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» How to make a homemade septic tank. How to properly install a septic tank on a site without involving specialists? Primitive septic tank scheme

How to make a homemade septic tank. How to properly install a septic tank on a site without involving specialists? Primitive septic tank scheme

Let’s ask ourselves a simple question: what is needed for a comfortable stay in country house? The answer to this is obvious to anyone who was forced to use the “conveniences” in the yard.

Decorative finishing, landscape design and other decorations will not be made without a properly functioning sewage system a private house a complete alternative to a city apartment.

A familiar attribute of rural “comfort” - a cesspool, above which a primitive backlash-closet proudly rises - today gives way to a more efficient construction- septic tank.

The main difference between a septic tank and cesspool is that that water flowing out of it does not contain biological contaminants.

In a cesspool, all wastewater gradually seeps into the ground, polluting the upper aquifer. It is clear that drinking such liquid even after boiling is unsafe.

A properly designed septic tank for country house does not create an unpleasant odor and does not require frequent pumping. Its design cannot be called complex, so the construction of such a structure can be done without special costs do it yourself.

How does a septic tank work?

First, a little theory. The capacity of the septic tank directly depends on the daily volume of sewage from the toilet and kitchen. If 3 people permanently live in a dacha, then the daily amount of waste, as a rule, does not exceed 400 liters.

However, we will not dig a septic tank of exactly this volume, because it must not only accept wastewater, but also dilute it to a safe concentration. Therefore, the working volume of a septic tank for a family of 3 people must be at least 1 m3 (1000 liters). The hole for it needs to be dug wider and deeper to the thickness of the walls and bottom (15-20 cm).

Anyone who wants to make a septic tank with their own hands competently and efficiently must understand the principle of its operation. You can make a demonstration model of such a structure in your kitchen by taking an ordinary plate and filling it to the brim with water. We will assume that this is the bowl of our septic tank. Now let’s add a little water into it and see that exactly the same amount of liquid has flowed over the edges of the plate.

This is exactly how the simplest single-chamber septic tank works. First, it is filled to the level of the outlet pipe clean water. After this, each new portion of sewage dissolves in its volume, increasing it by several centimeters general level liquids. This excess flows into a drain pipe laid in a trench with filter soil.

Figure 1 schematically shows the structure of a septic tank in a country house from which it can be seen that his drain pipe is smooth. However, in reality this is not the best option, because not everything that goes into the septic tank falls to the bottom. “Something” floats freely on the surface, so it can go along with the water into the drainage trench, which is very undesirable.

To eliminate this problem, the end of the outlet pipe is made bent, lowering it 5-10 cm into the water. This simple solution reliably cuts off floating sewage from the waste pipe.

In practice, I made this withdrawal very simply. I used the standard one plastic pipe with a diameter of 100 mm, and the usual shaped “90 degree angle” was attached to its end.

Septic tank design

The word construction in this context sounds loud. In fact, in order to build a septic tank in a private house, I had to dig a rectangular hole 1.4 meters deep, 1.2 meters wide and 1.6 m long. As a result, I got a volume of 2.68 m3.

This may seem like too much, but do not forget that 60 cm in length and 15 cm in depth will “eat up” the walls of the concrete bowl. Therefore, its final volume will not be 2.68 m3, but only 1.46 m3. In addition, the septic tank needs a concrete cover with reinforcement, which will take another 0.17 m3 of its volume.

Our supply and waste pipes will not lie on the ground, so installing them at a depth of 0.2 meters from the bottom of the septic tank lid will reduce its useful volume by another 0.23 m3. As a result, my septic tank will contain 1.46 - 0.17 - 0.23 = 1.06 m3, that is, exactly as much as is needed for a family of 3 people.

The construction of the tank begins with the installation of formwork in a dug hole. Any flat boards will do for this. I made a frame from them and covered it with regular 5 mm plywood. To prevent heavy concrete from “pushing out” the formwork, spacers made of thick bars must be installed on top and diagonally of the formwork. Dry clay soil is a good substitute for formwork, so I used its walls in this capacity.

To eliminate cracks in the concrete walls of the septic tank, I reinforced them with steel wire with a diameter of 5 mm, installing it vertically and horizontally along the entire perimeter of the formwork. I started concreting from the bottom of the pit, laid concrete 15 cm thick there. The solution for preparing concrete was made strong in a cement-sand ratio of 1 to 3.

Since the thickness of the walls is relatively small (15 cm), I brought small crushed stone for concrete (the “seed” fraction is 5-10 mm). After pouring the formwork, the concrete must be given time to gain strength. 2 weeks will be enough for this. It gains brand strength according to SNiP in 28 days.

