Septic tank owners - this way please

[mummyjaguar]

We are in the process of buying a house with a septic tank but have never had one before. Are they a hassle and does it cost a fortune to get them emptied? And how frequently do you have to have them emptied.

Country life - I never dreamed there would be this many things to think about!

[Millarkie]

We've only lived here a year so I'm not an experienced septic tank owner but I would say 1) no hassle, just check your cleaning products are suitable for septic tank (eg. parazone for toilets rather than bleach) and don't chuck anything down the loo which won't degrade 2) We had our emptied (arranged via local council website) - cost about £80. 3) frequency of emptying depends on number of people in house, size of tank and how well you treat it..have heard that some haven't been emptied for 20+years! We had ours emptied so we could have the structure checked by an engineer - You could try asking the current owners of your house how often they need to empty the tank and who they recommend to do it.
Is your garden on a slope? I have heard that they work best if there is a good drop on the outlets (ours is down a slope).

[pooka]

Oh, I'm interested too - we are going to see a house tomorrow that has a septic tank. As an additional thing to worry me, it's located in the field next to the house - as far as I can tell, not part of the house's land.

Anyway - I would love insight into dealings with septic tanks also.

[pooka]

INteresting - I think that there isn't that big a slope at the place we're viewing, though I will obviously check now!

Lots of places I've stayed at have had signs saying no STs flushing because of septic tanks - perhaps shall look into mooncup (finally!).

[Othersideofthechannel]

We have one. No hassle. The house is 15 yrs old and the tank has never been emptied.
As millarkie said, it's V. important not to use bleach or to flush anything other than toilet paper down.
Once a week we 'feed' the good bugs in the tank with an activator.

[Othersideofthechannel]

You shouldn't really flush STs down a mains drainage toilet anyway.

[Millarkie]

Where do you buy the activator from? That sounds like a good idea.

[Millarkie]

OSOTC - How do you know when they need emptying? (I've been wanting to ask someone that for ages!)

[mummyjaguar]

The garden isn't sloped at all. There was no sign of a septic tank either time we viewed and no mention on the agents details. It was only when the water search came back that we saw it isn't connected to mains sewers.

Glad they're not a hassle. I remembered seeing a thread once where someone had sewage coming up through her sinks. I had visions of being constantly covered in poop. I get enough of that from changing nappies!!

[Millarkie]

Our tank looks like a drain cover in the lawn ie. it's totally buried. And there was a large flowerpot on top of the drain cover (to stop kids lifting it) so pretty discrete unless you look for it.
(It was woman-who-used-to-live-here who told me that they work best with a slope, so not a known expert, might be wrong!)

[geekgirl]

we have one, we get it emptied once a year, a local farmer does it for 80 pounds. Still cheaper than mains drainage! It can get slightly whiffy when it needs emptying, but I've not found that a problem and find it completely hassle-free. I don't have any problems with cleaning products - Harpic etc. is safe for septic tanks, although our neighbours tank apparently 'turned' when they used those Loo Bloo block thingies, but that can be sorted by chucking some enzymes down the toilet.

[pooka]

Oh I don't flush STs. But lots of people do: hence the signs in holiday lets.

[pooka]

Oooh - what do you mean about "turned". Makes me think of a horror flick.

[mummyjaguar]

Ah. Now if it just looks like a drain cover I think we could have a problem. The house has a "covered yard". It was clearly once the maid's area for hanging laundry etc but now has a concrete floor and a glass roof. We were planning on turning it into an orangery type room. It has a cover in the middle which I just assumed was a drains inspection hatch thing and could be rerouted. If its the septic tank its not going to be nice having that in the house! (And probably not permitted either!)

Hmm - this house is becoming a problem.

[Millarkie]

That might not be the manhole cover thingy - just realised ours also has a little vent/spout thingy next to the manhole cover (to vent fumes I would guess, but kids think it's something to do with teletubbies). Can you speak to house's owners and ask them where it is etc. (That's what we did - we asked a lot of questions about scarey things like septic tank and oil tanks and gas in bottles - and it all seems so normal now, a year later)

[Millarkie]

And yes, Geekgirl - what do mean 'turned'?
(Millarkie shivers and shuts the back door whilst the septic tank lurks menacingly)

[LooptheLoop]

I've lived in a house with one for about 8 years and never had a problem. Ours is a soak away so doesn't need emptying (I take the ignorance is bliss approach to the technicalities!)

I can only go on my personal experience but it wouldn't put me off. I'd just ask the owners re costs/any problems.

One advantage is that because we're not on mains drainage, our water rates are very cheap. I think the expression is we don't have "dirty water"!

[geekgirl]

millarkie, it just started to pong a bit because the chemical balance had got upset, usually it's odour-free (unless it's quite full)

[Millarkie]

Thank goodness for that geekgirl - I was imagining bubbling of some sort.

[littlemadam]

We have one which apparently has an inner and outer chamber and is emptied once a year, costs about £120 for that and also is serviced every few years, (supposed to be every year??) it has an electric pump too though no idea what for Any ideas anyone?

Think they are fairly robust, tho I put some strong loo cleaner down when we first had it and had foam flying all over the garden. I think ours is high maintenance, parents have one and don't do anything except put activator down. They haven't had it emptied for yonks! Think theirs was a soakaway too Looptheloop.

Ours only smells a bit when it needs empying. Farm next door had theirs block - and was pretty awful.

I wouldn't be at all worried about septic tanks! Wouldn't think it would just be a drain cover over it, we have air pipes, and sure parents do too.

[Othersideofthechannel]

Like Geekgirl says, if it starts to smell it needs emptying. Ours smelt a bit (without being full) in the heatwave of 2003 but it wasn't a very strong odour.

[geekgirl]

ours only has a drain cover, no vent pipe

[mumblechum]

Ours is emptied every 2 years, never had any problem. The manhole thingy you're describing may just be an inspection one. We have one next to the kitchen door but th tank is a good 50 feet away from the house (no vent).

Your solicitor should raise additional enquiries about the septic tank with the owners' solicitors.

[constancereader]

septic tank ideally should not need to be emptied (if in good working order and you treat it well), a cess pit will need emptying on a regular basis. They are two different things.

We have always had septic tanks, they are no trouble ime.

[MarmadukeScarlet]

CC thanks I was just about to ask the difference!

Our neighbours have a cess pit, it drains untreated liquid waste into the road drainage ditch (which I think is dangerous and disgusting) they have to have it emptied many times per year as the water table is so high here?

We have a Klargester which has bugs living in it and it pumps the effluent through 3 rotating chambers with different levels of filtering and 95% pure water is discharged at the end. We have to keep our bugs happy too by not using to many cleaning products.

[findtheriver]

constance - how does that work then?? We have a septic tank - so it should just 'run itself'??