Honey Truck Septic Pumps

[Somtham]

The settling pond that the fish ponds drain into is filling up with fish poop. Sometime in the not so distant future I'm going to need to drain the pond and remove all that poop, approaching 1 meter deep. I was thinking that the pumps used on the honey trucks would do a good job and I could pump directly into the garden (1 rai).

I think the pumps on the trucks are diaphragm pumps but I'm not sure. Done a lot of web surfing but still am confused. Does anybody know what kind of pumps they are, approximate cost, where to buy, and power required to drive them? Also, any other ideas for removing the waste are welcomed.

Appreciate any help.

Thanks and regards

[chownah]

If the idea is to pump the water off and then remove the solids (as opposed to pumping the solids along with the water) then a tube pump powered by a two wheel diesel tractor is ideal for emptying the water out. If the poop can be suspended in the water so the slurry is still thin enough then the tube pump will pump this too but it will not pump semi-solid chunks like a septic tank pump can.

Backhoe?

Drag line bucket?

[Somtham]

If the idea is to pump the water off and then remove the solids (as opposed to pumping the solids along with the water) then a tube pump powered by a two wheel diesel tractor is ideal for emptying the water out. If the poop can be suspended in the water so the slurry is still thin enough then the tube pump will pump this too but it will not pump semi-solid chunks like a septic tank pump can.

Backhoe?

Drag line bucket?

About 75% of the water can be gravity drained. The remaining water gets pumped to the drain with a "tube" pump as you mention. I don't think it's possible to suspend the poop so the tube pump can drain it. Just to much of the stuff.

Do you know anything about the pumps on the septic trucks?

rgds

[Maizefarmer]

Your best option is a vacum pump - diaphram type vacum pump will do.

Failing that a self priming pump as in the picture below - avalible from your local hardware store skid mounted with small Honda engine (Honda WT series). Not reccomended if you have swimming pool type volumes to pump - buy the vacum or self priming pump unit and get a a small diesel engine.

[chownah]

Sorry, I have no experience with the septic trucks but it seems like it would work. Couldn't you just hire a truck to come and do some experimental pumping for relatively cheap?

Another possibility, but probably harder to find on the cheap would be a concrete pump....maybe an old worn one would still pump the poop.

[Somtham]

Your best option is a vacum pump - diaphram type vacum pump will do.

Failing that a self priming pump as in the picture below - avalible from your local hardware store skid mounted with small Honda engine (Honda WT series). Not reccomended if you have swimming pool type volumes to pump - buy the vacum or self priming pump unit and get a a small diesel engine.

Thanks Maize. Do you know any brand names of the diaphram vacuum pumps that are sold in Thailand?

rgds

[Somtham]

Sorry, I have no experience with the septic trucks but it seems like it would work. Couldn't you just hire a truck to come and do some experimental pumping for relatively cheap?

Another possibility, but probably harder to find on the cheap would be a concrete pump....maybe an old worn one would still pump the poop.

I showed the pond to the septic guy last time he was here and at first he just gave ma real funny look. I mentioned I didn't want to pump into his holding tank, just use the pump with the outlet going to the garden. He said there was no way he could bypass the holding tank.

The stuff makes great fertilizer so I really do want to get it into the garden as opposed to dumping it. I can see a night and day difference on the chili plant rows where I've pumped poop and the ones I haven't.

rgds

[Tilapia]

Your best option is a vacum pump - diaphram type vacum pump will do.

Failing that a self priming pump as in the picture below - avalible from your local hardware store skid mounted with small Honda engine (Honda WT series). Not reccomended if you have swimming pool type volumes to pump - buy the vacum or self priming pump unit and get a a small diesel engine.

Hi MF.

I have a three of those Honda pumps, they are effective, but not if there is to much solids, then they give up.

I would say that a small engine with a separate pump is the best choice as well, but how often does Somtham need to do it ??

Tilapia.

[Somtham]

Hi MF.

