The construction of a country house is not considered complete until a smoothly functioning sewer system is built. Sewerage can be built in two ways: a cesspool (the simplest option) and a septic tank (more difficult to construct).
Cesspool, a theme of the last century. It does not meet modern environmental protection requirements. They were replaced by septic tanks. Septic tanks can be homemade or factory-made. In this article, we will look at how to make a septic tank with your own hands.
What is a septic tank
Septic tank - more complex design sewerage, consisting of a sealed container, sometimes with several filter wells for absorbing purified water into the ground.
Making a septic tank for your home with your own hands is quite easy. Septic tanks are quite good at breaking down pollutants into simpler ones, followed by filtration. Therefore, there is no environmental pollution with wastewater.
Purpose of septic tanks
A septic tank is designed to collect pollutants and then decompose them into simple substances. Purified water is absorbed into the soil. Thus, septic tanks prevent wastewater from polluting the environment.
Of course, septic tanks cannot purify water 100%. Alkalis, drugs, acids remain in the water.
Selection of bacteria
A septic tank cannot operate without bacteria. After all, only bacteria perform the main role in decomposing pollutants. Sewage bacteria are divided into two types: aerobic (cannot live without oxygen) and anaerobic (putrefactive).
Anaerobic bacteria live in almost any conditions, unlike aerobic bacteria, which die when there is a lack of oxygen.
But anaerobic bacteria have one big disadvantage: the products of their activity contain solid deposits and produce methane, which contributes to an unpleasant odor. But they do not need pit ventilation. And aerobic bacteria are released into septic tanks for both homes and cottages.
Which bacteria to use is up to you.
Septic tank made from car tires
A septic tank made from car tires is one of the cheapest options both in terms of construction cost and maintenance. Finding old tires is quite easy.
For construction you will need to dig two pits. put them in car tires, Each other. Fasten the tires together with clamps and seal the seams. In one pit, cover the bottom with polyethylene (waterproofing), in another with fine crushed stone or sand.
Disadvantages of this design:
- fragility, sealed seams begin to leak liquid.
- in winter it is inoperable because it freezes.
Septic tank from euro cubes
You will need two or three euro cubes. The bottom is cut out in one (for filtration), the others are left sealed.
They dig a trench (necessarily at a slope so that the first cube is higher than the next one), fill it with cement to fix the cubes. Afterwards, Euro cubes are installed, tying pipes together and fixing them to the ground. The pipe/cube connections are coated with sealants.
Septic tanks made from Euro cubes are easy to install, sealed and last a long time. But they need to be secured to the ground, otherwise they may be squeezed out of the ground.
Made from concrete rings
To make a concrete septic tank, you will need four or five reinforced concrete rings. Using a tap, install the ring and start digging from the inside.
When the ring sinks into the ground, mount the second ring on top of the first. We fix the rings to each other, to the reinforcement, and so on to the depth we need. Afterwards we waterproof the bottom and, of course, the walls of the rings.
Usually, instead of the second ring, filtration fields are installed, since filtration fields have shown the best performance.
Such a septic tank, made with your own hands, will last for decades without pumping.
Brick construction
When building a brick septic tank, it is important to use clinker bricks. Any others crumble from moisture.
A pit is being dug in which a pool is laid with bricks. Next, we insulate the bottom and inner walls of the pool, cement mixture. We insulate the outer walls with clay. The thickness of the clay layer is at least 0.2 meters.
The rest of the work is the same as in any other construction method.
Exploitation
It's one thing to build a sewer system. The other is to operate correctly so that the system functions at a sufficient level.
So, let's look at how to maintain and operate a septic tank:
- Waste must be drained regularly to ensure bacterial life.
- It is prohibited to pour out caustic chemical substances(acids, alkalis, petroleum fluids, surfactants, etc.)
- It is necessary to periodically clean out bacterial waste products (silt deposits)
- Do not dump household waste.
If all requirements are met, such a sewer system will serve you for decades.
Photos of septic tanks with your own hands
Making a septic tank with your own hands for a private home is often chosen as a more economical alternative to purchasing a factory-made treatment system. Self-build It takes time and effort, but it really allows you to save money.
If not so long ago the topic of discussion was the advantages of septic tanks over cesspool, then this aspect is now beyond doubt. Much more often you can find materials about how a do-it-yourself septic tank for a private home differs from a ready-made one, or one of the models from another.
