If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Is anyone else not on mains drainage? If so do you have a cesspit or a soak away? If it's the latter then have you had any problems with it and does it ever need to be 'sucked out'?
We are not absolutely sure, but logic suggests we have a soak away. It is in an internal courtyard which we would like to tile but are worried that cementing it in is asking for problems. We thought that if we put an inspection hole in the cover then it could be emptied artificially if necessary.
Anybody got any experience they can pass on? Thanks!
__________________
"You can complain because roses have thorns or you can rejoice because thorns have roses."
Ours is a poso negro which is about 16m deep and doesn't need emptying ... rock filters everything through ... ewwww ...
In your case, I can see why it could be the same. Any poso negro could drain through the barranco rock. But I've also heard of proper septic tanks which need emptying. Don't know how to find out which would be the case though.
Over here they have 'Possels' (spelling) they are normally very deep, lined with concrete and sealed. They should never need touching, provided that you use them correctly.
No paper! just human waste.
If it does present a problem they normally build another one and abandon the first one.
The Following User Says Thank You to pelinor For This Useful Post:
Ours isn't very deep - a metre or so - and seems to cope well with all the liquid waste as it hasn't overflowed in the 10 months we have lived here. The solid stuff tends to collect on the surface and we are worried that over time it will fill up and then cause a problem.
The house is quite old (judging by the wiring, plumbing etc) and the previous owners had sealed up the hole completely. Don't know if they had 'paper bins' in their loos but we don't want those if at all possible!!
__________________
"You can complain because roses have thorns or you can rejoice because thorns have roses."
Location: Earth, Solar System, Orion spur, Orion Arm, Milky Way galaxy, Local Group
Posts: 4,176
Thanks: 1,288
Thanked 4,675 Times in 2,050 Posts
Re: Not on mains drainage?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rachael Bayliss
Is anyone else not on mains drainage? If so do you have a cesspit or a soak away? If it's the latter then have you had any problems with it and does it ever need to be 'sucked out'?
We are not absolutely sure, but logic suggests we have a soak away. It is in an internal courtyard which we would like to tile but are worried that cementing it in is asking for problems. We thought that if we put an inspection hole in the cover then it could be emptied artificially if necessary.
I think you could regret tiling over it. There may be some emergency where you need to clear a drain blockage with rods and/or suck out the residue. You don't want to be chiseling up the tiled floor. Also, there is a risk if you tile over it that it overflows, undermining the tiles and seeping up all over the place. YUK. If you are tiling, it would be easy enough to construct an inspection hatch which is an exact rectangle of tiles, sitting on a water- and cockroach-proof frame, and making it virtually invisible.
__________________
Si yo fuera tú, me iría fuera. Pero aunque me fuera fuera no sería tú.
The Following User Says Thank You to Periklęs For This Useful Post:
I think you could regret tiling over it. There may be some emergency where you need to clear a drain blockage with rods and/or suck out the residue. You don't want to be chiseling up the tiled floor. Also, there is a risk if you tile over it that it overflows, undermining the tiles and seeping up all over the place. YUK. If you are tiling, it would be easy enough to construct an inspection hatch which is an exact rectangle of tiles, sitting on a water- and cockroach-proof frame, and making it virtually invisible.
That is all echoing our own thoughts. The inspection hatch was the first thing we thought of doing but then wondered if it was really necessary and whether just a small access for emergencies was enough. I think that we would rather be safe than sorry and that a larger access would be better.
__________________
"You can complain because roses have thorns or you can rejoice because thorns have roses."
I would also agree with Perikles. If yours is only about a meter deep, which is very shallow. I think it would be a mistake to seal it.
10 months in the life of a well built possel is nothing. According to the previous owners of our house, our's is almost 60 years old and still working no probs. But like Perikles ours is very deep.
But one note of caution if you are flushing paper it will clog the possel up and it will over flow. I am afraid that the 'bins' in the toilet is a way of life here.
The Following User Says Thank You to pelinor For This Useful Post:
Is anyone else not on mains drainage? If so do you have a cesspit or a soak away? If it's the latter then have you had any problems with it and does it ever need to be 'sucked out'?
We are not absolutely sure, but logic suggests we have a soak away. It is in an internal courtyard which we would like to tile but are worried that cementing it in is asking for problems. We thought that if we put an inspection hole in the cover then it could be emptied artificially if necessary.
Anybody got any experience they can pass on? Thanks!
Judging by the various comments it is to be hoped that you have a “soak away” and I would recommend you approach your neighbours to see if they have similar facilities.
The shallow depth would indicate that it would be operating with some bacterial action and you would then need to restrict the input and avoid any chemicals (bleach and many strong detergents) which will kill off the bacteria and prevent it working properly.
If it is in fact a shallow soak away and you find that it is filling too quickly then it may be necessary to remove some of the solid waste products either by employing a local agency or digging it out manually. I’m reliably informed that the unfit layman usually removes one year’s waste products in about one week and is unpopular with many people who he comes into contact with.
Live Arico should be able to put you in touch with a firm who can remove your waste since they must have a similar problem with the dog faeces.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Briz For This Useful Post:
Not on mains drainage? 
Linear Mode
