Causes of silting and rapid filling of the cesspool. How to remove sludge from a cesspool Restoring a drain pit

An overflowing septic tank or cesspool will make even the most uninhabitable completely uninhabitable. cozy house. Therefore, all homeowners have to maintain both local and autonomous systems, pumping out excess drains from time to time. But what if the septic tank or cesspool fills up too quickly? Let's see how to solve this problem.

There is only one reason for this - the soil no longer absorbs water, which fills the sump tank or goes into the filtration field (if any). At the same time, the refusal of the soil to accept effluents has several explanations, namely:

Due to insufficient activity the bottom layer of a septic tank or pit covers a silty sediment that forms a buffer film that prevents contact between soil and water. As a result, your cesspool or septic tank quickly fills up, since the liquid does not go anywhere, but remains in the tank.

Silting of the bottom in a septic tank

The walls and bottom of the septic tank or pit are covered with grease and soap deposits, the source of which is kitchen drains. If you don’t, then you shouldn’t even be surprised at how quickly the septic tank fills up. Fat sediment clogs the drainage channels and blocks the exit of water through the bottom, overflows or through the side windows in the body of a homemade septic tank.

In some cases, sparingly soluble fat and soapstone clog the entire inner surface of the sewer pipe, completely stopping the flow of effluents to the sump or cesspool.

The sewer just can't handle the waste. By must be at least three days of water consumption. Accordingly, an increase in the load on the water supply (more residents spend more water) leads to the fact that the septic tank fills up quickly - the liquid simply does not have time to go into the ground
The soil just freezes, and frozen soil does not accept water under any circumstances. In addition, sometimes an ice plug appears in the septic tank or sewer pipe, blocking the movement of drains.

Now that the reasons for the failure of the sewerage system have been established, we just have to figure out what to do if the cesspool or septic tank fills up quickly. Therefore, next we will analyze the most effective ways counteracting the specific causes of failure of a local or autonomous waste disposal system.

Restoring the absorption capacity of the soil

This method is relevant only for owners of cesspools and homemade open-bottom septic tanks. In this case, to restore the absorbency of the soil, you will have to flush the sewer, and this is done as follows:

We call a sewer and pump out the contents of a cesspool or septic tank.
We fill the container, but not with fecal effluents, but clean water.
We let the water stand for a day, during which we do not use chlorine-containing preparations (detergents and cleaners) under any pretext.
or biological products with an increased dose of such microorganisms. If it is recommended by the drug manufacturer, we repeat the procedure for 5-7 days.

The meaning of these actions is to liquefy the bottom silt with clean water and start intensive anaerobic and aerobic fermentation, which eats up even the caked sediment. There is no need to re-vacuum the septic tank after this procedure, but throughout the year you will need to use a fresh batch of bacteria every month, necessary to maintain fermentation.

As a starting drug, we can recommend the following options:

Remember that active biologics alone will not fix the situation - you will have to stop using it frequently. household chemicals. Otherwise, your septic tank will again become clogged with silt.

Remove grease and soap residue

In closed-bottom factory septic tanks, the main cause fast filling sump capacity is the formation of fatty or soapy deposits that impede the movement of liquid precipitation through the overflow channels. However, soap and grease plugs can also form in makeshift sewers. Moreover, the very fact of their occurrence is only a matter of time if there is no grease trap or a separate sump for kitchen drains in the sewer.

To remove soap and grease plugs, you can use two methods - mechanical and chemical. At the same time, the second option works much more efficiently than the first and is implemented without any effort.

soapstone

To do this, pour the desired bactericidal preparation into the sinks, toilet and bathroom. And repeat this procedure until the throughput of the sewerage and overflows is restored.

In practice, it looks like this:

We pump out the septic tank. We fill it with water. Let the water settle so that the chlorine evaporates from the liquid.
Pour preparations into sinks, bathrooms and toilets that can destroy soap and grease deposits.
We begin to use the sewerage system, monitoring the throughput of pipes and the water level in the septic tank. If necessary, fill in an additional portion of the drug.
After restoring the capacity of the overflow channels, we introduce supporting cultures that can absorb fat deposits.

