When equipping a local sewage system, there are two options. You can install a ready-made industrial septic tank or build its chambers yourself. The latter option is certainly more laborious, but also cheaper. The easiest way is to build a septic tank from ready-made reinforced concrete products - well rings. Consider how to properly make a septic tank from concrete rings so that it is reliable and lasts a long time.
A septic tank is a simple but effective structure used to treat wastewater. When building treatment facilities, one should not forget about ecology, the main settling chambers must be completely sealed. This will prevent untreated liquid from seeping into the ground and protect the environment from contamination.
How does it work?
The principle of operation of a septic tank made of concrete rings is quite simple. This is an overflow treatment plant. The device works like this:
- primary settling takes place in the first chamber;
- partially clarified water through the overflow pipe enters the next chamber, where it is additionally settled;
- then again through the overflow it enters the filter well.
Please note that the construction of a filtering well made of reinforced concrete rings is possible only if the groundwater is low (minimum depth - 5 meters). But if the groundwater lies close to the surface (depth 2-3 meters), then the device of a filtering well is impossible, you need to choose other options:
- groundwater is close, but below 2 meters from the surface - perhaps a filtration field;
- groundwater occurs at a depth of less than 2 meters - installation of an aboveground filter cartridge is possible;
- groundwater is close to the surface and is set in clay - it is possible to install an additional biological filter.
Advice! If a septic tank is being arranged in clay, then in some cases it is more profitable to install a storage single-chamber tank. The storage unit works on the principle of a sealed cesspool, it must be pumped out as it is filled. The larger the tank, the less frequent cleaning will be required.
Overflow septic tanks also require pumping, but much less frequently. Since sediment forms at the bottom of the sedimentation tanks, the unit requires periodic cleaning. Cleaning is carried out about once a year with the help of sewage equipment.
Preparatory stage
Before making a septic tank from reinforced concrete (reinforced concrete) rings, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. It will be necessary to calculate the volume of the chambers, then a septic tank scheme should be drawn up from concrete rings. Then choose a suitable place for construction, as well as purchase the necessary materials.
Calculation of the volume of chambers
The concrete ring septic tank must be of sufficient volume. This device works effectively if the waste water is kept in the chambers for a long time. To make the correct calculation of the volume of the chambers, you need to know how much water the residents of a private house consume per day. According to the norms, the installation chamber must accommodate the volume of wastewater that is formed in the house in three days.
But how to calculate and find out how much water is consumed by the inhabitants of the house? To calculate the volume of the chambers, it is worth considering that each tenant spends about 200-250 liters of water per day. Thus, the calculation of the daily consumption is carried out according to the formula: we multiply the water consumption by the number of residents of a private house.
Advice! When performing the calculation, you need to take into account the number of plumbing devices in the house. For example, if you plan to build a sauna with a swimming pool, then you need to increase the volume of the chambers, taking this circumstance into account.
Drawing up a diagram
After the calculation of the volume of the chambers has been made, you can begin to draw up a septic tank scheme for a frequent home. First of all, you need to decide how many chambers the installation will have, it depends on the amount of waste processed:
- If the house consumes no more than a cubic meter of water, then it is recommended to build a homemade single-chamber septic tank;
- In the event that the water consumption is from 1 to 10 cubic meters, then you need to build a two-chamber septic tank from concrete rings;
- With a water consumption of more than 10 cubic meters, it is necessary to plan the manufacture of an installation consisting of three chambers, sedimentation tanks and a filtration well.
Choosing a location for installation
In order for septic tanks assembled from reinforced concrete rings to work efficiently and not cause inconvenience to the owners of the house and their neighbors, it is necessary to choose the construction site correctly:
- it should not be located close to the house, the distance should be at least five meters, and other buildings (for example, a garage) - a meter;
- It is necessary to locate the unit as far as possible from the source of drinking water supply. The minimum distance is 50 meters;
Where to buy materials?
Before starting the construction of septic tanks from rings, you need to purchase materials for the manufacture of chambers. Well rings have standard dimensions and, accordingly, a standard volume.
The height of the rings is, as a rule, 1 meter, but their diameter can be different. You need to choose the size of the rings taking into account what dimensions, according to the calculations, the chambers should have.
Mounting
Consider how the installation of a septic tank from reinforced concrete well rings with overflow is going on. Construction time will be greatly reduced if the owner has the opportunity to use construction equipment - earthmoving (with its help, the excavation is carried out) and lifting (to install the rings in place).
Pit preparation
First of all, you need to prepare a pit for the installation of rings. The pit must have dimensions exceeding the dimensions of the chambers, and its depth is determined by the number of used reinforced concrete rings.
In order for the chambers to be sealed, the bottom must be concreted; additional sealing is not required if the installation is carried out using rings with a bottom.
Construction of cameras
To build a septic tank from reinforced concrete with your own hands, you need to install the rings one above the other, avoiding distortions and shifts. This must be done using lifting equipment. The joints between the rings are covered with concrete mortar, this will make the chambers more durable, in addition, this is an additional sealing of the joints.
Waterproofing of a septic tank made of concrete rings is imperative. Waterproofing is carried out from the outside and from the inside, the joints are covered with bituminous mastic. Continuing the installation, it will be necessary to make holes through which pipes will be supplied to the septic tank chambers. The joints of the pipes with the chamber must be sealed. That is, first they cover it with a solution, and then with a sealing mastic.
From above, the wells are covered with special covers. The septic tank needs ventilation. Properly organized ventilation is a guarantee that the ring septic tank will work odorless. Ventilation is required to remove methane. It is an explosive gas, so ventilation is a way to keep people safe.
If the ventilation of the septic tank is not organized correctly, then the likelihood of the penetration of unpleasant-smelling gases into the house increases. Ventilation consists of two parts - a ventilation fan riser brought out to the roof and ventilation risers installed on the tank lids.
This ventilation ensures normal air exchange. It is recommended to backfill the excavation using clay. This will provide additional sealing for the septic tank.
Repair and modernization
A septic tank made of reinforced concrete rings is a solid structure, so they do not need repairs. But only on condition that the installation of the septic tank with overflow was carried out without errors. If the installation was carried out unprofessionally, then repairs may be required very quickly. Moreover, it is unlikely that it will be possible to carry out repairs on its own. Most often, it is easier to build a new septic tank than to repair a broken installation.
Much more often than repairs, a septic tank is modernized from concrete rings. This modification consists in the fact that an aerator is installed in the second compartment. The aerator is a plastic pipe with numerous holes. Air is supplied to the unit through the aerator; for this process, the aerator is connected with a hose to the compressor.
An aerator is installed in order to improve the quality of cleaning. The installation in which the aerator is installed ensures high quality cleaning. Therefore, it makes sense to carry out modernization and install an aerator in the event that it is not possible to organize additional water purification.
Advice! It should be borne in mind that the septic tank in which the aerator is installed is a volatile and more complex structure, therefore, repairs to this installation will be required more often.
So, if you want to build an inexpensive but efficiently working treatment plant for the local sewage system of a private house, which does not require frequent repairs, you should choose a septic tank made of concrete rings - reviews on the use of this installation allow you to count on a long and effective service, and construction (subject to use special equipment) does not require much time and effort.
