Sewage treatment plant

[nickf]

I have got to instal a sewage treatment plant for a new house I am building. Groundwater is too high for traditional septic tank. I will be draining cleaned outfall into a ditch so tank must be EN 12566.

I have looked at the various manufacturers including Klargester, Biocell, Tricel etc..

I was wondering if anyone could offer any comments on the various makes from a reliability and efficiency point of view. I do not like the Klargester Biodisc both from a price point and also lots of moving parts. My current favourite is the Vortex, seems simple, logical and a good price.

Many thanks
Nick

 

[rob1]

We have had one for nearly ten years now, cant remember the make but its an upside V shape works by just pumping air into the bottom, the pump is in its own box in a little shed and has been faultless apart form the odd diaphragm, unless you like wallowing in sewage more than me get one with no moving parts, they dont do any better a job but cost more to maintain, we suck ours out every couple of years

 

[Andrew K]

Got a klargester but wouldnt recommend for reasons given above.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Klargester's aerobic system works ok. I have installed both the bio-disk and the bubble items and have shied away from the bio-disk as the moving parts cause maintenance issues. Another company with a good reputation is ;http://www.knollandsseptictanks.co.uk/septictanks.html
These new systems need frequent emptying and will cause problems when not maintained correctly.
SS

 

[nick...]

Ive fitted loads of klargester with the bubble pump on them and they are mostly ok.alarm if pump fails too and water pumped to ditch through 25 mm pipe which can be situated anywhere and even uphill if need be
Nick...

 

[snarling bee]

I have got 2 air powered air blown klargesters. I think they are all much of a muchness, but I do not like the idea on some that the air lifts the treated water out of the unit. If the pump goes you are then stuffed. Go for one that empties by gravity.
The pumps they use now need a service/diaphragms every 12/18 months. My oldest entec/biotec had a slightly more expensive pump that lasted 19 years with only a few filter changes. I replaced with the same recently, and hope for another 19 years service.
I hope to fit another unit to some cottages, but I will go tricel as the invert level is only 600mm, and everything else is at least a metre. I do not want to be replacing all the pipes as well.

 

[nickf]

Thanks for the replies, I like the sound of the Tricell and they are very helpful on the phone. My problem is the levels,to get the cleaned water into the ditch I have to have a pumped outflow, we are on running sand and can't use a soakaway system unfortunately.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

On a similar point to this thread, I maintain the sewage system at our local village hall.
I have had a few minor problems with the Klargester bio disc but on the whole it works well.

The problem I have is with the company that owns them, Kingspan. I had a belt break and ordered a new one to come within 24 hours, it never arrived and when I complained on a Friday I was told that they had a new computer system and as it was Friday I would not get it until next week. I suggested they went to the Post Office as they delivered on a Saturday, which eventually they did.
I have recently had a problem with the Float switch and asked if they could come out and fit a new one, as it is a charity and members of the public involved I thought it would be sensible to have it checked over at the same time.

The cost I was told would be ---- wait for it ---- £250.00 per hour plus the cost of any parts. I then enquired about the cost of the Float switch which is £27.00, however I wanted to check that I had to replace the whole unit or whether the switch was possible to be repaired. They send someone would phone me back, guess what I never heard any more. I am happy to replace the float switch myself and get a qualified electrician to check it.

Does anyone else keep parts and service these things for less than these extortionate rates??

 

[suffolksmallholder]

I'm sure the float switch is a marine type. Rule or Whale may be the makers.
There were two of these on tenanted properties and the decision was to have them on a yearly maintenance contract which included two empties & any necessary repairs. The cost was........£250 per year. Now this was five or seven years ago but it seemed worth it at the time for peace of mind & paid for by the tenant anyway.
Try your local wet waste co.......
SS

 

[Bruce Almighty]

We have an Entec Biotec like Snarling Bee, it's 20 years old now & in that time has had 2 new compressors & 3 new submersible pumps

Using Google found me a compressor for £250 when the local builders merchant wanted £500. Pumps have been £100-150

All emptying has been done with our vacuum tanker

 

[pauljg79]

We regularly install SOLIDO systems, they are the only air driven ones that are silent: http://www.owlshall.co.uk/residenti...n/solido-sewage-treatment-plant-installation/

They are a little pricey though, so as a drop down from that the ASP is good.