As a preparation for removing soap and grease, you can use the following options:

No drugs can solve the problem of insufficient power of the septic tank. If the daily discharge of water exceeds 1/3 of the volume of the sump, then building a well or filtration field is an almost inevitable step, an alternative to which would be only the dismantling of the old septic tank and the installation of a new treatment plant.

drainage well

The basis of such a structure is a shallow mine of 3-4 meters, dug to the sandy layers of soil. Usually it comes off at a distance of up to 5 meters from the septic tank and is connected to the sump by a separate pipeline with a diameter of 110-150 millimeters. The pipe should go under a slope (towards the well), with a height difference of 2 centimeters per linear meter of the line.

The walls of the drainage well are reinforced with concrete rings, the lower of which will have to be perforated by drilling many holes in its body with a diameter of 15-20 millimeters. Clarified water from the septic tank overflows into the well and goes into the sandy horizon of the soil.

An alternative option is a drainage well made of polymer assembled by 2-3 people from plastic parts(bottom, ring with pipe bends, telescopic neck).

Filter field

This is a larger system, consisting of a perforated pipeline buried a meter deep into the ground. Moreover, perforated pipes are laid on sand and gravel bedding with a thickness of 25 centimeters and covered with the same mixture.

It involves digging a trench, placing bedding on its bottom and laying pipes. After the pipeline is assembled, it is covered with a 20-cm layer of sand and gravel bedding. In the final, the trench is covered with selected soil.

The pipeline of the filtration field runs at a slope of 2.5 centimeters per linear meter, so the depth of the trench can vary from 1 to 1.5 meters. As a rule, at least 8 are allocated per user. running meters pipelines of the filtration field, so the owners of volumetric septic tanks dig not one trench, but several, placing 5 or 10-meter sections parallel to each other.

We improve the thermal insulation of pipes and septic tanks

The problem of ice jams does not arise from scratch. Usually, owners of home-made septic tanks suffer from this, having ignored the recommendations for deepening the structure below the freezing level of the soil. In addition, an ice plug appears in pipes devoid of external thermal insulation.

To eliminate the ice plug in the pipes, you will have to do the following:

Rent or buy a steam generator and melt the ice plug in the pipeline.
Buy and install a cylindrical
Use modern solutions, like -

Stories about electricity, pins and hooks are a sure way to a hospital bed. The effectiveness of homemade "boilers" is doubtful, and the risk of damage electric shock more than real.

Melting ice in a pipe hot water will lead to the inevitable "return" of the liquid flowing from the pipe after contact with the fecal plug. It is collected in a separate bucket, but the smell will not go anywhere, and it will take a very long time to spill the cork with hot water. That is why the only acceptable tool for breaking the ice plug is the steam generator.

If the plug has grown in the septic tank, binding the surface of the drains, then in this case you will have to do the following:

We open the hatch, drill several holes in the ice, getting to the liquid.
We melt the ice plug with hot steam using a rented or purchased steam generator. Moreover, our task is only to break the crust into separate ice floes.
After the destruction of the ice crust, it pumps out fecal effluents and pours into a septic tank hot water, which will melt the remaining ice. If necessary, repeat this procedure.
Pour preparations into the septic tank or, which will start the fermentation process in the container.
We make fires around the perimeter of the septic tank, warming the earth to the desired depth.
We fill the coals of fires with sand and cover the ground with some kind of heat insulator, such as expanded clay or sawdust, or foam plastic slabs. Moreover, the bedding will have to be laid not only on top of the septic tank, but around it, at a distance of one meter from the walls.

Bacteria launched into the septic tank will start the fermentation process, accompanied by the release of heat. Backfilling on the lid of the septic tank and along its perimeter will change the depth of soil freezing in this area, eliminating the cause of the formation of an ice plug in the septic tank. After completing these works, you can use the septic tank without fear of encountering another ice plug.

The cesspool is one of the most popular and sought-after cesspool installations used to collect household waste.

Naturally, this setup requires regular care, otherwise, it will lose its effectiveness or, even worse, fail completely.

All this can lead to household waste floating to the surface.

