How to make a sewer from barrels for a summer residence: a simple solution to a complex problem. Do-it-yourself septic tank from barrels Do-it-yourself sewage from iron barrels

At the initial stage of construction, one cannot do without the construction of a septic tank for wastewater. This is a rather expensive part of the work, but there is an opportunity to reduce its cost. If a small building is being erected, for example, a summer house or an outdoor shower, then a septic tank can be made from a plastic barrel. But before installation, you need to understand this issue in more detail.

Advantages

For capital structures, it is mandatory to install a wastewater collection and treatment system, which can be purchased ready-made. But in terms of costs, the design will be expensive, and the installation itself is quite complicated. You can’t do without such a complex installation, because water is constantly consumed in a residential building, and a simple drainage system will not work.

But if it is necessary to provide a septic tank for a country house, which is used only in the warm season, or for a temporary structure, then it is recommended to install a septic tank from barrels. Such a system contains a small amount of water, but this is quite enough for a small amount of water.

Barrels for a septic tank can be used both new and used.

Such a structure can be made not only from plastic barrels, but also from metal ones. It is recommended to use plastic for this job, because metal is prone to corrosion.

Scheme

A septic tank is constructed from several barrels, which are interconnected into a single system. First you need to draw up a diagram with a drawing of the building and the location of the septic tank installation. The latter will be located underground a few meters from the location of the building.

Effluent passes through a drain riser, a pipe that reaches at an angle to the first barrel. In total, a minimum of 2 barrels must be used. Then, from the first barrel, the effluent flows through the overflow pipe into the second barrel.

For the competent installation of a septic tank in a private house, it is imperative to draw a diagram. This stage of work is necessary not only for permitting authorities, but also for the owner himself. The drawings will help to accurately calculate not only consumables, but also the sequence of installation.

If 3 barrels are used for a septic tank, then the general scheme looks like this:

• Drains through the inlet enter the first barrel, which is gradually filled.
• Large particles settle at the bottom of the first barrel.
• Liquid from the first barrel through the outlet enters the second barrel.
• In the second barrel, smaller particles settle at the bottom.
• Liquid from the second barrel through the outlet enters the third barrel.
• Treated drains through the bottom of the third barrel go into the ground.

When drawing up a septic tank diagram, it should be ensured that the inlet and outlet of each barrel are located at different levels: the inlet is higher and the outlet is lower. Due to this, the treated effluents will pass into the next barrel through the outlet before the liquid level reaches the inlet.

Another important detail: the system is installed under a slope. Such an installation will allow the liquid to flow freely through the pipes, and not stagnate in some area.

Three-section cleaning is provided for the building where the toilet will be installed. But if it is necessary to clean the drain that will come from the kitchen or bath, then a 2-section cleaning is enough.

Preparatory work

The installation of a septic tank consists of carrying out calculations. For this, the required number of pipes is determined for laying them to the system. Then you should prepare the site where the system will be located. It is cleared of debris, vegetation and other objects.

The location of the septic tank from a residential building must be at least 5 m. It is allowed to adhere to a distance of 2 m if the sewer system is installed for non-residential premises.

It is necessary to provide a large distance from the septic tank to the river or lake. Effluent must not enter aquifers. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain a distance of at least 10 m to the river, and at least 30 m to the lake. If trees grow in the summer cottage, then they need to maintain a distance of at least 2 m, and to the roadway - 5 m.

You should also prepare everything you need for work. For a country house, a septic tank of 3 barrels of 250 liters is suitable.

Necessary materials and tools

For the arrangement of a septic tank, materials will be required:

• Barrels.
• Sewer pipes.
• Couplings. Flanges.
• Rubble.
• Sand.
• Geotextile.
• Wooden pegs.
• Sealant.

As for the choice of barrels, it has already been said that the best option is 3 barrels of 250 liters each. If necessary, the volume of barrels can be increased. The length of the sewer pipes depends on the distance at which the septic tank will be located from the house. The pipe diameter must be at least 110 mm.

If the barrels are installed above the freezing of the soil, then any insulation will be required: mineral wool, polystyrene foam, expanded clay.

For installation, it is necessary to prepare a rake, a shovel, a building level and a jigsaw.

The rake is used for clearing and leveling the area. The shovel is used to dig the trench, and the building level will be used to set the system at an angle. A jigsaw is used to cut holes in barrels.

