Cess Pit - which chamber smells the most?

[jamesarm]

Hi Guys,

I am building a new ramp/retaining walls/etc for site access, but as I want to access the soil pipe to my cess pit in the near future, I want to stop the ramp short of it.
I have two inspection covers for the cess pit, but it is unclear which one my soil pipe from the house runs to directly (About 30m). The ramp will be pretty steep, so I want to maximise its length.

One Inspection cover has a vent next to it
The other smells more.

Which one is the first chamber connected to the house please?

Cheers,

James.

 

[jamesarm]

Sorry, isn't this called a septic tank?

 

[Burnerman]

If your septic tank is of the typical brick design, there will be an inlet manhole, which feeds the deep tank where the solids stay, followed by a shallower tank that settles any solids that have drifted from the deep one.
This then feeds the outlet soakaway, which usually starts under another manhole cover.
So - lift the manhole covers away. Both the inlet and outlet chambers must be empty. Flush the loo, and see which chamber starts to run. This is the one connected to the house soil pipe.
John

 

[jamesarm]

Cheers for getting back to me burnerman.
It is brick built two chamber - What do you mean;

'Both the inlet and outlet chambers must be empty'.

Its a working system and they both have stuff in them??

 

[Nige F]

Hi Guys,


One Inspection cover has a vent next to it
The other smells more.

Which one is the first chamber connected to the house please?

Cheers,

James.

the one with a vent next to it -( and probably an interceptor trap inside )

 

[Burnerman]

I don't think I explained myself very well here - sorry!
The septic tank usually consists of two main tanks - one that is deep and allows solids to settle, and one that isn't so deep, which allows 'escaped' solids to settle and allow the liquid effluent to soak into the ground, via a soakaway. There are often shallow inspection chambers at each end.
Before the first main tank, there should be a shallow chamber, that allows the soil from the house to enter the first main tank. If there is liquid in here, the tank is full and needs pumping out.
The liquid only effluent exits the second tank via another pipe and chamber that should have an inspection cover, so that you can see if it is dispersing into the surrounding land. If there is liquid in this chamber, then the outfall pipe is not coping with the effluent and the soakaway isn't working as it should.
So - the solids remain in the main tank, and need to be pumped away from time to time.... all liquids can disperse to the adjacent land. Either way, both inlet and outlet chambers need to be empty if the tank is working well.
John