The main differences between a septic tank and a cesspool
Before choosing where sewer waste will merge, you need to understand the features of a septic tank and a cesspool.
- The price of a septic tank will be much higher, since it is not only a container, but also a complex ecosystem.
- When arranging a pit, it will be necessary to dig in one container when arranging a septic tank, at least two, or even three.
- In the septic tank, wastewater will be cleaned, after which it is poured into a second tank, and from there it goes into the ground. From the cesspool, the contents are pumped out and taken to the nearest well of the central sewer.
- The owner of the cesspool will periodically have to pay for the services of a sewage truck, and there is no need to take water out of the septic tank.
- The cesspool has a larger volume compared to the septic tank, otherwise it will have to be pumped out too often.
In principle, both options for removing wastewater from the house have their advantages and disadvantages, which are worth writing about in more detail.
The main differences between a septic tank and a cesspool
Its main difference from a cesspool is the possibility of cleaning the collected waste, while in the pit they simply accumulate. Of course, a chemical or biological agent can also be poured into a cesspool to speed up waste processing, but in a septic tank all these processes occur faster and more efficiently.
Another important difference is that in a septic tank, waste is processed through natural processes. Anaerobic bacteria turn waste into completely harmless sludge
With the correct arrangement of the septic tank, there will be practically no smell on the site. With a pit, this is much more difficult to achieve, especially if it is leaky.
Pros and cons of a septic tank
The advantages of a septic tank include the possibility of manufacturing it in different ways and from different materials. It can be a sealed container made of metal or plastic, and concrete rings, and a well lined with bricks.
Waste water after treatment becomes practically harmless to the environment, so it can be drained into the ground. If desired, you can also call the sewers, but you can do this less often.
The septic tank also has its drawbacks. Firstly, water purification is not 100%, so there is little environmental pollution. Secondly, the arrangement of the septic tank itself is quite laborious and requires more costs. You will also have to replenish the biomaterial of the septic tank from time to time.
So, we have explained in detail the principles of operation and arrangement of the septic tank and cesspool. Now the owner decides what to give preference to.
What is a cesspool
A cesspool (drain) pit is the simplest accumulator of human waste. There are three types:
- Leaky. The walls and bottom of such an engineering device are not isolated in any way. In rare cases, they have primitive insulation in the form of sheets of roofing felt, car tires or old boards, hastily knocked together. This type of pit is sometimes called an absorbent pit, since the liquid is absorbed over the entire area of the walls and bottom.
- Partially sealed. In this type of pit, the walls are completely sealed, but the bottom is open. The walls are most often sealed with brickwork or iron sheets, which are welded at the corners. In fact, if you lay gravel on the bottom, you will get the simplest single-chamber septic tank - a treatment device.
- Completely sealed. Usually the walls and bottom of such a pit are reinforced with reinforced concrete.
Which is better, a septic tank or a pit
The cesspool is a waterproofing type structure, the task of which is to collect water and sewage waste.As a rule, it is built in the private sector or in the country, that is, in those places where it is not possible to install a central sewer.
Before equipping a cesspool on your site, you need to choose a special place for this away from home. It should be located so that there is an opportunity for free access to the sewage truck. Structures can be made in the form of a rectangular concrete recess or just a round pit. Its size and capacity is determined by the principle of the number of inhabitants of the house and the drains poured out. It is worth noting that it is not recommended to place a cesspool near a well, a garden or various buildings. Otherwise, the water from the well will become undrinkable, and the vegetables that grow in your garden can absorb harmful substances that seep into the ground.
A cesspool, unlike a septic tank, has a number of disadvantages that you need to be prepared for. All waste that falls into the pit is not processed, but sent directly to the bowels of the earth. Therefore, most of the harmful elements remain on your territory. After some time, the pit is completely filled and it must be cleaned. Also, a significant drawback of this structure is its fragility and constant unpleasant odor, which must be extinguished with special sewers. After a few years, it is necessary to carry out repair work for the full functioning of this sewer system.
Among the advantages of this cesspool, one can single out simplicity in construction, ease of maintenance and minimal maintenance costs.
