How to secure a container underground. The simplest drainage system for a summer residence. Metal containers - advantages and disadvantages

Country toilet

Characteristics of a bathroom using a container

One of the most successful design schemes for a cesspool for a toilet in a country house is one where a container without a bottom is installed in the pit. The advantage of this option is that there is no need to pump out the accumulated liquid, since it is absorbed into the soil. Due to the small amount of waste, they have time to penetrate into the ground. Moreover, their volume should not exceed 1 m 3 per day. If you neglect this recommendation, waste will accumulate in the cesspool from the container. This will lead to the formation of an unpleasant odor in the area.

This option for arranging a cesspool is not suitable for dachas where the groundwater level is high. In this case, all sewage will penetrate into the soil, where it will contaminate the drinking source.

Therefore, the best way out of this situation is to install a volumetric sealed barrel. It will act as a septic tank.

In this case, it is necessary to regularly pump out the liquid using special equipment. To avoid doing this too often, you need to install a large capacity container.

To reduce the size of the septic tank, in this case it is recommended to install a complex structure.

It involves installing two or even three containers where waste will accumulate. Moreover, the last of them can be made without a bottom.

In this case, it is necessary to additionally use aerobic or anaerobic strains of microorganisms. They are added to the first container, where they break down biological waste. As a result, solid particles settle to the bottom. The already purified liquid is transferred to the next container. It, passing through an additional filtration layer of sand, enters the soil without polluting it.

Also, when choosing a scheme for arranging a cesspool, you need to choose the right material from which the barrel will be made. It is best to use metal or plastic containers. Each of these types of materials has its own advantages and disadvantages that must be taken into account before the installation process.

Metal containers - advantages and disadvantages

Metal containers that you can install yourself have a number of significant disadvantages that directly affect the durability of the constructed structure. These include:

• low corrosion resistance of the material. After 3-4 years, such a container becomes unsuitable for use, since it is impossible to repair it;
• in most cases, this option for arranging a cesspool can be expensive. Metal containers are quite expensive;
• complexity of installation. If you use a large container with massive walls, it is quite difficult to install it without the help of special equipment;
• You can only use containers whose wall thickness reaches 15-16 mm. They are often very difficult to find.

The advantages of this material include their resistance to frequent temperature changes. It is not afraid of severe frosts when deep layers of soil freeze. Also, such a container is heavy, which will more securely fix it in the ground.

Plastic containers

When constructing a cesspool with your own hands, plastic is considered a better material than metal.

It has many advantages:

• long service life. Plastic can be used for arranging a cesspool for a toilet in a country house for 40 years;
• due to their light weight, these containers are very easy to install without the help of outsiders or special equipment;
• plastic is resistant to the harmful effects of biological fluids or special chemical compounds that are used to process waste;
• prevents wastewater from penetrating through the walls of the container into the soil;
• the cost of such a container is quite low;
• The plastic is very durable and will not collapse under pressure from soil or runoff.

The disadvantages of this material include its instability to low temperatures. To fix this, the plastic walls of the container must be insulated with a layer of mineral wool. Also, a plastic barrel can float due to its light weight.

To prevent this, its walls must be securely fixed in the ground.

How to choose the right place to install a bathroom?

When choosing a place to install a toilet with your own hands in the country, you must adhere to the following rules:

The first stage is the arrangement of a cesspool from a container

When constructing an outdoor toilet from a plastic barrel with your own hands, you must first dig a pit of suitable dimensions. In this case, the use of a galvanized metal container is also allowed. But you need to take into account that it has a much shorter service life.

The pit for a toilet that you build yourself should have a depth that is 25-30 cm greater than the height of the container. This is necessary to create a filtration field, which will help clean the waste, and clean liquid without harmful impurities will be absorbed into the soil. Also, this pit should be 10-20 cm wider than the tank. This gap is needed to fix the tank inside the pit.

You need to fill the sides of the walls with crushed stone. It should reach 2/3 of the height of the container. Place a layer of clay on top to the ground level. When the hole is completely filled, cover the surface of the soil with fine gravel. Also, add an additional layer of sand on top, reaching the level of the top edge of the container.

