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To arrange an autonomous sewer system, you can go in several ways. One of them is a septic tank.
This installation consists of 2 containers, between which there are overflow pipes. Sewage, entering these containers, is processed by special bacteria, as a result, waste sinks to the bottom, turning into sludge, and the purified water moves on. The water coming out of the unit is quite clean. Therefore, its entry into the soil is harmless. More details here.
Installing a septic tank is more profitable than installing a standard cesspool. After all, for a septic tank, the services of a vacuum cleaner are ordered much less often. The vacuum cleaner simply needs to remove the solid residues that have settled to the bottom. This leads to significant cost savings.
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Septic tanks can be budget or industrially produced (here are options for summer cottages), or you can make such a sewage system with your own hands from a Eurocube. Of course, the production version is better; it comes with everything you need for modern waste processing. But it has a significant drawback - the cost, which cannot be called cheap. Arranging a sewer collection site from Eurocubes is one of the most acceptable options.
What is a Eurocube?
Eurocube is a container designed for storing or transporting liquids. This could be water, food or fuel. The material for the Eurocube is polyethylene; the walls of the product are very thick and durable. It can hold 1000 liters of liquid. It is not difficult to purchase a Eurocube; they are sold by business outlets. Most often, such containers are used to store water in dachas and personal plots.
There are smaller containers on the market. They contain 640 liters of liquid. They have their own characteristics. Firstly, this is the material – low-density polyethylene. Secondly, this is a filler neck with a diameter of 150 - 225 mm. Thirdly, the lower part is equipped with a drain pipe, the diameter of which is 50 - 80 mm. The outer part of such containers is covered with a reliable steel mesh, which increases the strength of the product.
It is these tanks that are needed to create a sewer drain. With their help, you can build a good sewer system that can easily serve a dacha or a house with a small number of inhabitants.
Construction of formwork
The type of formwork (removable or permanent) should be determined taking into account the possibility of insulating the base. It is advisable to install thermal insulation in regions with frosty winters. Lumber is selected based on the characteristics of the soil. On loams, formwork is made from alder or pine; in sandstones, oak can be used. The wooden frame for the sewerage is formed in a certain sequence:
- The outer ring is made of wooden boards, knocked down into two circles. The diameter of the product is identical to the parameters of the external part of the reinforced concrete element. To make the circle stable, it is secured with wooden rivets.
- The inner ring is made without formwork, the rivets are simply knocked down into an element that is 5 mm smaller than the previous one.
- The external formwork is installed into the external one. The surface adjacent to the concrete base is coated with liquid roofing felt.
The formwork frame must be removed after 24-72 hours. If you leave the products for longer, there is a risk of damage to the outer part of the rings.
Calculations before constructing a sewer system from Eurocubes
In order not to make a mistake with the number of eurocubes that you will take to build a septic tank, you need to analyze what your daily water consumption is. It is believed that one person needs 180 liters of water per day. If 3 people permanently live in a house, then you need to multiply the number of people by 180 l. The result will be 540 liters. This is water consumption for 3 people.
How to clean a sewer in a private house?
It is known that normal operation of a septic tank is possible if its volume can accommodate the water consumption for 3 days. This means that 540 must be multiplied by 3 days. It turns out 1620 liters. This should be the volume of containers for septic tanks. Therefore, for the installation of septic tanks it is necessary to take 2 eurocubes. The resulting system will be able to work without problems. There will even be some reserve left. The containers don’t even have to be filled to the top line. After all, the overflow pipes are located lower.
Advice on choosing sewer pipes
According to experts, plastic pipes with a diameter of 110 mm are ideal for sewerage installations. This diameter allows you to easily install a sewer system, because the pipe coming out of the toilet has a similar diameter.
The filtration system in a septic tank made from Eurocubes looks like this. Effluent from the house goes through sewer pipes to the first compartment of the septic tank. Here heavy particles settle, and dirty water accumulates to a level of half a meter. When the required amount of liquid is collected, the water flows through the pipe into the second part. You can make the flow easier by burying the second container about 30 cm lower.
The second part is supplemented with drainage pipes; they are installed at a distance of 20 cm from the bottom. To improve the result, install a drainage well or a filtration field.