The difference between a septic tank and a cesspool
A septic tank, unlike a cesspool, is a more acceptable type of modern sewage system. It is a structure that collects and purifies domestic wastewater from residential buildings, cottages and low-rise buildings in the absence of a central sewerage system. Its work consists in biological post-treatment and gravitational settling with the use of bioenzymatic preparations, as well as the use of forced and natural methods of post-treatment. Bioloads and biofilters can act as purifiers. Such a structure is able to purify about 95% of the water. The main thing than any septic tank is better than a cesspool is the use of a biological natural cleaning method in it. An anaerobic process takes place inside the structure, as a result of which large fractions are converted into sludge.
Such a sewage system is completely non-volatile and does not require any electricity. It is also easy to install and does not require special knowledge in the field of autonomous systems. Servicing a septic tank is not difficult. It is only necessary to remove the sediment through the discharge pipes several times a year.
Despite the many advantages, such sewer systems have a number of disadvantages. To install a septic tank, you will need to use a large area of \u200b\u200byour site, and this, in turn, is additional waste. Units with filtration fields cannot be used in areas with high groundwater levels. It is also difficult to use such systems when the overall soil infiltration is poor.
If we compare the advantages and disadvantages of a cesspool and a septic tank, then the latter will be a more balanced type of sewerage. It is much more efficient in operation and safer for the environment.
Pros and cons of a cesspool
The undoubted advantage is the lower price for arranging the pit. And if there is a familiar excavator operator, you can even agree on barter with him. The container itself can be welded from metal or bought ready-made.
No additional work after digging in the container is not necessary. Unless to level the ground after excavations and ennoble the territory
It is important to ensure constant access of the sewer machine to the outlet of the tank
The tank is airtight, so waste water will not enter the ground. But periodically you need to check whether the metal has undergone corrosion.
The disadvantage of the pit is the need for constant pumping of sewage waste, which costs money. It is also necessary to close the outlet, as the smell from the container will interfere with a full life.
General information about the septic tank
What is the difference between a septic tank and a cesspool? A septic tank is a more modern and functional type of modern sewage system for private houses. This facility collects and purifies domestic wastewater from houses, cottages and summer cottages, if there is no central sewage system. The difference between a septic tank and a cesspool is that it implements biological post-treatment of wastewater. Sewerage drains are settled in it and cleaned with the help of bio-enzymatic preparations.
Various models purify wastewater by 90-95%. They use a natural biological cleaning method through an anaerobic process. Large household fractions are converted into sludge. These designs are non-volatile, mostly work without electricity. Sediment is removed from septic tanks several times a year.
Distinctive features
Unlike a septic tank, a cesspool does not process household waste, they immediately fall into the ground. They can be broken down with chemicals or powders, but they do not completely cope with organics. Because of this, harmful substances, unpleasant odors and poisons remain on the site. The cesspool requires regular pumping. The septic tank, in turn, completely recycles household waste due to the action of microbes.
Moreover, septic tanks use a natural biological method of cleaning through an anaerobic process.
Which is better, a cesspool or a septic tank?
When choosing a septic tank or a cesspool, you must definitely pay attention to the evaluation and selection criteria. Pay attention to the features of your territory
If you have a large plot and a small number of people live in the house, and you come to the dacha only in the summer, then you can equip a cesspool and pump it out at regular intervals. If you live in a country house for a long time, you need water for watering the garden, and you don’t want unpleasant smells on the street, then opt for septic tanks
Pay attention to the features of your territory. If you have a large plot and a small number of people live in the house, and you come to the dacha only in the summer, then you can equip a cesspool and pump it out at regular intervals
If you live in a country house for a long time, you need water for watering the garden, and you do not want unpleasant smells on the street, then opt for septic tanks.
When choosing a septic tank, consider:
- What volume of effluents is it capable of processing;
- How long will it function;
- How many cameras does it have.
If you decide to install a cesspool, be prepared for the fact that when it is completely filled with household waste, if you do not pump it out in time, the site will smell of rot and flies.
