Septic Tank electrical requirements

[lazy username]

Hi everyone,
Got offered a job in a rural area and Im a city boy there is a few issues i havent come across before.

The customer is to have a septic tank installed and hasnt chosen a system yet but looking for a 1st fix price .

Ive never wired a septic tank before can anyone give advice on how many mains cores will cover me?
From what i have found in my research the load is pretty low just a pump.

I am presuming there will be controls aswell, will the control box be at the tank or control cables need to be run back to the house?

Excuse my lack of knowledge on the subject but im finding it hard to find information without being cheeky contacting a supplier and picking their brains and not actually buying off them.

 

[wildgoose]

Wasn't aware there were any electrical controls for a good old fashion septic tank?

The only thing I've come across is when the house is lower than either the main drain or in your case the septic tank. Then they have a fully sealed and very expensive Poo-Pump, to periodically pump-out an intermediate tank (integral level switch controlled), up to a main drain.

Electrically it's just SWA cable + high value IP rated components.

Interested to hear if new reg's calls some something different??

 

[Spazz]

What we had in my old house was a shared septic tank, so from one house there was a 2nd CU with only 1 output on it (not sure of the fuse size sorry) then a cable (not sure which but you can work that out) running to the tank.

In regards to septic tanks there are 2 different types
1. free flow tank - no need for a pump
2. Pump tank - this one relies on the pump to pump fluid out of the bottom of the tank and to circulate it to keep it liquid - easier to pump out I think.

There will be instructions when you buy the septic tank and that will tell you everything you need to know.


Of course your from the Rep of Ireland so your regulations will be different to those in England and Wales.

 

[a1guvner]

I have fitted quite a few of the Klargester units which apparently discharge water into the natural water course (not sure if i would try it), only a small radial needed, control systems can be mounted remotely to the unit, would recommend mounting the beacon somewhere you would be able to see it clearly if there is an issue, all can be wired easily and quite straight forward.

 

[Knobhead]

Excuse my lack of knowledge on the subject but im finding it hard to find information without being cheeky contacting a supplier and picking their brains and not actually buying off them.

But it would give you the best answers. You have to find out the system requirements and the location / situation of it. We’re just guessing.

 

[ufkir]

google klargester/biodisc it will give you all the infomation you need

 

[davelerave]

iv'e connected a lot of them over here

usually either a 3*2.5 swa or a 5*2.5 swa depending on whether there's a 'level alarm' on a separate pair or not

if there's alarm- then there's a DB with mcb incommer and two rcbo's either at house(5*2.5 needed) or treatment unit(3*2.5 needed)


that's the unit's over here anyhow but you'd need to check

 

[Andy 7671]

Public wet wells come under DSEAR and ATEX requirements,hydrogen sulphide, methane are knowns. Explosive.Asphyxiating.

Alarms are Intrinsically safe, pumps have ATEX ratings with heat and moisture cut out.

Get them to send the gear and cable maybe...?

Ill get a more definitive answer at work tomorrow.

 

[Des 56]

I wired one that slowly rotates a drum to extract clean water that was pumped out
I think the dry crap was periodically removed
The system itself had to have a rotary isolator adjacent to the tank,I had to make a strut to mount it on

All the internals were pre wired,I just had to get a supply cable cable from the isolator into the tank module
The controls were pre set