Do-it-yourself septic tank from barrels. Step-by-step instruction

After preparing everything you need, you can begin the installation. This process is carried out in stages:

• Digging a trench.
• Bottom cushioning.
• Geotextile laying.
• Gravel backfill.
• Installation of barrels.
• Pipe installation.
• System check.
• Trench backfill.

Before trench digging measurements must be taken carefully. To simplify your work, you can lay out all the details on the ground: pipes, barrels. Then mark the contours of the system and start digging holes. To facilitate the work, you can use the services of an excavator, due to which the pit will turn out to be the right size.

Then a layer of sand should be poured to the bottom of the trench, which will serve as shock-absorbing cushion. The places where the first 2 barrels (filter) will be located should be concreted. Place for the 3rd (last) barrel covered with geotextiles and covered with rubble.

Mounting

Before as install barrels into the pit, it is desirable to pre-connect them with pipes. After all, doing such work in a pit will be very inconvenient. Holes for pipes are cut in the upper side parts of the barrels.

Don't make a big hole. The pipe must be butt-fitted, otherwise leaks will occur.

The joints must be treated with sealant. For these purposes, it is best to use a car. In the first two barrels, effluent will be filtered, so they are installed with the bottom. In the first barrel, solid wastes fall to the bottom, and in the second, smaller particles settle at the bottom. Already 65% ​​purified wastewater enters the third barrel, and this liquid goes into the ground. That is why the bottom should be cut off in the last barrel.

It is necessary to connect the barrels to each other with pipes through which the liquid will flow from one compartment to another. When such a design is ready, it should be installed in the prepared pit. At the bottom of the third barrel, it is necessary to pour a layer of rubble to a third of its volume. Then a sewer pipe is connected to the first barrel, which departs from the house. In order to lead the pipe at an angle, it is recommended to use wooden pegs, which are mounted at different levels. Using the building level, which is applied to the top of the pegs, the required angle is set. Then a layer of sand is poured, and a layer of gravel on top so that it does not cover the tops of the wooden marks.

Ventilation and insulation

Ventilation of the installed septic tank should be provided. To do this, a pipe with a protective visor at the top is brought out to protect against precipitation.

If the barrels are installed above the freezing point of the soil, then they should be insulated. When all the parts are connected and the joints are treated with sealant, a system check is performed. To do this, water is supplied to the first container, and then possible leaks are checked. If they are absent, then you can backfill the septic tank.

To connect pipes with flanges and fittings, you can use a special adhesive that is compatible with the pipe material. This will ensure a tight connection.

The pit is completely filled with gravel. Then a layer of geotextile is laid on top of the barrels, and after that, soil is backfilled. It is necessary to ensure that the lids of the barrels are not filled up, otherwise it will be difficult to reach them in the future during maintenance.

When building a septic tank, professionals are advised to take into account several points:

• On soils that are not able to absorb water (clay, loam, sandy loam), as well as on soils where the groundwater level is close to the surface, a septic tank cannot be installed. In this case, a storage installation is suitable, which does not clean, but collects drains. Therefore, you will have to regularly use the services of vacuum trucks for pumping.
• A septic tank should be installed at a normalized distance from the house, garden, road and river.
• To prevent the barrels from freezing, you can immerse several plastic bottles half-filled with sand into the barrels. Due to this, icing of the walls can be prevented.

The simplest scheme for installing a septic tank from a barrel is presented in this video

Building a septic tank with your own hands from plastic barrels will provide a good level of comfort for a country house. This method is to quickly install a wastewater system at minimal cost.

In a city apartment, sewerage and water supply are the norm. As for the summer cottage, there are no such conditions there, but a person still wants comfort. Outside the city, it is not always possible to use centralized treatment systems, which is why many property owners outside the city equip a septic tank on their own.

The solution of the problem

To do this, you can use one of the many technologies, but most often sewage is arranged using barrels that are easy to install and easy to get. A septic tank for a private house is best purchased in a factory assembly. But if we are talking about a summer residence, then there will be enough barrel sewage, which involves soil or mechanical post-treatment.

Choosing a place for a septic tank

If you decide to install a septic tank from a barrel with your own hands, then it is important to choose the right place. The system should be removed from wells, drinking wells and reservoirs by at least 30 m. The distance from the beds should be 10 m, from underground pipelines - by 5 m. Work on the arrangement of such a sewer should be started, stepping back from the foundation 5 m.

As for green spaces like trees and shrubs, the distance to them should be 3 m. It is important to observe a minimum step to drinking water sources, this will eliminate their pollution and reduce the likelihood of infection spreading.

