Septic tank and toilet roll.

little bit of help

Hi odd question. Old farmhouse and septic tank always blocked up so the family stopped flushing loo roll. Binned it instead. No problems with septic tank. We have house on the same land always did the same but I'm wondering since we have our own tank is it better to flush it away or will it block tank. Land is fairly waterlogged at the moment.

Lime Tree Farm

That should not be happening - you need to get a plumber to check the levels of the sewer pipes from the house to the septic tank. Or maybe one of the pipes is crushed or snagging up the system.

patsy_mccabe

The old sewage pipes were short clay ones with loads of connections where things got caught. Newer plastic wavin type pipes are far less likely to get blocked.

_Brian

A functioning system should cope with loo roll, without doubt.

If the tank is working the loo roll should be long broken down before leaving the tank.

As for the water logged ground, that is nothing to do with loo roll or none. If it’s coping with the liquid from the tank at the moment then flusihing loo roll should be no problem.

The big thing that stops solids or loo roll leaving the tank and blocking the system is the vertical pipe on the exit. This ensures the outlet only takes liquids from below the crust which are easily dispersed through the percolation after the tank.

Using too much detergents and bleach is a bigger risk to any system than loo roll.

Aravo

Old farmhouse means old pipework. Pipework may have settled, especially if vehicles can drive over it. I would flush the system with loads of water. Then go to a hire shop and hire a camera that can be put into pipework. They can be got on a cable reel, like the cable reels that is used for roping ducts. This would show the condition of the pipework and record distances.

Lime Tree Farm

This thread brought back to mind, on completing of the system he said to me "that will work fine, as long as you don't use newspapers"

Bass Reeves

little bit of help wrote: »

Hi odd question. Old farmhouse and septic tank always blocked up so the family stopped flushing loo roll. Binned it instead. No problems with septic tank. We have house on the same land always did the same but I'm wondering since we have our own tank is it better to flush it away or will it block tank. Land is fairly waterlogged at the moment.

With the old farm house was it the tank or the exit blocked up. Sometimes septic tanks were fairly small in size. This system could come under pressure if family numbers were high. On your own septic tank if it is build to specification flushing if toilet paper should not be an issue.

However it is important to desludge tanks every 8-10 years. This may also have been the issue with the d farm house if solids built up over 20-40 years. Septic tanks build in the 50's and 60's often were of inadequate size to deal with the solids that were going into them. In theory a septic tank should break down LL organic matter that enters into it and solids should never build up. However the use of detergent and bleaches provide a challenge to septic tanks. As we I imagine micro plastics in shampoo and shower gels is not helping either and unless all internal piping in the tank was put in place correctly at the start then the functioning of the tank would be under challenge. This is often the case with older tanks because of size and internal piping

K.G.

This sounds so cavan but people are using way too much toilet paper.and its not the price of it im on about itsjust that over the years and talking to different lads the amount of times we come across balls of toilet paper blocking pipes

Rows Grower

Bass Reeves wrote: »

With the old farm house was it the tank or the exit blocked up. Sometimes septic tanks were fairly small in size. This system could come under pressure if family numbers were high. On your own septic tank if it is build to specification flushing if toilet paper should not be an issue.

However it is important to desludge tanks every 8-10 years. This may also have been the issue with the d farm house if solids built up over 20-40 years. Septic tanks build in the 50's and 60's often were of inadequate size to deal with the solids that were going into them. In theory a septic tank should break down LL organic matter that enters into it and solids should never build up. However the use of detergent and bleaches provide a challenge to septic tanks. As we I imagine micro plastics in shampoo and shower gels is not helping either and unless all internal piping in the tank was put in place correctly at the start then the functioning of the tank would be under challenge. This is often the case with older tanks because of size and internal piping

Bang on the ball there.

lakill Farm

heard an uncle say once a year he will puts roadkill into his septic tank. So like a freshly killed rabbit or if one of his garden hens dies that's where it goes.

That's to boost new bacteria levels in the system.

patsy_mccabe

All dead rats around here go swimming in the septic tank.

Gods Gift

Mother in law better watch herself.

invicta

lakill Farm wrote: »

heard an uncle say once a year he will puts roadkill into his septic tank. So like a freshly killed rabbit or if one of his garden hens dies that's where it goes.

That's to boost new bacteria levels in the system.

Preferably “one that’s dead for a while“

septictank

The Bastard!!!

Rows Grower

septictank wrote: »

The Bastard!!!

Live with it.

Say my name

septictank wrote: »

The Bastard!!!

Do your job you and less of the chitter chatter!!

Buford T. Justice XIX

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

This thread brought back to mind, on completing of the system he said to me "that will work fine, as long as you don't use newspapers"

I haven't heard of newspapers being used since the 80s

kerryjack

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

I haven't heard of newspapers being used since the 80s

Back in the day they would be mad rush for the sunday world series stuff on it for 15 year old back than.

little bit of help

Thanks it makes sense lots of people in the house and old plumbing not a good combination!
If I kill the fecking rat digging into my chicken run I'll happily throw him in it.

Gods Gift

septictank wrote: »

The Bastard!!!

Your full of sh1t.

whelan2

Lidl toilet roll is being blamed for alot of blockages in septic tanks

Rows Grower

whelan2 wrote: »

Lidl toilet roll is being blamed for alot of blockages in septic tanks

As in people who clean out septic tanks actually go to the trouble of investigating which brand of toilet tissue was used?

lucalux

Having spent last night rodding a sewer pipe that had blocked just outside the house, after Lidl's normal 2ply was out of stock, and the 3ply Aloe Vera one bought instead, I'd say there's something in it.

Maybe homeowners themselves noticing it happening when they switch brands?

whelan2

Rows Grower wrote: »

As in people who clean out septic tanks actually go to the trouble of investigating which brand of toilet tissue was used?

Yup. A good friend cleans out septic tanks and he likes lidl as he makes a fortune from unblocking tanks blocked with their toilet roll

alps

Get a guy with a camera to investigate. They'll find the blockage or whatever the problem is.

Found sewer rods in ours...someone went at it previously and retracted without a few rods. Gave us some grief at times..

It wasn't that expensive..cant remember how much though...

Christ, would you just get it sorted. Putting all your toilet roll in the bin is serious hardship.

newholland mad

whelan2 wrote: »

Lidl toilet roll is being blamed for alot of blockages in septic tanks

+1 happened here. Never had any trouble before or since.

Snowfire

Friend asked me to empty a septic tank that was getting blocked for him few years back, I spread whatever was in the tanker out on a paddock, I had to go out after and hand pick about a thousand wet wipes that his daughter was flushing down the loo. Never again.

DBB

whelan2 wrote: »

Lidl toilet roll is being blamed for alot of blockages in septic tanks

https://www.google.com/amp/s/extra.ie/2017/11/13/news/extraordinary/luxury-loo-roll-plumbing-problems/amp

I'd never thought the luxury stuff could cause this problem, which we seem to be having in recent times here... will be going back to the old-fashioned, bog standard ('cause the pun) loo roll, and see does it make a difference

Wildly Boaring

The waterlogged land rather than loo roll could be the issue.

Your septic tank does break down organics including loo roll. It also must have a percolation area for liquids and effluent.

If the percolation area is full of water you could actually have water coming back into the tank or struggling to get away.

The inlet pipe will find a level. They when groundwater drops everything makes it's way down to tank bar some loo roll which floated and formed a mass.

We had a similar issue ultimately had to put in raised percolation area and small pump sump after septic tank (we put in a biocycle and went for planning)