This is how my single-chamber homemade septic tank turned out after removing the formwork. After removing the panels, do not forget to treat the walls of the concrete container with a waterproofing liquid.

The lid of the container does not have to be made too thick, but it certainly needs to be well reinforced steel reinforcement at least 14 mm thick, placing it every 20-30 cm.

How to make formwork for the lid? Here's the question! We won’t be able to remove it later. The best way out of the situation would be an ordinary galvanized corrugated sheet, in the “rivulets” of which the reinforcement fits comfortably.

Just don't forget to make a distance gap. To do this, all the reinforcing bars around the perimeter of the lid must be raised by 3-4 centimeters and a profiled sheet of formwork must be tied to them with wire (every 15-20 cm) (Fig. 2)

What to do if the soil is clayey?

An ordinary cesspool will “work” normally only in sandy soil, which absorbs waste well. If the soil on the site is loamy or clayey, then only wastewater from the toilet can be directed into the cesspool. Large volumes dirty water You cannot dump it from the kitchen and shower into it, because after 1 week it will overflow (clay prevents water from quickly absorbing into the soil). It turns out that there is no alternative to a septic tank when permanently residing in a private house or country house.

What to do if nature has not blessed your site sandy soil? We will eliminate this problem by properly designing a drainage trench.

The outlet pipe through which treated wastewater enters the ground must have many small holes. Today there are ready-made ones on sale corrugated pipes, in which drainage holes have already been punched at the factory.

Since the soil on my site is clayey and absorbs water very poorly, I bought a drainage pipe 15 meters long. I laid 10 meters in a straight line, and the remaining “tail” was turned at an angle of 45 degrees around the corner of the house to the fence. To be on the safe side, I provided an additional reserve: if the absorbency of the soil at such a length were not enough, then I would dig another 7-8 meters of drainage trench along the fence.

However, as tests after completion of construction showed, 15 meters of drainage pipe was enough for the waste to be safely absorbed into the soil.

Clay soil, although slowly, still absorbs water, so to increase the area of ​​contact with it, the drainage pipe should lie in a layer of coarse crushed stone. It receives the bulk of the incoming water and distributes it evenly over the entire area of ​​the trench.

Important detail! To protect against silting, crushed stone must be “packed” in geotextiles - synthetic fabric with numerous micro-holes. The general design of the drainage trench that I built at my dacha is shown in Figure 3.

For frost protection- the main enemy of the septic tank during severe frosts, you need to lay a layer of sheet foam at least 5 cm thick on the crushed stone of the trench and the lid of the container. After this operation, the entire structure can be safely covered with a layer of soil 15-20 cm thick.

Bacteria will come to the rescue

Despite the simplicity of the design, a single-chamber septic tank works efficiently and completely removes all domestic waste. However, for better cleaning, he needs our help. To do this, a dry culture of bacteria is added to the septic tank, which accelerates the process of biological decomposition of sewage thousands of times, breaking it down into safe components - water and carbon dioxide.

The choice of such drugs today is quite large. Products for cesspools from the Bioseptic line and other companies are sold in almost every hardware store. By pouring the required portion of these microscopic workers into the septic tank, we will purify the wastewater to such a state that you can safely water your garden with it.

For their successful work one thing needs to be observed important condition– no chlorine in Wastewater Oh. Therefore, immediately switch to oxygen-containing detergents and do not pour other “caustic chemicals” down the drain.

That's all that's useful practical advice, which will help you bring the comfort of your dacha closer to the city level.

Many residents of private houses not connected to a central sewer are faced with the need to build a septic tank - drain hole for waste water and sewage.

If you build a sewer septic tank for a private house the old fashioned way, this will lead to frequent pumping of the drainage pit. And, as you know, the first pumping is fraught with an endless series of calls to the sewer service due to violations in the process of moisture removal, after which the soil cannot absorb water. In other words, there is a constant need to pump out water, and no amount of cleaning will help.

A properly calculated and well-installed septic tank can function for years without requiring any intervention.

IN modern version A septic tank can last almost forever. The main thing is that it is built correctly.

Where and how to build a septic tank

Types of septic tanks for a private home are mainly divided according to the principle of operation - these are:

  • Cumulative type. Septic tanks of this type are sealed containers buried in the ground and connected to a system of drain pipes coming from the house and outbuildings.
  • Septic tanks with soil treatment. They are structures consisting of two or more chambers, made in the form of containers, the last of which is built with an open surface
  • Deep wastewater treatment plants. Used in places where sanitary legislation prohibits the discharge of low-level biological treatment waters

Depending on what type of septic tank you choose for a private home, the installation scheme will vary.