The resulting septic tank needs ventilation pipes. They are inserted into the first and second containers. The height of the pipes above the ground level is 2 meters; it is needed so that the vapors go up and are carried by the wind. The pipe coming out of the first compartment is fixed so that it starts approximately 15 cm above the connecting hole. Its task includes not only ventilation functions, but also to ensure the ability to pump out sludge using a sewer truck.
Advice! To facilitate access for the vacuum cleaner hose to the first container, the pipe should be made detachable. Then you can easily disconnect the upper part of the pipe and insert the hose of the vacuum cleaner into the lower part.
When installing the pipe in the second container, it must be placed at a distance of 15 cm from the drainage pipes.
When the preparatory work is completed, the Eurocubes must be installed in a permanent place in a specially dug pit, and then all connecting elements and pipes must be carefully secured. Usually slings are used for this.
Description of the operating principle
One of the simplest septic tanks that you can make with your own hands is a two-chamber one. It is designed as follows: the decomposition of wastewater into liquid and solid occurs in a settling tank; this process, as a rule, lasts 3 days. Purified water overflows through a filter well with a concrete bottom into the ground, and solid waste is broken down and turned into sludge. If you combine several of these sedimentation tanks, the quality of wastewater treatment will be much higher, and the filter well will last a longer period without special cleaning to remove siltation.
How to choose a place for sewerage from Eurocubes?
There are several rules to follow when choosing the ideal location for a septic tank.
- The laying of sewer pipes should follow the shortest path, it should be straight.
- If you need to install a septic tank further than 15 meters, you need to build an inspection well; it will be needed if blockages form.
- If it is necessary to lay pipes with bends, rotary wells are installed there at the bends.
- Unobstructed access to the septic tank must be guaranteed for vacuum cleaner equipment.
Septic tank ventilation requirements
The presence of ventilation in the septic tank is mandatory, since toxic gases accumulate in the septic tank, which, if accumulated in large quantities, can become explosive. In order for the sewer system to be completely safe for the environment, special attention should be paid to it.
Each chamber of the septic tank must have a ventilation riser with dimensions D = 100 mm and height = 700 mm above the ground surface.
To avoid an unpleasant odor, it is necessary to install the riser above the roof of the building 15 - 30 cm higher, but no more, since otherwise the riser may freeze.
Features of laying a trench
A trench is laid under the sewer pipe that connects the house and the septic tank. The colder the climate of the area, the deeper the trench should be made. In the center of Russia, they usually make the depth 50–100 cm. To protect against freezing, it is better to insulate the laid pipe with mineral wool or polystyrene foam.
Artesian well: what is it, pros and cons
When laying a trench, it is necessary to take into account the slope required for the subsequent movement of wastewater by gravity. Usually the pipe is laid so that the slope is 2 - 3 cm per linear meter. This means that for 8 meters of sewer pipe, the difference between the first and last point of the pipe will be 16 - 24 cm.
This slope ensures full gravity flow; a lower level of slope can cause blockages, because the water will flow too slowly and large, solid elements will linger and accumulate. If you make the slope stronger, the result will also be disastrous. The water will flow too quickly, and solid particles will lag behind the flow of the water and, as a result, blockages will form. After all, fecal matter will not be able to move unhindered through pipes with accumulations. You can read in more detail at what depth to lay a sewer system in a private house.
When the trench is completely dug. Its bottom is covered with a thick layer of sand. This is done so that during operation the joints are not disturbed due to subsidence; this will be prevented by a sand cushion.
Features of pits for sewerage from Eurocubes
It is not difficult to dig a pit for Eurocubes. The main thing is to follow some conditions.
- The size of the pit must exceed the size of Eurocubes. Only in this case will it be possible to safely place containers there. Don't forget about thermal insulation. You should have some space left to place insulation or to strengthen the container.
- The bottom of the pit must be filled with concrete. A solid base guarantees the stability and reliability of the entire structure. Otherwise, individual containers may shift, which will damage the entire structure. Sometimes a mixture of gravel and sand is used instead of concrete. But this is a less reliable basis.
- To prevent the soil from crumbling and putting pressure on the walls of the containers, the walls of the pit are covered with metal sheets or simple slate.
