Septic tank emptying costs???

[dobbslc]

To any of you that live a bit out of town and don't have sewerage drains plumbed in,
What are the costs for emptying a septic tank & how often it will need doing for a family of 4.

 

[brightspark]

mine gets emptied when it blocks up probs about every5 years. I get a local farmer to empty it for 120 quid .will be double for a waste tanker firm to do it with a road tanker

 

[octo0072000]

also depends on the size of the tank

 

[addjunkie]

Our is 180 quid, hes also a farmer, but they are much more restricted now with what they can do with it, about every 3 years so far. With us takes him an hour to get here so usually does us and the farm next door at the same time.


If you putting a new one in go as big as you can, price with our guy doesnt change!

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Syphon out yourself and take to local tip

A mate once said "you have a tatty old Land Rover so can you pick up something for me ?" We went to farm he knows and filled 20ltr containers full of slurry before hosing them clean and putting in the back of my old 1970 SIIA.
It was a stinking hot day and road was bumpy so after a few miles the containers popped the tops and we had to do an emergency evacuation of the Land Rover before we were overcome by the fumes.

 

[brightspark]

Syphon out yourself and take to local tip

who is gonna suck the pipe to start it off and is it in the hillside to lower the pipe

 

[the snooper]

my mate lives on a barge he pumps his into his own bowser then he brings it to hull marina where they charge him 40 quid to empty it

 

[cocker]

We use to get ours done about every 5 years but it depends on the size (of the tank not the deposits ! )

 

[langy]

Another **** thread

 

[Shox Dr]

We'd pay to have a scout ground tank emptied before and after a bike rally, the tank filled one tanker to the brim 240quid

 

[rockweasel]

My neighbour and I share a septic tank. It's only had to be emptied twice in the 16 years I've been here. Around £200 IIRC. Unfortunately I'm familiar with every inch of it

 

[Robotstar5]

Shame Blaster Bates isn't around now....

 

[wyn]

I heard recently that once a tank's been emptied it helps if you chuck a dead sheep in the empty tank to get the bacteria going again.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Shame Blaster Bates isn't around now....

 

[dobbslc]

Thanks guys, there's more to **** than meets the eye!
As long as I'm not housing elephants I should be ok with a tank.
It's in a house we viewed today that's absolutely perfect for us. Surrounded by trees and foliage with a double garage and sheds. Nothing else within 1/4 of a mile.
I also spotted an overhead electric supply nearby and assuming it's for this house, I wonder if it could be upgraded to 3 phase?.......

Mod Edit:

 

[KemppiFrog]

I heard recently that once a tank's been emptied it helps if you chuck a dead sheep in the empty tank to get the bacteria going again.

Hah! Down in the Algarve back then... For a new septic tank, it was hang a chicken in a plastic bag from a branch for several days, then pop it in the tank; Enough bacteria to kick start( and very smelly!). Nowadays a packet of something more targetted every year.

Seems a bit confused here. There are simple sealed tanks: empty them when full, so keep an eye on them. Then there are full septic systems that can run for years.. The tank is always full and new input displaces bacterial treated clean water out to a soak away field. These systems rarely need looking at (ours is now 10 yrs old) One is supposed to pump out the sediment that sits on the bottom every two years, but as ours is well over speced, I haven't bothered. It was sized for three dwellings and since there are only two of us for most of the time.....
Our last house 'down south' had a similar system, that had not been looked at for at least 24+ yrs We didn't actually know where the 'fosse' was, except there was a very big and healthy palm tree where the drains set off to.

Edit: They charge around €120 for a pump out. Tank is 4 cu mtr.

 

[KemppiFrog]

.
I also spotted an overhead electric supply nearby and assuming it's for this house, I wonder if it could be upgraded to 3 phase?....
:

Count the cables. If four, then three phase.

 

[GW8IZR]

I use a local contractor that is licensed to do the job. About 140 quid last time and ours needs doing every four or five years.

 

[dobbslc]

Count the cables. If four, then three phase.

I'm a sparks myself! The supply in the field was 3 phase but not sure if they'd let me have a supply.
Kemppifrog,
The tank seems to have a pump running in it with a separate unit a few feet away from the main one. Not too sure what sort of system it is though.

 

[Steve928]

Seems a bit confused here. There are simple sealed tanks: empty them when full, so keep an eye on them. Then there are full septic systems that can run for years..

Ours is a brick lined septic tank. Moved in in 2000 and had it emptied although the guy said it didn't really need doing. Emptied again in 2014 but it was only about 1/3 full of sludge, so probably good for 30 years or so really before the next empty.

As for chickens, sheep etc, the emptier should leave enough sludge in to keep the reaction going i.e. you never actually empty it.

About £150 quid to empty I think, but then they're not allowed to spray it on the fields anymore due to posiible anti-biotic content - it has to go to the sewage treatment plant.