The approximate diagram of a septic tank in a private house looks like the picture on the left.

Before building a septic tank, it is necessary to correctly determine its location.

In this case, it is necessary to take into account the height of groundwater and the direction of movement.

Important! The septic tank must be located “downstream” than the house, outbuildings and well.
According to sanitary standards, the septic tank cannot be located closer than 15 meters from open reservoirs and 50 meters from the water intake well. Between sewer septic tank and the fence separating neighboring areas should be a distance of 2 meters or more.

The septic tank system in a private house depends on many factors, but the general sequence of construction work is as follows:

  1. Determining a location for a septic tank
  2. Digging a pit
  3. Preparation of formwork
  4. Pouring concrete
  5. Partition device
  6. Installing the cover

Pit preparation

The construction of a septic tank in a private house begins with a foundation pit.

It makes no sense to go into calculations of its volume, since properly organized water treatment reduces the volume of the septic tank to almost a minimum. But you need to make sure there is free space in the pit.

The optimal volume of a septic tank for a private home is an eight cubic meter pit with dimensions of 2x2x2 meters.

If you have the desire and opportunity, you can increase it, it won’t get any worse. Having decided on the dimensions, you can begin building the pit.

We install the formwork for the septic tank

It is advisable to hire diggers to dig a hole, since it will not be easy to dig it on your own. In any case, when the hole is ready or is being prepared by diggers, you should start preparing the formwork.

You will need:

  • OSB sheets
  • Scraps of plastic sewer pipe

It is advisable to think through everything in advance. To increase the area of ​​water absorption into the soil, it is necessary to provide holes in the formwork for water drainage. For this purpose, sewer pipe cuttings are used, for which round holes are cut out in OSB sheets (according to the diameter of the pipe cuttings) in increments of about 30 cm.

Since OSB is a fairly flexible material with low rigidity, it needs to be reinforced. To do this, a beam (20x30 or 30x40mm) is attached to it along the perimeter of the sheet using self-tapping screws. Vertical stiffeners are added every half meter. Such sheets must be prepared for at least half of the pit on both sides.

It is recommended to make collapsible formwork so that later you can easily rearrange it on the other two walls of the septic tank. In this case, both the adjacent walls must be removed separately, and the wall itself must be divided into two parts. This makes it much more convenient to disassemble and install the formwork.

It is very important that the formwork is securely strengthened and the poured concrete cannot crush the form, nullifying all the work. To do this, you will need a beam, with the help of which the formwork must be firmly wedged in the pit.

After installing and securely fixing the wooden panels in the desired position, plastic sleeves are inserted - prepared scraps of sewer pipe. They must pass through the hole in the formwork and enter the ground about 5 cm. If this recommendation is not followed, heavy concrete will easily knock them out and pour out through the hole in the formwork.

Concreting a septic tank

Preliminary preparations for the construction of the septic tank have been completed and concrete pouring can begin. To do this, you need to purchase a concrete mixer, since it is simply impossible to handle such an amount of concrete manually.

To prepare concrete you will need:

  • Sand (2 parts)
  • Fine crushed stone (2 parts)
  • Cement (1 part)

All this must be filled with water and mixed.

In addition, reinforcement will be required, which will turn the concrete into stronger reinforced concrete. Instead of rods, you can use any available metal, with the exception of pipes.

After filling the first half of the hole with concrete, you need to let the concrete dry. This will take about two days. After this, the formwork is dismantled and installed on the other two walls. Then the procedure is repeated again.

When the walls are ready, they begin to build the internal partition of the septic tank. The pit should be divided into two approximately equal parts. The first is designed to collect solid sewage and sludge, which clogs the channels in the ground to the greatest extent, which renders the septic tank inoperable. The settled water will flow into another part of the pit through the wall and be absorbed into the ground without clogging it.

The wall is made of concrete or brick. It is very important to comply correct height overflow. It is recommended to arrange the overflow hole 40 cm below the level of the outlet from the house. drain pipe. This is where the least amount of silt is found in the water. Ideally, you need to equip the overflow hole with a special sewer tee, then the settled water will drain into the overflow not directly, but from below.

If you are just thinking about building a house from timber, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with its disadvantages so that you can prepare for the unexpected.

How to extend the life of a septic tank

When the septic tank is ready, you do not need to start it right away. To extend its service life, it is necessary to use “old-fashioned” ideas.

There is one folk instrument- bailer. This is a piece of thick pipe, sharpened and equipped with a long handle. With its help, holes are made in the ground at least 2 meters deep. They need to be covered with a fine mesh and the bottom of the hole should be covered with large crushed stone. This results in excellent drainage, thanks to which water flows freely into the ground.