Before starting work, it is important to remember that wastewater will enter the system in a small amount, because usually the owners of suburban real estate do not live in such houses permanently, they can visit the site on weekends or be present on short visits. However, it is important to comply with building and sanitary standards.

When arranging a septic tank from a barrel with your own hands, you should not place it close to the foundation, because in this case the water will begin to destroy the foundation. Sanitary standards are prescribed for a reason, if they are neglected, this can lead to health problems and liability under the law. When choosing a location for a septic tank, consider:

• composition and properties of the soil;
• relief of the site;
• climatic conditions;
• the need to equip an access road for a sewage truck.

What is important to consider?

Before starting work, it is important to study the composition of the soil. As for sand, it passes moisture quite easily, while clay soil should be supplemented with a sand cushion. It is important to pay attention to the features of the relief of the site. The pipe must be laid at a certain slope from the house to the receiving barrels, then the drains will move by gravity.

If you will equip a septic tank from a barrel with your own hands, then it is also important to take into account climatic conditions. Experts recommend studying how much the air temperature drops in winter, because this allows you to find out what the level of soil freezing is. If the septic tank is planned to be pumped out, then it is important to ensure that there are ways for the entrance of the sewer truck.

The simplest system for a summer cottage consists of two iron barrels and an external pipeline. Pipes can be made of plastic, and their diameter can be 110 mm. If the diameter is smaller, then the system will not be able to cope with the peak volume of sewage. A septic tank from barrels can only be installed when groundwater occurs at a level of 4 m.

The slope of the sewer pipeline should be 0.03, this will ensure gravity flow. Vertically, the value should be equal to 3 cm per linear meter. If the pipes are supposed to be laid above the freezing level of the soil, then they should be insulated with moisture-resistant thermal insulation.

Sewerage device

Quite often, recently, consumers arrange a septic tank from barrels with their own hands. You too can follow their experience. At the first stage, it is important to choose the material of the containers, it can be plastic or iron. The first option will be easier to install, in addition, it is resistant to corrosion, but swelling of the soil can lead to deformation of the structure.

Among Russian summer residents, iron barrels are more common, the capacity of which is 200 liters. This container after firing becomes ideal for a sewer sump. The container is cheap and durable, and also has a low weight, which allows you to carry out work independently. One of the main disadvantages of iron is its susceptibility to corrosion. But the walls of the product can always be treated with an anti-corrosion compound like bituminous mastic.

How to avoid mistakes?

In order for the container to last longer, it should be covered with bitumen and paintwork material. If you decide to install a septic tank with your own hands from a barrel for a country toilet, then it is important to consider the choice of material in terms of the need to fill the foundation. The plastic is quite light, so it must be fixed on a concrete pillow, otherwise the product may float during floods.

With iron, such problems will not arise. According to sanitary norms and rules, the volume of the septic tank must contain drains in the amount of 3 daily norms. This is true for water consumption in the amount of 5 m 3 per day, which is relevant for country sewage. However, it is important to remember that these data are indicated for the septic tanks being cleaned.

Arrangement technology

If you are thinking about the question of how to make a septic tank from barrels with your own hands, then at the first stage it is necessary to carry out earthworks. They involve preparing a trench for laying pipes that will go from the house. For reinforced concrete barrels, it is also necessary to dig a pit. The top of the container is sprinkled with soil. The pit should be deep enough, a gap should be left on the sides, the width of which is 0.25 m.

Equipping a septic tank from barrels in the country with your own hands, you must decide whether you will use the system in winter. If this is the case, then thermal insulation work should be carried out. In this case, the containers must be located below the freezing line of the soil, otherwise the water will freeze. This approach requires additional deepening of the pit, you may need an excavator.

Work methodology

At the next stage, holes should be made in the barrels. In the first container, one of them should be located on top, it is intended for a pipe coming from the house. The second hole should be on the side, it is the outlet and is used to overflow into the next tank.

In the second container, a hole is made on the side, and the second - from the bottom. To be precise, the second barrel must be stripped of the bottom to allow drainage into the ground. This will allow you to make a septic tank from a barrel with your own hands without pumping out. The inlet should be located 20 cm higher than the outlet, otherwise the water may go back. In order to exclude welding work, it is necessary to cut a hole and install rubber seals, plastic pipes are inserted into them, and the joints are treated with sealant.

At the bottom of the prepared pit, it is necessary to pour a pillow of sand and gravel, its thickness can vary from 10 to 30 cm. The preparation is well compacted, barrels are installed on it and connected by a jumper. They can be overlaid with insulation, which is sometimes expanded clay or foam.

