[Mosslane]

Oh the good old blaster, was a mate of my late uncle. They had so many tales

[ex-cavator]

Best to ask the people there when how often they have emptied it and that will give you the best idea for your system.

Ours is an old concrete one apparently but we haven't had to empty it in 9 years and has given us no trouble. You can tell where they outflow goes cos the grass is always greener To tell if it needs emptying, lift lid and check the level or if you're a wimp wait til it starts to overflow and send for the emptying man quickly and no it won't back up into the loo unless it is higher than the loo

Even if you have to empty it every couple of years I think it is cheaper than paying for the sewage disposal the normal way??

Poolfield - you're confusing me! Once it's filled up the level should always remain the same because - IF indeed it's a septic tank and NOT a cess tank (see my earlier post) - it works on displacement - put a litre of waste in and you get a litre of effluent out. The level is set by that of the outlet pipe. If the level drops, it shouldn't do - you've got a problem i.e. a hole. And if it's overflowing, it's because there's something going in the front end as you're looking at the back end. It's SUPPOSED to overflow, as it's a treatment system, not just a storage tank. So don't go emptying it just because it's overflowing, you're pouring money down the drain. The time to empty it is when the water coming out starts to look really 'sludgey' rather than just blackish water.

Unless, of course, it's a cess tank you've got, and not a septic tank. A cess tank is NOT a treatment system, just a storage tank, and must be emptied when it's full, otherwise it'll just get messy 

[arugula]

I'd agree with what Poolfield says. We had a Klargester put into the garden when we moved here 6 years ago, because no-one knew where the tank was for the house and no-one could (apparently) find it.  Having located the old tank, we now have a Klargester and backup of old concrete tank which we haven't had to empty in that time.

This is largely because we are very aware of exactly what we put down the toilet/drains. Even little things like cotton buds (if you happened to be in the habit of putting them in the loo?) will sit in the tank and not break down. As has already been mentioned, we use the eco brands of cleaners for dishes, clothes, bathroom, toilet etc, as these all allow the tank to do its work. If you throw loads of bleach and harsh chemicals in there you will kill all the organisms and will have to empty frequently.

People we know built a house near here within the last two yearsand therefore installed a new septic tank. Building regs insisted  on a maceration system - even in a small house.  :blink:

[Swing Swang]

What about BR? Mum and Dad won't let me flush BR into their tank (in Portugal - don't know if the climate is significant here) the story is that it makes the wrong sort of sludge that blocks up the soakaway - don't know if this is an urban myth but wouldn't mind knowing the truth.

[John]

In Greece and many Arab countries, used toilet paper is placed in a bin by the WC. This is primarily because the piping is much smaller than in our systems. The paper bunches up and blocks the pipes.

In Greece the waste just went into holding tanks rather than septic tanks and collected frequently by lorries for dumping elsewhere.

I don't think it's the breakdown of the paper that's a problem - if you put a piece of toilet paper in a bowl of water you'll see it practically dissolves into nothing fairly quickly.

[mumofstig]

In Greece the waste just went into holding tanks rather than septic tanks and collected frequently by lorries for dumping elsewhere.

They use both types, but now I've thought about it my washing machine was 'plumbed in' (I use the term loosely ) so that the waste water ran into a storm drain/ditch so the septic tank wasn't overburdened with waste water and the chemicals in the detergent

[ex-cavator]

In Greece the waste just went into holding tanks rather than septic tanks and collected frequently by lorries for dumping elsewhere.

They use both types, but now I've thought about it my washing machine was 'plumbed in' (I use the term loosely ) so that the waste water ran into a storm drain/ditch so the septic tank wasn't overburdened with waste water and the chemicals in the detergent

I'll pretend I didn't hear that - part of my job is tracing illegal connections into something other than the foul sewer, which directly or indirectly pollute our watercourses  

[mumofstig]

You think your rule applies in Greece as well then..that's funny  ..........they really don't take any notice of any rules  

[John]

But you can have a great time tracking down her Greek place...

I'd start with Cyprus at this time of year 

[mumofstig]

still 26C in the part of Greece I left ...sighing whistfully as I look out of the window

[ex-cavator]

You think your rule applies in Greece as well then..that's funny  ..........they really don't take any notice of any rules  

I'd be willing to give it a shot - if I thought my company would pay the travel costs 

[mumofstig]

nice work if you could get it 
you'd find an awful lot of bad connections though....the job could last a lifetime

[arugula]

What about BR?

Wasn't sure what you meant by BR.... Yes, as John says paper is fine, it disintegrates.

[gillie]

Our septic tank system consists of four settling tanks in line draining into a soakaway.  There should be a siphoning system between the tanks, but that disappeared many years ago which mean that more sediment than should ends up in the soakaway, which will eventually block up.  So far, fingers crossed, it works reasonably well.  We can't see our outflow as it is somewhere underneath a concrete yard.  Emptying our tank now costs about £100 .  As others have said, the tanks are always full, that is the way the system is designed.  We were told to have it emptied once a year, but sometimes we 'forget' until a patch of moist, very green grass appears round one of the manholes...

We take no particular care of what goes down the drains.

Our neighbours tanks, which curiously are on our land, need emptying far more often, but they have five children and a hot tub.  Their soakaway has drainage fingers leading away under our garden.  I wish I had known about this when we moved in and I would have planned round them as plants growing over a finger grow incredibly well.  Ten foot sweet peas anyone?

Another 'use' for a septic tank system is to huddle cold frames round them (without covering the manholes of course).  Both hot bath water and the fermentation taking place lead to a slightly warmer microclimate.

Gillie

[mumofstig]

I used to grow amazing tomatoes over mine.......they say tasty toms are grown in
lots of err   manure