Indeed, having a septic tank on the site provides a number of advantages:
- Economical– the frequency with which you have to pay for the services of a sewage disposal machine is significantly reduced, in the case of using the most effective multi-stage models, to once every 10-15 years.
- Compliance with sanitary standards and environmental friendliness– the correctly selected model and installation location, as well as proper installation, virtually eliminate the ingress of harmful substances into drinking water, into plants through the soil, into irrigation water, etc.
- Comfort– if the septic tank is working correctly, bad smell absent even near the treatment plant.
Types of structures and their features
When choosing a septic tank design, they usually try to find an option that would give better results, but would also require less costs for construction and operation. Other things being equal ( right choice volume, absence of leaks, compliance with other installation requirements, etc.) A septic tank with a large number of chambers is considered more effective. However, the choice must be made taking into account expediency. In addition, there are ways to improve the efficiency of the treatment plant.
Single chamber models
Single chamber septic tank It’s better not to do it yourself for a private home with permanent residence. Such models are more suitable for a dacha where the family comes from time to time. In fact, the most simple models of this type are an improved version of a conventional cesspool except that the pit does not have waterproof walls and bottom, and therefore cannot protect against harmful substances entering the soil. In most cases, such products are cumulative and require periodic, fairly frequent removal of the contents using a sewer machine.
A single-chamber septic tank without pumping is a bit of an exaggeration. Adding to container special drug can significantly improve the quality of water purification and reduce the frequency of cleaning. Certain types of bacteria during their life processes decompose contaminated wastewater into clean water and neutral sludge that does not contain toxic substances. But even the most perfect ones need cleaning, but the need arises very rarely.
Double chamber products
From a design point of view, two-chamber septic tanks can be of two types. The difference lies, first of all, in the design of the bottom of the second tank. The water settled at the first and second stages is quite clean, so in most cases it can be drained into the soil.
Water drainage can be done in different ways:
- through the bottom of the second tank(for better sedimentation of the remaining insoluble suspension, it is covered with filter material - gravel, expanded clay, etc.),
- through, which increase the drainage area and ensure fairly rapid removal of water even in dense soils with low water permeability,
- using a pump into a watering container or drainage hole.
In the second and third cases, the bottom of the second tank, as a rule, is made waterproof (concrete base with waterproofing).
Three-chamber modifications
Installing a septic tank in a private home with your own hands using a three-stage cleaning system will allow you to process wastewater that includes both chemical impurities from detergents and organic matter. Step-by-step sedimentation in chambers allows you to get rid of not only large insoluble particles, but also suspension, and passing through a layer of filter material is the final stage, removing the smallest inclusions. After conducting a quality-confirming analysis, such water can not only be drained into the ground, but also used for irrigation.
Deep cleaning stations
The decomposition of impurities in such installations is also carried out with the help of bacteria. If in non-volatile septic tanks If crops are used that do not require air (anaerobic), then the aerobic microflora of deep cleaning stations needs it. They are used for constant air supply, which is why the models are called volatile.
The decomposition of air by aerobic bacteria is accompanied by a more active (than in the case of anaerobic microflora) release of biogases, therefore, septic tanks of this type require effective ventilation. By analogy with simpler designs, it is possible to use a pipe rising from the tank to a certain height, however the best option the pipeline supply to the general ventilation system. In this case, it is necessary to compare the pressure in the communications so that the exhaust gases do not enter the room.
The advantages of deep cleaning stations are:
- maximum effective removal impurities,
- shorter cycle time.
Additional information about that is in our other article.
What it is and why it is needed, read in a separate material on the site. In some cases this element is extremely important.
Materials for manufacturing
Treatment plants various types can be found on sale, but zealous owners are often interested in how to make a septic tank in a private house themselves. The simplicity of the design allows you to cope with such work without problems, it is only important to pay due attention to the following aspects:
- choice of design and volume,
- determining the location for installation,
- choice of material.
The last point is worth dwelling on in more detail. One of the main requirements for materials for building a septic tank for a home with your own hands is accessibility. Otherwise, the meaning of self-production is lost.
Let's list the most common options.
- Car tires They have a high degree of waterproofing; it is only important to carefully seal the joints. The required tank volume is achieved by installing tires on top of each other. Compliance and plasticity of the material in in this case may become a disadvantage when the soil freezes. Containers made from tires are more suitable for houses and cottages with seasonal residence and a small amount residents.
