Blocked septic tank soakaway

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by monikersoak, Aug 1, 2013.

  1. monikersoak

    monikersoak New Member

    Does anyone have any idea how to unblock a septic tank soakaway without major earthworks.
    I looked down the manhole cover of our tank last week.
    Any ideas would be most welcome to recover this.
     
  2. Sean_ork

    Sean_ork Screwfix Select

    is this just a traditional 2 chamber tank where solids fall to bottom of first tank, liquids over run to the second, and then over run out to the soakaway or just a big plastic tank ?

    there's very little that can go wrong with these, other than the soakaway being compacted, or the solids not breaking down quick enough

    getting it pumped out will allow you access to see if there is any physical blockage, if you find the solids aren't breaking down quick enough there is a rather gory method of restarting the natural process ........
     
  3. surfermick

    surfermick New Member

    look inside your solids tank, there is an overflow pipe that takes the excess liquid out into your second tank, this can get blocked, you need to clear that blockage and then the fluid will drain away. i would guess theĀ  blockage you are seeing is just fluid fill up with no place to go. i have done this ,many times myself. there is no point in paying to have it cleared if all it is is fluids, waste of money.
     
  4. Sean_ork

    Sean_ork Screwfix Select

    you might be lucky and be able to see the blockage, but both the final outlet and the intermediate are usually below the scum level, certainly by the time you notice a blockage - so it's either pump or a pair of James Heriot styles gloves and a grope in the goo - and it doesn't need to be a complete pump out by a carrier, a standard cheapo sludge pump will do the task of pumping out enough fluid, to allow the scum level to drop down enough to hopefully see what the problem is

    [​IMG]
     

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