Cess Pit Adventures

[Onoff]

What to do on a boiling hot day? I decided I was going to find the cess pit today as SWMBO out shopping. An route to buy a second set of drain rods a rather expensive looking cat ran out in front of me.

 

 

I recalled the BiL asking if I'd had a note through our door as he had about a missing Burmese. I rang him as he still had the note and the owner drove to meet me. BiL decided to cycle over to lend a hand cat catching! With said moggie safely caught I mentioned the cess pool and BiL offered to lend a hand if I rang him when I got back.

 

Nice having A N Other on hand just in case and I tried to keep him well out of the way whilst I got sh!tty...really sh!tty.

 

So from the top end:

 

Unused manhole No.1 with the piece of 8mm galv chequer plate on which I had knocked up when the digger went through doing the water main. Used to have a clay soil coming in from the left from the old outside wc. Next manhole No.2 down in front of the 110mm soil (temporary off gutter downpipe) is where "everything" goes at the moment. 

 

 

Next manhole No.3, down at the end of the ladder, just after the rods, has a rotted cover  that sits over a clay P trap. This was overflowing.

 

 

Beyond that is the cess pool cover.

 

Lifting that and the "crust"  was about 2 or 3 feet below ground level with no sign of it overflowing. A slight detour as a slow worm had fallen in and was lying a bit stunned atop the crust. Hauled him out and hosed down. Seems OK.

 

Blockage appeared to be either in the P trap or between there and the cess pool. I actually lent down into the cess pool to rod back up to the P trap. Also rodded / plunged from the P trap down. Eventually things started moving. Follow the line of the black rods and you'll see the clay "stopper" from manhole No.3's rodding point. Left that out for now.

 

 

The rotted cover of manhole No.3. In the foreground. As in the steel "cups" below the bars you hook to lift have gone!  That vent lying upside down to the right...not sure where that's from...

 

 

Went to manhole No.2 and with the second set of rods I can reach all the way to No.3. Bit of a back up so I rodded down to No.3 then checked there.

 

On a positive note the cess pit isn't as big as I though. Guessing 8 -10' in diameter. (For some reason I thought it'd be rectangular). Arched brick construction and seeming fairly intact except around the entry / hatch. I could claim a fair bit of garden back should I choose. 

 

Downside the crust is only about 1" below the bottom of the inlet pipe so it needs emptying. 

 

A bit of breathing space at least now and a pictorial record of where it is. All wcs flushing.

 

All the tools hosed down but not yet disinfected. Two showers later and I'm having a beer!

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2019 by Onoff

[newhome]

That’s a shit job! ?

 

How far was the cat from home? ?

[Cpd]

Nasty job but well done..... kinda half inspired to deal with mine......but not just yet. 

[Onoff]

  On 20/04/2019 at 19:39, newhome said:

That’s a shit job! ?

 

How far was the cat from home? ?

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Basic dust mask with about 20 drops of neat lavender oil in and I hardly smelt it. 

 

Cat came from East Hill but as you know a fairly long road. Found at the bottom of Hills Lane. They'd just moved in and despite keeping it in for a week it decided to disappear. The girl said she'd been chasing sitings of it for a week. Didn't look underfed or thirsty so I'm sure it was making a dent in the local wildlife. 

 

Made a bloody racket, very vocal when I was trying to coax it to come to me. I think that's a trait with Siamese & Burmese. I knew it was out of place 'cos it looked posh. Probably thought I was going to grill it hillbilly style!

[Onoff]

  On 20/04/2019 at 20:18, Cpd said:

Nasty job but well done..... kinda half inspired to deal with mine......but not just yet. 

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I apologised beforehand when I saw the neighbour over the fence. She informed me theirs had just collapsed when she drove over it in her 4x4!

[Onoff]

Haven't got any photos of down in the pit or in the P trap manhole below. Basically I had arm length gauntlets on and didn't want to risk the phone. As it was I nearly lost my glasses a couple of times. As an aside I had to clear a tunnel of vegetation for access, mainly blackthorn bushes. Never thought the thorns would penetrate thick rubber (gauntlets)...they do!

