The operation of a country house is impossible without the organization of support systems for proper sanitary conditions. In this regard, a key place among engineering and communication systems is sewerage. The waste withdrawal line can be organized without local sewage, if there is a main network near the house. In other cases, the creation of its own sewage collection and treatment zone is required, the basis of which is the capacity for the septic tank and associated communications.
Septic tank capacity
Septic tanks as such are a form of autonomous sewage. At the same time, they are responsible not only for the withdrawal of effluents, but also can treat incoming waste, recycle and simply perform a cumulative function.
The simplest models also act as drives, which, as they fill up, are emptied by wastewater machines. The whole complex is formed by only two main components - a sewer infrastructure with plumbing elements like manifolds, pipes and fittings, as well as a camera-receiver. The latter is a container for collecting wastewater and household waste.
From the house or other collection points, the target products are sent through the sewer channel to the septic tank installed on the site. In the country, you can get by with the simplest designs of a small volume without fine cleaning. However, in a home designed for permanent residence, it is recommended to purchase multi-stage filtration devices. They are beneficial not only for economic reasons, but also in terms of simplified service technology. However, the nuances of the operation of containers with different degrees of purification will be discussed below.
Tank Classifications
Tanks may differ in the same wastewater treatment technology , manufacturing material, volume and design. As for the approach to treatment, the extreme positions in the segment according to this selection criterion are occupied by simple accumulators and anaerobic biological water treatment systems.
The manufacturing material is mainly represented by plastic, but metal tanks are also used in certain operating conditions. In turn, containers for a septic tank made of polyethylene are considered the most profitable solution for domestic use.
The volume of septic tanks can be different - from 150 to 500 liters on average. Fundamentally different models for the same cottages (the most cumbersome volume of about 100-150 liters), for cottages and small country houses and for servicing several objects simultaneously.
The design determines the possibilities for installing the tank - cubic, cylindrical, rectangular and spherical models are offered on the market. Choose one or another version of the tank under the septic tank should be based on the location and method of connection with communications.
Storage tanks
The basic solution, which can be called a direct continuation of the concept of the cesspool. The main difference is the complete tightness of the tank, while the pit in accordance with the regulations can be used only in cases where the volume of waste does not exceed 1 m 3 per day precisely because of the contact of effluents with the soil cover. Septic tank accumulators do not suggest that sewage will have even the slightest contact with the soil, and are intended only for the temporary collection of waste products until the arrival of the sewer.
Installing such a container for the septic tank is the easiest, since it is the most modest in size, lightweight and undemanding in maintenance. But these advantages are overshadowed by the need for frequent recourse to the aforementioned sewage services.
After-treatment tanks
The class of containers from which the provision of the cleaning function begins. Standard solutions in the middle segment are tanks that perform basic filtration and post-treatment. At the first stage, biological products are cleaned, as a result of which heavy fractions settle to the bottom of a separate chamber. Emptying the accumulated heavy masses is performed approximately once every 1-2 years.
As for the liquid, it is already in another chamber subjected to fermentation using special bacteria. As a result, clarified filtered water is obtained, however, it cannot be directly discharged into the ground. The final stage of cleaning is carried out in a special filtering absorption chamber. At this stage, it is important to emphasize the conjugation of the prepared soil zone for treatment with the septic tank under the sewer in the area.
Such zones partly serve as a drainage system, as they pass water through several layers of crushed stone and sand. In addition, at these levels, cleaning bacteria are again added, due to which the so-called soil wastewater treatment is performed.
Deep Cleaning Tanks
Deep bio-treatment provides 100% prepared water for further discharge into the soil without the risk of violating its environmental cleanliness. That is, the need for a regular call of the cesspool machine is eliminated. But this is not only the advantage of a deep-septic tank. In the process of collecting and processing wastewater, the tank does not spoil the surrounding area with a fetid odor, and the sludge obtained during filtration can be used as a fertilizer for vegetation. Of course, for such advantages you have to pay a lot of money when buying, as well as energy costs during the operation of the septic tank.
Metal containers
Tanks with metal cases can be called a traditional solution. Such designs are massive and heavy in comparison with plastic counterparts, but they differ in durability. Therefore, they are used exactly where there is a risk of mechanical damage to the tank with adverse consequences during depressurization. At home, metal containers under a septic tank can justify themselves in terms of durability. But this operational factor will take place only on condition of purchase of an expensive and corrosion resistant tank.
Plastic containers
Most manufacturers of sanitary engineering equipment rely on plastic alloys. At the moment, it is no longer just plastic, but high-strength materials based on polyurethane, fiberglass or polyethylene. They are characterized by lightness, compactness and low cost. In addition, the plastic container for the septic tank is able to withstand low temperatures in severe frosts and not corrode when in tight contact with water.
If we talk about the shortcomings of the plastic tank, then, due to its lightness, it is unstable during stationary installation, therefore, a reliable foundation foundation is required during installation. Also, the choice should take into account the environmental friendliness of plastic - yet polymer mixtures often include additives with harmful substances.
What else to consider in choosing?
The nature of the operation should be the basis for choice. For example, if we are talking about one user who will occasionally come to the country, then you can limit yourself to a small-sized single-chamber tank without fine cleaning. For ease of installation, you can purchase a septic tank from a metal container, which will last a long time and will not cause problems in maintenance.
Conversely, it is recommended to equip spacious plastic tanks with the highest degree of purification for a family living in a house. But in this case, the type of soil should also be calculated, since not every soil may have a soil cleaning effect. In particular, clay cover and areas with a high occurrence of groundwater are excluded.
Makes its adjustments in the choice and climate. In cold regions, for example, you will have to select septic tank components and communications that have effective thermal insulation or an integrated insulation system.
Tank mounting
Capacity installation is carried out in several stages, the main of which will be the creation of a trench with a foundation pit. The depth of the pit should not be more than 3 m, and in calculating the length and width should be guided by the design of the tank. But it is important that about 20 cm is still left around the septic tank for additional backfilling with cement, gravel and sand.
Next, the station is laid in a prepared foundation pit, the supply and exhaust pipes are mounted. The contours for pipes and nozzles should pass through the trench channels with a slope towards the tank for the septic tank, so that there is no risk of backflow of drains. At the final stage, trenches with a foundation pit are covered with soil.
Connection of additional communications
If there is a desire to provide a more efficient soil filtration system using separate equipment, this task can be accomplished in several ways. In particular, the filtering well will help to solve it . It is advisable to use it if the soil composition on the site includes fine gravel, sand and sandy loam. In this case, the well itself should be located 100 cm higher relative to the level of groundwater.
In such conditions, it is possible to use a septic tank from an iron container, since it does not require the installation of a concrete foundation, which can interfere with the connection to the well. Another option involves the installation of an absorbent trench. These are drainage pipes with perforation, laid with a depth of 1 m. At the end of such circuits, a ventilation pipe is arranged.
Conclusion
When planning the organization of a septic tank on a site, it is important to calculate in detail the costs of the project. The fact is that buying a tank alone does not always cover even half of the total cost of an autonomous sewer device. It is also important to consider the costs of construction materials, additional equipment, electrical fittings, pumps and consumables.
The purchase of a tank can cost 30-200 thousand rubles. For example, a budget plastic container for a septic tank for sewer-type storage will cost 25-30 thousand. The initial segment of models with a post-treatment function offers tanks for 40-50 thousand. The most expensive options for home use support the possibility of fine biological treatment and are available for 100-150 thousand on average.
Again, this is only the cost of the basic design of the septic tank, but as the functionality of the complex expands, expensive additional equipment will be required.