joe90

I am not a fan of always joining boards on rafters/joists,(even plasterboard) I would instal noggins at 400mm centres and lap some off cuts of ply between the noggins across the ply joins underneath, glue it as well if you want.

Although working its having problems dealing with the dead sludge (floating stuff) so guess it needs emptying, it has been working for a couple of years.

It’s technical name is. “Bird shit welding”. and I weld that that (mostly) but having an angle grinder makes it better.

These are 50mm pipes. But I have found the problem a large dead rat Came floating to the surface, not a good way to go. I will now fit a grill to the outlet pipe as that’s the only way it could have got in. I still have to work out which valve controls each function as they appear to have no effect..........

Found this and it contains better drawings of the internals and where the air pipes go (could not copy just the drawings) https://sites.create-cdn.net/sitefiles/10/1/1/101189/Manual_Vortex_Operation.pdf just plucking up courage to open it up and start stirring the sh1t ?

I use a stick welder and it’s very good and I use it a lot but as you say not fir thin stuff, I did buy a non gas mig but could not get on with it, a neighbour who was a welder told me they are no good for anything other than perfectly clean metal. He recommended a good quality gas mig, never had the use to warrant buying one (but would love to try using one).

Every day is a school day ?

But a septic tank would not work for me. I am on solid clay so no drainage field, Vortex is one (the?) only treatment plant to be able to discharge to a ditch that is dry fir a portion of the year, which is our only way to dispose of the outfall.

I don’t think that is the case with the Vortex, the pipe runs in the above diagram run above the water level so some “pumping” must be done! edit, just found this on the official website. Air from the blower spurs from the regulator to two sludge return pipes,

Perhaps we need a scratch and sniff app on this forum ?

In that case mine is definitely “off”. ?.

My Vortex is slightly different to the diagram above and the one on their website, my tubes go into the air action chamber not the sampling chamber. I understand the air pump produces bubbles but don’t understand how an air compressor can pump fluid from one chamber to another, it’s not explained on the website, anyone know? I wish I had taken photos of the insides before it got filled.

Deja vu? (Or am I going mad?)

I have a south facing conservatory and opted for “solar glass” in the roof, you can hardly see the tint but it reflects glare/solar and the figure of 70% rings a bell.

The lintel will still require at least 3 inches of brickwork to rest on and you can only remove those two rows of bricks below it, that lintel looks like wood from the picture, is it? If so you should replace it with concrete or steel. If that is the case make the opening as large as you want by moving the lintel upwards.

I have a jcb with toothed 600mm bucket which I raked the ground with, on really hard ground I reversed with the front bucket, teeth down and front wheels in the air. No rotovator would have touched it.

With regard eaves, despite using i joists for the structure I bolted on false timbers to look like rafters with t+g boarding above . I really hate UPVC facia, cast iron lookalike plastic guttering and down pipe complete the “cottage” look.

@crispy_wafer my windows are in “check reveals”, this means the windows fit against the back of the brick skin with a foam seal and held with stainless brackets and screws to that brickwork. The brick cill was built on an angled bed or Mortor then the window sat on it with a silicone seal to the outside. I also foamed the joint between window and brickwork. I also had angled reveals as the cavity is 200mm deep, this gives a nice cottage feel to the rooms sand makes the rooms lighter. Excuse the CAD drawing (crayon assisted drawing!!!).

Yes I did , builder supplied 300mm stainless wall ties. I did some rough calcs on losses through these rather than basalt stuff and it was minimal.

But did you need it emptied?

Only cost me £60 to do 1/2 an acre in 30minutes. Beats the hell out of working hard ?

Mine is still bubbling away, the Vortex has two bubble stages, large bubbles to beak up “matter” and small bubbles to drive further treatment. Might just get a long stick and see how much “sludge” resides at the bottom.

A really good devise for lowering stuff is a “clogg” or “figure 8, it’s an abseiling devise that acts like a brake, let’s you lower yourself or a heavy weight with ease, just need a bar or something from that wall over to your walkway.

I am known for not abiding by health and safety regs but I would want at least one another person with me (if only to dial 999 for an ambulance).

That’s about 14stone each, a well built bloke, (but stiff), should not be a problem for 2 or three persons. Sorry I am busy that day/weekend/date!