The lack of a centralized drainage system forces private homeowners to use autonomous sewer systems. And this is not the worst decision, as it might seem at first glance. Septic tanks have cons, but with them there are many advantages in the form of environmental cleanliness, durability and unpretentiousness in maintenance. As for the weaknesses, the complexity of installing an autonomous sewage system is the main disadvantage of such systems along with the high cost of equipment. However, it’s worth starting with consideration of the very principle of independent drainage.
How does autonomous sewage work?
The functional basis of most such systems is based on the principle of the operation of a conventional cesspool, but with significant improvements and innovations. These are septic tanks in the form of cameras with several functional units, the purpose or number of which can vary depending on the type and model of construction. For example, the principle of operation of an autonomous sewage system such as a drive involves the processes of collection, treatment and sedimentation of incoming waste water.
Cleaning is the fundamental difference even from simple septic tanks to cesspools. Actually, because such sewers are called autonomous, because they do not require regular pumping of waste by dump trucks. The frequency of calls to specialists for emptying equipment is reduced to 1-2 times every few years. As a rule, in the process of sedimentation, processes of aerobic digestion take place, which makes the sediment products harmless from the point of view of environmental and sanitary safety for the environment.
Autonomous sewage device
A typical septic tank is a sealed tank made of durable plastic with several sections. Inside, special biological products like the same aerobic bacteria are usually placed. Different sections are designed for different technological cleaning operations, including coarse filtration, fermentation, clarification, post-treatment, etc. All cameras are enclosed in one monolithic block, but the configuration of the sections can be changed, which must be provided for at the installation stage.
In autonomous sewers with the possibility of further pumping out or natural transportation of treated effluents to the nearest body of water, for example, special attention is paid to adjacent communications. Usually their base is formed by plastic pipes connected to the finish section, through which gravity can be carried out. In some cases, a drainage pump is also built in, which increases the performance of the septic tank.
Features of biological treatment plants
A new generation of septic tanks that provide 100% decomposition of incoming waste products, while leaving usable recycled resources. High-precision biological treatment in this case is achieved through several stages of filtration, sedimentation and fine-bubble aeration. Aerobic bacteria that increase the decomposition of organic waste are also involved. As a result of passing all the mentioned stages and procedures, the waste goes into the state of water and fertilizers. Therefore, in an expanded version, the installation of an autonomous sewage system of this type involves not only the installation of the main equipment with filters, but also the technical organization of the possibility of automatically pumping purified water, for example, to the garden.
The main stages of installation work
Initially, a project is being prepared, according to which installation activities will be carried out. At a minimum, the characteristics of the septic tank should be calculated in terms of volume, type of cleaning and additional functions. Typically, the calculation is made for connecting to branch communications using pipes with a diameter of 50 to 110 mm. Further, the standard installation of autonomous sewage in a private house can be performed in the following sequence:
- Earthwork. Digging a pit to place a septic tank and trench for supplying pipes from plumbing points for the collection of waste products. Moreover, the depth of the pit for immersion of the structure should not exceed 3 m, taking into account the fact that in the upper part a place will be left for filling and concreting the installation.
- Placement of a septic tank. Modern designs are quite light, so you can perform a dive followed by backfill on your own with a partner.
- Installation of pipes. Using special outlet and inlet pipes, plumbing is carried out with pipes leading from home utilities.
- Preparation for operation. The septic tank is filled with clean water, after which the level of the presence of biological products is checked. Then you can turn on the device with pumps in the work.
Installation of systems with soil cleaning
This is a combined version, in which soil elements are used as an active filtering component - sand, sandy loam, clay, gravel, etc. Such technical sewers are arranged in different ways. For example, if the groundwater level allows, you can equip a well with ventilation pipes and sewage delivery channels. The most practical option is to install an autonomous sewer with a filtering trench. In this case, a perforated pipe is laid, which is then laid in several layers with a drainage composition of sand and gravel with insulating windings.
Features of the installation of bio-treatment stations
Such septic tanks can take up more space on the site, but their fundamental difference is expressed in the need to create a drainage line with an aerotank and laying a heating cable. In the aero tank, the necessary processes of saturation of wastes with small air bubbles take place, and for its operation, electrical supply from the network is required. Next, the issues of organizing automatic control are solved.
How to install an autonomous sewage system with biological treatment without the need for its constant monitoring? To do this, an alarm is separately mounted to notify about the level of filling the tank, an electrical cabinet with controllers is installed, and circuits from auxiliary equipment are connected - the same aeration unit, compressor, pump, etc. Stations of this type are initially supplied with electronic filling, so there are problems with the implementation of intelligent control should not arise.
Autonomous sewage system manufacturers
In Russia, a fairly rich selection of septic tanks of various types. Entry-level settings are recommended to be selected from the “Cleanings”, “Triton-N” and “Bars-N” families. This is household equipment that can be used for a small house without extra costs. In the middle-level tasks with higher productivity and wide functionality, the Topas, Unilos, Krot models, etc. will help. If you need a decent biological treatment plant, you can pay attention to the Tver septic tanks, which, depending on the specific version, can serve houses with the number of residents from 1 to 30 people, providing a filtering quality of 98%.
Conclusion
Arranging your own sewage system as part of a private home ownership, of course, eliminates the many problems that may arise with a centralized drainage system. But as you can see, and septic tanks require solving very important tasks.
In addition, one should prepare for serious financial waste. For example, autonomous sewage Topas in the latest ranges is available for an amount of 70 to 110 thousand rubles. on average (depending on the volume and set of functions). And this applies to equipment with conventional cleaning, but the inclusion of high-tech options will also add a considerable percentage to the cost. But even despite such costs, as user reviews show, ease of use and savings on the services of a scavenger fully justify the operation of an autonomous sewer.