Septic tank

katiek102010

Thanks

Plumbthedepths

katiek102010 wrote: »

I'm am renting a property for a year. A month ago septic tank was full so I got it emptied.

It now appears to be full again. I have never had a house with a septic tank before.

Is this normal that it has to be emptied so often?

There are only 3 of us in the house. As it stands we can't use the toilet and can't have any baths.

Is it us who have to empty it or is it down to the landlord.

It is want of the block built tanks and all drain pipes are flowing into it. I think it's filling with rainwater

Thanks

When you say full, do you mean of liquid or solids. Do the toilets flush or do they back up?

uck51js9zml2yt

Just out of interest. What did it cost you.
And no I wouldn't think thats normal.

I'm only new to the septic tank arena!

Sofiztikated

It might be leaking, with all the rain we've had lately, it could be filling up from ground water. Or if you have a running toilet, it could be filling it with water. Or it might not have been fully emptied the last time, you can request the tonnage taken out of it.

All the drains go into the tank? As in roofing drains?

Galwayguy35

there's now way it could be full again after only a month.

Still waters

Soak pit is probably blocked up

katiek102010

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

When you say full, do you mean of liquid or solids. Do the toilets flush or do they back up?

Nothing will go down and tank appears to be full of water. It has concrete lids and the drains are also full to brim so we naturally assumed there was a blockage. Husband pulled back the lids of the tank to check and all 3 compartments are full to the brim

katiek102010

Miranda Small Minority wrote: »

Just out of interest. What did it cost you.
And no I wouldn't think thats normal.

I'm only new to the septic tank arena!

It cost 270

katiek102010

Sofiztikated wrote: »

It might be leaking, with all the rain we've had lately, it could be filling up from ground water. Or if you have a running toilet, it could be filling it with water. Or it might not have been fully emptied the last time, you can request the tonnage taken out of it.

All the drains go into the tank? As in roofing drains?

It was definitely completely emptied. Yes the roof drains (gutters) flow into it. No leaks or running toilet etc

katiek102010

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

there's now way it could be full again after only a month.

Yeah I know something definitely is wrong. It was completely emptied 25 th August

katiek102010

Still waters wrote: »

Soak pit is probably blocked up

How will I know if that's it. How can it be fixed. Is that down to landlord to fix or me

freedominacup

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

there's now way it could be full again after only a month.

A septic tank has a volume meaured only in hundreds of gallons. Rarely more than 2000 litres. It will fill to outlet level in a couple of days. You are then into whether solid separation is working correctly. I would have thought the guy who emptied it would have spotted something as obvious as a broken T joint and would have recommended getting it replaced asap. After that you are looking at whether percolation area has reached the end of it's usful life. Simple to fix depending on access but not a tenants responsibility imo.

Plumbthedepths

katiek102010 wrote: »

Nothing will go down and tank appears to be full of water. It has concrete lids and the drains are also full to brim so we naturally assumed there was a blockage. Husband pulled back the lids of the tank to check and all 3 compartments are full to the brim

All drainage from the house under regs is required to run into the tank, including rainwater. Sounds like your soakaway is not working. Solution is to have a new soakaway dug. Contact the landlord and arrange to have the tank emptied again. Grease from the kitchen and detergents can actually seal a sockaway. The tank works by solids settling to the bottom and being dealt with by bacteria etc and the liquid flowing into the soakaway.

katiek102010

freedominacup wrote: »

A septic tank has a volume meaured only in hundreds of gallons. Rarely more than 2000 litres. It will fill to outlet level in a couple of days. You are then into whether solid separation is working correctly. I would have thought the guy who emptied it would have spotted something as obvious as a broken T joint and would have recommended getting it replaced asap. After that you are looking at whether percolation area has reached the end of it's usful life. Simple to fix depending on access but not a tenants responsibility imo.

He did say that he has told them before percolation is bad and they need to have a pump fitted

Still waters

katiek102010 wrote: »

How will I know if that's it. How can it be fixed. Is that down to landlord to fix or me

Not your problem, up to the landlord

Sofiztikated

katiek102010 wrote: »

He did say that he has told them before percolation is bad and they need to have a pump fitted

Bingo.