Popular septic tank models and types of cesspools
There are several options for holes:
- Absorbing (the bottom is not isolated from the ground, insoluble particles remain inside, it is slowly filled with waste).
- Partially absorbing (this is a storage tank in which sealed walls are arranged, but there is no sealed bottom).
- Sealed (this is the best option for giving, as it is the safest, but a sealed pit requires pumping out 2-3 times a month).
The choice of a septic tank model depends on the number of chambers that you need for wastewater treatment:
- If you have no more than 1 m3 of cubic effluent in your house per day, a single-chamber septic tank will do.
- A two-chamber design is needed if the flow rate is 1-10 cubic meters of water.
- More than 10 cubic meters - you need a three-chamber model.
If the family lives in the country for a short amount of time, accumulative installations are suitable. These are storage tanks. If the family lives in the house permanently, then an overflow type structure is needed, in which drains not only accumulate, but are also cleaned
Pay attention to such septic tanks: Chistok, Bars, Septic Evostok
The simplest facility for the disposal of domestic liquid waste in the absence of a connection to
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What in the end to choose a septic tank or a pit
When choosing, you need to take into account several important factors and answer a couple of simple questions for yourself.
Soil types
On sandy and sandy loamy soil, if the volume of effluents does not exceed 1 cubic meter. m / day, it is better to equip the simplest filtration well (partially sealed cesspool). The length and width of the pit should be at least 2 m, and the depth should exceed the freezing line of the soil by 0.5-0.8 m. The walls should be strengthened and concreted, and a crushed stone bedding should be arranged below, which will play the role of a bottom filter. Instead of concrete, you can use brick or rubble stone. On this type of soil, septic tanks of any kind can be installed without problems.
When installing sewage on clay soil, you need to remember that in winter the sewer elements will experience a serious load. Therefore, the septic tank and cesspool must have strong walls. On rocky soils, it is necessary to dig a pit until clay or sand is reached - soft soil through which excess moisture will be removed.
Location of groundwater
If the aquifer is too close to the surface of the earth, then it will be quite difficult to equip a septic tank, especially if the soil itself on the site is poorly permeable. In this case, it is recommended to make a sand and gravel embankment so that the difference between the level of the drainage pipe and the groundwater horizon is at least one and a half meters.
High groundwater is also dangerous because the septic tank can emerge in the very first spring, when heavy snowmelt begins. To avoid this, the septic tank chamber must be filled with about 1/3 of the total volume with ordinary water, and the installation should be carried out on a concrete slab, connecting it to the device using steel cables or chains.
Closely located waters can heat a septic tank or a pit, so they must be properly waterproofed. This is also necessary in order to avoid getting sewage into the soil. In general, in such a site it is better to use fully sealed septic tanks equipped with a pump for emergency water discharge.
Land area
A septic tank requires 2-5 times more space than a pit, since two-chamber and three-chamber devices take up quite a lot of space. However, a rather large area is also required for the pit, since, in accordance with sanitary requirements, such devices (and septic tanks too) should be located no closer than 2 m from the fence, 5 m from the residential building, 3 m from other buildings , 25 m - from a well or well. For the device of a full-fledged treatment plant, for example, a two-chamber septic tank with a filtration field, at least 25 sq. m. of land.
Family Composition
A lot depends on the number of people who constantly use the toilet. Perhaps, for one person, if he does not plan to start a family in the near future, a partially sealed cesspool with dimensions of 2x2x2 m will be sufficient. -5 years. But if finances allow, you can equip a septic tank. Accordingly, for 2 people, the frequency of access to the services of sewers is reduced by 2 times.
There are three types of septic tanks, each of which is designed to process a certain amount of wastewater:
- single-chamber - up to 1 cu. m/day;
- two-chamber - up to 10 cubic meters. m/day;
- three-chamber - over 10 cubic meters. m./day.
It is clear that the larger the family, the more cameras should be in the septic tank. A three-chamber septic tank will also be needed if, in addition to the toilet, drains from the kitchen and bathroom will be processed in it.