Before connecting the barrels, fill the sides with soil. The soil is spread in layers of 20 cm and compacted. At the next stage, a pipe is connected that comes from the country house. It is inserted into the first container using a tee, its free end will be used for ventilation. At the final stage, everything should be covered with soil.

Features of a septic tank made of metal barrels

If you will arrange a septic tank from iron barrels with your own hands, then it is important to carry out the concreting of the bottom. The second container should be slightly lower than the first. For work it is better to use barrels of 200 liters or more. It is recommended to insulate the septic tank from all sides, this process should not be neglected, laying the material only on the bottom of the pit. After completing the backfilling with soil, the system should be covered with roofing felt, iron or wood covers, the latter of which are needed to provide access to the tanks if it is necessary to pump out effluents.

Volume increase

If you want to increase the volume of the structure, then you can install several barrels on top of each other and weld them together. Additional iron jumpers can be mounted for reliable fastening of products among themselves. The formed joints must be well waterproofed; hot bitumen is usually used for this. No matter how high-quality a septic tank is made with your own hands from a barrel of fuel and lubricants, after 4 years the tanks will have to be changed, because they will begin to rust and rot under the influence of aggressive drains.

Features of preparing a pit for the installation of plastic barrels

Quite often, the owners of suburban real estate arrange a septic tank from plastic barrels with their own hands. You can see photos of such systems in the article. When preparing a pit for installing containers, you should be guided by parameters that will be larger than the geometric dimensions of the compartments used. Along the perimeter of the pit, the step between the sides and the barrels should be 0.25 m. The bottom must be well tamped, covered with sand and poured with concrete mortar, if necessary, formwork should be used.

In the resulting base, you can mount embedded metal elements that will help fix the barrels. They must be made with loops. When making a septic tank from plastic barrels with your own hands, you must additionally fix the tanks to the base with the help of special belts, which are also called bandage. They allow you to achieve a 100% guarantee that the barrels will not float during a flood.

When making holes in plastic containers, you should step back from the cover of the first tank by 0.2 m. A pipe from a residential building will be installed here. On the opposite side of the chamber, one more hole should be made, which is shifted down by 0.1 m. In the first tank, another hole for the ventilation riser will be required.

If you decide to make a septic tank from plastic barrels with your own hands, then it is recommended to supplement the first compartment with a removable lid, because it will accumulate a huge amount of solid waste, which will have to be cleaned from time to time. If it is not planned to build, then holes are made in the second barrel, which are located in relation to each other at an angle of 45 °. These holes will be needed for drainage pipes.

Conclusion

A septic tank, made with your own hands from plastic barrels (200 liters), may suggest the presence of filtration fields instead of a filtration well. For pipes, it is necessary to prepare trenches that have a slope of 2 cm per meter. Geotextile is laid at the bottom of the trench, its sections are thrown over the sides of the ditch. Next, crushed stone is backfilled, on the layer of which drainage pipes are placed. The trench is covered with rubble, geotextiles are again laid on top. At the final stage, the ditch is covered with earth; at this point, we can assume that the filtration fields are ready.

During operation, the first compartment will be filled with sludge and solid waste. For cleaning, you should use the services of a sewer machine. The volume of sludge over the summer will increase by 80 liters, however, with a constant visit to the dacha, the system may overflow long before the end of the season. These features of operation, of course, must be taken into account even before the design of the system.

In the conditions of country life, the arrangement of an autonomous sewage system is as urgent as providing a house with clean drinking water from a well or well.

One of the most important nodes for local sewage is a storage tank or septic tank designed to collect human waste and sewage. There are several types of septic tanks. This can be a well made of concrete rings with additional sealing, old barrels dug into the ground, or a modern biological treatment system. Each owner selects the type of septic tank that meets his needs.

An important factor is the cost of such a structure and the entire sewerage system as a whole.

Description and principle of operation

Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to purchase an expensive treatment plant. And in some cases, it is not needed at all. For example, if it is planned to collect seasonal wastewater in the country, entering the sewer from a bathhouse or any temporary building. The owners quite reasonably believe that in these cases it makes no sense to spend big money on construction work or the purchase of a biological treatment plant. You can get by with an old container - a tank or a barrel.

With the spread and growing popularity of plastic products, the choice has been greatly simplified.

On the farm or, in extreme cases, on the market, there is always a plastic barrel of suitable volume, which can be used as a country septic tank. You can dig into the ground as one barrel, or several, connecting them to each other according to the principle of communicating vessels. In a design of several barrels, sewage water will be cleaned better. Yes, and the capacity of the septic tank will increase significantly.

