be there. All you know about it is the bill shoved through the letter box! I've lived in more houses with septic tanks than on main drains so IME the least expensive option is the annual service. -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove weeds from address) 'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.' |
#11
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
On 3/12/07 17:44, in article ,
"Mary Fisher" wrote: "Malcolm" wrote in message ... I've lived with septic tanks (if you get my meaning!) for the last 35 years. At our last house, we had it emptied about every three years, which seemed to be adequate until the day it started overflowing following a torrential downpour, which just happened to coincide with higher than normal use of baths, etc. The clear-up was not pleasant and involved some expensive alterations. I've gone for annual emptying ever since, which has been well worth the cost, in my view. I now have a standing order with the local council and don't even have to remember to ask for it to be emptied. A daughter lives on a Welsh mountain with a septic tank, they've been there for at least twelve years and have never had the tank emptied. I thought the system developed bacteria which dealt with solids and they drained away harmlessly. Hers is an organic farm and she is scrupulous about not allowing anything which would be hostile to the bacteria down the drain. She uses special dishwasher tablets, laundry and other preparations. There are two adults and a small child so baths are frequent and laundry is too - she only uses washable nappies. No, no no and no. If the previous owners of the OP's house have had their tank emptied every year and paid for it, it's for a reason. Maybe they don't live on top of a mountain with excellent drainage, no input from the water table etc. If by 'special' products you mean Ecover, we use those here, too. We have two septic tanks and soakaways and on the whole, try to leave them to get on with it which mostly they do. But not all are the same and sometimes ours have to be emptied, too. When we go we live in our tiny caravan and have to use similar bacteria-friendly products if we empty into the tank - which we do. When I use conventional washing up liquid for dishes the waste is poured into a ditch. I daren't do anything else! Mary The OP is talking about a permanent residence though, not a holiday. I repeat, the previous owners did what they did for a reason. If he wants to save £10 a month and risk an overflow of sewage he could try leaving it for two years, for example, and see what happens after heavy rainfall or a couple of summer's worth of guests etc. Again, not everyone lives on top of well draining land with few neighbours. I'm sorry, Mary, but clearly not emptying his septic tank for 12 years would be disastrous for this poster if the previous owners have found it necessary to do it every year. -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove weeds from address) 'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.' |
#12
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
On 3/12/07 20:40, in article
, "Muddymike" wrote: "Eddy Bentley" wrote in message ... Forgive me asking this "odious" question in this group, but I know that a lot of keen gardeners live on isolated properties which are not connected to the usual sewage system. We have a reasonably-sized septic tank embedded in the front garden and we understand that the previous owner had it cleaned every year, at a cost of about £120. There has been a suggestion that this annual cleaning is a bit excessive. On the other hand, I have read that if the solids mount up and leave the tank and move into the soakaway area then the soakaway area becomes clogged and you then have to build a new septic tank at another (clean) spot - which is a real bother and a considerable expense. So, clearly, regular cleaning is worthwhile. But how often is regular for a two-person household? Any ideas? Thanks, Eddy. When you say "septic tank" what exactly are you referring to. If it is one of the modern multi chamber "Clargester" tanks they must be emptied regularly to avoid damage. If the solid waste is allowed to build up, when it is the emptied the upper chambers wont take the weight once the lower chamber is empty and it is highly likely to collapse. I know this because a near neighbour had just that happen. I had the same system and had it emptied every year with never a problem. If however you have an old type brick built multi tank, (normally these will have more than one standard manhole cover whilst the modern type have just one often oval). Then if well built these will go several years without emptying. I know this because my next door neighbour and my mother both had this type and next door didn't have his emptied for 12 years with two people using it. It does depend on what you flush down it though. Using lots of modern detergents and bleach kills the bacteria that breaks down the crap. But hey. 120quid a year is nothing compared to what I now have to pay in water rates now I live in a town with sewers. Give me the septic tank anytime. Mike Huh. We have the septic tank AND the water rates. Well, I hope they'll drop now we've put in a borehole for the nursery! ;-) -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove weeds from address) 'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.' |
#13
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
"Sacha" wrote in message . uk... Huh. We have the septic tank AND the water rates. Well, I hope they'll drop now we've put in a borehole for the nursery! ;-) Oh - please be careful with location of your facilities ! We have a sceptical tank but prefer to rely on the water from above to fulfil our plant water needs. Our glasshouse roof collects more water than we could ever use for the nursery. Regards Pete Nanneys Bridge Nursery www.thecanalshop.com |
#14
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
"Eddy Bentley" wrote in message
We have a reasonably-sized septic tank embedded in the front garden and we understand that the previous owner had it cleaned every year, at a cost of about £120. There has been a suggestion that this annual cleaning is a bit excessive. On the other hand, I have read that if the solids mount up and leave the tank and move into the soakaway area then the soakaway area becomes clogged and you then have to build a new septic tank at another (clean) spot - which is a real bother and a considerable expense. So, clearly, regular cleaning is worthwhile. But how often is regular for a two-person household? That price for emptying sound very high (but then I'm not in the UK). Emptying depends on a few things. If it is the older style tank without the new fangled electrical connections for pumping onto gardens etc, and if the installation has been done in more recent years by someone who is in any way competent and the tank is of a good capacity, it 'should' be able to go a lot longer than being emptied ever year. We are 2 people in a 2 septic tank household (one septic of which gets little use - just the visitor's bathing and flushing) and the last time we got ours emptied (after being in this house and not emptying either for 10 years) the pumper outerer said to have them done at 5 year intervals. That would now be more than 5 years ago and we can probaly go at least another 5 years before doing anything. Our tanks would probably be about 2,000 gallon capacity if I compare then to water tank size. |
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Septic Tank: how often to clean?
In article ,
says... Huh. We have the septic tank AND the water rates. Well, I hope they'll drop now we've put in a borehole for the nursery! ;-) -- Should do, you are sw water as well, we have a septic tank and a well, I think our water bill averages about £10 per quarter, most of that is the enviromental charge, but I do have a mains connection and use a small amount of their water each year in the mist unit (pressure is more reliable) I know that if the pipe work on the well (or bore hole) is above what they term domestic then they come along and stick a meter on that! We happily are not in that situation :~) -- Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and Lapageria rosea |
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