Pouring the foundation

In parallel with installing a container without a bottom with your own hands, or after that, you need to start building a foundation for the future toilet. This construction phase consists of the following processes:

Construction of the above-ground part of the street toilet

After constructing the foundation for the outdoor toilet with your own hands and installing the container, you need to start building the booth. This process consists of the following steps:

1. You need to lay a piece of roofing felt on the surface of the foundation.
2. A wooden beam measuring 100x100 mm should be used for the bottom frame of the base under the floor. Before this, it must be treated with an antiseptic solution.
3. To build a reliable foundation, install the bars around the perimeter of the structure and in the middle of the long side of the structure, attach them with nuts, after placing them on metal pins.
4. Using 40 mm thick boards, build the floor of the future toilet. In this case, it is necessary to leave a hole under the toilet where the container is located.
   
5. Attach 4 wooden columns to the corners of the base. Two of them should have a height of 2 m, and the other two should have a height of 2.2 m. Choose bars with a cross section of 100x50 mm. They need to be attached using metal corners and wooden spacers. Before final installation of the frame, check the verticality of the posts.
6. On the front wall under the doors, install additional columns of the same section. The width of the opening should be 0.7 m and the height 1.97.
7. Fasten the racks on the other side with a vertical jumper at a level of 1.77 m, which will also serve as the base for the roof.
   
8. Along the structure, leaning on the installed jumpers, attach two rafter legs.
9. As roof sheathing, use 40 mm thick boards, which must be attached to the rafters using regular nails.
10. Using screws, install an OSB sheet to the lattice covering, which will act as a base for the roofing material.
11. Use soft bitumen shingles or roofing felt as a covering. It is necessary to choose materials that will not create additional load on the structure.
12. For wall cladding, use a tongue-and-groove or half-tongue board 2-4 cm thick.
13. To prevent the inside of the building from being hot in summer and cold in winter, you need to make thermal insulation with your own hands. To do this, install foam sheets in the inner plane of the frame. After this, you need to additionally sew up the walls with another layer of board.
    
14. Apply a special impregnation to all wooden elements, which will protect their surface from the harmful effects of moisture and other negative environmental factors. You can also additionally use fire retardants.
15. Install doors on the curtains. You can equip them with a small window to illuminate the interior space during the daytime.

Interior design of an outdoor bathroom

Before carrying out interior work indoors, you need to lay a cable for the lighting device. You can do this yourself by entering the electrical wiring through a mast, which should be attached to the back wall of the bathroom. At the same time, its height is 2.5 m. Cable routing should be done in an open way. The wire cross-section must be at least 2.5 mm 2. For lighting, use a lamp with a power of 40 W or less.

To construct the seat, use bars with a cross-section of 30x60 cm. Build a frame 400 mm high from them, and attach them using self-tapping screws. The finished structure must be sheathed with plywood or OSB board. In this case, you must remember to leave a hole in the place where the plastic container is installed. The final step is to attach the seat with lid, which is used for a regular toilet. When everything is ready, paint the interior and exterior of the bathroom with paint or varnish, which will extend its life and help keep the wood in its original condition.

In this simple way, you can build an outdoor toilet yourself, using an ordinary container made of plastic or metal.

