If you're like most people, you probably don't know too much about septic tanks. What's the point in knowing? It's not something you have to worry about until it becomes an issue. However, if you're a homeowner or business owner with a septic system, it's important to know how your tank is constructed and what role it plays in your sewage system.
A septic tank is essentially a subterranean concrete, fibreglass, or plastic structure where domestic sewage water is held for initial treatment. The term "Septic Tank" refers to the tank that houses waste water from a house or structure. Where an adequate drainage system is lacking, a septic tank is installed. A septic tank is built and the same is designed to hold waste or sewage for 10 to 30 days. Typically, this tank is positioned between 1.5 and 1.8 metres below the earth. The home's septic tank is connected to the sewer pipes carrying waste water.
Septic Tank is a important part of the house or building and play an important role.
In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at septic tanks and discuss some of the key components that make them work. We'll also talk about common issues that can occur with septic systems and provide tips for keeping your tank running smoothly. So, whether you're a new homeowner with questions about your septic system and wondering what septic tank prices or you've been dealing with problems for years, read on for some valuable information!
Processes and Resources
The tank must be constructed on a level gradient, at a depth that allows for appropriate gravity flow from the house, and at a height that corresponds to the invert elevation of the house sewer. This is the most crucial part of septic tank installation. While designing and building septic tanks, it's necessary to keep a few other things in mind.
To ensure that there is as little settling as possible, the tank must first be set up on solid ground. As a result, if a level position is not maintained, the inlet and outlet structures will not operate as intended, which could affect the tank's performance. Septic tanks also need to be physically robust, watertight, and lasting. Reinforced concrete effectively satisfies these criteria as a building material.
Although it needs to be properly coated for corrosion resistance, steel is another material that may be utilised for septic tanks. You can also use tanks made of plastic or fibreglass. They are incredibly portable and light, and they offer corrosion and decay resistance. Septic tanks' walls should be at least 80 to 100 mm thick, though they can alternatively be constructed of brick. The tank must be made completely watertight, and that is what matters. Concrete or other materials with adhesion properties should be used to place and seal the inlet and output pipes.
The Design
Unfortunately, many septic tanks in Indonesia are damaged and leaking. A properly constructed septic tank won't leak and should be able to endure earth movements. It is simple to undervalue the pressures that a septic tank must endure. You'll find folks utilising lightweight concrete blocks with a thin layer of cement on the inside to construct septic tanks. It will be easily cracked by even the smallest amount of earth movement, possibly even by the settlement brought on by the tank's construction.
Septic Tank is a important part of the house or building and play an important role.
We need also keep in mind that a tank will hold a metric tonne (1,000 kg) of liquid for every cubic metre when it is in use; for an ordinary tank, this amount may be as much as 3 or 4 tonnes. That is a substantial amount of weight. Septic tanks should be constructed of reinforced concrete or plastic that will give slightly with ground movement. They should be designed so that, in the case of ground movement, the tank will move as a single unit and maintain its integrity.
Furthermore, the quality of the design and construction will affect how efficiently your septic tank operates. Septic tanks are frequently constructed by people who are unfamiliar with how they operate. This week, I'm afraid, we'll go technical as we examine and discuss the design aspects of a properly-designed septic tank. I receive questions about this topic a lot, so I'll answer them this way.
The Construction
When casting concrete, plywood formwork and shuttering is placed around the steel to create a box-shaped mould before the concrete is cast around the steel. This should be put in place to ensure that the walls are 4 inches thick and that, once the concrete is poured, there is a good coating of concrete on both sides of the steel mesh to prevent the steel from rusting. In order to allow for some movement when the tank settles and moves in the ground, there should also be a layer of sand beneath the concrete floor of the tank.
Before the concrete is poured, the PVC tank's 15 cm diameter inlet, transfer, and outlet pipes must be fitted, as well as a 7.5 cm diameter ventilation pipe to allow gas to travel between the two chambers. If it's not possible, the concrete should be properly mixed and the mix should be created to work with the sand and other components being utilised.
To ensure that the concrete is correctly compacted and free of cavities or air holes, the concrete should be vibrated with a vibrator as it is being poured. This will prevent the addition of too much water and ensure that the concrete is good and hard. To fit readily between the steel and the plywood, the aggregate must be small enough.
It's crucial to pay special attention to levels when planning the septic tank. The effluent inflow pipe from your toilet to the tank must be 15 cm in diameter, with a slope of at least 2% along the whole length of the pipe. Before you begin, carefully plan how deep the tank has to be to accommodate this. The intake pipe ought to enter the septic tank directly. The input pipe can be accessed immediately before it reaches the tank by installing small manholes, which many contractors desire to do. Blockages and odours are frequently brought on by these manholes. Having a free flow directly to the tank is preferable.
Septic Tank is a important part of the house or building and play an important role.
Now we put in the piping. Keep in mind where the inlet, outlet, and transfer pipes are located inside the tank; the inlet pipe is higher than both the outlet and the transfer pipes combined, and vice versa. These contrasted heights are significant. In order to prevent scum from forming on the surface of the effluent as it is broken down by bacteria, this tank design uses 15 cm tee pieces on the input and outlet pipes as well as on both ends of the transfer pipe between the chambers. Additionally, they assist in minimising any turbulence that may be produced as effluent flows into the tank and from one tank to the next. We want the flow through the tank to be as mild as possible.
Finishing Touches
Vertical extensions on the tee pieces in the upstream chamber support the transfer and outlet pipes. This is done to ensure that the liquid entering the pipe comes from the middle of the tank, away from any turbulence and high enough to avoid being clogged by sediment at the bottom of the tank. Last but not least, an open 7.5 cm diameter pipe is inserted between the two chambers above the water and scum level to release any pressure that may have built up and to permit unrestricted gas movement between the two levels.
The tank's top may now be installed; once more, a 15 cm (4 inch) thick slab of reinforced concrete is employed. A galvanised steel vent pipe with a 2 inch diameter is embedded in the top. The pipe in this design is nearly 2 metres high to allow any gases to be distributed freely in the wind.
A septic tank shouldn't smell when it is functioning properly, keep in mind. There are two manholes in the top as well. These are typically grout sealed to make them gas tight. When maintenance is required, a person can enter the tank using the manholes, which are also positioned to provide access to the intake and outflow pipelines so that obstructions can be removed.
The manholes also provide you access to the tank so you can pump it out, which you might have to do, say, once every five years. Many tanks are constructed without manhole covers but with top pipes with a diameter of 15 cm (4 inches) to enable pumping out of the tank. In these circumstances, it is impossible to enter the tank to make any necessary repairs or unclog it.
The manhole covers are made to seal with horizontal surfaces, as you should be aware of. In rare cases, contractors may create a tapered junction to allow the manhole and its covers to fit together. It is quite challenging to create tapered joints that fit perfectly, which makes them challenging to seal. Much preferable are flat surfaces.
Septic Tank is a important part of the house or building and play an important role.
Maintaining Your Septic Tank
If the sludge rises more than 3 inches over the suckout pipe, it needs to be removed. There may be a possibility of smell emanating from the pit because of the presence of Waste gases. In order to eliminate the smell, wastewater is periodically injected to the septic tank.
Septic tanks are an important part of keeping a home running smoothly, but they can be difficult and expensive to install. If you're in need of a septic tank cleaner, Ward Septics is here to help. We have years of experience installing septic tanks all over the country, so you can rest assured that your tank will be installed properly and efficiently.
