Gaum

Hi JSH Thanks for the advice on the concrete base and anchoring the tank. I'll double check with the supplier as they normally do the installs in this area. Nothing much going to happen on the tank front now for the next few weeks as I've been called away with work. Just when the weather's due to dry up! Hopefully get the builder onsite to complete the foundations while I'm away though. And just found out that the original neck extends to 340mm so shouldn't need an additional extension.

Well before breaking the forum I went down to the plot and I agree with Dave that's it's not a good idea to dig a hole when it's going to rain. I've now got a hole that was the right size and depth but it's now a bit longer and wider than I left it yesterday! So I hammered in some pegs, about 10ft all round and wrapped it in barrier tape, moved the digger out of the way just in case and drove off not looking in my mirror once. Hopefully if this weather abates I'll get back to it and it'll not need too much clearing and backfill. Foundations are looking like a big brown pond, must be 4" deep at least so that'll take some drying. Heavy clay just won't let it drain away I'll have to dig some trenches to help it on its way.

Crofter it must be my phone. I was halfway posting about my visit to the plot and pressed delete a few times then it froze. Do me a favour and delete the unnecessary. Unless I can do it?

Thanks Crofter you're a Gent.

Does the font in my post look funny or is it just my phone screen?

Thanks for the feedback but I didn't explain the pipe run very well; the plant will be about 6m from the house to the southeast. The run I was describing was from the bedroom ensuite on the west side. The pipe then runs north and East around the house picking up the outlets from the bathroom, wc etc to the plant. The drain to a burn about half a mile away comes into the plot at 1.7m down so plenty of leeway for the soakaway and even the depth of the plant. As for the type of plant I've already got it onsite. It just seemed deep for the pipe run but if the sums are right I'll just have to bury the plant and buy another extension to make sure I'm clear of the ground. The manufacturers' rep reckons there's no concrete required even as a base as the ground is very hard at the depth. You are right about digging in this weather but it was sunny when I started honest and the water table's not an issue here. I'm more worried about the hole collapsing with all this rain. A quick bite to eat then I'm off down to the plot just now to see what the damage is! I think I'll be needing my wellies.

Foundations are on hold due to terrible weather so I’m moving on to the waste treatment plant so I can eventually get the caravan hooked up and live on site. Well, after treatment plant, soak away and drainage pipes are laid that is; Now I may be over thinking this but I can’t seem to make sense of the final depths required; what depth should I be siting the treatment plant (it’s a Graf one2clean 7 by the way)? Please correct me if I’m wrong. Total fall of Pipe; From the furthest sewage outlet from the house, following the line of the drains on the plan to the plant inlet is 48m. In my head the bottom of the furthest sewage outlet as it exits the foundations will be classed as Zero depth (200mm below finished ground) so am I correct in calculating the following? The fall for 100mm sewage pipe should be between 1:80 & 1:40 over the 48m, so depth of inlet to the treatment plant will be between 0.6m & 1.2m below Zero. (0.8 & 1.4 below finished ground). Depth of Treatment Plant; If I opt for the shallowest fall at .08m below ground the top of the plant is only 460mm above inlet so it’ll be below ground. Applying a neck extension gives me another 330mm according to the diagram, so I have 790mm above inlet, 10mm below ground. Are the tolerances normally this tight or am I missing something?

Hi Ferdinand. Nope don't think I do. You had me thinking for a while though as I thought you said Farmer

Thanks ProDave I will but I'll post it in the waste section. If that's what I'm supposed to do? Not only new to building but new to using forums as well!

Hi Thanks for the welcome. I'm from Elgin and the build is south of Mintlaw in Ardallie. Its just luck that I found you all as I normally browse from my phone and I went on my laptop today to read anything on installing a treatment plant and saw the header saying ebuild was closing down. Then I followed a link from Peterstarks blog and here I am.

Hi, I'm Mike and I've just started a self-build in Aberdeenshire. I work full time in the city and go home at the weekends and the plan is that once the house is built we’ll sell up back home and move through here. It's been over a year in the design and planning (nothing fantastic just a 3 bed timber frame bungalow with attic trusses) but finally things are moving with foundations almost complete (if the weather will let us). I was following and searching the ebuild forum and it's a shame to see it close down. Mind you a quick scan of the members on here leads me to think that the experience has migrated to this forum and I’m sure I’ll be seeking advice in a number of areas as this is a whole new experience for me. Looking forward to asking questions hopefully rewarded with advice, and sharing experiences, once I have some.