Video: Septic tank: types, principle of operation and installation

It is not enough to supply water to the house; after use it needs to be disposed of somewhere. It’s hard to carry it out with buckets, and it’s somehow pointless: the water comes into the house on its own, and then you have to carry it out on your own two feet. You need at least basic sewerage for your home or cottage. The option of simply removing the pipe from the house and draining the water onto the ground or a small hole will not suit everyone. It doesn't look very good, and an unpleasant smell from this puddle or hole is almost guaranteed. What to do?
So, we will need: an old metal or plastic barrel, a certain amount of sewer pipes (at least 6 meters, preferably 110mm PVC), a tee, an outlet, about 0.5 cubic meters of medium-fraction crushed stone, a shovel and several hours of our precious time.
We choose a place for our drainage well. Preferably, no closer than 5 meters from the house, no closer than 20-25 meters from the well or borehole and below them along the groundwater flow. We dig a hole with a diameter larger than the diameter of the barrel by at least 0.5 m (the diameter of a standard barrel is 0.6 m, height 0.9 m, volume 0.2 cubic meters) and a depth of about 1.5 m (deeper is better). We make holes in the walls of the barrel, if it is metal, then with a grinder, if it is plastic, then with a wood saw with a fine tooth. We make a hole for the incoming sewer pipe in the wall, near the bottom of the barrel. We fill the bottom of the hole with at least 20 cm of crushed stone and place the barrel upside down, oriented the hole for the pipe towards the house.
Now you need to dig a trench under the sewer pipe, bringing it to the place you need. The pipe must be laid with a slope of at least 3 mm per meter towards the barrel. It can be brought into the house either under the foundation or through a hole in it. There is no need to insulate the pipe; the water flowing through it will warm it up perfectly. Not far from the barrel, we place a tee with a small piece of pipe extending above the surface of the ground to circulate air inside the barrel and allow air to exit the sewer when it is filled from the house (so that the air from the barrel does not go into your house). We insert the pipe into the barrel through the hole made for this. We fill the gap between the barrel and the wall of the pit with crushed stone to the full height of the barrel. It is advisable to put some kind of non-rotting material at the bottom of the barrel (a piece of old slate is perfect). We fill both the trench and the hole with soil, compacting it thoroughly. We make a hole in the floor or wall of the house, finally introducing the sewer into the house. Further at your discretion. On a piece of pipe sticking out of the ground not far from a buried barrel, you can put a plastic mushroom, which is difficult, but can be found in stores.
And now the nuances.
This is an exclusively drainage sewer system for the home; it cannot cope with fecal waste, it cannot be cleaned or maintained in any way, and it is not intended for this. This sewer can be used for drains from the kitchen or bathhouse. Drainage wells from a septic tank have the same device.
The microclimate for bacteria that process wastewater depends on the depth of the pit. Ideally, the depth of the pit should be: depth of soil freezing + height of the barrel + height of the crushed stone cushion (for the Leningrad region: 1.2 m + 0.9 m + 0.2 m = 2.3 m). But digging so deep is difficult and not necessary. The effluent also warms the barrel.

If the soil at the site where the sewage system is installed is clayey, and the water leaves the barrel slowly, then the sewage system for your home can be slightly improved. To do this, you need to lay another sewer pipe, or better yet, a drainage pipe. This pipe may discharge water into a drainage ditch at the border of the site, or it may lead nowhere, ending in a dead end. The purpose of this pipe is to drain excess water from the barrel, thus increasing the area of ​​water absorption into the soil (irrigation area). The pipe is laid in a trench on a crushed stone bed and is also covered with crushed stone and then with soil. The depth of the trench is greater than that of the supply pipe, and the slope is directed away from the barrel. Naturally, the sewer pipe will have to be damaged by a number of holes in the lower part to improve water flow, making it like a drainage pipe. This is not required if the pipe is placed in a drainage ditch.

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1. To be honest, I’m a little surprised that someone’s sewer system can freeze. Sewer pipes, in principle, cannot freeze, there...

Reviews (38) on “The simplest drainage system for a summer residence.”

Thank you for the useful article and adequate answers. I’ll start doing it tomorrow. I hope the pipe in our Transbaikalia will not freeze. Of course, I agree with you that a significant inclination needs to be done. By the way, I don’t understand whether the pipe will be enough for 50 or is it necessary for 100?

1. Depends on the distance and characteristics of the problem being solved. It is better to make 110th PVC, it is more reliable, although more expensive. At distances of up to 5 (five) meters, you can make 50 (fifty dollars), but, preferably, also PVC (not always available in stores) - as it is more durable and frost-resistant. This is, after all, an external sewage system, not an internal one.

1. What can happen to the 50th pipe? Silt up, get greasy, get soapy? Or will it clog up tightly?
2. Red (I mean for external wiring) or will it be gray (for internal wiring), since it will only be used in the summer? The store said that it is better to look for black (Soviet) - LDPE - high-density polyethylene. What do you say?
3. My plot has a slope. Along the fence just downhill. I realized that it was better to dig it in.
4. Soil - loam. Where is rainwater usually directed from the roof? To another hole?