In addition, the bottom may be flooded and the walls of the pit may be contaminated with fatty deposits, respectively, bad smell and the pit will begin to fill up at an accelerated rate.

You should not think for a long time about how you can clean the pit, because you can do it yourself if you do not want to resort to the help of specialists.

So, how to understand that the pit already needs to be cleaned, and what is the best way to do this?

In fact, there are several ways to clean cesspool in a private house. This should be done systematically, at least once a year.

The very first sign that the pit needs cleaning is the appearance bad smell, the accumulation of silt at the bottom of the pit and midges on the surface.

In addition, you will notice that the water in the sink begins to drain much more slowly than usual.

There are several options for cleaning the cesspool with your own hands:

with the use of biological products;
with the help of special chemicals;
using a pump.

Cleaning a cesspool without pumping out with the help of biological products

If you are wondering - how to clean a cesspool without pumping out with your own hands , then you should pay attention to such an option as the use of biological products.

This option is optimal if there is an accumulation of feces, fats and various other household waste.

This method works in such a way that after using biological products, you will not pump out household waste and fecal matter, but a completely safe liquid.

For example, if your cesspool has a capacity of about 2 cubic meters, then it will be enough for you to dilute half a glass of the biological product in 10 liters of warm water.

After mixing the product in water, leave it for 2 hours in a warm place.

This is necessary in order to increase the activity of the solution and the reproduction of bacteria.

After the specified time, the solution can be poured into a toilet or cesspool, since the resulting liquid is an ideal means for country toilets and cesspools.

Calculation required amount spoons of a biological product for a cesspool with and without drainage:

Number of spoons	Cesspool up to 2 m 3	Without drainage volume m 3			With drainage volume m 3
Number of spoons	Cesspool up to 2 m 3	6	12	18	4	8	16
single dose	2 — 3	12	16	20	10	12	16
monthly	2	3	4	6	12	3	4

However, this method has both its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, before giving preference to biologics, carefully study both.

The main advantages of cleaning the cesspool through the use of biological products include:

biopreparations have absolutely no negative effect on Construction Materials, that is, they are not able to lead to the destruction of brick, plastic or concrete;
due to the peculiarities of these substances, it is possible to eliminate the unpleasant odor from the cesspool after 4 hours of their action.

As for the disadvantages of biological products, they include:

bacteria that can only act under certain conditions temperature regime. The ambient temperature should be from +4 to +30 degrees. That is, this method is possible only in warm weather, but not in winter;
in addition, biobacteria are not able to process inorganic materials. In this case, construction and household waste, plastic bags, plastic bottles and so on.

Special attention deserves the moment that biobacteria categorically do not tolerate household chemicals.

If you use powders, dish detergents and other chemicals, then this method of cleaning the cesspool should be abandoned.

Otherwise, you simply will not get the proper result.

If you used the biobacteria for their intended purpose, and followed all the recommendations, then these substances will turn the substance in the pit into an odorless liquid cloudy liquid, which can be used to water the beds in the garden.

Cesspool cleaning with chemicals

Chemistry for cesspools has been used for a long time. A few centuries ago, people used a chemical agent in the form of formaldehyde, which perfectly made it possible to clean the pit from household waste.

AT recent times formaldehyde is very difficult to find, since this drug has practically disappeared from sales due to its high content carcinogens and their toxicity.

To replace this chemical other, no less effective substances came:

oxidizing nitrates, which contain surfactants in their composition. Surfactants are able to break down any organic matter, in addition, they are not afraid of detergents that fall into cesspools;
bleach, but today it is very rarely used due to a very strong negative impact on human body. In this it is very similar to formaldehyde;
ammonium compounds - these tools can do an excellent job, but they are completely unexplored in relation to the effect on environment. Also, experts say that these quaternary products do not function well in drains where there is a place for household chemicals.

If you chose ammonium to clean the cesspool, then you should not pour the resulting liquid onto the soil, it must be taken to the proper place.

Chemicals are best used in winter time when it is not possible to use a harmless option - biological products.

In addition, of all chemicals, it is best to give preference to the safest chemical reagent - a nitrate oxidizer.