I have a three of those Honda pumps, they are effective, but not if there is to much solids, then they give up.

I would say that a small engine with a separate pump is the best choice as well, but how often does Somtham need to do it ??

Tilapia.

The self prime Hondas just can't hack it. The poop is to thick. I have a couple of Honda 5.5 hp engines around so if I can find a vacuum diaphram pump to attach I think it would work. Probably need to pump once a year for the time being.

rgds

[chownah]

A screw in a housing?..like Archimedes designed?

[Somtham]

A screw in a housing?..like Archimedes designed?

Like the ones they use to move the rice from the ground to the truck? To much work. This shit is thick and I'd have to move the tube around. It would work but I/my worker don't have the energy. It would be much easier to just move around a 3" hose....suckin' it up.

Keep the ideas coming though.

rgds

[chownah]

What's the pond's dimensions?

How thick is the poop?

Could a two wheeled tractor maneuver in this stuff or are we talking about "deep doo doo" here?

I've never seen an accumulation of fish poop...does it compact into a solid mass like cow manure?...or is it more fluid like the mud you make when you till up a rice field for planting?

Inquiring minds want to know!!!

chownah

Edited May 19, 2007 by chownah

[Maizefarmer]

The correct observations have been made: i.e. what is the volume to be pumped and what is the viscosity -and of course what are you happy spending. Without that info, I could only offer a reply in principal. But lets look at the problem now in a bit more detail - and I'll use my farm slurry tank as a comparison (which holds something like 20 tons of shit/water mixture).

The Honda WT series pumps will work - but not from a settled pond/tank. The bottom will be to vsicous - you'll first have to stir the whole pond/tank to lift the thick stuff from the bottom back into the water.So if the volume is such that this would not be practical then skip on this idea, and move forward to a bigger unit and/or different pump type.

I,m going to suggest one of the Kirloskar units. It's run by two Indian guys who are the agents for Kirloskar pumps (India) - they'll have what you want pump wise (whatver you want and proberbly at a price that you won;t beat elsewhere). Kirloskar pumps in my opinion are well made and worth what you pay for them in Thailand.

Most of what they sell can be purchased with or without the engine/motor unit attached:

Go to the main Kirloska page, select Products, and then go to Agriculture ans Domestic Pumps:

Look at the Type KV and DV pumps - they can run wet and are avalible in single phases voltages

Also look at the Type SP pumps (I have 2 x 12Kw - very good, and they work fine with my cow shit slurry tanks - get a brass impeller installed)

Also go to the Industrial pump section and look at the SHM. NK and SHL type pumps - effectively centrifugal types with scaled down impellers mounted in them.

MY opinion SP types - but chat the Indian guys who work there (they speak perfect english) and hear what they suggest.

3rd floor, ACME Bldg.

125 Petchburi Rd.

Rajthevee, Bangkok 10400

Thailand

Phone 02-216-4935/4936

Fax 02-216-4937

Failing that - heres an idea where I know you'll find used/cheap industrial size vacum and diamphram pumps: 2 places:

- heading from Pattaya back to Bkk on the left hand sid eof the road about 20km from Pattaya there is a large industrial scrapyard with everything from pumps, to pressure vessels to motors, to generators ect ect - you can;t miss the place, it's look like a big junk yard.

-the second place is on the motorway that runs from Bkk down to the eastern Seaboard petro chemical industrial estates about 20km past Pattaya - on the same road as the race track (bikes and cars) and about 10 km' past iton the same side of the motorway (i.e. right hand side). here is another idiustrial junkyard that stocks a lot of stuff that comes out of the Seaboad petro plants - it'sthe best in Thailand - I once found a working 76hp 3 phase 460V 30 stage submersible pump. It cost me Baht 50 000. All I had to replace was shaft seal and some commutator brushes. New that pump would have cost me Baht 700 - 800 000!!

