EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEPTIC TANKS

STILL UNDER REPAIR, PLEASE BEAR WITH US, UNFORTUNATLY WE WILL HAVE TO SUPPLY NEW PICTURES AFTER OUR NEXT SEPTIC.

WE HAVE OFTEN BEEN ASKED IN THE PAST, JUST ABOUT EVERY CONCEIVABLE QUESTION THERE IS REGARDING SEPTIC TANKS. THIS PAGE AIMS TO BE LIGHTHEARTED BUT INFORMATIVE, AND HOPEFULLY ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS, MISGIVINGS AND WORRIES.

THE SITING OF YOUR SEPTIC TANK HAS TO BE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY, AS SEVERAL THINGS HAVE TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.

ANY OLD HOUSE IN BULGARIA WILL ALREADY HAVE A SEPTIC TANK, IT WILL BE UNDER THE LITTLE HUT IN THE GARDEN WITH A WELL WORN PATH TO IT!!! EACH OF THESE SMALL HUTS IE, THE BULGARIAN TRADITIONAL TOILET, IS BUILT ON TOP OF THE EXISTING SEPTIC TANK. AS GAUGING THE SIZE OF THESE ORIGINAL TANKS CAN BE A SOMEWHAT UNPLEASANT TASK YOU MAY WISH TO PROVIDE A NEW TANK. THE LOCATION OF YOUR NEW TANK SHOULD BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO ROAD ACCESS TO ALLOW EMPTYING, FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE HOUSE OR YOUR NEIGHBOURS TO AVOID FLOODING AND UNPLEASANT ODOURS, AND NATURAL FALL OF THE LAND. IT MUST BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THE SOIL PIPE WILL REQUIRE A FALL OF AT LEAST 1 FOOT IN 8 TO AVOID POSSIBLE OBSTRUCTIONS.

A NEW SEPTIC TANK CAN BE BUILT TO ANY SIZE YOU WISH, BUT IT ALSO DEPENDS ON HOW THE HOUSE IS TO BE USED, IE, HOLIDAY HOME, PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR RENTAL, SMALL FAMILY OR LARGE FAMILY.

AS A RULE OF THUMB MOST NEWLY BUILT HOUSES IN BULGARIA ARE NOW FOLLOWING THE CHANGES IN LEGISLATION AND ARE HAVING TO HAVE MINIMUM 10 CUBIC METRE TANKS INSTALLED AS STANDARD.

AS AN EXAMPLE OUR OWN HOME (PERMANENT RESIDENCE) HAS A 15.5 CUBIC METRE TANK, THIS SERVES THE HOUSE WE LIVE IN AND THE TWO APPARTMENTS WE RENT OUT ADJACENT TO OUR HOME.

THE COST OF BUILDING A SEPTIC TANK DEPENDS ON MANY THINGS, WILL YOU DO THE WORK YOURSELF, HIRE LABOURERS, SIZE, POSITION AND AVAILABILITY OF MATERIALS, AS AN EXAMPLE WE HAVE JUST INSTALLED A NEW SEPTIC TANK FOR A CLIENT, SIZE WAS 2 X 2 X 3 DEEP, AND FOR LABOUR, MATERIALS (BLOCKS, CEMENTS, SAND AND STONE, REINFORCING RODS) AND TIME TAKEN THE COST WAS 2400 LEVA.

HOW THEY ARE BUILT AND HOW THEY WORK CAN SOME TIMES BE A BIT OF A MYSTERY, HERE WE WOULD LIKE TO PERHAPS CLARIFY SOME OF THESE MYSTERIES.
PRIMARILY BULGARIAN SEPTIC TANKS WORK ON THE SOAK AWAY PRINCIPAL, BASICALLY A HOLE IN THE GROUND ,WITH A CONCRETE BASE, LINED WITH STONE OR BLOCKS WITH GAPS BETWEEN ALLOWING LIQUIDS TO "SOAK AWAY", RETAINING THE SOLIDS, ALL CAPPED OFF WITH A CONCRETE LID WITH AN ACCESS HOLE TO ALLOW EMPTYING. FREQUENCY OF EMPTYING DEPENDS ON SIZE AND USAGE.
ONE OTHER VERY IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW ABOUT THE SEPTIC TANK IS THAT IT CAN BECOME BLOCKED IF TOILET PAPER IS FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET AS THIS CAUSES THE TANK TO RETAIN THE LIQUIDS RATHER THAN THEM SOAKING AWAY.

MORE PICTURES ON THEIR WAY AS THE TANK PROGRESSES

AS YOU HAVE BEEN READING THIS PAGE WE HAVE TRIED TO SHOW YOU A TANK UNDER CONSTRUCTION FROM START TO FINISH.
SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL US AT LEASLOUBG@YAHOO.CO.UK