- Remaining after the construction of the house bricks – good material for the construction of reservoirs. If desired, the masonry can be done in a circle, creating a structure of the usual shape, but for convenience and greater tightness it is better to prefer rectangular shape. Lined up on concrete base a brick septic tank must be covered inside and outside with waterproofing material before backfilling.
- Concrete rings- another common material. Reservoirs made from rings have a convenient cylindrical shape. Blocks with different diameters, making it easy to create the required volume. During installation, they are installed on top of each other, the lowest ring resting on a concrete foundation. Blocks are held together cement mortar. Upon completion of installation, the inside and outside of the tanks are covered with a layer waterproofing material. Construction of a wastewater treatment plant from concrete blocks requires less time than construction brickwork, however, it requires the use of lifting equipment.
Capital structures made of concrete rings, bricks and monolithic models are better suited for country house with permanent residence.
Before starting construction of a septic tank, it is necessary to make some calculations.
- The total volume of the septic tank, regardless of the chosen design and material, must be no less than the three-day water consumption rate for residents (at the rate of 0.2 cubic meters per day for each).
- The installation location of the treatment plant must comply with sanitary standards, in particular, be more than 30 meters from the source drinking water and no closer than 5 meters from the house. And the distance between the septic tank and the nearest fence is 2 meters or more.
The following tips on how to properly build a septic tank in a private home will help make the construction more economical and durable:
- In most cases, it is advisable to reserve the volume of tanks by approximately 20%. In this case, an increase in the amount of waste water will not become a difficult problem to solve after some time.
- Removing sediment from the chambers promotes cleaning efficiency. Contaminated tanks are unable to provide high quality.
- Construction of a sewer system during the construction of a country house will allow you to save on the rental of special equipment. In any case, excavators and lifts are rented for large construction projects; at the same time, machines can be used to dig trenches for pipes, pits for tanks, move concrete rings, etc.
- Low quality building materials can nullify all the work, so you need to save when purchasing them only within reasonable limits.
DIY septic tanks for a private home video
And in the video you can see how to assemble and install a septic tank in a private house with your own hands. An example is shown using concrete rings.
Making your home comfortable is the task of every owner. One of the conditions for comfortable living is an efficiently working system local sewer. If previously cesspools were mainly built to collect wastewater, today such a solution is not acceptable. Therefore, most homeowners decide to build a septic tank - an installation in which wastewater not only accumulates, but is also purified. Let's consider how to make a septic tank in a private house, without resorting to the help of professionals.
Why is it recommended to build an overflow septic tank to install a local sewer system? The fact is that this installation, unlike a simple cesspool, is capable of not only accumulating, but also purifying wastewater, ensuring water drainage. Therefore, the owners of such installations use the services of vacuum cleaners much less often; as a rule, it is recommended to clean the chambers from sediment once a year.
It is quite possible to build a septic tank yourself. Moreover, the homeowner has the opportunity to choose which septic tank to build on his site. But before you start construction, you need to find out how to properly build a septic tank so that the constructed installation works efficiently and is environmentally friendly.
The principle of operation of a septic tank without pumping
The principle of operation of a septic tank is quite simple. When processing wastewater, two treatment methods are used - mechanical (settling) and biological (anaerobic fermentation and aerobic purification on filtration fields).
Water purified from impurities is filtered into the ground. If a septic tank is built in clay soil that does not absorb water well, then you have to drain the water differently by constructing ring drainage around the treatment plant.
Primary requirements
Before you make a septic tank with your own hands, it is important to remember the basic principles of its effective operation:
- Multi-stage. The efficiency of the settling process is ensured by the fact that the wastewater goes through several stages of purification. To do this, the installation is divided into 2-3 chambers. In each chamber, a settling process occurs, and in the first compartment large inclusions are deposited, and in subsequent chambers the smallest contaminants precipitate. It is this kind of organization of advocacy that allows you to achieve better results;
- Tightness. This condition for the construction of a septic tank ensures environmental safety installations. The tightness of the sedimentation tanks eliminates the possibility of dirty water seeping into the ground, and therefore there is no threat of contamination of the soil and soil waters. In addition, the tightness of the chambers eliminates the possibility of soil water penetrating inside, which could lead to flooding;
Advice! When building a septic tank, you need to take care not only of the tightness of the chambers themselves, but also of the connections between the body and the pipes. Silicone-based sealant or elastic rubber seals are widely used to seal joints.