It is kind of like fertilizer. That is, you add it to the pit, it begins to actively act, namely, to thin the sludge, reduce the amount of household waste and eliminate the smell.

The main advantage of this particular tool is that it is able to act even in an aggressive environment when chemical waste is present.

Features of cleaning a cesspool using a pump

How to clean a cesspool without pumping out with a cesspool machine and without the services of specialized workers?

First of all, you will need a special container, the volume of which should be identical to the volume of the cesspool and a fecal (water) pump.

Self-cleaning is relevant if a small number of people live in the house, or their accumulation is observed, for example, in the summer.

So the cesspool is filled slowly enough, which allows you to pump out household waste with your own hands.

After the pump is pumped out, it is necessary to flush the cesspool, which will slow down the formation of stony growths on the walls.

It is worth saying that this process is rather complicated and not particularly pleasant, so it is recommended to use it only when absolutely necessary or when it is impossible to use another option.

A properly built cesspool has been functioning for years, absolutely not requiring any attention. However, over time, the efficiency of its work decreases and there comes a time when the filling of the sewage tank occurs very quickly. At first, of course, you can save yourself by calling a sewage machine to clean the sewer. When the interval between calls is reduced to several weeks, the understanding comes that the problem cannot be solved by simple pumping out. In the meantime, there are several effective methods ranging from fairly simple to radical ones, the use of which will make the sewer system work with the same force.

During the operation of the cesspool, the effectiveness of its drainage layer decreases over time.

When equipping a cesspool, a leaky structure with a drainage layer at the bottom is usually used. long time drainage performed its functions, diverting liquid waste into the ground. Over time, the gaps between its elements became clogged with fat residues, food residues, and simply silt. Spontaneous sealing of the bottom of the pit occurred. As a result of this, wastewater does not have access to the soil layer and simply fills the tank, and since a sewage pit is usually built based on a three-day drain volume, its volume is filled very quickly.

Another reason for poor performance sewer system it may freeze in the winter. Naturally, draining water onto frozen ground will be impossible.

For the normal functioning of the sewerage system in winter, it is necessary to insulate the sewage well

With a decrease in the efficiency of the cesspool, the following signs are observed:

The walls of the waste sewer tank are covered with fatty deposits, which are quite problematic to wash off;
Accumulation of bottom sediment;
A fetid odor from the pit;
The time to fill the cesspool is reduced to a week or less.

For the normal functioning of the sewage system, it is necessary to properly clean the cesspool and restore its performance.

Sludge removal

Silting of the bottom of the cesspool

The main reason why the normal operation of the sewage tank is blocked is the silting of the bottom. You can overcome this problem in the following way:

First of all, it is required to pump out sewage using a sewage machine. In order to remove deposits from the bottom of the pit as much as possible, it is necessary to drain the sewage from the machine under pressure. In this case, the upper layer of silt deposits will be eroded and pumped out again by the sewer.

You can mix the bottom sediment well with the help of a long pole with an element in the form of a fungus at its end.

Fill the bottom with clean water. So they will be further liquefied.
Add special biological preparations containing bacteria directly into the pit or through the sewerage system. The fact is that bottom sediments are food for many types of microorganisms. After processing, there will be very little solid residue, because the main part of the sludge will turn into a liquid that will successfully go into the soil. It is best to add the biopreparation directly into the pit, splashing it on the walls.

Biological products for septic tanks will help to cope with the problem of silting the bottom of the cesspool

As a result of the use of preparations containing bacteria, they achieve not only liquefaction of the solid sediment and a decrease in the amount of waste in the pit, but also the elimination of bad odors, as well as the restoration of the drainage system.

The positive side of using biological preparations is getting organic matter absolutely harmless to humans and nature. They can be easily poured onto the ground.

Sludge can be pumped out not only with the help of special equipment, but also using household fecal or drainage pumps. The former are preferable for compacted sludge, since they have a knife in their design that grinds the solid sediment for its normal passage through the hose. In the process of work, the release of sludge is best done in compost heap and further use it for fertilizer purposes.

Pumping out a cesspool with a drainage pump

Ways to improve efficiency

There are several ways to improve sewerage performance. The work can take from several hours to several days, depending on the degree of complexity.