Advice! Arranging a full concrete box in a pit is more expedient than reinforcing the walls with other materials. To do this, formwork is installed and concrete is poured. When the pit is strengthened, the containers are fixed by attaching them to the base. Otherwise, the entire installation may float under the influence of flood waters.
If you follow all the tips given, septic tanks made from Eurocubes will become a reliable element of the sewer system and will be used for many years.
Setting up a septic tank
Upon completion of the construction of the septic tank, it is important to create specific microflora for anaerobic digestion of the resulting sludge. It is necessary to add sediment from existing structures at the rate of 15-20 percent of the chamber volume. If loading the seed in this quantity is impossible or impossible at all, then be prepared for the fact that the septic tank can be fully used in 6 months. You will know that the septic tank is operating normally when the unpleasant smell of hydrogen sulfide disappears.
The procedure for installing sewerage from Eurocubes
2 Eurocubes with plastic pallets are being prepared. The volume of each of them should be 800 liters.
Drains from Eurocubes are hermetically sealed.
They measure whether it is possible to insert a tee into the neck. If it doesn’t work out, the neck will have to be widened. They use a grinder.
Then they bend the edge and measure again.
Take a short pipe; if there is no short one, you can shorten any other pipe to the required size.
Advice! All work with the angle grinder must be carried out exclusively with a protective casing and protective gloves. The master in the photo is violating security measures. This is not recommended. When working, all precautions must be taken, otherwise it may result in injury.
Next, the edge of the pipe is processed; there should be no burrs or roughness there.
Compare the pipe and the tee and see if they fit together.
The sewer pipe coming from the house has a diameter of 110 cm; a hole of the same size is made in the container where the wastewater will flow.
Bacteria for septic tanks and cesspools
A prepared short pipe is inserted into the Eurocube.
Above the location of the tee, a slot is made on top, intended for further installation of the pipe for ventilation. A short piece of sewer pipe is inserted into this slot.
A round slot is made in the Eurocube for installation of an overflow pipe. It should be located lower than the incoming one.
The edges of the holes are processed.
The second cube is shifted 20 cm lower than the first in order to use the volume of containers to the greatest advantage.
It is necessary to install tees to the connecting pipes so that it is possible to arrange a ventilation outlet, and also to clean the connection area as it becomes dirty, then a crust will not form in the lumen.
All connections between pipes and containers are treated with sealant.
This is what the finished joint should look like.
Install a ventilation and cleaning pipe with a plug.
The steel frame parts are firmly connected using welding equipment. Additionally, fittings are installed. It is needed to enhance strength and rigidity.
The walls of the septic tank are strengthened using rivets.
The seams are sealed with silicone.
A layer of waterproofing is applied to the seam.
The septic tank is almost ready, you just need to immediately fill it with water. This will protect the structure from deformation.
When the septic tank is lowered into the hole, you can further strengthen it with concrete mortar. This will be excellent protection against deformation. The role of the formwork will be played by the metal frame of the septic tank itself.
The septic tank is insulated with polystyrene foam.
Rolling of wood is carried out. Instead, you can use corrugated sheets or concreting.
Because a septic tank made with your own hands from Eurocubes will not be able to completely purify the water. It is necessary to supplement the system with a drainage field. In this case, you can get good water purification.
Insulation of a septic tank
Insulation of Eurocubes is a very important and integral stage of work. If you ignore this step, aerobic bacteria will not cope with the decomposition of waste at sub-zero temperatures. Containers can be insulated either with special polystyrene foam boards or with ordinary pieces of polystyrene foam.
Insulating containers is quite simple. All you have to do is put a layer of polystyrene foam on the septic tank, leaving only the pipe outlets, and lay pipe products (D=5 cm) for drainage. The drainage is connected to the outlet pipe using a tee and covered with a thin layer (about 20 cm) of gravel.
Construction of a drainage field
The function of the drainage field is to completely purify the water coming from the last Eurocube. To do this, a pipe with a diameter of 50 mm is cut into the Eurocube. After installing the pipe, the joint is sealed.
The drainage field has several layers that can remove contaminants of different sizes:
- a large crushed stone, it is needed to retain all large particles coming out of the pipe;
- next – sand, to remove small particles;
- the last layer is gravel.
septic tank from eurocubes