That's your problem. Get onto the landlord.

katiek102010

Still waters wrote: »

Not your problem, up to the landlord

Thanks. Is it down to us to keep it emptied as tbh I can afford to do that on a monthly basis

my3cents

katiek102010 wrote: »

Thanks. Is it down to us to keep it emptied as tbh I can afford to do that on a monthly basis

We empty ours about every ten years. So no you should have to do it on a monthly bases. Once the drainage aspect is sorted you empty on the bases of the solid content of the septic tank and that can take years to build up.

Still waters

katiek102010 wrote: »

Thanks. Is it down to us to keep it emptied as tbh I can afford to do that on a monthly basis

A septic tank that's working correctly might only need to be emptied every 5 to 10 years depending on size of family and what has been routed into it.

s7ryf3925pivug

You have a modern biocycle wastewater system. A traditional septic tank doesn't have a percolation area.

The tank you see as full is the pretreatment tank. If it is working correctly the waste will be largely digested there, then grey water will be pumped to the percolation area where it will seep into your soil. [You shouldn't grow food in the percolation area.]

A traditional septic tank on the other hand is just a big tank where waste gets flushed into

I don't know what the percolation area being bad means but it's definitely not something to be complacent about because you're talking about pumping human waste into your garden.

The pump being broken means your pretreatment tank is filling up. Depending on the system this could be expected to be emptied/desludged every 18 months to twonyears when things are working properly.

We had to replace the pump in ours when we moved in. I think it cost about 500 including desludging. But yes it is definitely the landlord's responsibility.

You need to be careful about what cleaning products you use with a biocycle system. Look for ones that are septic safe. The risk is that products that kill bacteria will kill the bacteria that break down the waste in the system. You will be able to smell it if this has happened. Our system was in this state when we moved in. Even after desludging, it took months to get it into a healthy working order.

Be careful not to put oil or food down your sink or toilet. Cheap toilet paper is preferable as it breaks down more easily usually.

katiek102010

Byron White Spoon wrote: »

You have a modern biocycle wastewater system. A traditional septic tank doesn't have a percolation area.

The tank you see as full is the pretreatment tank. If it is working correctly the waste will be largely digested there, then grey water will be pumped to the percolation area where it will seep into your soil. [You shouldn't grow food in the percolation area.]

A traditional septic tank on the other hand is just a big tank where waste gets flushed into

I don't know what the percolation area being bad means but it's definitely not something to be complacent about because you're talking about pumping human waste into your garden.

The pump being broken means your pretreatment tank is filling up. Depending on the system this could be expected to be emptied/desludged every 18 months to twonyears when things are working properly.

We had to replace the pump in ours when we moved in. I think it cost about 500 including desludging. But yes it is definitely the landlord's responsibility.

You need to be careful about what cleaning products you use with a biocycle system. Look for ones that are septic safe. The risk is that products that kill bacteria will kill the bacteria that break down the waste in the system. You will be able to smell it if this has happened. Our system was in this state when we moved in. Even after desludging, it took months to get it into a healthy working order.

Be careful not to put oil or food down your sink or toilet. Cheap toilet paper is preferable as it breaks down more easily usually.

It's definitely not a biocycle. It's a DIY septic tank that was built about 40 years ago. As far as I'm aware there is.no pump at all. Tank was put in when house was built cira 1980

Still waters

He said percolation area but might have meant a soak away, either way it shouldn't fill that fast and its the landlord's problem

BrokenArrows

Still waters wrote: »

He said percolation area but might have meant a soak away, either way it shouldn't fill that fast and its the landlord's problem

100% the landlords problem.
Everything that breaks or goes wrong in a rental is the landlords problem.

P2C

Landlords issue. Make sure and give him the invoice for €270 as he should of paid same. Get a camera down the system to see where the issues are but more than likely blockage by collapsed pipe or soak pit blocked and needs replacing. The water is more than likely not getting away and would fill quick

quote="katiek102010;111452017"]How will I know if that's it. How can it be fixed. Is that down to landlord to fix or me[/quote]

robod42

Down to the Landlord, make them aware of it as soon as possible and take note of any contact/documentation there has been between you/Landlord/septic specialists. I would have a chat to someone over the phone from <SNIP> or one of these places rather than make any decision based on what is posted here though.

Graham

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robod42, please read the forum charter before posting again. Recommendations are by PM only please. Do not post or PM recommendations if you have a connection to the business involved.

I'm sure it's coincidence that both companies you've recommended so far appear to have common owners.

Do not reply to this post.

Thanks