 

This is the clay  rodding hole stopper left out from the P trap on the right. Thought it'd be a good idea to leave out in case the P trap clogs...the "stuff" would at least have the rodding hole to go down and bypass the trap. (There's no way anyhow of getting the stopper out if the P trap blocks aside from leaning down into 2-3' of liquid sh!t and having a feel for it!) Thinking now though that P trap is as much to stop smells. I should at least I think have the manhole lid remade in a thick piece of galv plate as it's so fragile. Having no holes in it isn't a huge deal as the edge of a spade gets in there OK to lever it up. I have the chequer plate cut from black stock then galvanised so the edges get done. Maybe I should take that lid off, jet wash it and have a measure then make more of an effort to source a no doubt Imperial replacement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2019 by Onoff

[Gone West]

Do you know if it is a true cess pit or septic tank and what happens to the stuff that drains out of it?

[scottishjohn]

time to remove those trees growing around it as well ,before their roots give you more problems.

they will be growing  like hell with all that fertiliser  and moisture and roots will be heading to the moisture -through the bricks no doubt

[Onoff]

  On 21/04/2019 at 08:14, PeterStarck said:

Do you know if it is a true cess pit or septic tank and what happens to the stuff that drains out of it?

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I really don't know. I should have perhaps looked all around the sides inside but it's pretty precarious balancing over the open manhole on a ladder laid flat. My guess is that the solids stay and the liquid element is simply meant to leach into the soil as the cess pool has no bottom. I'm guessing though.  

[PeterW]

If you’re replacing the tank with a treatment system then I’d get rid of all the clay pipes, interceptors etc and start again. Go from a new manhole at the back of the house to the treatment plant in one straight run in uPVC and then trash the rest into the septic to fill it in.

 

Clay pipes move too much and that’s a lot of your problems. You may find you’re getting blockages as the joints are weeping and the solids are being left behind. 

[Onoff]

  On 21/04/2019 at 08:54, scottishjohn said:

time to remove those trees growing around it as well ,before their roots give you more problems.

they will be growing  like hell with all that fertiliser  and moisture and roots will be heading to the moisture -through the bricks no doubt

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Agreed. Looking at the Makita 36V chainsaws, can't decide on the 300 or 350mm blade. If I go for the 350mm then there's two models DUC353Z and 355Z. Both brushless. Used the compare facility on the Makita site but none the wiser what the difference is!

 

  On 21/04/2019 at 08:55, PeterW said:

If you’re replacing the tank with a treatment system then I’d get rid of all the clay pipes, interceptors etc and start again. Go from a new manhole at the back of the house to the treatment plant in one straight run in uPVC and then trash the rest into the septic to fill it in.

 

Clay pipes move too much and that’s a lot of your problems. You may find you’re getting blockages as the joints are weeping and the solids are being left behind. 

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As I was rodding I was hitting what I thought were maybe blockages, must have been the joints. I connected 2 packs of 10, 900mm rods so 18m and that just went from manhole  2 to 3.  Might be another inbetween but I can't see one despite prodding the ground along the line.

[scottishjohn]

a bit OTT a std wood saw or bushman  will cut them down

,and if the are beech or willow or sycamore  make sure you kill them or get roots up   or all you will have done is copicced them 

[Cpd]

  On 21/04/2019 at 09:15, scottishjohn said:

a bit OTT a std wood saw or bushman  will cut them down

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Agree with this, unless you really want to be the go to guy with the local electric chainsaw....... but hay who am I to speak I just live buying tools, luckily I am very protective of my equipment  so people know better than ask to borrow my gear........ 

[Onoff]

  On 21/04/2019 at 10:19, Cpd said:

Agree with this, unless you really want to be the go to guy with the local electric chainsaw....... but hay who am I to speak I just live buying tools, luckily I am very protective of my equipment  so people know better than ask to borrow my gear........ 

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EVERYBODY  around here has a chainsaw...except me! They scare the sh!t out of me tbh. The BiL just got the small "1 hander" 36V Makita DUC302Z jobbie and is super impressed.

 

At the mo I always have to ask him if I need anything trimming. 

Edited April 21, 2019 by Onoff

[Gone West]

  On 21/04/2019 at 10:53, Onoff said:

They scare the sh!t out of me tbh.

