ProDave Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 1 hour ago, Onoff said: I intend volunteering to haul the vacuum hose and drop it in etc. Bit of a route around bushes etc. Don't. Let them do their job. It's what they are paid for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 Be a bit cautious before you go jumping in. I put myself in hospital for a week with the worst type of stomach bug thing I’ve ever known ambulance job and a week in the tropical and infectious diseases ward, the previous day I had been in my parents septic tank removing a layer of gravel and replaced with new. Must remember to stop biting my finger nails. ?????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 (edited) The nice man came this morning. I said I was an early bird so he rang about 7 before he set off from Maidstone then again to let me know he was 10 minutes out. I'd sent a picture of the driveway taken from the road and told them it was 3.6m between pillars. I did ask for a "City" tanker, as in small but the guy came in a 6 wheeler. Couldn't get up the drive so he had to park and block the road. One couple were fine and took the alternative route. Chap in a Range Rover started bibbing and I went and apologised. When I said it'd be about 10 minutes more he said "I haven't got 10 minutes!" Anyway, the guy reckons its a septic tank not a cesspool. It only though appears to have one chamber. I shoved drain rods in and hit "silt", but nothing hard at about 9' from the lid. The diameter is about 8'. Works out about 150 cubic feet or 4250L. He took all the floaty solids stuff plus a load of liquid. Then he did the manhole nearest the cesspool and sucked the clay pipe through from the house. He was amazed it had never been emptied in nearly 20 years. All free running now. Reckons the heavy rain had probably got in of late that meant the solids layer lifted higher impeding the inlet hence everything backed up. Suggested I have him back in 6 months when he'll bring the smaller truck and he'll jet wash the slime off the sides as well as removing a load then annually thereafter. Mortar looks alright to me. Built in the early 50s we think. Couple of crap photos: Little video, doesnt show much, trying to lean in/not gag or drop the phone. I need to buy / get made a bit of steel to replace the manhole cover just before the cesspool. 655x505mm galvanised, 8mm chequer plate should do it. The "cups" on the back of the lifting handles have rotted out. The render too around the actual pit cover needs making good. Also need to find where on the run the cube shaped vent fits. Thinking that might go down into a tee on the run. If the vent isn't there thinking debris might be falling down the vent pipe. I'm happy for £120 Edit: Should add I spoke to a neighbour thereafter. He reckons in the old days they were built and had to be inspected. As soon as the council bloke was gone they would knock the bottom out of deliberately rendered over "holes". Edited November 30, 2019 by Onoff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 There ya go, no need for a new one, just a tidy up. I was told to never render any brickwork on the inside of anything, as if it falls off it will Block up pipes and things. You can probably buy a standard cover for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 28 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said: You can probably buy a standard cover for that. I was so careful to lay ladders for the chap to walk on but he seemed to think it was sound enough to walk on! I still don't trust it! The rusted manhole position / cover in the foreground: The cracked render around the lid. Metal lid looks in good nick tbh. Glad I know how big it is now. Depth is still a bit of a guess. One thing he did say was to leave some "muck" in so as not to get rid of all the (good?) bacteria? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted November 30, 2019 Share Posted November 30, 2019 33 minutes ago, Onoff said: One thing he did say was to leave some "muck" in so as not to get rid of all the (good?) bacteria? That is correct. It contains the bacteria needed to stop it smelling and process the waste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 (edited) 14 minutes ago, PeterW said: That is correct. It contains the bacteria needed to stop it smelling and process the waste He reckoned it seemed to be working quite well. Must be some organic action going on as it was steaming in the frosty air this morning. Guy seemed very genuine. Him and his son do it. Worked for one of the big boys then branched out on his own. If anyone in the Maidstone / Kent area wants his number by all means pm me. Edited November 30, 2019 by Onoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted December 2, 2019 Author Share Posted December 2, 2019 On 26/11/2019 at 20:31, Russell griffiths said: Be a bit cautious before you go jumping in. I put myself in hospital for a week with the worst type of stomach bug thing I’ve ever known ambulance job and a week in the tropical and infectious diseases ward, the previous day I had been in my parents septic tank removing a layer of gravel and replaced with new. Must remember to stop biting my finger nails. ?????????? Don't know if coincidence but I've had the serious squits all weekend and even now! ? Could I suppose be down to Friday night's kebab or jet washing her car underside on Saturday up on the post lift followed by a chilli. The fact that on Friday, as was I walking up to the North side of London Bridge I was confronted by armed police shouting "Run!" just after they shot that nutter probably hasn't helped! Talk about drop a dress size! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted December 2, 2019 Share Posted December 2, 2019 37 minutes ago, Onoff said: Run Did you, or did you just get your phone out and film it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted December 2, 2019 Share Posted December 2, 2019 2 hours ago, Onoff said: Don't know if coincidence but I've had the serious squits all weekend and even now! When planning our build I looked into reed beds fir my treatment plant and contacted a local firm and when I asked him about reed beds he explained they no longer do them as a customer who had one from them got very seriously ill when he cut his finger before clearing some reeds and ended up in hospital for quite some time, his consultant said his “bug” had come from his reed bed. I decided not to bother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted December 2, 2019 Author Share Posted December 2, 2019 3 hours ago, SteamyTea said: Did you, or did you just get your phone out and film it. As I couldn't cross from the North I thought walk to Blackfriars and get a slow train. Then I had the mad idea of crossing the river and trying to get to London Bridge station from the South. Found myself in Borough Market full of running members of the public and tooled up police, searching alleyways & screaming at everyone (to run) it was 10 times worse by then. When I got onto the main drag the police were again screaming for everyone to get behind the cordon. It was at this point that yes I joined in and filmed a bit. Doesn't convey the atmosphere at all. So I walked along the South side and across Blackfriars to get the train from there. En route saw a couple of souped up Transit types with grille lights hurtling towards the area. Driven by bearded, beefy lads with tats in T shirts who looked like they knew what they were doing! