old septic tank with one manhole cover

R

rustyjack

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Hello,

I have an old sealed concrete septic tank with one manhole cover on the inlet side. I cannot find an inspection point for the outlet and I think the tank can be emptied through the manhole cover on the inlet side (have not done this - but there are two pipes into the tank that i can see from the manhole cover - one of these seems to be locked and could be used to empty the tank)
In order to see into the septic tank, a huge concrete slab would have to be taken off ( approx 7 foot by 7 foot by 6 inches thick).
Does anyone else have a similar tank (house built in in the 1960s)?

I unclogged a sewer drain and it was a large blockage and i opened the manhole cover to find that it was full ( i know gallons of sludge was released by the blockage). Two days later, it is less full but still has not gone through the tank.

Is this the septic tank taking time to work through the sludge or is the septic tank full or is the septic tank overflooded with gallons of sludge at one time?

Many thanks,

Rusty
 
Your septic tank should be emptied annually. You haven't mentioned when it was last (if indeed ever) emptied. You "can" empty the septic tank from the vent pipe but it's best not to - if at all possible. It's hard to get the hoses right down into the corners of the tank and to ensure that all the solids are taken away. This is especially important if your tank hasn't been emptied for a while.

There could be another blockage further down the line. You're best to get the septic tank emptied first to see if that rectifies the problem. Sometimes the suction from the tanker can clear blockages in the line but if not, you'll need to get a jetting unit to jetblast the lines.

Failing all that, it could be a problem with your soakpit. You'll probably have a good idea yourself how the soakage is in the area. Your soakpit could also have a build up of scum preventing the liquids from draining away and thus causing the waste to back up your pipes. The scum could be from a build up of grease from your dishwasher or washing machine powder.
 
thanks a lot lorz.
i will get the tank emptied next week and take it from there.

regards,
 
Lorz said:
Your septic tank should be emptied annually.
Click to expand...

Not sure about this, obviously a lot depends on the size of the tank and usage, but I would think if you need to empty a septic tank annually, it is either undersized or not working very well.

Emptying too frequently will not allow the bacteria get established that are needed to break down the waste.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septic_tank

"Some systems require pumping every few years or sooner, while others may be able to go 10-20 years between pumpings"

I had mine emptied this year as it was obviously getting full when checking the first chamber with a dipstick, it was about 8 years since it was previously emptied.
 
I know of one septic tank which was never emptied, it is there about 35 years, 3 people live in the house, the washing machine, and dishwasher does not go into the tank, the area has very good soakage.

I know of another place who have problems every year, their soakway gets clogged, and they have poor soakage.

If you need to get the septic tank emptied, see if the soakway is clogged, if it is you will have to empty it very often, the cure is get a new soakway put in.
Also see if you have washing machines and dishwashers and eveshoots discharging into the septictank. These can cause problems.
 
RSMike said:
... Emptying too frequently will not allow the bacteria get established that are needed to break down the waste...
Click to expand...
True. When a tank is emptied, or with a new unused concrete tank, throw a piece of raw meat into the bottom of the first chamber to get the bacteria started and don't use the aggressive / corrosive bathroom or kitchen cleaners as they kill off the bacteria in the tank.
 
theengineer said:
If you need to get the septic tank emptied, see if the soakway is clogged, if it is you will have to empty it very often, the cure is get a new soakway put in.
Also see if you have washing machines and dishwashers and eveshoots discharging into the septictank. These can cause problems.
Click to expand...

Agree, washing machines , even kitchen sinks and baths seem to be very bad for clogging soakaways.

I had this issue with my septic tank and solved for a while using a seperate direct soakaway just for these things, then my septic tank worked without any problems, however eventually the seperate soakaway also clogged.

I am now trying a grease trap to filter the washing machine, bath, sink before it goes into a common soakaway after the septic tank, looks like it might work as the amount of gunk that comes out of the grease trap every couple of months is impressive.
These are in effect like a mini septic/seperation tank with a bucket sized container that you cam empty regularly yourself.
 
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommend that you get your septic tank serviced once a year. Obvously, a permitted contractor who knows what they're doing as opposed to the local farmer will ensure that a minimum amount of sludge remains in the tank to assist with the bacteria breakdown of the new sludge. Regular maintenance is essential to ensure that the septic tank operates effectively and that solids do not enter the percolation area and clog the pipe work.
 
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