Septic Tanks

[longstebe]

Hi guys

Having never had to deal with a septic tank before, I would like any sort of advice on how to maintain, do's and dont's, location of tank, smells etc....I hear that no chemicals should get used.Is this true?

Also looking forward to the jokes!!!!!!!!

[loong]

Are you talking about a proper septic tank or a sesspit?

As you probably already know, most houses do not have a septic tank, but concrete rings in the ground.

[johnsurin]

I have to work with a load of septic tanks here all the time, although most of them shower everyday...... :D

John.....

[kennkate]

My Wife only had One Concrete Ring Thingy

It started to smell The Fluid matter was escaping into the soil

Had Another one placed next too it and a connecting Pipe inserted about 3/4 way up from the bottom

Now the Liquids run off into the 2nd Ring thing Now all is well

She did get something to put into the first ring containing the solids

I think it is a Bacteria to break down the solids

[loong]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a71905-.html

[sorensen]

Septic_Tank_Design_and_Construction.pdf

[longstebe]

Are you talking about a proper septic tank or a sesspit?

As you probably already know, most houses do not have a septic tank, but concrete rings in the ground.

It must be a septic tank. I have the wifey telling me that somebody has to come by every 1-2 months to suck the sh!t out. I have bought land with a house already there. Anyway thanks for some of the input.

Only 1 joke!!!!!!

[loong]

Are you talking about a proper septic tank or a sesspit?

As you probably already know, most houses do not have a septic tank, but concrete rings in the ground.

It must be a septic tank. I have the wifey telling me that somebody has to come by every 1-2 months to suck the sh!t out. I have bought land with a house already there. Anyway thanks for some of the input.

Only 1 joke!!!!!!

If it has to be emptied so often, it is not a septic tank.

[laphroaig]

Are you talking about a proper septic tank or a sesspit?

As you probably already know, most houses do not have a septic tank, but concrete rings in the ground.

It must be a septic tank. I have the wifey telling me that somebody has to come by every 1-2 months to suck the sh!t out. I have bought land with a house already there. Anyway thanks for some of the input.

Only 1 joke!!!!!!

We have lived in houses both in New Zealand and Uk with septic tanks and they have always operated really well. The basic design is a comcrete or other form of tank into which the waste runs. the solid material will stay there and the liquid runs away down a lengthy 'run off' generally filled with stones and other natural filtration stuff. I think the princple is that by the time the water gets to the other end it is as clean as it can be although I wouldnt recommend planting your veggies just here.

Practically speaking, you are correct about chemicals. The principle of the tank is that the biological action of the 'stuff' inside breaks it down so any chemical going into the tank can have the effect of stopping the reaction and thus ending up with a pile of non decaying matter. The biological action is imperative to the point that many houses have a 'grease trap'. This is a seperate filtration system into which you run your sink water, shower water and washing machine water first so that the detergents are filtered out.

When the tank is emptied, seriously, don't do a thorough job! You should always leave a bit in the bottom as it is this which quickly startes the biological reaction as the tank starts to fill again.

As said, the key is a decent sun off for the liquid matter. As for cleaning, we get ours cleaned every 18 months to 2 years and no more than that. Good run off of liquid means that is easily acceptble timing. We have a fairly small tank now but the kids have left home so we could even stretch the cleaning longer if we wished. In our last home we have gone three year without a problem

I am not an expert, simply seeing this from a users perspective.

Al of that typing and I didn't use the 'S' word once, not bad eh

Edited April 24, 2009 by laphroaig

[longstebe]

Ok guys. I think the wife may have it wrong about how many times it needs emptying.Thats understandable though she is a women(last time i checked anyway).Also I've just got thru speaking with some of the hillbillies I work with here in TX. They said a 3 part septic system works good with the last part being 18-24 inch lower than the first therefore the water that runs back into the land is cleaner.The first tank would only need cleaning on a yearly basis depending on how many curries or som tam were eaten.Field lines were also being used to fertilize the soil/grass.No cleaning agents to be used.A little yeast from time to time.Ok I'm boring myself now.Topic closed.

[kamalabob2]

Our architect specified two types of "septic tanks" for our home in rural Thailand. We have a DOS brand Compact DCM GD "Domestic onsite Water Treatment" Polyethylene dimpled tank with airvents. There are several other brands commonly available in all parts of Thailand including "Safe" and "Diamond Brand". Two toilets and one urinal send waste to each DOS tank buried in our yard with air vents going up the side of a structure and then "cleaner" water overflowing to a series of cement rings. It was crucial that the tanks not be close to any wells. They are also the recommended distance from the house itself. Every large building supply sore has similar septic tanks in the display yard near the water tanks. Prices vary from store to store, from brand to brand. Like most everything on sale in Thailand, there are different "grades" with different lengths of the manufactures written guarantee. DOS puts a grade with a number on each septic tank.