It is an aboslute goldmine for pipe fittings - been primarily a yard for petro type and chemical type production plants, the range of pipe fittings in Titanium, stainless, pheynol, abs, plastic glass,pvc ect ect .... is second to none. What you don;t find there simply doesn't exist - it' all there - everything.

If you can't find a solution amongst these options I'll be suprized.

MF

[Somtham]

The pond is ~375 sq meters, 3 meters from top to bottom, with 1:1 side slopes and the poop is about 1 meter deep now so I don't think the 2 wheel tractor could get in and if it did probably could not get out! Yes, "deep doo doo" and even deeper by the time I get around to emptying it. The poop viscosity is more like a thick slurry not as low as a freshly turned rice paddy. For some reason all I can think of for comparison is oatmeal.

Thank you for the Kirloskar link. As you suggest looks like the SP will do the trick. I will give them a call and maybe take them a sample next trip to the city.

Got a good buddy in Rayong so next time I visit will stop by the 2 places you mention. I think I've noticed both the palces you mentioned but had no idea what they were. They sound wonderful and I may just get lost strolling around.

Thank you for the help.

rgds

[scotbeve]

The settling pond that the fish ponds drain into is filling up with fish poop. Sometime in the not so distant future I'm going to need to drain the pond and remove all that poop, approaching 1 meter deep. I was thinking that the pumps used on the honey trucks would do a good job and I could pump directly into the garden (1 rai).

I think the pumps on the trucks are diaphragm pumps but I'm not sure. Done a lot of web surfing but still am confused. Does anybody know what kind of pumps they are, approximate cost, where to buy, and power required to drive them? Also, any other ideas for removing the waste are welcomed.

Appreciate any help.

Thanks and regards

I'd advize not to use any type of impellor-type pump to suck out the crap. Septic tank trucks are getting expensive to hire. Best to get a bilge pump (ball-type). They're actually one of the few good products from China. Most major hardware / farmers equip. store will have.

[allcladrad]

You might try running "trash pump" in your search engine, they are designed to remove solids and have a screw type impeller, Honda has some.

Oatmeal will be a piece of cake for this type of pump, ah but the manual labor part?

[Boksida]

I have previously owned a Thai built vacuum truck of the type commonly used to pump out septic tanks. The pump is basically a low pressure vane type compressor driven from a PTO. The pumped fluid never comes into contact with the pump as it is isolated by a float valve when the tank fills. The tank fills as the air is exhausted. By using a valve to reverse the air flow, it is emptied by blowing air back into the tank.

The driver's name is always Terdsak.

Other pumps that will handle solids are diaphragm, progressing cavity and peristaltic.

Edited February 28, 2008 by Boksida

[scotbeve]

Somtham,

If your pond is somewhere around Sanpathong, then you'll have a plethora of septic tank trucks available. PM me and I'll see if I can dig up my brother-in-laws' phone no.

[chownah]

Somtham,

If your pond is somewhere around Sanpathong, then you'll have a plethora of septic tank trucks available. PM me and I'll see if I can dig up my brother-in-laws' phone no.

Where do they dump the...ummm..."contents" after emptying a septic tank?

Chownah

[scotbeve]

Chownah,

The tesabahn tells them where they may dump (no pun intended...) and yes it's strictly controlled (the best as they can...)

[allcladrad]

Chownah,

Have no idea about your area, but here it is sold to farmers for fertilizer. Could give a whole new meaning to "You are what you eat"

[Somtham]

I have previously owned a Thai built vacuum truck of the type commonly used to pump out septic tanks. The pump is basically a low pressure vane type compressor driven from a PTO. The pumped fluid never comes into contact with the pump as it is isolated by a float valve when the tank fills. The tank fills as the air is exhausted. By using a valve to reverse the air flow, it is emptied by blowing air back into the tank.

The driver's name is always Terdsak.

Other pumps that will handle solids are diaphragm, progressing cavity and peristaltic.

Boksida - thanks for the info. Do you know where 'Terdsak' buys the low pressure vane type compressor, how much they cost, and how many HP is required to drive them?

rgds