- Volume. The quality of wastewater treatment directly depends on how long the contaminated liquids remain in the chambers. In order for the waste to settle well, it must remain in the septic tank for at least three days. Consequently, the volume of the treatment plant chambers must be large enough to accommodate the wastewater generated within three days;
- Thermal insulation. To carry out biological purification processes, it is necessary that the installation is sufficiently warm. Therefore, if the septic tank is installed at an insufficient depth, then it is necessary to carry out insulation work on the body of the treatment plant;
- Ventilation. During the fermentation process, organic matter decomposes into simple components, including methane and other gases. To remove gaseous decomposition products, it is necessary to equip the septic tank with a ventilation pipe.
Selecting a construction site and assessing local conditions
It is extremely important to choose the right location for the septic tank. In addition, conditions such as soil structure and groundwater levels will need to be taken into account. When choosing an installation location, you will need to comply with the requirements of SanPiN and SNiP. Among these requirements:
- The septic tank should be located as far as possible from the water intake site. The minimum permissible distance is 30 meters;
- The septic tank must be no less than 5 meters away from the house;
- It is not allowed to build a treatment plant close to the fence with a neighbor’s property; it is necessary to step back at least a meter from it;
- It is advisable to choose a construction site so that equipment can approach the site. Equipment will be required during the construction process (for preparing the pit, installing heavy parts, etc.). In addition, the passage of equipment is necessary to periodically pump out sediment from the chambers.
Advice! This requirement is justified by the fact that with a close location of the treatment plant, erosion and premature destruction of the foundation is possible.
The construction of a septic tank involves not only the construction of sedimentation tanks, but also the construction of filtration fields, which are necessary for the post-treatment of wastewater and filtration of purified water into the ground. When constructing such fields, it is very important to correctly assess the structure of the soil, as well as the level at which groundwater flows.
At high groundwater levels or during construction on clay, it is necessary to organize water drainage alternative ways, since the construction of a septic tank according to the standard scheme under such conditions is impossible.
Advice! Under alternative scrapings during the construction of a septic tank in difficult conditions This implies the installation of ground filtration cassettes, the use of biofilters, the construction of filtration fields by partial replacement on the site clay soil etc.
In some cases, it is necessary to organize forced drainage of water. This option has to be resorted to if drainage by gravity is not possible. Forced drainage of water is carried out using a drainage pump; drainage is possible into a drainage ditch or filter well.
Pit preparation
Let's figure out how to make a septic tank with your own hands. Whatever option for building a septic tank is chosen, work always begins with preparing the pit. This work can be done in several ways:
- Dig the pit by hand yourself. This is the cheapest solution, but earthworks you will have to spend a lot of time and effort;
- Dig a pit by hiring a team of diggers. In this case, digging a pit will not be cheap, and the time gain will be small;
- Dig a pit by renting an excavator with a driver. If you choose this option, the pit will be ready quickly, the cost of renting equipment is comparable to the cost of working for a team of excavators. However, it is not always possible to use technology, for example, due to lack of access;
- The size of the pit must be larger than the body so that there is free access to the walls of the installation during operation;
- The bottom of the pit is carefully leveled. Then you need to add sand and soil at the bottom. The height of this shock-absorbing layer is 20-30 cm;
- To install some types of septic tanks, it is necessary to lay a reinforced concrete slab on a sand bed.
Advice! If you need to make a septic tank yourself in an area with highly rising soil waters, then at the stage of constructing a pit it is necessary to build a ring drainage to ensure the drainage of rising water from the installation body.
Construction options
There are several options for constructing an overflow treatment plant. Let's look at what you can use to build a treatment plant and how to make a septic tank correctly.
Monolithic
This is the most durable and durable option. Construction begins with filling the bottom. To reinforce concrete, use metal rods or ready mesh made of metal wire.
After the bottom has dried, they begin to construct the formwork for pouring the walls and internal partitions. The thickness of the body of a monolithic septic tank must be at least 20 cm. At the same time, you need to remember the need to install embedded parts at the places where pipes are laid:
- The inlet pipe should be located 5-10 cm above the level to which the septic tank will be filled;
- The overflow pipe connecting the first and second chambers is located slightly lower - at the filling level of the first chamber;
- Overflows are performed with slight slope and are made from pipes with a diameter of 150 mm;
- The top of the septic tank must be covered with a floor slab, in which holes are provided for installation ventilation pipe and hatches for pumping sediment out of the chambers.