Improvement of the cesspool to a septic tank

An old cesspool can be modified to a simple septic tank

The silting of the bottom of the cesspool can be easily turned to your advantage by using the resulting sealed container as the primary chamber of a simple septic tank. In order to move a step forward in wastewater treatment, you just need to install a filtration well a few meters from the first structure and make an overflow and ventilation system. When doing this work, follow the recommendations of experts:

You can dig a pit both with the help of earthmoving equipment and manually. The first option is preferable when arranging a septic tank away from buildings. In addition, the earth loosened by an excavator will absorb water much more efficiently. The second method is much cheaper and does not require access roads for construction vehicles. It should also be borne in mind that a manually dug pit will exactly repeat the outlines of the elements for strengthening the walls of the septic tank, so this method is much more effective in hard-to-reach places or near buildings.
When choosing materials, if possible, preference should be given to prefabricated concrete rings with perforations. They are durable and very effective. Their only drawback is their heavy weight, requiring installation with a crane. The way out of this situation is the manual digging of the rings by the method of gradual selection of soil from under their walls and internal space. Also, to build a filtration well, you can use brickwork with a gap or car tires from trucks.
overflow pipe from waste pit set half a meter below the level of the inlet of the sewer sewer pipe. Usually use products with a diameter of 110 mm. The end of the pipe must be at least 20-25 cm from the inner wall of the filtration well. This requirement is especially important for red brick walls, since its surface will not be destroyed during the draining process. Note that it is better to use rejected burnt bricks. It perfectly copes with moisture and has a low cost.
When arranging a filtration well, one should not forget about sanitary standards and SNiP, requiring treatment facilities to be located no closer than 30m to a well or well, 1m from the border of a neighboring site and 3-5m from the nearest facility, depending on its number of storeys.

In the process of using an improved cesspool, you should follow the same rules as when working with septic tanks - the regular use of biological products, the absence of sewage chemical components of household chemicals, periodic sludge removal.

Improvement of filtration parameters

Perforation of the walls of concrete rings greatly increases the performance of the seepage well

Of course, after completely pumping out the sludge from the bottom of the cesspool, you can use the method of cleaning the drainage with biological products, but nothing will give such an effect as complete replacement drainage layer. Of course, this work cannot be called pleasant, but if you manage to complete it or find a volunteer, you will get practically new sewer facility. To remove the old drainage, you can use a bucket with a rope and a regular shovel with a short handle. After the old filling is removed, the pit is deepened by 30-40 cm and covered with a 20-30 cm layer of fine gravel, and then a 30-40 cm layer of coarse gravel, fine rubble or broken brick.

If the walls of the cesspool are made of monolithic concrete rings, then perforations can be made in the two lower structural elements. To do this, it is better to use an electric puncher or impact drill and a diamond drill with a diameter of 50-80mm. The distance between adjacent holes, as well as between their rows, must be at least 25 cm. Otherwise, the strength of the structure may suffer.

Pit defrosting

In winter, a thick layer of snow will keep the cesspool from freezing.

In rare cases, the performance of the cesspool is reduced due to the freezing of waste. Often this is not at all due to poor thermal insulation or improper design. It happens that “General Frost” is to blame for all the troubles, and then you have to resort to drastic measures.

In order not to wait for the spring heat in order to defrost the pit, it is necessary to prepare an extension cord, copper wire, a steel rod 20-30 cm long and a grip.

When carrying out work related to electricity, be sure to follow the safety regulations. Wear electrician's gloves and shoes with thick rubber soles.

If frozen sewage pipe, then it is enough to wrap it with a copper conductor, the end of which is connected to the phase wire. After several hours, in the process of current flowing between copper and ground zero, the pipe will warm up and thaw. It is only important to prevent children and animals from entering the working area.

If the entire pit is frozen, then a steel rod is required to be driven into its center, a copper conductor is connected to it and phase voltage is applied. It is possible that it will take not several hours, but a whole day to thaw the pit, but this will happen in any case. After completing the work, it is necessary to turn off the voltage and only then remove the rod with wires.