One more important factor, which determines the performance of a septic tank is its ventilation. For this they use sewer pipe, brought to the surface, which will help water absorb into the soil and partially evaporate.

After completing this work, the pit is covered so as to provide access for possible cleaning of the septic tank. You can also use concrete for this.

First, stiffeners are laid from a strong corner or channel and covered with a board, leaving rectangular hole for access by vacuum cleaners. It should be located directly above the two halves of the pit at the same time.

After this, the “lid” of the pit must be filled with concrete, performing reinforcement in the manner indicated above. This is necessary to ensure safety so that the lid does not crack or fall into the hole at the most inopportune moment.

Basic rules for using a septic tank

When using a septic tank, you must adhere to certain rules.

It is strictly prohibited:

  • Dispose of construction waste into the sewer system of your home. Sand, lime, and brick fragments will very quickly clog the first part of the septic tank. To restore its functionality, additional cleaning costs will be required.
  • Use sewer for disposal polymer materials. Cellophane bags, cigarette butts, and sanitary pads are not digested by aerobic bacteria. The gravitational settling method will also not work due to the low weight of synthetic waste
  • Use detergents (such as chlorine bleach) that can harm microbial colonies that can decompose organic matter.
  • Drain water from chemicals, used for cleaning pipes, machine oil, acids, alkalis

Allowed:

  • Use a septic tank to clean out drains
  • Throwing away toilet paper

Proper installation of a septic tank in a private home will extend its service life several times. And if you periodically use modern biological preparations that decompose solid sewage, you can avoid cleaning the drainage pit for a long time.

Video about installing a septic tank in a private house (diagram)


Video about installing a septic tank in the ground

Making a septic tank with your own hands for a private home is often chosen as a more economical alternative to purchasing a factory-made treatment system. Self-build It takes time and effort, but it really allows you to save money.

Advantages of septic tanks

If not so long ago the topic of discussion was the advantages of septic tanks over a cesspool, now this aspect is beyond doubt. Much more often you can find materials about how a do-it-yourself septic tank for a private home differs from a ready-made one, or one of the models from another.

Indeed, having a septic tank on the site provides a number of advantages:

  • Economical– the frequency with which you have to pay for the services of a sewage disposal machine is significantly reduced, in the case of using the most effective multi-stage models, to once every 10-15 years.
  • Compliance with sanitary standards and environmental friendliness– the correctly selected model and installation location, as well as proper installation, virtually eliminate harmful substances into drinking water, into plants through the soil, into water for irrigation, etc.
  • Comfort– if the septic tank is working correctly, bad smell absent even near the treatment plant.

Types of structures and their features

When choosing a septic tank design, they usually try to find an option that would give top scores, but would require less costs for construction and operation. Other things being equal ( right choice volume, absence of leaks, compliance with other installation requirements, etc.) A septic tank with big amount cameras. However, the choice must be made taking into account expediency. In addition, there are ways to improve efficiency treatment plant.

Single chamber models

Do-it-yourself single-chamber septic tank for a private house with permanent residence It's better not to do it. Such models are more suitable for a dacha where the family comes from time to time. In fact, the most simple models of this type are an improved version of a conventional cesspool except that the pit does not have waterproof walls and bottom, and therefore cannot protect against harmful substances entering the soil. In most cases similar products are cumulative and require periodic, fairly frequent removal of the contents using a sewer machine.

Pumping out a single-chamber sealed sewer tank

A single-chamber septic tank without pumping is a bit of an exaggeration. Adding a special preparation to the container can significantly improve the quality of water purification and reduce the frequency of cleaning. Certain types of bacteria during their life processes decompose contaminated wastewater into clean water and neutral sludge that does not contain toxic substances. But even the most advanced septic tanks “without pumping” need to be cleaned, but the need arises very rarely.

Double chamber products

From a design point of view, two-chamber septic tanks can be of two types. The difference lies, first of all, in the design of the bottom of the second tank. The water settled at the first and second stages is quite clean, so in most cases it can be drained into the soil.

Water drainage can be done in different ways:

  • through the bottom of the second tank(for better sedimentation of the remaining insoluble suspension, it is covered with filter material - gravel, expanded clay, etc.),
  • through drainage pipes with holes, which increase the drainage area and ensure fairly rapid removal of water even in dense soils with low water permeability,
  • using a pump into a watering container or drainage hole.

The photo shows a standard diagram two-chamber septic tank for a private house or cottage

In the second and third cases, the bottom of the second tank, as a rule, is made waterproof ( concrete base with waterproofing).