From well rings
What can you use to build an overflow septic tank as quickly as possible? It is convenient to assemble chambers from ready-made reinforced concrete products - well rings. To build such a septic tank, the use of lifting equipment is mandatory:
- The chambers are constructed by stacking rings on top of each other;
- To give the septic tank strength, the rings are fastened together with staples;
- It is important to seal the joints of the rings well. To do this, the joints are covered with cement mortar and then treated with waterproofing mastics;
- The top of the wells is covered with a slab with a hole for installing a hatch.
From Eurocubes
It is convenient to build a treatment plant from plastic containers - Eurocubes. These containers can be purchased relatively inexpensively. For construction, pipes are inserted into a plastic casing. For greater strength, it is recommended to weld the metal lattice frame of the Eurocubes together.
To protect lightweight plastic the septic tank is prevented from floating, the containers are secured with bandage belts to the embedded parts reinforced concrete slab, laid at the bottom of the pit. When constructing any of the listed septic tank options, the drainage of water from the treatment plant is organized so that the liquid enters the tertiary treatment plant.
But the installation option for post-treatment is selected depending on the geological conditions at the site. This could be a filter well, areas with a drainage layer, or an additional biofilter. Discharging water from a septic tank without post-treatment is strictly prohibited.
So, before making a treatment plant, it is necessary to correctly determine the volume of its chambers, remember the basic requirements for placing a septic tank on the site, correctly assess the characteristics of the soil and select a construction site.
It’s rare that a suburban village or partnership, even near Moscow, can boast of having a main water supply and sewerage system; in general, the owners of suburban real estate have to acquire their own amenities. And so as not to poison with waste from your own life activity environment, including the aquifer, wastewater treatment systems have long outgrown the simplest cesspools, turning into more advanced structures.
There are a lot of different treatment plants and stations on sale for treating wastewater from mechanical impurities, but despite all their effectiveness, their significant drawback is their considerable cost. Therefore, for many private owners, the best option is homemade devices, enjoying deserved popularity among FORUMHOUSE craftsmen. Let's consider what a septic tank is, existing sanitary standards, parameters for choosing systems and the most popular varieties.
- Septic tank operation diagram
- How to choose a septic tank
- Construction of a septic tank made of concrete rings
- Features of monolithic reinforced concrete septic tanks
- Plastic septic tanks from Eurocubes
Septic tank operation diagram
A septic tank is one of the elements of a complex autonomous (individual) domestic wastewater treatment system designed for collecting, settling and purifying wastewater. Accumulation and sedimentation occurs in a sealed container (when there are several chambers) or containers; from the settling tanks, the wastewater flows into a filtration well or onto soil filtration fields (underground, aboveground). The legislation prohibits the discharge of even settled and treated wastewater from a septic tank into open areas land. The system necessarily includes inspection/cleaning wells and ventilation risers, fan boner brought to the roof level to prevent the possibility of characteristic odors. Septic tanks are periodically cleared of sediment by a sewage disposal machine; if the volume of the septic tank is correctly selected, this procedure, even if you live permanently in the house, is required no more than once a year, or even several years.
Sanitary and building codes and rules and standards governing the location, design and construction of septic tanks
Until recently, the main regulatory documents concerning septic tanks and biological protection stations were SNiPs and SanPiNs developed at the end of the last century and the beginning of this one:
- SNiP No. 2.04.03-85 (recommendatory), SP 32.13330.2012 (current standard) - parameters for the organization of external sewer networks and structures.
- SNiP 2.04.04-84 and SNiP 2.04.01-85 - parameters for organizing internal and external water supply (outside the city, water supply is most often from a well and a well, and some provisions intersect with the rules for organizing septic tanks).
- SanPiN 2.1.5.980-00 – protection of surface waters.
- SanPiN 2.2.1/2.1.1.1200-03 – septic tanks are classified as environmentally hazardous objects; this set of rules regulates the creation of protective zones around them.
Last year a new organization standard was adopted autonomous sewerage with septic tanks and soil (underground) filtration of wastewater - STO NOSTROY 2.17.176-2015. Now this is the main document that contains the design and installation rules, as well as the requirements for the results of the work.
For location treatment facilities The following rules apply to other objects on the site:
- There is 5 meters between the septic tank and the house.
- Between the septic tank and the water intake (well, borehole) - at least 20 meters, if there is no connection between the aquifer layer and the filter field through soil with high filtering capacity, from 50 to 80 meters if the segment has loamy, sandy or sandy loam soils.