From the three-chamber design, filtered and settled water can be taken out through drains to the lawn or garden, thereby providing soil moisture near the root system of plants. Of course, the water in such septic tanks will not be completely purified. Therefore, three-chamber structures are used only when working with relatively clean sewer water, draining by gravity from baths, showers and temporary buildings.

If fecal masses, water from kitchen sinks or dishwashers and washing machines are discharged into the sewer, it will not be possible to purify water from several barrels in a filtering septic tank. In these cases, it is advisable to use a sealed container of a large volume.

The principle of operation of a septic tank from barrels is quite simple. Tanks are dug into the ground below the level of sewer pipes. Waste enters the septic tank by gravity. Depending on the degree of contamination of the wastewater, a sealed barrel or a system of barrels is used, followed by filtering the purified water into the ground.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any engineering structure, a septic tank made of plastic barrels has its pros and cons.

The advantages include:

• the relative cheapness of the design;
• ease of installation and operation;
• resistance to aggressive media and low temperatures.

The disadvantage is:

• relatively small capacity of the septic tank (especially if the first old small container that comes to hand is used);
• the probability of squeezing out the container during the freezing of the soil.

Design features

The selected barrel or several containers are buried in the ground below the level of the sewer pipes. This is done to ensure self-flow. Pipes are laid with a slight slope towards the storage or filter tank.

Connection of pipes to the body of the barrel is carried out using nozzles. Be sure to use sealant!

To serve a family of three in the summer, you will need a container with a capacity of not less than 200-250 liters. If several drums are used, they are installed in one line and connected in series to each other by means of overflow pipes. Moreover, each of the tanks is buried 15-20 centimeters below the previous one (the so-called stepped arrangement), which provides a slope between the incoming and outgoing pipe.

Usually the first two containers are used for settling, and the third for filtering clarified water into the soil. Accordingly, the first containers are always sealed, and the last one has a perforated bottom and is filled with half-broken bricks or other filter material. A special cushion of crushed stone and sand is arranged under the filter tank. 50 cm of sand and 30 cm of crushed stone are poured into the pit.

This bottom backfill provides additional filtration of sewage water. And in areas with a high level of groundwater, it is recommended to build a drainage field instead of a filtering well, the output of water to which is carried out using a system of drains.

With inactive use of sewage, as mentioned above, it is enough to install one sealed barrel, from which water will be regularly pumped out by a drainage or fecal pump.

DIY installation

Before installing even a fully sealed septic tank, you need to make sure that the place chosen for work fully complies with all sanitary standards.

This is done in case of depressurization of the sewer drain. Spilled dirty water poses a risk to human health and can pollute the environment.

A septic tank must be separated from any source of drinking water by a distance of 50 meters. From rivers and streams - 10, and from public reservoirs 30 meters. There are also requirements for placement regarding roads and even fruit trees. The septic tank is installed 5 meters from the road and buildings, and 3 meters from garden plants.

Work order:

• digging a pit and trenches for pipes;
• backfilling a sand cushion and sloping trenches;
• pouring a concrete base in the pit;
• installation of barrels;
• pipe connection (sewer products with a diameter of 10-11 cm are used, which are connected by pipes using a sealant);
• backfilling (a sand-cement mixture is used for the pit around the barrel).

Important points and errors

Common installation errors include:

• Non-compliance with the slope of the pipes. As a result, sewer water cannot move by gravity.
• Several sharp turns. The more bends in the pipeline, the higher the likelihood of clogging the sewer.
• Non-compliance with the stepped deepening of two- and three-chamber septic tanks. This engineering error results in poor water outflow between the chambers of the structure.

Reviews

We use a 250-liter barrel as a septic tank to collect water from a bathhouse in the country. We bought a new one, because at home there was no suitable plastic container in size.

When connecting barrels to each other, observe the slope! We made a mistake at first, and the water in the first barrel began to stagnate. There was an unpleasant smell. It is necessary that the inlet for connection is 20 centimeters from the edge of the barrel, and the outlet is thirty - 10 centimeters lower.

Very convenient and cheap septic tank. Used a few old barrels. In the latter arranged a filter. No problems with operation - the liquid itself goes into the soil.