Three-chamber modifications

Installing a septic tank in a private house with your own hands using a three-stage cleaning system will allow you to treat wastewater that includes chemical impurities from detergents, and organics. Step-by-step sedimentation in chambers allows you to get rid of not only large insoluble particles, but also suspension, and passing through a layer of filter material is the final stage, removing the smallest inclusions. After conducting a quality-confirming analysis, such water can not only be drained into the ground, but also used for irrigation.

A septic tank of three containers, the last of which has a drainage layer at the bottom to filter treated wastewater into the ground

Deep cleaning stations

The decomposition of impurities in such installations is also carried out with the help of bacteria. If energy-independent septic tanks use crops that do not require air (anaerobic), then the aerobic microflora of deep cleaning stations needs it. Compressors are used to constantly supply air, which is why the models are called volatile.

The decomposition of air by aerobic bacteria is accompanied by a more active (than in the case of anaerobic microflora) release of biogases, therefore, septic tanks of this type require effective ventilation. By analogy with simpler designs, it is possible to use a pipe rising from the tank to a certain height, however the best option the pipeline supply to the general ventilation system. In this case, it is necessary to compare the pressure in the communications so that the exhaust gases do not enter the room.

Photo of a deep biological treatment station

The advantages of deep cleaning stations are:

Materials for production

Treatment plants various types can be found on sale, but zealous owners are often interested in how to make a septic tank in a private house themselves. The simplicity of the design allows you to cope with such work without problems, it is only important to pay due attention to the following aspects:

  • choice of design and volume,
  • determining the location for installation,
  • choice of material.

The last point is worth dwelling on in more detail. One of the main requirements for materials for building a septic tank for a home with your own hands is accessibility. Otherwise, the meaning of self-production is lost.

Let's list the most common options.



Capital structures from concrete rings, brick and monolithic models are better suited for a country house with permanent residence.

Before starting construction of a septic tank, it is necessary to make some calculations.

  • The total volume of the septic tank, regardless of the chosen design and material, must be no less than the three-day water consumption rate for residents (at the rate of 0.2 cubic meters per day for each).
  • The installation location of the treatment plant must comply with sanitary standards, in particular, be more than 30 meters from the source drinking water and no closer than 5 meters from the house. And the distance between the septic tank and the nearest fence is 2 meters or more.

The following tips on how to properly build a septic tank in a private home will help make the construction more economical and durable:

  • In most cases, it is advisable to reserve the volume of tanks by approximately 20%. In this case, an increase in the amount of waste water will not become a difficult problem to solve after some time.
  • Removing sediment from the chambers promotes cleaning efficiency. Contaminated tanks are unable to provide high quality.
  • Construction of a sewer system during the construction of a country house will allow you to save on the rental of special equipment. In any case, excavators and lifts are rented for large construction projects; at the same time, machines can be used to dig trenches for pipes, pits for tanks, move concrete rings, etc.
  • Low quality building materials can nullify all the work, so you need to save when purchasing them only within reasonable limits.

DIY septic tanks for a private home video

And in the video you can see how to assemble and install a septic tank in a private house with your own hands. An example is shown using concrete rings.

A dacha today is the same as urban housing in terms of its level of comfort. “Amenities in the yard” are gradually becoming a thing of the past, replaced by a full-fledged sewerage system, plumbing system inside a private house. However, holiday villages often suffer from a lack of centralized systems waste disposal.

Of course, you can live with a cesspool. But in Lately the advantage of a septic tank over a pit is not even discussed. Much more often there are disputes about which type of septic tank has proven itself better. And indeed, unlike simple toilet, has a huge number of advantages:

  • It is economical. The services of a sewer truck are required much less frequently: once every 10-15 years.
  • Complies with all sanitary and environmental standards.
  • Comfortable use. Proper work septic tank absolutely excludes bad smell even in close proximity to the structure. This is evidenced by reviews of the Unilos Astra 5 septic tank, which is quite easy to install and has a sealed waste tank.

Of course you can buy ready septic tank and invite specialists to install it. But it’s much more interesting to try to assemble a septic tank in a private house with your own hands in order to learn something new and save a lot of money.

A household septic tank consists of a system of chambers; wastewater flows into them from the house through pipes. Natural settling and purification of water occurs in the chambers. The main role in the natural purification of water is played by the influence of microorganisms. Filter arteries, wells containing sand and gravel filters are devices for the final purification of water. They complement all household septic tanks.

To find out how to properly build a septic tank in a private home, pay attention to the operation, lower installation and operating costs. A suitable septic tank design for a private home is selected, taking into account the feasibility of use. A multi-chamber septic tank is more productive. Let's consider how the types of such structures differ.