- Between the septic tank and the side of the road - 5 meters.
- Between the septic tank and the border of the site - 4 meters.
- Between the septic tank and trees - 3 meters (1 meter to bushes).
- Between the septic tank and the reservoir with running water(stream, river) – 10 meters.
- Between the septic tank and a body of standing water (lake, pond) - 30 meters.
- There is 5 meters between the septic tank and the underground gas main.
The main operating characteristic of a septic tank, on which its performance, the efficiency of wastewater treatment and the frequency of pumping will depend, is volume. It is calculated based on the number of household members, daily consumption rates and the capacity of the structure. According to sanitary standards, one person consumes 200 liters (0.2 mᶟ) per day. Throughput is the capacity of sedimentation tanks with a three-day reserve, plus a small increase for bottom sediments. To operate normally, a septic tank for a family of four requires a volume of 2.7 mᶟ (0.2x4x3+0.3=2.7). The volume of all chambers is calculated, but from the bottom to the level of the overflow pipes. To be on the safe side, you should add on the salvo drop or the arrival of relatives and make the volume a little more than the calculated one, as the super-moderator of our portal’s forum advises.
Vadim (spb) FORUMHOUSE super moderator
Three cubes are enough for four people.
Options for choosing a septic tank
If the location of individual treatment facilities is regulated by standards, and the volume is selected depending on the amount of wastewater, then what type of septic tank will be, the design of the system and the method of organizing soil filtration depend, first of all, on the level groundwater(GWL) and throughput (filtering) capacity of the soil. At low groundwater levels, almost any composite or monolithic structure is allowed. But if the soil has weak throughput ( clay soils), then it is necessary to increase the area of the filtration field, the length of the filtration tunnel or the layer of drainage cushion under the filtration well.
If the groundwater level is high, then it is permissible to use only monolithic septic tanks (reinforced concrete, plastic containers) with several chambers and an additional sealed storage. From the storage tank, through a float drainage pump, the settled wastewater will flow to the bulk filtration field (cassette and tunnel infiltrators are used). Underground filtration directly from the septic tank in a situation with close occurrence of perched water is unacceptable.
Ladomir Moderator FORUMHOUSE
It is necessary that the distance from the bottom of the filter structure to groundwater is at least a meter.
Popular types of homemade septic tanks
Among the participants of our portal, three types of homemade products are most in demand:
- From concrete rings;
- Monolithic reinforced concrete;
- Plastic (from Eurocubes).
Construction of a septic tank made of concrete rings
When the State Administration allows, the majority of forum users give preference to concrete rings, from which two sealed chambers and a filtration well are usually assembled, connected to each other by overflow pipes. To get the most impermeable structure possible, choose rings with a groove connection; they are not only more resistant to possible ground movements, but it is also easier to achieve the tightness of such a seam. Use external and internal waterproofing with bitumen primers or solutions based on CPS with the addition of liquid glass. There are two options for the arrangement of cameras - sequential and combined.
In the first, settling tanks are placed one after another, and the FCs are placed at a short distance, each with its own neck and inspection cap. The optimal design for a septic tank of this type was developed by one of the participants with the nickname MatrasMSA with the help of a moderator Ladomira.
MatrasMSA User FORUMHOUSE
The plot is 40x60 meters with a slope, a bathhouse/guest house is currently being built, three people live on weekend visits and sometimes guests, in the future there will be a house for permanent residence. The groundwater level is low, it is problematic to get to the water, the well is 88 meters deep, according to neighbors, the soil is loam. I am planning a septic tank like this: the first and second wells are three rings each (1.5 m in diameter) with a concrete bottom, the third well is the same, but the bottom is on the ground.
During the discussion, the following typical recommendations for the device were given.
Ladomir
- A straight tee is placed on the pipe entering the septic tank, the lower part is buried 15-30 cm into the drains, similarly on the outlet pipe.
- The outlet from the septic tank is 5-10 cm lower than the entrance to it, measured along the lower pipe tray.
- The overflow between the chambers is done at a depth of 0.4 m from the height of the drain column in the septic tank.
- The height of the drains into the septic tank is the distance from the bottom to the bottom tray of the pipe coming out of the septic tank.
- The branch pipe entering the filter well does not need to be equipped with a tee; it is routed in such a way that the wastewater flows into the center of the FC.
- Under the filter well, gravel/crushed stone is added, 0.3-0.5 m thick, and sprinkled on the sides, in a layer of up to 0.2 m.