Selection and installation scheme

• Barrels can be of any size. However, when choosing, it is important to consider the number of family members.
• 250 liter containers are enough for a family of two or three people.
• The product should not have too thin walls.
• Installation is carried out in compliance with all sanitary standards (the distance to residential buildings, sources of drinking water, roads is maintained).
• It is undesirable to use containers with a capacity of less than 200 liters.

Installation work includes:

1. Preliminary preparation of barrels - sawing holes for pipes. In the lid of the first tank, a ventilation window is cut through for the riser through which air will flow.
2. Preparation of the pit - backfilling of a sand cushion, pouring a concrete base with metal brackets for attaching containers.
3. Installation of barrels and connection of pipes. Silicone must not be used as a sealant!
4. Backfilling of the excavation and tamping of the cement-sand mixture.

Exploitation

To ensure the smooth operation of the sewerage system is necessary.

The owners of country houses do not want to give up the usual urban amenities and have to equip the sewer system on their site on their own. Often it is a simple cesspool, made from a barrel or otherwise, but if there is running water and households actively use plumbing fixtures, its capabilities will clearly not be enough.

The country sewerage scheme includes a collector receiving sewage, internal and external pipeline networks. Depending on financial capabilities, the collector is built of bricks, concrete rings, large car tires, Eurocubes or a 200-liter barrel.

Sewerage scheme with a barrel as a septic tank

Scheme and rules for organizing sewerage with a septic tank in the country

It is quite possible to equip a septic tank for giving with your own hands. Before starting work, a detailed sewerage scheme is drawn up. Drawings can be seen in the photo. On the diagram, you need to put the location of the storage tank, the internal and external wiring of the pipeline network. Building codes and regulations determine the required angle of inclination of pipes, features of the collector device and other parameters. Please note that simply draining sewage into a pit without pumping pollutes the soil and nearby aquifers.

Requirements for the placement of treatment facilities at their summer cottage

Treatment facilities in the summer cottage should be located no closer than thirty meters from water bodies, wells and artesian wells. In order to prevent the unpleasant smell from penetrating into the living quarters, the minimum distance of the septic tank from the house is five meters. This distance should not be greatly extended either, since this significantly increases the cost of laying an external sewer network.

Minimum distances from the septic tank to different objects

Care must be taken to ensure that the unpleasant smell does not disturb the neighbors, and the treatment plant should not be located too close to the boundaries of the site. Fruit trees and other green plantings with a developed root system should be at least three meters away.

Types of country sewerage

The easiest way to do it yourself for a private house and a summer house is to make an ordinary cesspool, into which a simple drain of waste will be carried out. In doing so, it will pollute the environment. To prevent unpleasant consequences, a sealed container is installed in the cesspool.

The simplest cesspool from a barrel

This is a more acceptable way of arranging a waste disposal system, but in this case, frequent "visits" of the sewer truck are necessary. A more modern type of country sewage is a septic tank, in which the liquid fraction of waste is settled and, after filtration, is removed from the collector. The use of bacteria that decompose organic matter helps to make a septic tank without pumping.

Sealed cesspool

To equip a cesspool, they dig a pit at least two meters deep. With a complex relief of the site, it is located at the lowest level.

Sealed drain pit is convenient with a small amount of waste

The walls of the tank are laid out with brickwork or ready-made concrete rings, tires from the Kirovets tractor, barrels with a volume of two hundred liters, and so on are stacked on top of each other. A layer of waterproofing is laid on the bottom of the tank, all butt joints are securely sealed to prevent leakage of wastewater.

Filter well

The filter well is equipped in the same way as a sealed cesspool, only instead of waterproofing, gravel or crushed stone with sand is made at the bottom of the mine. It forms a filter layer through which the liquid waste fractions get rid of contaminants before penetrating into the soil.

The device of the filter well from a plastic barrel

This design of the treatment plant makes it possible to pump out waste from the reservoir much less frequently, since it is filled only with their solid fragments. The quality of wastewater treatment is improved if not one, but several filter wells are installed, interconnected by overflow pipes.

Applying a filter field

The use of a filtration field helps to make a septic tank without pumping out. Its device requires a large area of ​​​​free space on the site.

Small filtration field device

The filtration field is a platform located underground, in which the sedimentation and purification of wastewater that has passed through the sewer collector takes place. From there, they are discharged through perforated pipes into the drainage system.

Gutter use

It is good if a gutter lies near the storage sewer tank. In this case, the drains that have passed through the collector can be directed directly into it. To do this, they dig a hole near the canal, filling it with crushed stone or gravel as a filter layer. Waste water is sent there, which, after passing the filter, enters the gutter.