1. Answers, Vladimir.
   1. And not only that, Vladimir, especially in loams, even on the surface. For example, it can be bent by swelling of the soil so that the slope in some area is broken. The consequences are the same, it will clog in general... If it doesn’t break.
   This also happens with a 110-pipe, but much less often, of course, if the basic installation rules are followed.
   2. It definitely won’t work for “internal wiring.” We need PVC for external sewerage. For internal sewerage, PP is usually used. You won’t dig it up for the winter...
   A “black pipe” is usually a HDPE pipe, not a LDPE pipe (I haven’t heard anything about LDPE pipes until now, maybe I don’t have enough experience). In principle, you can do it if you find it, but problems may arise with connecting pipes to bends (turns) and exiting the house. If you are not a “specialist”, then it is better not to experiment.
   4. Rainwater is usually directed into the drainage system around the house, which discharges it into a drainage ditch. Other pipes are used there - “drainage”, corrugated plastic pipes with perforation and protection with geotextile.
   In loamy soil, it is necessary to make at least a small irrigation field for house drains (a small drainage system is just for this purpose). Because loamy soils do not absorb water well. On the other hand, if you are “on the go,” then the usual crushed stone sprinkling around the barrel (simplified drainage system) should be enough for a long time.

   Of course, you can introduce rainwater into this sewer system, but... Then there will be a high probability of damage to pipes by autumn and spring waters during “zero crossings,” because you do not control the volume and composition (maybe with ice) of these waters. That's why drainage pipes are made perforated, i.e. “leaky” so that the water can drain away on its own. And if you install drainage pipes instead of sewer pipes, then these holes will quickly become clogged with house drains (“silt and get dirty”) and will not work. This is not to mention the possible unpleasant odors along the entire 20 meters of the pipe. So it is better to have separate sewerage and separate rainwater drainage.

Thanks for answers. I will think.
And the last question:
It is impossible for me to go outside through the basement (floor slabs and 60 cm concrete blocks on the foundation).
I'll just poke holes in the side of the frame and then proceed with external wiring. Accordingly, I don’t want to make holes at 110. I will go out 50. 110 PVC will go on the ground.
How to connect the exit through the log house and PVC-110 along the external wall of the house? This is three meters in a straight line and all five with turns.

1. I didn’t quite understand the question, Vladimir. Inside the house you use fifty dollars for the interior, i.e. PP pipe. You let it out into the street through the wall of the log house, just carefully “seal” the gaps, there should be no drafts. And then move on to the 110th PVC, and you are driving it. From the exit of the log house to the 110th PVC you can use the same fifty dollars, only not far. For example, lower it with turns down to the foundation (it’s hard to say, without imagining the possible route), then an oblique tee with a revision, just in case, into which to insert an eccentric transition from fifty dollars to a hundred. And the 110th went.
   In principle, it is permissible to install a fifty-kopeck piece on the street “in plain sight” (if I understand correctly, this is the problem), but it is advisable that it is also a PVC pipe, otherwise there may be the same problems as “under the fence”. Yes, and it needs to be fastened well and carefully, leaving gaps for thermal expansion. Fifty dollars of PVC is sold, but not everywhere, you'll have to look for it.
   And general advice, just in case you are a fireman, avoid right angles. If necessary, make them prefabricated, for example, 45 plus 45, with inserts between them. Right angles get clogged well, but are difficult to clean.

Yes, you understood everything correctly. It’s just that not a single salesperson in stores (I visited about five) has come across PVC-fifty. I will search further. From the exit from the log house to the location of pipe 110, I need to walk about five fifty meters along the wall (from below there is an entrance to the garage). We need to find PVC.
But the old Soviet black pipes that were previously laid in apartments (50) are not PVC by any chance? They were still standing on the drain tanks suspended overhead

1. No, Vladimir, “old Soviet black pipes” are polypropylene, very rarely low-density polyethylene, the dye was just different. Look in specialized stores, at construction bases, where they sell professional 4- and 6-meter sewer pipes, without sockets. I'll tell you how to connect them, it's not difficult. There are tips for everything on the Internet. Look in the store at the address: Ufa, Oktyabrya Avenue, 97, “All Instruments” store. They promise three-meter 50 mm PVC for 202 rubles, however, for electricians. As a last resort, you can install internal 50 mm PP pipes, you just need to watch them. Check in the spring.