The combined septic tank (designed by A. Egoryshev) is compact due to the arrangement of sedimentation tanks and FC in a triangle and is suitable for small areas. All wells are closed with blind covers, in which inspection holes are cut out, a common neck (service well) is installed on top, and the fan riser is discharged through the cover of the service well. To prevent differences between settling tanks, a concrete slab with a hole for the FC is poured at the bottom of the pit, a drainage pad (filter cassette) made of ASG, 10 cm thick, is poured under the slab, on a double layer of geotextile.
On our portal this scheme was proposed by a craftsman with the nickname s_e_s_h, having laid out the design and a similar construction process back in 2009, it is “alive” to this day, which proves the relevance of systems of a similar operating principle.
s_e_s_h User FORUMHOUSE
The requirements for the septic tank, taking into account the standards and needs of the family, were as follows:
- Good treatment of domestic wastewater at the outlet of the septic tank.
- Volume sufficient for permanent residence in the house for 3-4 people (bath, shower, 3 sinks, washing and dishwasher, 2 toilets).
- Winter operation.
- Robust design with the possibility of easy maintenance of the septic tank itself and underwater communications.
- Neat and discreet final appearance.
- Minimum possible cash costs.
The result was an economical design without sacrificing functionality.
However, both options are suitable only for areas with a low groundwater level; with a high groundwater level, no matter how you isolate the wells, there is a danger of them being flooded with high water and polluting the area with wastewater.
Work of a reinforced concrete septic tank
Monolithic reinforced concrete septic tanks can be used at any level, only the location of the filtration structures will differ. It is difficult to resolve difficulties when digging a pit, but it is possible.
researcher User FORUMHOUSE
To make it faster, the pit is dug with a tractor, on one side it is dug with a bucket that is wider and half a meter deeper than the bottom of the main pit for the septic tank (it seems like a pit), and a regular drainage pump is installed there. All the water from the main pit quietly migrates into the pit and is pumped out from there by a pump and poured out 25-30 meters away. For the duration of work in the pit, pouring and treating hardened concrete with water repellents, this solution is just enough.
Otherwise, the process is standard - formwork, reinforcement cage, pouring with the addition of modifiers to the solution, waterproofing (internal and external). Monolithic structure at low GWL selected by a portal participant Rybnik.
Rybnik User FORUMHOUSE
From the foundation to the rotary well (PW) - 1.4 m, the PW itself has dimensions of 1x1 m, from the PW to the septic tank there is a trench, 7.5 m long, 40 cm wide and 1 m deep. The pipe will enter the septic tank at a depth of 85 cm from surface (taking into account a slope of 2 cm per 1 meter). A second pipe (from the house) will also enter the septic tank. Next, a pipe of clarified water comes out of the septic tank, which will run 23 m along the fence and enter a filter well measuring 1.5x1.5x4 m.
For the reinforcement frame, rods with a diameter of 8 mm were used, restraints (frogs) were bent from them, cement M500 (intended, among other things, for concreting underwater structures in a fresh environment), a special additive that reduces the permeability of concrete, was used for pouring. Sheets used as formwork flat slate. Details of the process and a step-by-step photo report are in the topic
Most owners of private residential buildings strive to create the most comfortable living conditions.
One of the main factors in this case is the arrangement of an internal sanitary unit, the waste from which is discharged into the external space.
The device into which human waste is disposed is a septic tank.
A septic tank is a container located in the ground on the territory adjoining plot and connected to sewer system Houses. Previously, ordinary cesspools - holes dug in the ground - were used in this capacity.
But today such structures are completely unacceptable from the point of view of sanitary and epidemiological control, convenience and ergonomics of operation. Therefore, nowadays it is necessary to take a much more thorough approach to the issue of arranging a sewer system in a house with your own hands.
The diagram of a septic tank for a private house with your own hands looks like this:
In general, modern septic systems consist of three separate tanks connected through plumbing pipes.
The first one receives the entire mass of household wastewater. Large and heavy fractions settle at the bottom of the tank; the liquid components, upon reaching the level of the overflow pipe, flow into the second tank.
There, biological decomposition of the liquid and its primary purification are carried out. Again, upon reaching the required level, the waste mass flows into the third tank, where its secondary purification and final biological decomposition occurs.
The resulting product, if the purification process is carried out correctly, is 85-95 percent pure in comparison with the initially entering substance and is quite suitable for some household needs, for example, watering a garden.
