Septic tanks

Smallfry1

I'm going to view a property tomorrow (to buy) with a septic tank. I know very little about these systems are there any particular questions I need to ask or things I need to look out for. Also does anyone have any first hand experience of living in a property not on mains drainage, should I just rule this property out are they a total nightmare?

agrinnall

I lived for 10 years in a house with a septic tank shared with 5 other houses, and there wasn't a single problem in that time, and the tank didn't need to be emptied. Many people will tell you to budget for regular (possibly annual) emptying but in my experience as long as the tank is working properly that is simply not necessary.

Margot123

Smallfry1 wrote: »

I'm going to view a property tomorrow (to buy) with a septic tank. I know very little about these systems are there any particular questions I need to ask or things I need to look out for. Also does anyone have any first hand experience of living in a property not on mains drainage, should I just rule this property out are they a total nightmare?

In my experience, providing the drains and tank have been kept in good repair, they are no more a problem than 'regular' sewers. It is just that you are responsible for the whole system.

I would check when the tank was last emptied; we had ours done every year just to keep it in good order.

There area lot of scare stories about septic tanks but providing you use common sense eg not flushing baby wipes, kitchen roll etc down the toilet, you should have no problems. Also, you need to check that any cleaning products you use are 'suitable for septic tanks' but almost all products are nowdays.

PS they don't pong either!

Margot123

agrinnall wrote: »

I lived for 10 years in a house with a septic tank shared with 5 other houses, and there wasn't a single problem in that time, and the tank didn't need to be emptied. Many people will tell you to budget for regular (possibly annual) emptying but in my experience as long as the tank is working properly that is simply not necessary.

How did the tank not overflow with all those households using it over that length of time?

Davesnave

People have lots of theories about septic tanks and you can see these developing nicely right here!

I go for bi-annual emptying myself, not because it really needs it but because I can encourage a neighbouring household that isn't well-disciplined to share costs and (perhaps) take responsibilty for what happens in the drainage field on our land. Emptying (not fully) ensures that no large quantities of gunk go down the outlet pipe. If that happens, you're stuffed, or rather the pipe is, so then a new drainage field is required.

You can ask if there are records of emptying, but often folks aren't that organised. You can also ask where the outlet goes and examine the land, which shouldn't look like a bog (!) nor should it be within 7 metres of a watercourse.


Don't forget, if you have a septic tank, you don't pay the water authority's sewerage charge, so it's not all down-sides.

Gers

My house has a septic tank and was emptied this year for the first time in 40 years.

Responsible use, and (so I'm led to believe) the odd dead rabbit / bit of deer keeps it going. My water man said the top should be crusty.

I haven't looked at it. No smell. No water sewerage charge.

TamsinC

Lived in a house with it's own well and septic tank for 15 years - it was emptied once every 2 or 3 years - now problems at all. About to buy a house with a septic tank.

agrinnall

Margot123 wrote: »

How did the tank not overflow with all those households using it over that length of time?

No. It does require the liquid to be leached away through some sort of filter bed, in my case this was certified by SEPA but it may well not be permissible with a more recent installation (mine dated from the 1950s).

todayisagreatday

I paid £200 for a septic tank survey, they inspected the tank via camera and the soakaways. It was well worth it as there were some issues which we fully expected as the house was built in 1970s and according to the vendor (probate) he had never known the tank to be emptied! Having the issues in writing allowed us to get a further £10k off the price when we would be replacing the septic tank anyway.

G_M

Regularly emptying a septic tank can be counter-productive!

It relies on microbes to work properly, so don't remove them all every 6 - 12 months!

A cesspit is different. This fills up and needs emptying before it is full/overflowing.

A septic tank works by the solids sinking, and being 'digested' by microbes ie broken down into... nothing. Meanwhile the liquid runs out at the top, either into a secondary tank and then a run-off, or directly to a run-off. The run-off is usually a field, or reed bed, or ditch whatever.

Most of what runs off is just water, but of course it contains some residual 'unpleasantness' so must not go directly into a water course (river etc.)

I looked at a house recently where the run-off went directly into a canal. This was probably acceptable when the tank was installed 30+ years ago, but would now be illegal, so would need an expensive purification system adding.

Hoploz

I was very nervous at the outset as well but almost all the houses of the type we looked at had them. We've been in 4 years and no problems yet even though it's a really old system and wouldn't confirm to modern standards. We empty it each year which costs between £150-200 I think. It looks after itself. We don't put anything down it except the necessary (equally I wouldn't put anything else down a mains drain either) and use ordinary harpic, though you can't use actual bleach. Oh and when painting I always use water based paints which can be washed up in soapy water, never oil based paints which require chemicals like white spirit.