Material options for a septic tank in the country

Depending on financial capabilities, the septic tank in the country is made from a variety of materials. With virtually no material costs, you can get decommissioned large-diameter tires at the nearest tire fitting workshop or at a car company.

An example of organizing a two-chamber septic tank from tires

Tires from the Kirovets tractor are well suited. They are stacked on top of each other in a dug pit. A septic tank made of ready-made concrete rings is equipped even faster and more reliably. The sewage receiver can be laid out with brickwork. Also used are barrels of large volume and the so-called eurocubes, which are sealed plastic containers.

When installed, they are concreted on the sides, as they are light in weight and can move when the groundwater level rises.

Installation depth of the septic tank and pipe laying

The installation depth of the septic tank and the laying of the sewer pipe directly depends on the level of soil freezing in a particular region. If sewage freezes in the sewer system, it will burst the pipes, and in the spring everything will have to start over.

A sewer pipe used only in summer can not be buried

The optimal volume of a septic tank in the country

The required volume of a septic tank in the country depends on the number of people permanently residing in it. It is believed that one person consumes up to two hundred liters of water per day. Multiplying this figure by the number of households and increasing the resulting value by approximately twenty percent, we obtain the optimal amount of storage capacity.

Of course, in the conditions of a summer residence, that is, without the use of a shower and a bath, this parameter will be much less.

Arrangement of a simple cesspool from a 200 l barrel

A cesspool from a 200 l barrel is easily made by hand. For its arrangement it is better to choose plastic containers. Compared to metal products, they have the following advantages:

• excellent resistance to aggressive chemical environments;
• longer service life;
• simplified installation due to low weight;
• no need for anti-corrosion treatment;
• high levels of tightness.

A plastic barrel as a cesspool can last a long time

When buried in the ground, plastic containers should be securely fastened with cables pulled to a concrete slab installed as the base of the structure. Otherwise, a homemade septic tank can “float” to the surface at the most inconvenient moment. The plastic barrels installed in the pit should be filled very carefully so as not to damage them.

Do-it-yourself assembly and connection of a septic tank from plastic barrels

Do-it-yourself assembly and connection of a septic tank from plastic barrels is not particularly difficult. First, a pit is dug to bury the tanks in the ground. For better wastewater treatment, two plastic containers with a volume of at least two hundred liters each should be installed. They are connected to each other with an overflow pipe.

Two-chamber septic tank with overflow from plastic barrels - a practical option

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Making a septic tank with your own hands from barrels is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to provide wastewater treatment. Its manufacture does not require much time, and the materials are available. At the same time, a treatment plant of this type is quite effective and provides a high quality of removal of impurities.

The principle of operation of the treatment plant

In septic tanks of this type, wastewater is cleaned mainly by mechanical methods:

• Partial clarification during the precipitation of the largest particles of impurities occurs mainly in the first of three series-connected containers.
• Smaller inclusions settle in the second tank, where water flows from the top of the first barrel.
• At the third barrel, the “native” bottom is usually removed, and when installing a septic tank in the lower part, sand, gravel or expanded clay is backfilled. This material acts as a filter.

Passing through the ground will achieve optimal results, but this method is not suitable for areas with groundwater close to the surface. To ensure sanitary safety in such cases, drainage of treated effluents through filtration fields is organized. Such structures are perforated pipes insulated with geotextile, which exit the third barrel at an angle of 45° to each other and are located in trenches parallel to the surface.

The use of septic tanks from barrels

It is advisable to build a septic tank in the country with your own hands from barrels in the following cases:

• as a temporary structure at the stage of building a house before the sewer system is organized,
• with a minimum number of drains, typical for periodic visits to a suburban area without permanent residence.

Such requirements are due to the small volume of tanks. The capacity of large barrels is usually 250 liters. therefore, the volume of the septic tank from the three tanks will be 750 liters. At the same time, according to the conditions of sanitary standards, the septic tank must contain three daily "portions".

Homemade septic tank from plastic barrels

It is advisable to build a septic tank from plastic barrels with your own hands also as a separate treatment plant, for example, for shower or bath.

The advantages of such structures are:

• low cost (used containers are often used),
• simplicity of device and installation,
• less excavation due to the small volume of the tanks.

Pros and cons of the materials used

Do-it-yourself sewerage in the country house from a barrel can be arranged using plastic or metal containers. Usually the most affordable option is used, however, if there is a choice, the pros and cons of each option should be taken into account before making a decision.

plastic barrels

Advantages:

• light weight, easy to transport and install,
• ease of making holes for pipes,
• absolute water resistance, eliminating the possibility of soil contamination,
• resistance to corrosion from water or aggressive substances that may be contained in detergents.