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 8, 2022 Author Share Posted October 8, 2022 Well the cess pool/septic tank, pit 'o sh!t filled up quicker this time. Plenty of ladies time of the month products down there despite me telling the female members of the household and visitors not to! So it's pumping time again. Rang the same nice folk I used last time to find that the guy who came in 2019 succumbed to cancer just before Christmas. Seems his treatment was delayed during lockdown and it spread! 😢 Anyway they (his wife),are coming back to me on Monday with a date. Hacking through the brambles again got me thinking once again about a treatment plant so I got the long tape out and did a rough sketch. Any thoughts welcome as to position, make of treatment plant etc as I've not got a clue as to a starting point. The centre of the cess pool is 1500mm off the lhs boundary. The boundary came long after the cess pool was built when some of the land was sold off. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted October 8, 2022 Share Posted October 8, 2022 The only thing I can add is a new plant would have to comply with building regs which in Scotland would mean 5 metres away from a building or boundary and 10 metres from a road or watercourse. I think the distances are different in English building regs. But you would not want to put it where the cess pit is, you would want it elsewhere and when redundant fill in the old pit. As for type, most of us here would recommend one of the air blower type and I would certainly advise against the ones that have rotating mechanical parts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 8, 2022 Author Share Posted October 8, 2022 I've just started reading Part H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 8, 2022 Share Posted October 8, 2022 As I have said before I have a vortex and can’t fault it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone West Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 10 hours ago, Onoff said: Rang the same nice folk I used last time to find that the guy who came in 2019 If it's lasted three years since the last time it was emptied why do you want to go to the expense and hassle of fitting a new treatment plant? At our last place we found the treatment plant needed to be emptied more frequently than the septic tank. The treatment plant does definitely produce cleaner effluent but the capacity for solid waste is less than a septic tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 3 minutes ago, Gone West said: If it's lasted three years since the last time it was emptied why do you want to go to the expense and hassle of fitting a new treatment plant? At our last place we found the treatment plant needed to be emptied more frequently than the septic tank. The treatment plant does definitely produce cleaner effluent but the capacity for solid waste is less than a septic tank. I was under the impression you had to have a treatment plant if you were ever going to sell now? Not that we are but the thing won't last for ever. For peace of mind at least I'd like to "sort" the lid. Repair or maybe cast a reinforced slab in situ over the top with a safer, padlockable access. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 (edited) My Vortex has been in fir nearly 5 years and not been emptied yet and still nowhere near needing to be emptied! For peace of mind at least I'd like to "sort" the lid. Repair or maybe cast a reinforced slab in situ over the top with a safer, padlockable access. I agree 👍 Edited October 9, 2022 by joe90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 I also want to block pave up the side of the house. No point in doing that and leaving the clay drains run and ropey manholes in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 1 minute ago, joe90 said: My Vortex has been in fir nearly 5 years and not been emptied yet and still nowhere near needing to be emptied! I do like a poo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 On 30/11/2019 at 16:31, Onoff said: He was amazed it had never been emptied in nearly 20 years Then why replace it?, get the cover sorted (you have enough to do on the rest of the house!!,!,!,) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 3 minutes ago, joe90 said: Then why replace it?, get the cover sorted (you have enough to do on the rest of the house!!,!,!,) Another project to start? Much more fun than finishing stuff 🤫 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 3 minutes ago, joe90 said: Then why replace it?, get the cover sorted (you have enough to do on the rest of the house!!,!,!,) Like I say, to sell I think you have to get rid of a cess pool / septic tank now? Just now, markc said: Another project to start? Much more fun than finishing stuff 🤫 See, he gets me! 😂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 14 minutes ago, Onoff said: I was under the impression you had to have a treatment plant if you were ever going to sell now? Not that we are but the thing won't last for ever. No, the only thing not allowed any more is a septic tank that discharges into a watercourse. Those were supposed to have been replaced a couple of years ago. It has not stopped them, my neighbour still has a ST discharging into our burn (and it honks at times) and a house half a mile away has just sold for the SECOND time still with it's "illegal" ST discharging into a burn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone West Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 40 minutes ago, Onoff said: For peace of mind at least I'd like to "sort" the lid. Repair or maybe cast a reinforced slab in situ over the top with a safer, padlockable access. Yeah, I'd certainly do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now