Photos of do-it-yourself septic tanks for a private home can be viewed on many thematic Internet sites.
Types of septic tanks, their disadvantages and advantages
In a private house or on a summer cottage, this can be organized in several ways:
- The third option for arranging a drainage pit is its self-production(or with the involvement of relevant construction organizations). In the first case, they are usually limited simplest design from car tires. But this system is quite unreliable and does not guarantee absolute tightness and the absence of leaks into adjacent soil masses. In the second case, the resulting product fully meets any requirements, since the tanks for it are produced using technology similar to the production of external pools. Such systems consist of a reinforced concrete form with additional waterproofing. The advantages of these septic tanks are durability, reliability and the ability to produce structures of any configuration and volume. The disadvantage is that it takes quite a long time to arrange them.
How to determine volume?
Before carrying out work on arranging a septic device, it is necessary to calculate the optimal configuration and volume in order to be able to effectively operate it in the future.
Basic data for correct calculation are:
- The amount of liquid consumed for household needs by one person.
- The number of people who regularly use the home sewer system.
On average, the volume of a latrine pit for a family of four people can be taken to be 2 m3. For five, in most cases, a volume of 3 m2 is sufficient.
To provide for needs more people, a formula is used that requires a useful volume of a septic device of 0.4-05 cubic meters per person.
Required tools and materials
If you decide to install a septic tank in a private house with your own hands (modern model), you will need the following Consumables, equipment and tools:
- Ready mix concrete or components for its manufacture - sand, crushed stone (fine), cement and water.
- Armature to strengthen the structure and increase its durability.
- Polymer sewage pipe (can be trimmed).
- OSB panels or other similar sheet material and wooden beams for arranging formwork.
- Steel sheet or concrete slab with inspection hatch.
- Shovels- scoop, bayonet, if necessary - a hand, gasoline or electric saw for trimming large tree roots.
- Buckets galvanized.
- Concrete mixer electric.
- Construction level, tape measure.
- Jigsaw (hand saw), nails(screws) and hammer(screwdriver).
DIY installation: step-by-step instructions and video
First you need to dig a general pit or, if it is more convenient, individual holes of the required dimensions. We level and compact (for the first/second container) the bottom of the holes. We fill in a “pillow” of sand and crushed stone. 
After this, along the perimeter installing sheet formwork wood material And wooden beam. We fasten the structure with nails or screws and install spacers.
Installing a rebar grille. It is better to equip it with wire fastenings rather than welding joints - this way it will last longer.
We install pipe connections between tanks.
Filling the formwork and the bottom of the future device concrete mixture
, guided by the following rule: the one-time filling height of each layer should not exceed half a meter. We do not fill the bottom of the third tank; for proper absorption by the soil, a drainage layer of crushed stone is sufficient. Let it sit until completely hardened (ideally thirty days). 
We cover the resulting structures with a sheet of metal or install concrete slab with inspection hatches, carefully sealing the joints with cement mortar.
We improve the surrounding space: remove construction waste, level the soil layer.
That's it, our septic tank is ready for use.
Read about the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the types of containers and installation features.
Find out articles on how to choose and install a drainage pump for sewerage.
How to arrange it yourself drainage system around the house? Everything you need to know.
If the above-described process of arranging a septic tank with your own hands for a private home is not clear enough to you, here is a video with a detailed description of each construction stage You can always look it up online.
After watching the video, you can learn about the features of arranging a septic tank made of concrete rings:
How to extend service life?
The service life of the latrine pit, all other things being equal, is affected, first of all, by the level of moisture absorption by the soil from the third container.
To improve the distribution of treated wastewater, additionally buried metal tubes should be installed in it, the bottom of which is filled with drainage mixture, and the upper part is covered with a metal mesh to avoid clogging.
Also necessary measure is the arrangement of ventilation of the last compartment - the ventilation pipe will contribute to additional moisture removal through evaporation.
Basic rules of use
The basic rule for the operation of septic devices, which allows them to be used rationally, is to avoid overloading with human waste.
You should also limit the flow of external liquid into them as a result of excessive watering of surrounding areas of land or precipitation.
Price of a septic tank for a home
Prices for work on arranging septic structures, as well as the price of septic tanks for a home, vary widely from region to region. On average, to install a turnkey septic tank sufficient for comfortable use by a family of 3-4 people, it is enough to allocate an amount of 20-30 thousand rubles.
