A cesspool is a phenomenon characteristic of suburban homes, in an area devoid of any sewage. The device for collecting human waste in a country house or in a private house is not complicated, but it needs appropriate care. There may be several problems, for example, flooding with water or filling with sludge. It is advisable to solve them on time, or better, anticipate, otherwise you can lose, even such a simple design for collecting waste.
The principle of the cesspool
Despite the apparent simplicity of the cesspool, they build it according to certain rules. And if they are violated, then using the system will be not only inconvenient, but also dangerous.
A drain pit is essentially a tank drowned in the ground. Its wall walls can be made of concrete layer, brick or reinforced concrete rings of large diameter. The design must necessarily include a technological hatch through which sewage is pumped out. A drain pipe leading from the catering unit is lowered into the tank. Another element is the ventilation pipe. If you neglect its installation, then the gases from sewage will accumulate in the pit, creating an unpleasant odor from which a person can lose consciousness, this gas is explosive. The fact is that human feces and not only, when rotting, emit methane - a useful but dangerous gas. There is even a technology for producing methane from the contents of cesspools and waste products of domestic animals on large farms.
The causes of sludge and the first concomitant symptoms
There are several reasons for silting a cesspool or septic tank. Firstly, this is a consequence of improper operation, namely, untimely purification from sewage. As a result of such negligence, the walls of the bunker are covered with a layer of fat that does not allow moisture to be absorbed into them. The result is siltation.
Secondly, the pit may become silted up as a result of the poor functioning of bacteria processing sewage or the complete absence of these microorganisms in it. If a septic tank has already appeared in the house, then it is necessary to maintain it correctly, that is, to populate and feed on time, bacteria processing sewage.
The third reason for rapid siltation is the incorrect pumping of a filled hole. The fact is that if the tank is completely cleaned, then the quickly dried crust of sewage will cover the walls and the floor. It creates an impermeable layer that does not allow moisture to go into the soil, as a result of this state, rapid siltation occurs. That is why, an experienced goldsmith, when pumping out the contents of the cesspool we leave a small layer of liquid at the bottom.
Signs of siltation appear quite quickly. This is an increase in unpleasant odor, and quick filling of the pit, and visual observation of silt on the walls.
Sludge Disposal Methods
There are several methods for cleaning a cesspool:
- Mechanical. This method involves the mechanical removal of sewage using a pump pump, bucket, brush. Carries out this procedure zolotar or in modern language - the scavenger. A machine equipped with a pump pumps out the contents of the pit, and the sewer will clean the walls of sludge. Moreover, further disposal is already carried out by specialists. After pumping, the pit is filled with water, which is completely pumped out. Thus, the container is washed.
- Chemical cleaning method. This method can be used independently, without the involvement of specialists. The meaning of this purification is to fall asleep one of the active substances - nitrates, ammonium or acid.Formaldehyde can also be used, but fumes will become deadly poisonous, so it is better not to use this substance when cleaning it on your own. The chemical cleaning process is extremely simple. The required amount of nitrates or other substance is poured into the pit for 6-8 hours. After this, the fecal masses become liquid and homogeneous, which allows them to be pumped out with a normal household pump, for example, for swimming pools. You can not use this method if the pit is made of plastic, that is, it is a septic tank. In this case, the chemicals will dissolve the walls of the container.
- Biological purification method. It involves the use of living bacteria of a certain type, capable of processing the contents of a cesspool. Bacteria can be aerobic, that is, able to live without oxygen and anaerobic - in need of oxygen. The cleaning process is just as simple - bacteria are launched into the pit, some species must be dissolved in water before that. After that, they begin their work, which takes 3 to 10 days. The resulting liquid is biologically safe and can be pumped out with a conventional pump. In the future, new bacteria must be launched into an empty pit; they will recycle waste constantly. In winter, this cleaning method does not work, since microorganisms are able to live and work only at temperatures above 10 degrees.
Each method has positive and negative sides, for example, the mechanical method is characterized by increased stench and pollution, but it is much cheaper than the others. With the chemical cleaning method, the liquid from the pit is pumped out well, but it cannot be used as fertilizer, but this technique is applicable at any time of the year. After bacteriological treatment, sludge is a good fertilizer. The negative side of this method is that bacteria can die from frost or simply from hunger. That is, if, for example, the dacha is rarely used, then there is very little food for bacteria in the cesspool.
Siltation prevention
Even simple mechanical cleaning is a rather expensive undertaking, it involves the use of special machines and the labor of 2-3 people. That is why it makes sense to take a number of measures aimed at preventing siltation of the cesspool. Also, one should not forget that fumes are dangerous for human health, and in some cases they conceal the possibility of fire.
- So that the pit does not silt, you need to regularly pour clean water into it, thereby reducing the concentration of fecal matter, and therefore preventing the formation of a greasy film on the walls.
- The biological method of purification is the most effective and less expensive in comparison with other methods. That is why it can be used as a prevention of siltation.
- It is impossible to prevent situations when the cesspool is filled to the very top. It is necessary to clean it at about half full.
- After each pumping, it is necessary to rinse the pit with water while cleaning the walls.