The efficiency of its work in the future, as well as the frequency of cleaning the sewer system, will depend on the method of restoring the health of the cesspool. The use of biological preparations will help push back the call for a sewage truck to long term, it is only important to adhere to the rules for using a sewerage system with a bacterial cleaning method.

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Let's take the most typical situation as an example. The cesspool is new, everything goes into the ground, and there is no need to pump it out at all. But a year passes, the second, the third. And suddenly, the pit begins to fill up and demand to be pumped out.And it has to be pumped out. Less often at first, then more and more often. What to do? How to return the state of the pit, when everything went into the soil and there was no need to pump it out?

There is a simple solution. After the machine has done its job, you need to pour the product into the pit Doctor Robik 509.
It is designed to eliminate long-standing problems with sewage: it liquefies thick masses, dissolves fossils. Also eliminates odor. And even cleans the pores in the ground, allowing liquid waste to easily seep into it. Gradually, the normal operation of the sewer or drainage system will be restored. After that, you can pour the composition Doctor Robik 109, which will already maintain a cesspool or sewer in an acceptable condition. For a cesspool with a volume of about 3 cubic meters, you will need 1 bottle Dr. Robik 509. And then after about a week, 1-2 sachets of 109, which will work 30-40 days.

In any sewer or septic tank, waste containing detergents. As a result, soap deposits and growths accumulate on the pipes. They can be removed with Doctor Robik 809. Usually, products based on live bacteria cannot cope with soap and powders, and on the contrary, they are “afraid” of them. But the enzymes included in composition 809 are not afraid of soap and foam. They easily clean the walls of pipes and tanks of cesspools from soap deposits. All Doctor Robik products can be used together without restrictions. Therefore, for complete cleaning pits from silt and sludge can be Doctor Robik 509 and 809 pour at the same time. Dr. Robik's products are economical, effective and safe for human, animal and plant health.

Many owners of houses and cottages with individual sewerage are faced with the problem of sludge formation in the cesspool. To put it in order, you must use the appropriate method, given the design of the pit. Cleaning a cesspool from sludge is different for:

a cesspool without a bottom, which is just a depression in the ground;
a sealed pit with a bottom where waterproofing of the entire surface is used to protect against leakage of waste into the soil;
septic tank, special design providing biological treatment with special filters or additives.

It is important to choose the right way to clean the cesspool from sludge so that this process goes smoothly and does not take much time.

Tidying up a hole without a bottom

Most of the waste in such a pit is processed in a natural way, but the microorganisms living in the ground are not able to cope with the sludge. Therefore, it is necessary to add water inside, and then clean out the contents with an ordinary bucket on a rope. After drying, it is advisable to cover the bottom with gravel, which will simplify subsequent maintenance.

If the pit is too large and filled to the limit with waste, then it will be easier to completely bury it, and then prepare a place for a new one.

Cleaning the sealed pit

There are three ways to remove silt from a cesspool:

fecal pump with the function of grinding all drawn-in large waste. In this case, it is necessary to dilute the contents with water, and then load the hose inside with a special waste pump connected. As it drains, it is necessary to add more water, which is also pumped out to wash the walls and bottom;
biological products. When choosing how to dissolve sludge in a cesspool, many people prefer to use such additives. They are offered as powders, liquids or tablets. When added to the pit, they prevent sludge formation, reduce odor and significantly reduce solid waste;
chemical agents. It is necessary to choose nitrate oxidizing agents that are safe for nature and humans. They quickly dissolve sludge, remove odors and generally reduce the amount of waste that can then be used for fertilizer.

It should be noted that periodic pumping of waste will still be required, even if mainly biological products and chemicals are used.

Septic tank cleaning

Many who use septic tanks do not think about how to clean the cesspool from silt. This is due to the fact that manufacturers install special pipes. According to them, silt is removed from the pit by gravity, without requiring any effort from the owner.

But in some cases, such pipes are absent, so the septic tank requires periodic cleaning. drainage pump. With its help, all existing contaminants are completely removed.

You can also use special bacteria for septic tanks. They reduce solid waste and also break down silt and grease layers so that even without special pipes, the pit remains clean and always ready for use.