Single chamber septic tank

The simplest models of a single-chamber structure are one of the options for a cesspool, only more advanced. They have sealed walls and bottom, are storage, and periodically require pumping using sewer equipment. The frequency of pumping is reduced if a special drug is added to the chamber. The question of how much it costs to make a septic tank in a private house with a single-chamber system can be solved as easily as possible in this case.

Two-chamber septic tank

Has two tanks. The water inside them undergoes two stages of purification, so it can be used for subsequent drainage into the ground. To make a two-chamber without pumping, you will need a little more costs for materials and work.

Three-chamber septic tank

It processes wastewater, purifying it not only from biological but also chemical impurities (detergents and cleaners). Passing through three chambers allows you to clean the drains from large and small inclusions. Such water can not only go down into the ground using drainage, but also be used for watering plants.

How is a septic tank built?

The owner of a residential building who wants to have a septic tank in his yard should know several ways to make a septic tank in a private house efficiently and correctly.

Installation of a finished industrial design. IN in this case you must not make a mistake in choosing it. Thus, numerous reviews about the AK 47 septic tank indicate the consistency of its price and quality, and negative reviews about the microbe septic tank are already alarming: is it worth taking? You should know that septic tanks differ from each other in their performance. There are both models with a minimum level of service (up to 2 people) and entire stations that are equipped with hotels, holiday homes, and camps.

A ready-made model, for example, a plastic septic tank for a private home, is easy and fairly quick to install. They are easy to maintain and function perfectly. In addition to the most varied reviews about the models, there is another significant “but”: the price of such a structure, which is high enough for its installation in a country house.

Monolithic septic tank. The option is the most reliable, but takes a long time. Concrete chambers provide the highest tightness, they are strong and durable. The execution of this sample is a rather lengthy process: concrete is poured in several layers, each layer must completely dry, only then the next one is applied, which also takes a long time to dry, and so on.

Many people think about how to make a septic tank in a private house from ready-made ones, especially since it is installed quickly and reliably. True, for reliability it is necessary to take care of sufficient waterproofing, which will prevent the passage of drains from the chambers into the ground.

Septic tank from improvised means. You can use old barrels for this. This simple scheme for installing a septic tank is the most inexpensive and unreliable, suitable for small houses. The productivity of such septic tanks and their safety for nature are extremely low.

Preparation for work

Before constructing a purification system, it is necessary to develop a project. Selected appropriate place, a diagram of a septic tank in a private house is drawn up with your own hands, the necessary measurements and calculations are performed.

How is the volume of a septic tank calculated?

To build the right purifier, you should calculate the volume of the septic tank for a private house, that is, determine the volume of the settling chambers. The calculation is completely simple, you just need to track the amount of drains in the house on a daily basis.

This figure is influenced by two factors:

  1. how many residents of the house use water;
  2. how many plumbing fixtures are installed in the building.

Of course, if the house has a bathroom, shower, washing machine, Dishwasher, then there will be more waste than if there is only a washbasin with a toilet.

There is no need to measure anything with absolute accuracy, since different days Water consumption rates are changing. You can imagine the approximate daily water consumption for each person and calculate these figures for all family members. For example, one person spends 200 liters per day, and a family of 4 residents then spends 800 liters per day.

The receiving chamber should be 3 times larger. That is, for 4 residents the calculation is done as follows: 3 multiplied by 800 = 2400 liters, rounded, you get 2.5 cubic meters. This will be the volume of the receiving chamber.

How to choose a place for a septic tank?

After you have drawn up a diagram of a septic tank for a private house with your own hands, it is very important to choose the most suitable location for the septic tank.

At the same time, it is worth taking into account all the nuances that dictate sanitary and construction standards.

Here are the main ones:


How is excavation work carried out?

It is impossible to build a septic tank with your own hands for a private house without excavation work.

It is best to dig a pit using earth-moving equipment. You can also dig by hand, but it will be much slower and require more physical effort.

Some tips:


Septic tank from monolithic concrete it's done like this:


  1. 400 kg of cement.
  2. 600 kg of sand.
  3. 200 liters of water.
  4. 1200 g of crushed stone.
  5. 5 liters of superplasticizer C3 (to make the solution more plastic).

How is a septic tank made from well rings?

Many people want to learn how to make a septic tank in a private house from ready-made reinforced concrete parts - well rings.

What is needed for this:

  1. You can't do without construction hoists.
  2. The lower part of the chamber is mounted from concrete rings with a bottom (ready-made). If they are not there, you can concrete the areas for the cameras.
  3. The upper part of the chambers is made of rings with holes for the hatch. Thanks to this, the installation of septic tanks in a private house will be closed.
  4. The number of rings depends on the planned volume of the chamber. The rings are mounted one to the other and attached tightly with metal brackets, which gives them strength and invulnerability during ground movements.
  5. Care should be taken to ensure tightness. Once the cameras are installed, their joints are processed cement mortar. Also used are alternative views waterproofing. Sealing is carried out both inside and outside.
  6. The chambers are filled with layers of cement and sand. The thickness of each layer is 30 cm. The layers should be well compacted.

