New septic tank?

[Yosemite Sam]

I hope some of you gents can help me with advice.

I have used the search facility to look through past posts on Septic tanks and there is quite a lot of conflicting advice, so forgive me for starting my own thread with the exact details of dilemma.

We have a 1950's bungalow here that we live in with an old brick septic tank and soak away into our front paddock. Everything works fine until it rains a lot and the ground gets saturated and with a depression in the paddock the Septic tank starts to back fill with water, which then starts backing up the pipes back to the house.

We are going to extend or rebuild into a 2 storey house which will have a couple more bathrooms although this shouldn't make a difference as the occupants will be the same number. There is no other way to take water from the dishwasher other than into the Septic tank, as I know this is an issue reading previous posts and even the water from the gutters seems to flow thorough the tank also.

So a couple of questions

1/ Should I install a new type tank which would stop the back filling.

2/ If a new tank/ system, which one.

3/ How do I stop the back filling if I keep the old tank

 

[Doing it for the kids]

1) I would if you plan to live there long term.

2) depends on where it's being discharged too. If you have a river or permantly running water I think the requirements are slightly less than a ditch say which dries up in the summer. Google condor / aqua purea, I did the rounds a few years back and came up with these. Since bought a another and work well. Klarlgester seemed v similar but quite a bit more.

3) do gutters flow in? If so re route them to soak away. Check everything is clean etc. Ultimately the tank was probably designed to work for much smaller needs - no dishwashers etc back so hard to deal with this easily

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Thanks for the reply. We are planning to stay here long term. In the other threads that I looking through alot of folks didn't have good things to say about the Klarlgester and I wondered if all these new fangled Septic tanks were all the same and problomatic.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Have 2 Karl's working fine fitted in 89. They have the moving discs which I would stear away from as they need more maintainance.

The newer versions have a pump which bubbles air in, Less moving parts, touch more noise.

Most have the same operating concept it's just about working out which design is better / extra cost justified over improved design

Karl tried to justify to me they had a better design and quality to condor. I agreed but that didn't make them worth 30% more money!

 

[Still Farming]

Look at Karl. New prices -nearly double rest ???

Bubblers not new products just additional products they sell?

Anyone used Marsh Industries products - look good ?

 

[Lincsman]

Put some deep gravel filled drains in the paddock discharging into a ditch, pollution should not get into them but will stop the system backing up.

 

[S J H]

We had one of cotteril civils the other week, i'd recommend them speaking to them.

 

[Kevtherev]

I'd sort the soak away out to start those old type septic tanks work very well.

 

[Grassman]

Roof water shouldn't be going in the tank. Sort that for a start.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Thanks for the replies Guys. I will look into all your comments and suggestions.

 

[pauljg79]

Hi Sam, A couple of things you should keep in mind. The rainwater should not be going into the septic tank, this will disturb the settled solids and produce more suspended solids in the final effluent (which will not be helping your soakaway).

This will need addressing, Best to re locate a soakaway for the rainwater entirely.

Also, If you are looking for a new septic tank (which you may be if the old one had clay dip pipes which tend to get broken) you should look for one with a particle filter.

We are professional installers and regularly install these because of their strength and removable filter: http://www.owlshall.co.uk/residenti...c-tank-installations/millennium-septic-tanks/

Kind Regards

Paul

 

[Turra farmer]

Fix the soak away , solid pipe between tank and soakaway downhill to ensure no back flow into septic tank. No need to replace tank , it's just a tank ,

Rainwater shouldn't go through tank but in older propertires it inevitably does , just increase size of soakaway

 

[phillipe]

first up ,the brick tanks were not built too well ,a lot of the time they didnt fill the joints so water would leach out,try to get a ordinary bog standard septic tank the more simple the system more often or not its the best way,is there no fresh ground away from present site to put a new one? i have installed the new fangled tanks and if you can get hem to work the old fashioned non moterized way is best

 

[Fordson1]

The newer simple tanks are divided in 2 chambers. First chamber is settling and breakdown. 2nd is cleaning the cleaned output from 1st. Ours doesn't have that division so I put 3 2ft concrete pipes side by side on their end after the tank. Output from tank goes from one to next. It has taken the place of the 2nd chamber and does away with particles getting to soak area pipe.
If your side walls are blocks or bricks and porus might be best to replace. They are not too dear.

 

[Still Farming]

What's a bubbler like put in one as per the package units ?

 

[Doing it for the kids]

What's a bubbler like put in one as per the package units ?

Fitted 2 recently, work well, less moving parts, not expensive and tick EA box