Septic Tank that did not need emptying

[john west]

A relative has moved into an old large house with a septic tank toilet system.

This was installed by the previous owners who had it emptied by a visiting tanker ever year and who say this needs to done.

Our relative (now the current owner) had a chance recently to meet up with the previous owner before the last owner.

This owner before last said that his septic tank fitted at the house did not require any annual emptying by a visiting tanker.

So it looks like the more recently installed system is a step backwards from the current owners point of view.

Would anyone be able to explain how these two systems differ ? Thanks

[Tim+]

More likely same system, but owners had different ideas about maintenance.

Tim

[Michael Chare]

What exactly did the owner before last actually have? It might have been a large soakaway! The previous may have replaced it with a septic tank that needs to be emptied.

[nothanks]

Ours is 80 years old and has been emptied once in the last 20-25 years, according to the previous owners. I use Muck Munchers every month but don't know whether they do any good or are snake oil, although I had someone round to empty it 2 years ago and they said it didn't need doing so didn't charge.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Ive got a biodfisc. supposed to be emptied/serviced every year. It got its outflow blocked by a nesting toad once and flooded the motor, so I got it emptied to fit a new motor./ That was after ten years. 8 years later the belt broke, but that didn't need emptying. 20 years on it still hasn't been emptied again...

It only gets a bit of food waste and soft tissue down it.

[Chris Hogg]

Who told the previous owner it needed to be emptied every year? The installer perhaps, who just happened also to run a septic tank emptying business?

What was supposed to happen if they didn't get it emptied every year?

In my last property, we had a very old, rectangular brick-built septic tank. As we'd never had a septic tank before and knew very little about them, I did a little research. The general recommendation on the Internet was that a septic tank should be emptied every couple of years. For some reason I didn't really believe that. Perhaps it was made by the Worshipful Company of Shit Shovelers or some such organisation, who had a vested interest. Anyway, we had ours emptied about every five years with no ill effects or consequences.

Much depends on how many people live in the property, and consequently how much un-digestible stuff like sand and grit goes into the foul water system from washing clothes, washing dishes and bodies, and of course shit. If there's only one or two of them, then a septic tank doesn't need to be emptied as often as if there's a family of say seven or eight.

And then of course there's a cesspit, a very different thing altogether.

[Tim Lamb]

I have an idea the pre-mains drainage set up at the farmhouse was an early form of digester.

1st tank was connected to the 2nd by an Elephants trunk pipe. The entry point being much lower than the outfall. This allowed turds and other floating debris to remain and be *digested* but the liquid maintained at the outfall level fed to a soak system.

Solids were pumped out but only every 20 years or so.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Or its sprung a leak and is polluting for miles around. I think should I want such a property, I'd get a survey of it done by a reputable contractor, before I tried to buy the place. One does not want the Environment agency fining you from here to several light years away, since ignorance is no defence. Brian

[Vir Campestris]

I doubt very much a toad nested in a septic tank outflow.

First they don't nest, and second they like clean water.

Far more likely it found the nice dry pipe a good place to hibernate after the outflow had been blocked by something else.

Andy

[Fredxx]

I had similar thoughts but thought he might have meant some other animal other than toad.

[Andy Burns]

The "rules" for non-mains sewer systems changed a few years ago

If a system doesn't comply it has to be altered before the property can be sold, maybe instead of improving the system the previous owner changed it from a septic system that discharged to ground into a pure tank by closing off the outflow, therefore it now needs constant emptying?

[Chris Hogg]

That would then be a cesspit, and would need emptying much more often than annually, as it would be filled by all the waste and grey water from the property. Monthly or bi-monthly, probably, depending on capacity and inflow rate.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well it was in there surrounded by grass it had dried in

Well it was nestling in there then, >and second they like clean water.

and of course not only was the outflow clean water, it was warm clean water. Do you know what a modern bidigester dows?

The pipe was flooded.

By grass it had dragged in.

[The Natural Philosopher]

FFS I unblocked the ruddy pipe, pulled out the soggy grass and the sleepy f****ng toad. Followed by the gush of water...

Why would I lie?

Its of no importance whatsoever...