How are filter fields made?

When studying how a septic tank works in a private home, you need to know that in addition to basic cleaning, the water passes through filtration fields. They serve to ensure that the water is completely purified as it passes through the layers. river sand and gravel. Filtration fields are laid out in the form of a trench, which is filled with sand and gravel. A system of perforated pipes evacuates wastewater from the chambers into trenches. In order for water to flow through the pipes on its own, the pipes are laid at an angle. A distance of more than 1 m must be maintained between the filtration field and the location of groundwater.

It is worth recalling: in order to correctly carry out the work of building a wastewater septic tank with your own hands, you should not deviate from the construction, sanitary rules. Only then can an effective and safe sewage treatment plant be made.

Making your home comfortable is the task of every owner. One of the conditions for comfortable living is an efficient local sewerage system. If previously cesspools were mainly built to collect wastewater, today such a solution is not acceptable. Therefore, most homeowners decide to build a septic tank - an installation in which wastewater not only accumulates, but is also purified. Let's consider how to make a septic tank in a private house, without resorting to the help of professionals.

Why is it recommended to build an overflow septic tank to install a local sewer system? The fact is that this installation, unlike a simple cesspool, is capable of not only accumulating, but also purifying wastewater, ensuring water drainage. Therefore, the owners of such installations use the services of vacuum cleaners much less often; as a rule, it is recommended to clean the chambers from sediment once a year.

It is quite possible to build a septic tank yourself. Moreover, the homeowner has the opportunity to choose which septic tank to build on his site. But before you start construction, you need to find out how to properly build a septic tank so that the constructed installation works efficiently and is environmentally friendly.

The principle of operation of a septic tank without pumping

The principle of operation of a septic tank is quite simple. When processing wastewater, two treatment methods are used - mechanical (settling) and biological ( anaerobic fermentation and aerobic purification on filtration fields).

Water purified from impurities is filtered into the ground. If the septic tank is built in clay soil, which does not absorb water well, then it is necessary to drain the water differently by constructing a ring drainage around the treatment plant.

Primary requirements

Before you make a septic tank with your own hands, it is important to remember the basic principles of its effective operation:

  • Multi-stage. The efficiency of the settling process is ensured by the fact that the wastewater goes through several stages of purification. To do this, the installation is divided into 2-3 chambers. In each chamber, a settling process occurs, and in the first compartment large inclusions are deposited, and in subsequent chambers the smallest contaminants precipitate. It is this kind of organization of advocacy that allows you to achieve better results;


  • Tightness. This condition for the construction of a septic tank ensures the environmental safety of the installation. The tightness of the sedimentation tanks eliminates the possibility of dirty water seeping into the ground, and therefore there is no threat of contamination of the soil and soil waters. In addition, the tightness of the chambers eliminates the possibility of soil water penetrating inside, which could lead to flooding;

Advice! When building a septic tank, you need to take care not only of the tightness of the chambers themselves, but also of the connections between the body and the pipes. Silicone-based sealant or elastic rubber seals are widely used to seal joints.

  • Volume. The quality of wastewater treatment directly depends on how long the contaminated liquids remain in the chambers. In order for the waste to settle well, it must remain in the septic tank for at least three days. Consequently, the volume of the treatment plant chambers must be large enough to accommodate the wastewater generated within three days;
  • Thermal insulation. To carry out biological purification processes, it is necessary that the installation is sufficiently warm. Therefore, if the septic tank is installed at an insufficient depth, then it is necessary to carry out insulation work on the body of the treatment plant;
  • Ventilation. During the fermentation process, organic matter decomposes into simple components, including methane and other gases. To remove gaseous decomposition products, it is necessary to equip the septic tank with a ventilation pipe.


Selecting a construction site and assessing local conditions

It is extremely important to choose the right location for the septic tank. In addition, conditions such as soil structure and burial level will need to be taken into account. groundwater. When choosing an installation location, you will need to comply with the requirements of SanPiN and SNiP. Among these requirements:

  • The septic tank should be located as far as possible from the water intake site. The minimum permissible distance is 30 meters;
  • The septic tank must be no less than 5 meters away from the house;
  • It is not allowed to build a treatment plant close to the fence with a neighbor’s property; it is necessary to step back at least a meter from it;
  • It is advisable to choose a construction site so that equipment can approach the site. Equipment will be required during the construction process (for preparing the pit, installing heavy parts, etc.). In addition, the passage of equipment is necessary to periodically pump out sediment from the chambers.