When you buy the DOS or similar Polyethylene tank which range in size from 600 liters to 6000 liters it can come with a "set up" which included a "Multi surface cover" Flex hose, Plastic Media and "seed". I think I might have harmed our "seed by placing the "blue cakes" in our toilets. I was thinking I was in "Farang land" with toilets that flush to a municipal sewage treatment plant. So even though we did not have a smell issue I placed a one liter bottle of "JC Bio Clean" into each DOS tank and made a mental note to not buy any "blue cakes" or have anyone use any harsh chemicals when cleaning the toilets.

JC Bio Clean claims to be a "Microorganism consisting of Oxigenic Photosynthetic Organics, Bacillius, Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeasts". The list price is 195 baht per liter, but a generous discount was offered by Surin Home Mart. They have a web site with some English at

http://www.janchawan.com/dealer(eng).html

From looking today at this web site it would appear that this company also manufactures septic tanks in various grades and water tanks.

They list a phone number and so does DOS on the brochures. If you have specific questions you might be able to get accurate information from the company technical representatives.

The DOS brand "seed" comes in a plastic bag and lists for 250 baht. DOS offers a "Bio Tab" with a list price of 165 baht. I suspect that every Home Mart and DOS retailer sells this and similar materials to keep your septic tank in working order.

In our home the sinks, showers, pool, bathtub, dishwasher, clothes washer, each bathroom has two "dry room" floor drains including a drain under a counter which has the water drain from an air conditioner condensor, and some rain gutters all drain into a series of cement rings in various locations in the yard. The 2nd floor balconies have proper floor drains and each drain pipe goes to ground level and eventually the concrete rings while hidden in the sandstone faced columns. Each four ring deep "tank" feeds to at least one more identical four ring deep tank. We live on a private road with no Grey Water pipe access. Many homes in our community close to main roads can run Grey water into municipal sewer pipes. The point is that not just water from a toilet has to flow away, there are quite a few "feeds" from a bathroom, kitchen, even exterior terraces to the concrete rings or municipal sewer system.

The SLOPE of your waste water PVC line from each toilet has to be correct, I recall this being one of the few times I saw a "spirit level" used in construction here. Not a simple feat when you have a bathroom on the 2nd floor and the toilet is not with it's rear end next to an exterior wall.

A plumber from Vancouver encouraged me to have a "crawl space" under the downstairs bathrooms to see the pipe slopes and to have easy access for any repairs to water and waste lines. It looked like a small wine cellar, but for modest money the builder added a suitable room under two bathrooms with brick walls and a concrete floor to allow for that purpose. We also could easy check the slope of the pipes to the respective DOS septic tank and Grey water cement ring tanks.

We have only used the interior bathrooms of our home for thirteen months. We have not had the need to phone for a "honey wagon", which in our community it seems have designated firms for each part of town.

[kamalabob2]

Longstebe: Be sure to have the "location" of your septic tank indicated. With the DOS septic tanks under some grass we placed a plant pot on top of each tank so we knew where they are. The location of water pipes under our lawn was NOT indicated and that was a problem for our first gardener.

[Gary A]

We have two five ring tanks, one connected to the other. Nothing drains into the tanks except the toilet. No problems for five years. Some people make the mistake of draining sinks and the shower into the tanks. With that much water going into the tanks, it's no wonder they fill up.

[SHYTALK]

Are people with large sceptic tanks "affluent" or "effluent".

Never could remember.

[sirineou]

From what you are saying I think you have a cesspool or pit as it is known in the states, where the solids have to be pumped and removes periodically. cesspools are used in areas where there is not enough space for a leach field, if too close to a potable water source, or if the perk rate ( rate of absorption in to the ground) is nor sufficient.

A Septic Tank is a system where, waste is drained in a holding tank , and is consumed by aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, converted to Sulphates and Solphites ( please correct me if my spelling is incorrectly, I am trying to remember my college biology ), the remaining liquids are directed to a leach field where they are absorbed in the ground or evaporated in the air.

If you have cesspool all you need to do is to call the waste removal company to send a truck to pump it out. If it fills up to soon you must consider the fact that ground water might be leaking in the holding tank and it is filling it up prematurely .

If you have a Septic Tank , the above problem might exist ( ground water entering the holding tank) , or it could be that the bacteriological process has being disrupted, this could happen if a lot of washing detergent or antibactirial soaps , or other chemicals that kill the bacteria culture in your Septic, enter the system ( if that is the case there are many commercially available products that can re-establish the bacteria culture). Or it could be that the leach field is not perfuming properly, perhaps the drain pipe is clogged, or the incline angle is nor sufficient for liquids to properly drain to leach field.

That is my understanding of cesspool, and septic drainage systems.

There is a very good website dedicated to homebuilding in Thailand , the forum is full of useful information. The first link is to the Forum, and the second link is to the septic tank area in the forum.

http://www.coolthaihouse.com/forum/

http://www.coolthaihouse.com/forum/viewfor...4c46976d411503d

Good Luck

[Bpraim1]

I have my two toilets draining into a 2000l polytank with a 3 ring concrete water over flow. Sinks and showers run to another 4 ring concrete and kitchen sink runs to 3 ring concrete.

No problems yet!