Welcome to the wonderful world of septic tanks.

[littlespark]

Anybody deal with these things, or is it better for customer to get the proper service engineers?

Problem is there’s an air pump that should run constantly… but isn’t. Pump feels warm to touch. There’s a 230v supply to IP rated socket, pump simply plugs in.

I might add, this is in a separate box to the septic tank… I’m not standing knee deep in waste.

All the pump does is draws in fresh air and pumps it into the main tank via a hose.

I feel all that it needs is a new pump… but might there be other parts that need looked at?

There is an amber flashing light on top of the box lid, but no where for it to plug into.

Box lid has “WPL” stamped on it as manufacturer… and the pump has its own model number.
I’ll be looking into their websites later when I get home.

 

[snowhead]

Time for a specialist.
It may be that as the pump hasn't ben aerating the slurry then there's now too much for a new pump to cope with and main tank may need emptying.
The end of the air hose may be stuck in solid Sh*t and unable to blow air out.

Additionally your wandering into the territory of Environment Agency and pollution of land.

The air pumps are easy enough to get hold of.

Charles Austen - ET 120 Air Pump

Charles Austen ET120 Air pump - Helps to increase the amount of oxygen in the water. PERFORMANCE RANGE Flow rate up to 120 l/min Max Pressure 0.10 bar

pumpexpress.co.uk

 

[westward10]

If it is stop/starting then it sounds like a thermal cut out triggering. Disconnect the hose and see if it stays running.

 

[littlespark]

It’s not running at all, Westy, but as snow head says, I’m getting into environmental pollution territory.

I’ll tell customer to get a proper service engineer in… just in case there is a more shitty blockage down the process somewhere.

 

[stevethesparks]

It’s not running at all, Westy, but as snow head says, I’m getting into environmental pollution territory.

I’ll tell customer to get a proper service engineer in… just in case there is a more shitty blockage down the process somewhere.

Agree, just confirm the the supply is sound and pass it on.

 

[buzzlightyear]

I’ll tell customer to get a proper service engineer in… just in case there is a more shitty blockage down the process somewhere.

can you not suck and blow the S44t out if there is a blockage .lol.

 

[Mike Johnson]

The rocket science of these things is in the digestion process, anaerobic or aerobic, anaerobic is without air and the digestion is afforded by the microbes in the waste breaking down the solids to discharge to a filter bed/soakaway, aerobic uses an air pump to agitate the solids and break them down to allow the fluid to discharge to a filter bed/soakaway, anaerobic systems use a minimum of two chambers to allow some of the solids to settle to the bottom of the tank and the fluid to discharge to the second chamber and on to a pre-filter or another chamber and then on to the filter bed/soakaway, in the UK there should be in place a permit to discharge issued by the EA.

 

[Moley]

Is it a diaphragm pump? Same sort of thing as a pond air pump. Could be just needs new rubber diaphragms?

 

[Baddegg]

I really didn’t want to scroll down to them pics @littlespark

 

[pirate]

I had a sceptic tank once...bought it cheap from the MOD.
It was computer controlled, and I drove it over the moors near Balmoral and pointed it at a huge house...
I pressed "FIRE!"...
and it replied, " I don't think so"