Septic Tanks

squalshy

Hi,

I hope this is in the right place!

I am living in my house just under 3 years and in that time have had to have my septic tank emptied twice. When we bought the house we were told the septic tank is a biotech tank. The guy that came to empty the tank was really nice and knew a lot and basically told me the bio cycle in the tank had stopped working because it was over filled. We didnt' actually know the tank would need emptied so often as believed it would just work away to recycle waste etc.
He advised that to get the cycle working again the best thing to do was to basically find some road kill and put it into the tank to restart the bio cycle. To be honest, I'm a bit too squeemish to do this and I'm wondering if anyone can advise an alternative? If I were to buy some meat and let it spoil would it do the same thing?

Thanks a million

muffler

You shouldnt have to empty such a system in that period of time. Have you signed up to a service/maintenance agreement with the company? Most likely this would have been conditioned on your planning permission.

I suspect that there is something wrong - perhaps a blocked air filter or pump failure. You really should contact the manufacturers and have them look at it.

squalshy

We bought the house from the builder so i'm don't know who put in the tank or what the contract was for service or anything.

I thought the tank would have filled up so quickly because of all the rain we've had over the last few months?

I'm living on the Cork / Limerick border so if you know of a reputable company that would service I'd be very glad of the details?

Thanks again!

sydthebeat

squalshy wrote: »

When we bought the house we were told the septic tank is a biotech tank.


He advised that to get the cycle working again the best thing to do was to basically find some road kill and put it into the tank to restart the bio cycle.

Firstly, this is incorrect information.

using roadkill etc is the method of inferring ANAEROBIC BACTERIAL action in a traditional septic tank.

You do not have a traditional septic tank. You have an effluent treatment system. This works on AEROBIC BACTERIAL action which involves moveable parts with aeration action, pretty much the opposite of the way a septic tank works.

secondly, 'bio-tech' and 'bio-cycle' are two different treatment systems. Which have you?

Thirdly, 'over filling' can only be caused when the liquid cannot leave the tank. we will need more information:

1. what depth is the bottom of the pipe entering the system?
2. what depth is the bottom of the pipe leaving the system?
3. is there a distribution box or inspection chambers and can you inspect them?

squalshy

sydthebeat wrote: »

Firstly, this is incorrect information.

using roadkill etc is the method of inferring ANAEROBIC BACTERIAL action in a traditional septic tank.

You do not have a traditional septic tank. You have an effluent treatment system. This works on AEROBIC BACTERIAL action which involves moveable parts with aeration action, pretty much the opposite of the way a septic tank works.

secondly, 'bio-tech' and 'bio-cycle' are two different treatment systems. Which have you?

Thirdly, 'over filling' can only be caused when the liquid cannot leave the tank. we will need more information:

1. what depth is the bottom of the pipe entering the system?
2. what depth is the bottom of the pipe leaving the system?
3. is there a distribution box or inspection chambers and can you inspect them?

I've been looking online at the different set ups and from what I can tell I have a bio-tech tank - it looks nothing like the bio-cycle tanks and from the description of the way it is meant to work from the builder a few years ago-it sounds like the bio-tech tank.
I'll be honest - remissive on my part but I've never taken much notice but I can't afford to have it emptied every 8 months hence the reason for me now taking an interest!
From what I can tell from looking at it - the pipe entering the tank is about 1.5 feet underground but thats my best guess. I don't know how deep the pipe leaving the tank is.
There are 2 pipes I think - one at either side of the tank with vents that i can look into and also a bit further down the garden there is a drain cover which when removed I can look into. I have only ever taken the drain cover off once and that was just before I had the tank emptied but any time I've ever looked into the pipes at either side of the tank there is always a water level visable if that makes sense??

Thanks again for the help!

Poor Uncle Tom

Can you take a picture of the system and post it up?

squalshy

I'll try take a pic this evening and will post it tomorrow in work.

Thanks!

mickdw

No way should you need it emptied that often.

Can you hear a pump goin in the tank?
Does it discharge uphill or by gravity down the garden?

The likely problems are:

It has never been commisioned & is just working as holding tank/septic tank without power supply.
The pump has stopped or is faulty
If the effluent is pumping up hill to percolation area, it is possible that it hasnt been installed properly & you are getting infiltration/backflow from the percolation area causing the tank to continuously fill.
Additionally, these tanks typically have one segment internally filled with a plastic media to increase the surface area on which the bugs can grow. Check to see that the guy who emptied the tank hasnt taken all these away too as it will hinder the process of treatment if he has.

Finally, powercuts can cause terrible problems for systems that pump up hill with the tank overfilling & in some tanks, the plastic (balls) media travelling into the pipework between the house & tank.