Author Topic: Septic Tank - cleaning products  (Read 7640 times)

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Offline hamilton

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Re: Septic Tank - cleaning products
« Reply #20 on: February 05, 2013, 14:54:27 PM »
Sorry I meant soak away not Tank. I did presume that we are talking about a soak away, and not a tank. I have owned an old property in the UK that had a soak away and was never a problem. Design, sizing and installation are important, of course, if all these are adhered to and the soak away is not abused, there is little to no maintenance required. This of course may not be the case in this particular installation. Only trying to be helpful!

Offline Jacqui Harvey

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Re: Septic Tank - cleaning products
« Reply #21 on: February 05, 2013, 14:59:46 PM »
It worries me Loz, when you say they don't have bottoms as that means sewage is going straight into the ground, again this would not be allowed in the U.K. 
However, if there was a tank that did not need emptying that was legal in the U.K. we would have had one fitted 30 years ago.  Also, the poster with one under his house with access only if the toilet is removed makes me wonder is there a huge tank for a number of people??
We have spoken to council people in Calis who looking into our tank and said it did not need emptying yet, but we will get it emptied as soon as we spend more time out there.

Offline loz

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Re: Septic Tank - cleaning products
« Reply #22 on: February 05, 2013, 15:05:12 PM »
You are not talking about a property in the UK, this is a property in Turkey, building regs are very very different to those of the UK and the quality is less to European standards.   
No bottoms, that is why they are called soak aways, do not to compare UK and Turkey plumbing, totally different.
Why do you think everything is so fertile and grows so well in the area?  you surely didn't think that the Turks go out and buy fertiliser. 

Offline Blissy

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Re: Septic Tank - cleaning products
« Reply #23 on: February 05, 2013, 17:16:43 PM »
I think we will have to get u bends then as I don't think I can stand the pong indefinitely! Hopefully it will be sorted then.  I don't fancy getting the cement dug up and having a look - that would put me off lunch permanently!  I'll let you know how we get on - thanks for info.

Offline Jacqui Harvey

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Re: Septic Tank - cleaning products
« Reply #24 on: February 05, 2013, 18:23:11 PM »
Good luck Blissy please let us know how you get on.. Having told my plumber son he is now really intrigued as well as being totally shocked, in fact he does not believe what I have told him.  I have promised him to have a word with Engin when we are over to get the full story.. want to get to the bottom of this  ;D :o  ;)
Loz, they are called soak aways here too, because they soak away the liquid.  :)

Offline scorcher

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Re: Septic Tank - cleaning products
« Reply #25 on: February 05, 2013, 21:59:47 PM »
Marvellous.

Offline Shamless2

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Septic Tank - cleaning products
« Reply #26 on: February 05, 2013, 23:03:46 PM »
It worries me Loz, when you say they don't have bottoms as that means sewage is going straight into the ground, again this would not be allowed in the U.K. 
However, if there was a tank that did not need emptying that was legal in the U.K. we would have had one fitted 30 years ago.  Also, the poster with one under his house with access only if the toilet is removed makes me wonder is there a huge tank for a number of people??
We have spoken to council people in Calis who looking into our tank and said it did not need emptying yet, but we will get it emptied as soon as we spend more time out there.
what? You never heard of muck spreading? How do you think farmers produce veg? We eat food which is fertilised by waste everyday!

Offline Rindaloo

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Re: Septic Tank - cleaning products
« Reply #27 on: February 05, 2013, 23:18:16 PM »
5+ years here with a septic tank.  We flush toilet paper.  We use soap powder in washing machine and dishwasher tablets in the dishwasher (disheasher tabs emulsify any fats).  We are careful to use very little bleach and I am very careful not to allow grease to get into the tank, - a big no-no (wipe grease out of things before putting into dishwasher).  We have never had the tank pumped out and rarely get smells. IF it happens its usually when a large amount of water is introduced to the tank in one go combined with the traps in the floors having no water in them, I just put water in them and its all sweetness once I open a window  ;)  VERY happy.

We know our tank has a bottom but has holes somewhere in the side for fluid to drain away.  Idea being that there should be an element of biological action and settlement of sediment (hence the need to avoid harsh chemicals and grease getting into the tank).

Looked up info on septic tanks before we moved here and there are so many different types and opinions.  Whatever we are doing, it all seems to be working fine (despite friends warning of dire consequences of flushing paper down the loo).  BTW it seems (from what I gleaned from the net) better to not pump out tanks too often because it might interfere with the biologicals......
« Last Edit: February 05, 2013, 23:29:45 PM by Rindaloo »

Offline Rindaloo

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Re: Septic Tank - cleaning products
« Reply #28 on: February 06, 2013, 16:35:26 PM »
It worries me Loz, when you say they don't have bottoms as that means sewage is going straight into the ground, again this would not be allowed in the U.K. 
However, if there was a tank that did not need emptying that was legal in the U.K. we would have had one fitted 30 years ago.  Also, the poster with one under his house with access only if the toilet is removed makes me wonder is there a huge tank for a number of people??
We have spoken to council people in Calis who looking into our tank and said it did not need emptying yet, but we will get it emptied as soon as we spend more time out there.
what? You never heard of muck spreading? How do you think farmers produce veg? We eat food which is fertilised by waste everyday!


I believe, in the UK, the effluent used for muck spreading is the sediment from the settlement tanks.  So it isn't raw, it has broken down a bit from biological activity.  I think same happens in our septic tanks, if they are working well.  Its the sediment that has to be occasionally pumped out because inevitably some of it can't break down any further, so it builds up.   The fluid that leaks away isn't supposed to be too noxious, because of the biologicals, but I wouldn't like to try it, LOL!!

Offline Blissy

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Re: Septic Tank - cleaning products
« Reply #29 on: April 20, 2013, 06:55:42 AM »
A belated follow up on this...we've since redone the shower rooms and found find that the plumbing was not very good at all so that's all been changed.  All rectified now and with topping up the traps as and whento have solved the problem.  Great news for us then  ;D.  Thanks for all the comments and advice.




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