Advice! This requirement is justified by the fact that with a close location of the treatment plant, erosion and premature destruction of the foundation is possible.

The construction of a septic tank involves not only the construction of sedimentation tanks, but also the construction of filtration fields, which are necessary for the post-treatment of wastewater and filtration of purified water into the ground. When constructing such fields, it is very important to correctly assess the structure of the soil, as well as the level at which groundwater flows.


At high groundwater levels or during construction on clay, it is necessary to organize water drainage alternative ways, since the construction of a septic tank is standard scheme impossible under such conditions.

Advice! Alternative scrapings during the construction of a septic tank in difficult conditions mean the installation of above-ground filtration cassettes, the use of biofilters, the construction of filtration fields by partial replacement on an area of ​​clay soil, etc.

In some cases, it is necessary to organize forced drainage of water. This option has to be resorted to if drainage by gravity is not possible. Forced drainage of water is carried out using a drainage pump; drainage is possible into a drainage ditch or filter well.

Pit preparation

Let's figure out how to make a septic tank with your own hands. Whatever option for building a septic tank is chosen, work always begins with preparing the pit. This work can be done in several ways:

  • Dig the pit by hand yourself. This is the cheapest solution, but you will have to spend a lot of time and effort on earthworks;
  • Dig a pit by hiring a team of diggers. In this case, digging a pit will not be cheap, and the time gain will be small;
  • Dig a pit by renting an excavator with a driver. If you choose this option, the pit will be ready quickly, the cost of renting equipment is comparable to the cost of working for a team of excavators. However, it is not always possible to use technology, for example, due to lack of access;


  • The size of the pit must be larger than the body so that there is free access to the walls of the installation during operation;
  • The bottom of the pit is carefully leveled. Then you need to add sand and soil at the bottom. The height of this shock-absorbing layer is 20-30 cm;
  • To install some types of septic tanks, it is necessary to lay a reinforced concrete slab on a sand bed.

Advice! If you need to make a septic tank yourself in an area with highly rising soil waters, then at the stage of constructing a pit it is necessary to build a ring drainage to ensure the drainage of rising water from the installation body.

Construction options

There are several options for constructing an overflow treatment plant. Let's look at what you can use to build a treatment plant and how to make a septic tank correctly.

Monolithic

This is the most durable and durable option. Construction begins with filling the bottom. To reinforce concrete, metal rods or a ready-made mesh of metal wire are used.


After the bottom has dried, they begin to construct the formwork for pouring the walls and internal partitions. The thickness of the body of a monolithic septic tank must be at least 20 cm. At the same time, you need to remember the need to install embedded parts at the places where pipes are laid:

  • The inlet pipe should be located 5-10 cm above the level to which the septic tank will be filled;
  • The overflow pipe connecting the first and second chambers is located slightly lower - at the filling level of the first chamber;
  • Overflows are made with a slight slope and are made from pipes with a diameter of 150 mm;
  • The top of the septic tank must be covered with a floor slab, in which holes are provided for installation ventilation pipe and hatches for pumping sediment out of the chambers.

From well rings

What can you use to build an overflow septic tank as quickly as possible? It is convenient to assemble chambers from ready-made reinforced concrete products - well rings. To build such a septic tank, the use of lifting equipment is mandatory:

  • The chambers are constructed by stacking rings on top of each other;
  • To give the septic tank strength, the rings are fastened together with staples;


  • It is important to seal the joints of the rings well. To do this, the joints are covered with cement mortar and then treated with waterproofing mastics;
  • The top of the wells is covered with a slab with a hole for installing a hatch.

From Eurocubes

It is convenient to build a treatment plant from plastic containers– Eurocubes. These containers can be purchased relatively inexpensively. For construction, pipes are inserted into a plastic casing. For greater strength, it is recommended to weld the metal lattice frame of the Eurocubes together.

To protect a lightweight plastic septic tank from floating, the containers are secured with bandage straps to the embedded parts reinforced concrete slab, laid at the bottom of the pit. When constructing any of the listed septic tank options, the drainage of water from the treatment plant is organized so that the liquid enters the tertiary treatment plant.

But the installation option for post-treatment is selected depending on the geological conditions at the site. This could be a filter well, areas with a drainage layer, or an additional biofilter. Discharging water from a septic tank without post-treatment is strictly prohibited.

So, before making a treatment plant, it is necessary to correctly determine the volume of its chambers, remember the basic requirements for placing a septic tank on the site, correctly assess the characteristics of the soil and select a construction site.