What capacity for a septic tank to choose and whether to do it yourself?

Septic is the greatest achievement of mankind after a cesspool. If the operating conditions do not allow you to simply dig out a pit for drains, you will need to choose a suitable container for the septic tank. Such a solution provides a wide variety of possibilities: from a simple construction made by yourself, to expensive equipment that does not need the services of sewage workers.

Is the drive a regular septic tank or VOC?

Today, it is customary to call a septic tank any sealed container that is designed to collect drains coming from a private house, as well as to completely or partially clean them.

Properly manufactured septic tank allows you to effectively clean and remove waste water

Read more about the device and the septic tank operation scheme in our next article:https://aquatech.tomathouse.com/en/kanalizaciya/septiki/septik-stroy/kak-rabotaet-septik.html.

Conventionally, these structures can be divided into several types:

1. The drive is an ordinary plastic tank buried in the ground. It may also look like a pit, the bottom and walls of which are sealed with masonry, continuous concreting or concrete rings. This is the simplest type of septic tank, the least costly, but it should be remembered that all the waste that accumulates in it must be regularly taken out.

2. An ordinary small septic tank for a summer residence can consist of two or three departments, in which sewage is not only accumulated, but also partially purified, processed by bacteria. After this, the liquid through the drainage system enters the soil, but solid waste, which under the influence of microorganisms turned into sludge, must be periodically removed. However, in this case, it will be necessary to call the scavengers much less often, and sometimes you can do without them at all.

3. Local treatment plants (VOCs) - these are modern, expensive and very convenient facilities in operation. They are compact, relieve residents of odors characteristic of the sewer system, and treat wastewater with maximum efficiency. However, in order to ensure the operation of some models, it will be necessary to bring power to the VOC, which greatly complicates the installation. Another advantage of devices of this type is the variety of models, among which you can find suitable for specific operating conditions.

Please note: There are models of multi-chamber septic tanks that provide almost complete wastewater treatment, which, after a ten-day cycle, can be discharged into local water bodies and even used for household needs. The cost of the device is very high, but it can serve the whole village: up to two hundred residential buildings. This option can be considered if there is the possibility of collective use of property.

When choosing a container for a septic tank, you should focus on a number of factors, such as:

• • forecasted volume of effluents;
  • soil condition;
  • ground water level;
  • Operating conditions;
  • installation complexity;

the cost of work and materials.

Concrete rings are easy to install and are widely used in the manufacture of septic tanks

In the country house, which is used only on weekends and holidays, that is, in conditions of a small amount of wastewater, a normal drive will be quite appropriate, since it is not necessary to take out waste products very often.

Tip: To reduce costs, it is better to choose a drive, the volume of which is equal to the capacity of the tank of the machine of sewage trucks, since you will have to pay not for the amount of drained waste, but in general for the operation.

But for a house in which a large family is constantly living, you can fork out at a local treatment station. The device pays off quickly, because the services of dump trucks are not needed.

Read more about how to choose VOCs in our article:https://aquatech.tomathouse.com/en/voprosy/kak-vybrat-i-ekspluatirovat-los.html.

General principles for creating a septic tank

Since a septic tank is a sealed container deepened in the ground, its various types are created based on several general principles:

1. 1. The device should be located at a distance of at least 5 meters from the apartment building.
   2. For tanks made of concrete rings, concrete and brick, waterproofing should be carried out.
   3. To fix the plastic septic tank, you need to fix it with a cable.

When using plastic containers in conditions of an elevated level of groundwater, it is recommended to concrete a hole dug under a septic tank. This will significantly increase installation costs, but will protect the structure from fluctuations in the walls of the tank and possible leakage of joints.

Concreting a septic tank - the operation is quite laborious

To make a container for a septic tank with your own hands, usually use concrete or brick. Also popular are plastic containers for a septic tank, which can be made from a suitable barrel or other similar material.

To make a brick septic tank, you must:

1. Dig a hole of suitable size.
2. Concrete the bottom.
3. Lay out the walls of brick.
4. Carry out waterproofing work.
5. Lay the concrete slab with the hole to be covered with a hatch.
6. Fill the hole with soil.

In approximately the same way, concrete containers under a septic tank are made:

1. Dig a hole under the septic tank.
2. Concrete the bottom of the pit.
3. Mount the formwork.
4. Concreting walls.
5. Lay the slab with a hole and a hatch.

If you need a two-chamber septic tank, you will have to dig two holes, that is, the volume of work will be doubled. If the second or third chambers are used as a filtering well, instead of concreting the bottom, a drainage system is arranged in it, due to which the final treatment of the effluents takes place, as well as their gradual penetration into the soil.

Please note: Creating a formwork is a laborious and expensive procedure. Ready-made concrete rings can be a great alternative to a complex process. The order of work will not change much, however, the joints of the rings should be carefully sealed so that the wastewater does not enter the ground. For two chamber septic tank made of concrete rings it will be enough to dig out only one pit, which can accommodate two structures.

The sequence of creating a three-chamber septic tank from concrete rings is presented in detail in the video material:

Plastic septic tank: ready-made or home-made?

Ready-made plastic containers for septic tanks are very diverse in size, type and price. The easiest way to purchase a suitable model in the store.

However, if the owner of the house has a barrel of polypropylene, polyethylene or fiberglass, it can also be used.

On the market today, huge quantities of various plastic containers are provided for any need - finding the right one will not be difficult

It is important to remember that a plastic septic tank should be:

• strong enough;
• absolutely tight;
• equipped with a convenient lid that tightly closes and protects the drains from freezing in the winter.

Often for the installation of a septic tank, eurocubes are used. Read more about this in our article:https://aquatech.tomathouse.com/en/kanalizaciya/septiki/septik-stroy/septik-iz-evrokubov-svoimi-rukami.html

There is also a “recipe” for making a septic tank from old car tires. However, to call such a building a septic tank in the full sense is difficult, since it is not hermetic. Some owners even separate the layers of tires with a brick, which turns the device into an excellent drainage well. In this quality, the septic tank of tires serves excellently.