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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Septic tank, anyone?

30 replies

Florence1960 · 05/08/2020 16:11

I’m looking at buying a property which has a septic tank. I don’t know anything about them but have been trying to do a bit of research. It is under the block paved driveway.
Any comments advice gratefully received!
*aibu to even consider it?

OP posts:
myusernamewastakenbyme · 05/08/2020 16:14

I have one...its fine...i think ive emptied it 3 times in 16 years...costs about £100 to empty...my neighbours poo goes into my tank too.

UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 05/08/2020 16:14

We've just bought a house with one. They're fine. You just get someone to empty it every year or 18 months. Ours was full when we moved in but there was no smell or anything, and getting it emptied was no hassle.

WhoWants2Know · 05/08/2020 16:33

I have one. It's fine. Probably takes 2 years to fill and costs £65 to empty it. (Also, if we ask around and get neighbours to book in at the same time then we all get a discount.

Sheknowsaboutme · 05/08/2020 16:42

We empty ours every year. How old is the tank? May need replacing.

bloodywhitecat · 05/08/2020 18:38

@myusernamewastakenbyme

I have one...its fine...i think ive emptied it 3 times in 16 years...costs about £100 to empty...my neighbours poo goes into my tank too.
This, except our neighbours have the tank and our waste drains into it, we share emptying costs as and when we need it it was last done 4 years ago and shouldn't need emptying for a while yet.
MrsAvocet · 05/08/2020 18:44

We've got a septic tank and on a day to day basis it is no different to having mains sewerage. After all you shouldn't be flushing anything into the mains that you can't put into a septic tank really - basically nothing except pee, poo and paper down the loo, and try to minimise the amount of waste cooking fat that goes down the sink. We get ours emptied every 2-3 years but it may need doing more or less frequently depending on how big your tank is and how many in your family.

Moreisnnogedag · 05/08/2020 18:52

I know of a number of people who have them and have no problems. Unfortunately we had one and a number of major issues. The previous owners were cheapskates and bought the cheapest undersized tank. It was fitted by a cowboy - not only was it put in incorrectly but the pipes at one point were on an uphill to the tank. Yip the inevitable happened and it backflowed. Pump outs were £150 a time and at one point we were pumping out every two months.

We eventually dug it up and sited a sewage treatment plant instead in the field which has been a dream. I’ve never appreciated sewage as much as I do know Grin. If we were to buy a property with one again, I’d really do my homework about it.

JenandFlo · 05/08/2020 18:55

Ours is fine, no smell and empty once a year.

Have to buy cleaning products that are septic tank friendly, so no bleach.

Celticdawn5 · 05/08/2020 19:02

They’re fine as long as you don’t flush wipes or sanitary items or tons of loo appear as younger children tend to do sometimes.
If you share a tank, I’d be looking at where the drains are, if the neighbours are not careful about what goes down the pan then you might be the ones who have to sort everything out.
If you share then someone has to take the responsibility of getting it emptied then getting the money from the other party
If you are the only family using it then it’s easier still.
If it’s a very old property with the old terracotta glazed pipes then a millimetre shift can cause blockages.
My septic tank is shared.

Celticdawn5 · 05/08/2020 19:04

Loo paper I mean and yes, use septic tank friendly products

youwereagoodcakeclyde · 05/08/2020 19:07

We ring the council and it is emptied. Apparently it is large. No issues. Not shared. We never flush non flushables!

ostinato · 05/08/2020 19:12

You need to check if it’s a septic tank (doesn’t always need emptying but may need a permit) or a cess-pit which is what most people who say they have a septic tank actually have ie a sealed sewage chamber that needs to be emptied. (True septic tanks drain into the ground through a soakaway.)

ShinyMe · 05/08/2020 19:18

My parents have one. It was built in the 70s and has never been emptied. Sometimes, very very rarely, there is a whiff (only if you empty a large bath and the wind is in the right direction) but otherwise you wouldn't know it was there.

cherrypiepie · 05/08/2020 19:33

I have had one and would have one again if it was the right property and wasn't shared. It wouldn't put me off. Need jetting a few times. There are new regulations for septic tanks so check those out too as I don't k is anything about them. Plus its loads cheaper as you don't pay for sewerage.

Lucywithout · 05/08/2020 19:53

You do need to avoid some toilet paper and dont let wipes in it. The water bill is reduced by more than the emptying cost. We share with neighbour and only call the "honeywagon" once every 3 years or so.

Bluntness100 · 05/08/2020 19:56

We have one, no idea of size, it’s emptied every six months which was the contract the previous owners had and we have just kept it going.

No difference to being on mains sewage other than you organise the emptying and you obviously don’t pay for sewage with your water bill

LesLavandes · 05/08/2020 19:57

Get a survey before buying.

Humphriescushion · 05/08/2020 20:01

We had one, rarely needed to be emptied, worked as @ ostinato says above. We often called them out to check and they would laugh at us - not in the uk but was a septic tank.

Moonshinemisses · 05/08/2020 20:07

We have one, no problems so far. It's a good idea to get an inspection before you purchase. We have ours pumped about every 4 years. Signs of a problem would be slow draining water, sewage smell or a very very healthy patch of grass in the draining field.

Moonshinemisses · 05/08/2020 20:08

You might want to check if your area will require mandatory hook up to the main sewage line any time soon as you'll likely be on the hook for the cost.

Scrowy · 05/08/2020 20:09

As above, check if it has a cesspit or a septic tank.

We have a septic tank and it never needs emptying.

Figmentofmyimagination · 05/08/2020 20:12

We have one. Emptied recently. Apparently it was straightforward enough.

Years ago though, when we lived overseas and I was much younger - a young mum - I blocked the septic tank putting tampons down the loo - v embarrassing - there was a blockage (rental house) and when he’d finished dealing with it the drainage guy knocked on the door and asked my DH to ask me to stop flushing away tampons as there were 100s down there. I’d always flushed tampons down the loo so I was a bit shocked.

CherryPavlova · 05/08/2020 20:13

We have a septic tank. It’s never a problem but needs emptying once or twice annually.

rslsys · 05/08/2020 20:20

Check that your septic tank does not empty into a ditch or a watercourse. That is now a no no from January this year. Your solicitor should be on this, however.
We've had one for 26 years. Used to have a note on the wall in the loos when the kids were young and had friends round. It read "Except for soft toilet paper - please don't put anything in the loo that you have not eaten or drunk first".
Nicked the sign idea from a Narrowboat! Never had any problems with ours.

yikesanotherbooboo · 05/08/2020 21:13

We have one at our weekend house and have no problems. It wouldn't influence me buying a property