Almost no summer cottage today can do without sewerage, plumbing and heating systems. Cesspools are rather inconvenient as sewage disposal structures. They are outdated, but purchased septic tanks are quite expensive, so they could not become the best option. In this regard, quite often home craftsmen install a septic tank.
You can also follow their example, but before starting work, you must definitely familiarize yourself with the technology. After all, if it is not observed, it is possible to provoke an ecological disaster on the ground. Groundwater can become contaminated, as can nearby drinking water sources.
Standard kit usually consists of:
- chambers for cleaning pollution;
- chambers for sedimentation;
- filter wells.
The latter is sometimes replaced by a filter field. The design features of a septic tank usually depend on the number of residents. If there are only a few people in the house, andthey use a dishwasher, actively operate a bath and a shower, and also use a washing machine, then two cleaning chambers will be enough. At the same time, the sewerage will receive a fairly large amount of sewage, so the latter will need a thorough cleaning.
A septic tank can have only one settling tank, which will be enough for a small family. This is true when there is a small amount of equipment in the house. Such a system usually has two wells. If you have to equip the sewer for 5 people permanently residing in the house, then you should use building codes. According to them, the volume of the cleaning chamber should be equal to the number of drains for three days. This value is approximately equal to 3000 liters. In this case, you should purchase a concrete ring, the volume of which is 0.62 m3. For each well, you will need 5 rings. Three will suffice for each camera.
Choosing a seat
Before you install a septic tank, you must choose the best place to work. It is important to take into account the tolerances that are stipulated in the regulatory documents. For example, the structure should not be located close to human habitation and sources of drinking water.
Before you start marking, it is important to remember that the step to the residential building from the treatment plant is 5 m or more. If this distance is made more impressive, then difficulties and costs may arise when laying the pipeline. From the source of water to the septic tank, a distance from50 m and more. In this case, we are talking about wells and wells.
When installing a septic tank, you must remember one of the main rules, which is to provide an access road for special vehicles. The groundwater level at the installation site should not be high. If the pipeline turned out to be quite long, then every 20 m, inspection wells should be installed, which should also be located at the turns.
Preparation of pits
Installation of septic wells is carried out after preparatory work. They involve digging a pit. It should be large enough to fit the cleaning chambers and the filter well. If you want to save time, it is better to use special equipment. Otherwise, manual labor should be used.
It is important to prevent sewage from entering the soil. Therefore, a concrete base must be poured at the installation site of the sedimentation tanks. A 40-centimeter sand cushion acts as a drainage. On sale you can find concrete rings with a blank bottom. They are ideal for sumps and do not require additional concreting. The foundation must be prepared. The most suitable option for this would be a pillow, the thickness of which is 50 cm. It consists of crushed stone, gravel and sand.
Installation of rings
The septic tank rings are installed in the next step. For this, lifting equipment is usually used, because manually liftingconcrete structures is impossible. The rings must be installed according to the scheme and tightly connected to each other with cement mortar.
It is important to foresee ground movements. To do this, the elements are fixed with metal brackets or plates. During the laying of the pipeline, it is permissible to use a pipe with a bend that resembles a water seal. This eliminates the leakage of unpleasant odors from sewage.
Protection of joints and backfilling
There are seams between the rings, which should be sealed with cement mortar or a ready-made mixture of the “Aquabarrier” type. Outside, the surface is covered with coating waterproofing. In order to achieve greater reliability, welded sealants should be used. The design can be reinforced with plastic liners. They are represented by a cylinder of suitable volume, which is located inside the well.
Waterproofing should prevent the penetration of runoff into the ground, this will not only extend the life of the structure, but also eliminate odors. The next step is to backfill. To do this, the soil excavated during the formation of the pit should be mixed with sand and distributed around, compacting the mass. Each tank must be covered from above with a lid with a hole for the hatch. Seams should be sealed as described above.
Using a two-well system
The design of the septic tank is settling tanks based on prefabricated tanks. Each container is connected to the nextoverflow pipe. Usually a septic tank from two wells is enough. The first capacity will be storage. Its bottom should be waterproofed. The main protection of this well is the accumulation of runoff for settling. Heavier suspensions remain at the bottom and decompose during fermentation to organic simple components. The second tank is a soil filtration tank. Under its bottom is a pillow of sand, crushed stone and gravel. It is needed for mechanical filtration.
Drainage well
Drainage well for a septic tank is a structure similar to a cesspool, where treated drains enter, and then they are filtered and seep into the ground. For a summer residence, this version of the system device is the most acceptable. It is inexpensive, simple and can handle small volumes.
You can install such a drainage well even on soils with problems. For the device, it is necessary to prepare a hole by laying a brick in a circle. Holes are left between the products through which water will escape. In order for the water in the septic tank well not to stagnate, a reinforced concrete ring can be used, in the walls of which holes are made. Sometimes a plastic barrel without a bottom is installed for this purpose.
Installing a plastic well
Plastic well for a septic tank is quite common today. It has strong and durable walls, is lightweight, and can be installed without the use of special equipment. The installation technology remains the same. At firsta place is selected, and then a pit is prepared, the dimensions of which are slightly larger compared to the reservoir.
The septic tank must be installed so that the cover remains above the ground. This allows you to control the operation of the installation. Due to the fact that a plastic septic tank well is quite light, subject to deformation and displacement during ground movements, it is important to take protective measures. For this, the container is supplemented with a concrete monolithic sarcophagus. If this condition cannot be met, then the bottom of the pit should be backfilled with gravel.
Conclusion
Quite often, owners of suburban real estate ask questions about what is the advantage of concrete structures that form the basis of septic tanks. First, they are low cost. Secondly, they are easy to maintain. Thirdly, such systems can be independently equipped. However, the designs also have some disadvantages. They consist in the presence of a smell and the need to periodically use the services of a sewage truck.