Ive seen a few vortexes and whilst being very cheap, they seem to build up sludge very quickly! (small sludge storage chamber i think).

 

[pauljg79]

Oh, Bruce, the HiBlow compressors are really good, and worth a look at. If you want to try and silence it try putting the compressor in a wooden box like a beehive. They muffle the vibration better than the GRP boxes you get with treatment plants.

 

[Turra farmer]

avoid bio disc total disaster in high water table, motor is just above waterline , and gets flooded and its 250 a go , plus into tank to replace

I've an air system in another place , never looked near it ,so works fine

I have got to instal a sewage treatment plant for a new house I am building. Groundwater is too high for traditional septic tank. I will be draining cleaned outfall into a ditch so tank must be EN 12566.

I have looked at the various manufacturers including Klargester, Biocell, Tricel etc..

I was wondering if anyone could offer any comments on the various makes from a reliability and efficiency point of view. I do not like the Klargester Biodisc both from a price point and also lots of moving parts. My current favourite is the Vortex, seems simple, logical and a good price.

Many thanks
Nick

id

 

[nickf]

I installed a Tricell in the end;

http://uk.tricel.eu/tricel-waste-water-treatment-plants/overview/

I liked the simplicity of how it works, there is an external compressor mounted in a GRP case on top of the chamber so if it needs replacing it is very straightforward and other than this there are no moving parts.

Installation was very straight forward and I spoke to the company direct and they were very helpful on the phone so overall very pleased.

Will definitely put another one in for my next project.

 

[Ambrose]

On a similar point to this thread, I maintain the sewage system at our local village hall.
I have had a few minor problems with the Klargester bio disc but on the whole it works well.

The problem I have is with the company that owns them, Kingspan. I had a belt break and ordered a new one to come within 24 hours, it never arrived and when I complained on a Friday I was told that they had a new computer system and as it was Friday I would not get it until next week. I suggested they went to the Post Office as they delivered on a Saturday, which eventually they did.
I have recently had a problem with the Float switch and asked if they could come out and fit a new one, as it is a charity and members of the public involved I thought it would be sensible to have it checked over at the same time.

The cost I was told would be ---- wait for it ---- £250.00 per hour plus the cost of any parts. I then enquired about the cost of the Float switch which is £27.00, however I wanted to check that I had to replace the whole unit or whether the switch was possible to be repaired. They send someone would phone me back, guess what I never heard any more. I am happy to replace the float switch myself and get a qualified electrician to check it.

Does anyone else keep parts and service these things for less than these extortionate rates??

 

[Still Farming]

Can or would a bubbler/blower be put into an old biodisc if rotor/motors go ?

 

[rob1]

Can or would a bubbler/blower be put into an old biodisc if rotor/motors go ?

cant see why not its only air required to change from anaerobic to aerobic, output might not be to quite the same standard dual stage system but IMVHO would be the same as a normal bubble plant so fine to go to a drain

 

[Doing it for the kids]

You won't get ea approval but it will help I am sure

 

[Still Farming]

Are the bubblers very noisy !
I know the bio disc's just hum and odd water noise but otherwise how do they compare -sound wise ?

 

[rob1]

Not the one we have,in the middle of the night you can hear a tiny hum but it is quite close to the house as it was either there or a long way away and meant digging up a lot of concrete and crossing buried cables etc to put in the pipe whereas where we put it the out flow could use the exisitng drain, The pump can be put in a sound proof box as long as there is a small air gap.

I would sooner have a little hum than have to get in the sh!t when something goes wrong with moving parts