Septic Tank

neveah123

I'm looking for some advice about a septic tank system..

I haven't a bogs breeze about these systems but basically I have a septic tank system in my house and I've just had it desludged. But the drains were all still blocked afterward so I had them unblocked and I'm assuming the septic tank was full and backed up unbeknownst to me.

My father told me a couple years ago that he had an electrical panel with a strobe light attached to it replaced so it should have gone off when there was a problem detected with the system but it didn't.

There are two shores, one has a concrete cover on it that I know now is the septic tank, but the same kind of shore right next to it doesn't have a cover on it as it was damaged a couple years ago so was just covered up with two roof slates. The guy desludging the tank told me today the slates had broken and said it wasn't the septic tank but assumed it was a filtration system. This shore had what looked like a bucket inside of it and was covered in dirt so I'm really not sure what it is and the tank itself was full of water but not waste water. I've attached a photo of what I'm talking about :eek:

Can anyone tell me if this tank should be empty or is it normal for water to be in it? Is it a filtration system? As far as I know it's called a bord na móna moss peat septic tank

I really haven't got a clue so any advice would be much appreciated.

Turbohymac

Hi ..usually most pre cast. Septic tanks will have 2 compartments.. the pipe coming in from toilet will enter first compartment. Which usually is two thirds the total size of the tank. Then all heavy material will settle in this first compartment. Which will normally fill up quite close to the inlet pipe but about 6 inches lower than the entry pipe there is an opening in the divider wall which lets water /liquids cross over into the percolation side of the tank . Which will also usually be full of water but has an outlet which will again be about 6 to 8 inches lower than the inlet. Entry pipe. And this pipe should only allow liquid to flow away from the tank to the soak area. (Percolation area) and all solids should remain within the larger area of the septic tank.. oh and you shouldn't use any bleach .toilet cleaner etc in your toilets with this system cos usually if the tank is operating correctly it will hold bugs/enzymes that will bio degrade the solids within the tank and if working correctly shouldn't require emptying by vacuum tanker.. hopefully this makes sense

listermint

Turbohymac wrote: »

Hi ..usually most pre cast. Septic tanks will have 2 compartments.. the pipe coming in from toilet will enter first compartment. Which usually is two thirds the total size of the tank. Then all heavy material will settle in this first compartment. Which will normally fill up quite close to the inlet pipe but about 6 inches lower than the entry pipe there is an opening in the divider wall which lets water /liquids cross over into the percolation side of the tank . Which will also usually be full of water but has an outlet which will again be about 6 to 8 inches lower than the inlet. Entry pipe. And this pipe should only allow liquid to flow away from the tank to the soak area. (Percolation area) and all solids should remain within the larger area of the septic tank.. oh and you shouldn't use any bleach .toilet cleaner etc in your toilets with this system cos usually if the tank is operating correctly it will hold bugs/enzymes that will bio degrade the solids within the tank and if working correctly shouldn't require emptying by vacuum tanker.. hopefully this makes sense

Surely they have to be emptied at some point though solids have to go somewhere eventually?