Septic Tank repairman

Post by **Muni** » July 6, 2015, 2:55 pm

We have 2 toilets with separate tanks. 1 toilet works perfect, the other a constant problem. It works fine until there is some rain, then it slows or backs up. Sometimes this resolves itself after a few dry days, sometimes not. If you call the truck to come empty it, it works fine until the next rain or two. I've been dealing with this for several years & have had enough. I don't know if it's got a broken valve to keep ground water out, or is cracked, or set in the ground wrong but I want it fixed.

Does anyone know anyone who deals with these things? If it needs replacing, so be it but I'd like to have someone who knows about these things have a look first. Thanks

Post by **pf-flyer** » July 6, 2015, 4:54 pm

I had the same problem during the rainy season also. Our septic tanks are two sets of 4 large rings stacked in a hole that was dug into the ground and the back fill that surrounds the tanks is gravel. When we built our house we decided not to put up rain gutters. Instead; we poured concrete apron the surrounds the house. The rain water falls off of the roof and hits the apron and runs off. Our septic tank are located at the back of our house where there is a valley in the roof. There is a lot of water that comes off of the valley and it splashes right down onto the apron not far from where our septic tanks are located. The water runoff from the apron that surrounds our hose was percolating down into the ground and filling the septic tanks. I solved the problem by sitting a large plastic tub to catch the water under the valley with a 3" flexible hose attached to it. The rain now pours off of the valley into the plastic tub and the 3" flexible hose carries the water about 10 meters way from the house and the septic tanks. When the rainy season is over I put the tub and 3" hose away until the next rainy season arrives. Good luck in solving your problem.

Post by **Geoffrey** » July 7, 2015, 7:52 am

Not many people have the stomach to tackle septic problems. Do you have a 2-tank system? Do you have a leach line (or lines or a leach field). Even these can become clogged with the fine roots from trees. I have no problems with my septic system because I have a dry composting toilet. With this drought you've picked a good time to deal with your problem.

Post by **Muni** » July 7, 2015, 9:09 am

Guess I should have mentioned we live in a large, popular mooban just off the ringroad (Rom Yen 3, not far from T Bar, Los Amigos). As far as I know none of our close neighbors have this problem which is what makes me think it must be a problem with the tank

Post by **747man** » July 7, 2015, 11:13 am

Geoffrey wrote:Not many people have the stomach to tackle septic problems. Do you have a 2-tank system? Do you have a leach line (or lines or a leach field). Even these can become clogged with the fine roots from trees. I have no problems with my septic system because I have a dry composting toilet. With this drought you've picked a good time to deal with your problem.

I Refer to your Opening Line Geoffrey......Yep It Certainly is a Gut wrenching SH*TTY Job.....

Post by **FrazeeDK** » July 7, 2015, 2:29 pm

I have a similar problem.. Our septic system is the regular two concrete ring system.. I'd like to find a company or individuals who have the equipment to dig them out and replace them with the more modern large 12-1800 liter plastic septic tanks and do it before the rains hit...

Post by **Barney** » July 7, 2015, 2:51 pm

FrazeeDK wrote:I have a similar problem.. Our septic system is the regular two concrete ring system.. I'd like to find a company or individuals who have the equipment to dig them out and replace them with the more modern large 12-1800 liter plastic septic tanks and do it before the rains hit...

FrazeeDK,

Now we have the correct solution, if you have an old system just replace it with a new system (if you can afford it of course ).
Make sure you put the new tank in first and get it commissioned. Then take the old one out. Don't want to get caught short with no tank and flush arrangement.

Post by **fatbob** » July 7, 2015, 4:25 pm

Are you guys aware of the correct way to install a septic tank system? In rural NSW, Australia you use two plastic tanks which are connected to an absorption trench, the trench must be perfectly level and 60 lineal metres in length, they can be H or straight line pattern, the trench is dug to a depth of about 800mm deep, the plastic drain trench gets installed, it is semi circular in shape, plastic and sits on the base of excavated trench then covered with 20mm aggregate, the top of the trench should finish about 300mm from top of ground. Solids stay in the first tank, clear water flows to the second tank and then overflows into the absorption trench where it disperses in the soil. You must be very careful what go's in the system.

In the estates of Udon there is not the room to do this, plastic tanks will not work without absorption trenches or soak wells. The only way is to set up a Bio Cycle type of system that is connected to an irrigation system for the garden, these are the best and are available in Thailand. You end up with the sprinklers operating when its raining sometimes.

When using the concrete rings you are creating 'soak wells', not really a septic tank, for these to work you must make sure no grey water is connected to the system, no toilet paper, grease or oil enters and the rings are higher than finished ground level, to much water and they fail. I use two soak wells per toilet, three rings per soak well, eight years later I have never had to pump out, had any smell or pipe backlog, the first soak well catches solids, clear water overflows to the second tank and absorbs away.

Post by **FrazeeDK** » July 8, 2015, 8:19 am

unfortunately Coxo, we're not in rural NSW, Australia and pretty much have to do things the Thai way... As for no toilet paper when using "soak rings" sorry I just can't get into the habit of throwing crappy tissue in the bin versus down the loo.. The poop pumpers complain about my mass of TP in the "soak ring" every time they pump it.. If the plastic tanks (which are pretty large) are only for the type of installation you outline, then why do they sell them here? I figured the larger plastic ones were for capacity and segregating them from water infiltration from the ground. I've a fish pond 10 meters away from my house "soak ring" and during the rainy season water tends to infiltrate into them.. Our septic system is as far as I know, segregated between gray and black water.. I expanded the gray water system with a leech line to a soaker tank that has two 10 meter leach lines to each side..

Post by **fatbob** » July 8, 2015, 11:13 am

FrazeeDK wrote:sorry I just can't get into the habit of throwing crappy tissue in the bin versus down the loo.. The poop pumpers complain about my mass of TP in the

Try using your left hand with the bum washer!

FrazeeDK wrote:unfortunately Coxo, we're not in rural NSW, Australia and pretty much have to do things the Thai way.

Disagree, you just have to become resourceful, old tyres can be used for the drain trench, tyres standing up in line, you cut slots in the tyres on the low side so water gets away with an angle grinder then cover the lot with 20mm aggregate, this method used to be approved by the local government inspectors in Aus and works well. The bottom line is it can be done properly in Thailand.