Flaws:

• due to their small mass, plastic barrels require reliable fastening to the foundation in order to prevent them from floating up during a flood, which can lead to the destruction of the sewer system,
• due to the plasticity of the material, there is a danger of squeezing the soil reservoirs in the cold season.

plastic barrels

iron barrels

Advantages of a septic tank from metal barrels:

• high strength,
• structural rigidity,
• water resistance provided the integrity of the walls and bottom.

Flaws:

• instability to corrosion, requiring the implementation of a waterproofing coating and periodic checks of its condition,
• a slightly more complex hole making process requiring the use of power tools.

metal containers

It should be noted that more often a home-made septic tank from barrels is performed using plastic containers.

Materials and tools

Before you make a septic tank from a barrel, in order to avoid unplanned interruptions during the work, it is better to prepare everything you need in advance.

Main components:

• metal or plastic barrels,
• sewer pipes (most often used with a diameter of 110 mm), the total length of which is 1-2 meters longer than the length of the main,
• tees corresponding to the pipe diameter,
• sewer covers for barrels,
• pipes for ventilation (in some cases, sewer pipes can be used),
• heads for ventilation (purchased or self-made protective canopies),
• corner fittings,
• flanges, couplings.

Mounting materials:

• glue for PVC (if plastic containers are used),
• sealant,
• cement,
• sand,
• rubble,
• fastening cables or clamps.

Tools:

• Bulgarian,
• shovel,
• electric mixer.

Installation of a septic tank

Do-it-yourself sewerage from barrels requires certain preparatory work before installation. We will consider the option of making a septic tank from three barrels, but the principle of the device remains the same for a septic tank from two tanks.

Technological holes are made in each barrel.

Preparing a plastic barrel for sewerage

In each of their barrels, in addition, holes are made at the upper end (or lids, which are often supplied with tanks for ease of cleaning) for ventilation pipes.

In each tank, the inlet is located 10 cm above the outlet.

Important: When making a septic tank from iron barrels with your own hands, metal barrels for sewage are coated with an anti-corrosion compound from the inside and outside.

The pit for the septic tank breaks out of the barrels in such a way that when installed on each side of any tank there is a gap of 25 cm. The bottom of the pit is covered with rubble or a sand cushion is arranged.

• For pouring the foundation, a stepped formwork is installed. When placing barrels with a gradual decrease in level (each is 10 cm below the previous one), the volume of the tanks will be fully used, which is very important with a small capacity of this type of septic tanks. If the removal of the purified liquid is provided through the bottom filter of the third barrel, the last tank is installed directly on the rubble, without a foundation.
• After pouring the foundation at the stage of solidification of the solution, rings or hooks are installed in it, to which clamps will cling to fix the containers. Just in case, it is better to “anchor” not only plastic, but also iron tanks.

If the drainage will be carried out through the filtration field, then trenches for laying corrugated pipes can be dug at this stage.

Filling the septic tank with soil

After the foundation has gained strength, you can begin to install and fasten the tanks, install pipes and seal the joints at their entrance. Experts recommend not using silicone for these purposes, preferring other types of sealants, such as epoxy.

The trenches of the filtration field are covered with geotextile, and after laying the perforated pipes, the material is wrapped with overlapping edges.

A fully assembled septic tank from barrels is covered with soil. It is better to fill plastic containers with water at this time to avoid deformation. In the process of backfilling, the soil is periodically gently tamped.

Nuances of construction

When mounting septic tanks from barrels in the country with your own hands, you should take into account some of the nuances and rules:

Rules for choosing the volume and installation location of septic tanks

The daily rate of water consumption is 200 liters per person, and the septic tank must contain drains. Collected within 72 hours or 3 days. Thus, subject to permanent residence, a three-chamber septic tank from 250-liter barrels is only suitable for one person. Therefore, septic tanks of this type are used only for temporary residence or wastewater treatment from one point (for example, from a bathhouse). In most cases, they try in some way to increase the possibility of septic tanks, therefore, among the treatment facilities from barrels, there are practically no two-chamber options (they have too little volume).

It is important to comply with sanitary requirements regarding the permissible distances from the septic tank to certain objects. For example, the distance from the source of drinking water should be at least 50 meters. Garden plants and fruit trees should be located at least 3 meters from the treatment plant. The distance to the road is at least 5 meters.