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Thirty odd years ago I had an 18" McCulloch and boy am I glad I don't have to cut wood anymore. I am so grateful I never injured myself.

[Cpd]

  On 21/04/2019 at 10:53, Onoff said:

They scare the sh!t out of me tbh.

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As they should be if your not aware of how to prevent them from being dangerous, my first apprenticeship was as a forest worker and i received  full training through the forestry commission, later in life I spent two years wielding them on a daily basis for six months at a go cutting everything from fully grown hardwoods to commercial felling. Seen a few nasty injuries but thankfully never injured myself.  Can’t think of another common bit of machinery that is more dangerous. 

[Gone West]

  On 21/04/2019 at 08:54, Onoff said:

 

I really don't know. I should have perhaps looked all around the sides inside but it's pretty precarious balancing over the open manhole on a ladder laid flat. My guess is that the solids stay and the liquid element is simply meant to leach into the soil as the cess pool has no bottom. I'm guessing though.  

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If it's been working without serious problems for years I would keep it. I know it's not environmentally friendly but a lot cheaper. As Peter says just replace the pipes with plastic, fit a new inspection chamber and manhole covers then you could probably forget about it again.

[PeterW]

  On 21/04/2019 at 10:53, Onoff said:

They scare the sh!t out of me tbh

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Good. I am a serious proponent of a licensing system for chainsaws as they are deadly. Stihl used to have a forensics lab where saws involved in accidents were sent to have the bits of people and PPE removed from them.

 

I’m trained, have all the PPE and never start a saw unless I have the kit on. I never ever lend my saws to anyone, as I don’t know what they’ve done with them. Even twisting a chain to release it from a jam can damage it and if it breaks then I hope you can run at 12m/s as that’s what the chain is doing ... 

 

The electric ones are ok but have a real false sense of security to them - they can still do serious damage, and working in trees and off ladders with no PPE is a recipe for disaster. 

[PeterW]

  On 21/04/2019 at 10:53, Onoff said:

 BiL just got the small "1 hander" 36V Makita DUC302Z jobbie and is super impressed

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You mean one of these ..??

 

 Makita Top Handle

 

So ... it’s not a “1 hander” at all, it’s a top handle short bar for aerial work. It puts your right hand on top of the machine so the pivot point is further forward and you can use the machine in tighter spaces when you’re climbing or working off MEWPs .

 

Your left hand goes on the other side ... see the black lever on the far side with 3 rectangular holes in it ..? That’s the chain brake. Slam it forward, chain stops instantly. It’s there so when you get kick back or climb out of the saw and it swings back toward your head, the chain stops before it cuts your visor in two, or worse. 

 

If he uses it “1-handed” then I hope he has good life insurance ... 

 

[Onoff]

 

  On 21/04/2019 at 14:43, PeterW said:

 

You mean one of these ..??

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That's the one. He reckons it more for tree work and possibly more dangerous  than this sort:

 

[PeterW]

  On 21/04/2019 at 15:06, Onoff said:

 

 

That's the one. He reckons it more for tree work and possibly more dangerous  than this sort:

 

 

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It is much more dangerous ..! Hence why I think they should be licensed ..... 

[Onoff]

Update:

 

WC backing up. Not good. Lifted the lid on the pit. About 2' from the top. Clearly way over the inlet (which I now can't even see). Not even worth rodding though I imagine I'll try tomorrow.

 

Really, really, really pi$$ed off madam wouldn't pay to empty it back in the Summer. We'll have to now!

 

 

Edited November 23, 2019 by Onoff

[Russell griffiths]

Empty ours every year without fail even if it looks ok, just good insurance. 

[Onoff]

Going to have to ask around the neighbours to get someone trustworthy / reliable.

[Russell griffiths]

  On 23/11/2019 at 18:36, Onoff said:

Going to have to ask around the neighbours to get someone trustworthy / reliable.

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Why?

they suck the shit out and you pay them

bye bye shit, doesn’t need to be anymore complicated than that. 

Just google the closest one. 

I pay £100 for about 1200 L

Edited November 23, 2019 by Russell griffiths
Shit spelling.