Thanks for the advice!
I know this store and have been there. This is an online store. All goods must be ordered and received upon arrival of the goods. I'll definitely check their website.
Just a passing question: will I finally find fifty dollars of PVC pipe. But all sorts of turns and other things also need PVC? This is probably completely unrealistic. I'll look on the Internet and on their website.
Thank you again for your attention.

1. Hello again, Vladimir.
   I ask your forgiveness. Having “scoured” the Internet in search of fifty dollars worth of PVC, I actually discovered that these pipes are only available in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and not always of local production. I live almost in St. Petersburg. Therefore, well, buy fifty dollars of PP, just look not for the standard cheap 1.8 mm PP, but for 2.0 or 2.2 mm, at least some margin of safety. In principle, fifty rubles of PP are installed in non-critical sections of the sewer system, without thinking about the consequences. You will just have to keep an eye on this area, as I already wrote, mainly in the spring, at the opening of the dacha season.
   The PVC I found in Ufa is unlikely to be suitable; they are for protecting electrical wires. Their wall thickness is only 1.5 mm. Why the search engine gave them to me as a sewer(!) is a mystery to me. So make fifty dollars of PP from the house to the fence. This is not possible, but if you really need it, then...

Thank you for this article for the advice. I just had a situation where I bought myself a multistage pump. A plumber arrived and installed it. Everything worked like clockwork and there was no problem. When I was tired the next day and looked into the mine, there was water there and the water almost flooded the pump. But if I had a water drain, this would not have happened. You will need to redo your mine.

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Since, due to this, the size of the cesspool is limited, it is permissible to use metal barrels only in summer cottages, where it is not planned to live permanently, and the amount of wastewater will be small. A small sewage tank would be inappropriate in a house where several people live permanently.

The main advantage of metal containers is their high strength, due to which they can withstand severe mechanical loads.

However, they have many more disadvantages, which is why their use is limited:

Advantages of barrels made of polymer materials:

• corrosion resistance, so the containers can last 30-50 years;
• high mechanical strength, which is almost similar to metal products;
• most types of plastic are resistant to aggressive chemical compounds that are part of sewage;
• The plastic sewer barrel is completely sealed and does not require additional waterproofing.

However, such containers also have a significant drawback - despite their large volume, their weight is insignificant. For this reason, the tank can be pushed to the surface under the influence of groundwater or frost heaving of the soil. Therefore, the construction of a septic tank requires that the sewer tank be well secured.

How to bury a tank with your own hands

A plastic barrel for sewerage is installed in a pre-prepared pit; its dimensions must be larger than the tank. Thanks to this, if necessary, it will be possible to insulate the structure and securely fasten the barrel. The depth of the pit should be such that the intake hole and the supply sewer pipe are at the same level.

How to bury a barrel under a sewer, procedure:

1. At the bottom of the pit, a crushed stone or sand cushion more than 20 centimeters thick is created.
2. After this, the base is concreted, and a frame with anchors or hinges is installed for further attachment of the container.
3. After 5-7 days, the concrete foundation becomes strong enough and the barrel can be installed.
4. The container is attached to the foundation using steel strips or a bandage of cables.
5. If necessary, the septic tank is insulated with polyurethane foam or extruded polystyrene foam (read: "").
6. Before backfilling the soil, the container must be filled to a certain level. During this work, it is important to take into account the manufacturer’s recommendations - depending on what polymer material the barrel is made of, the features of backfilling may differ.
7. The barrel is connected to all inlet and outlet communications, the ventilation pipe, after which it is finally covered with soil.

Sewerage from barrels is created quite simply with your own hands, which makes it possible to save on the services of specialists. If the barrel was securely fastened, and all installation requirements were followed, including the manufacturer’s recommendations, then the container can last for several decades.

As soon as they appeared on the market, potential consumers looked at them with some skepticism for a long time, because they were not sure of their reliability. As time has passed, it has become clear that plastic containers can be used for a variety of purposes because they can withstand the stress placed on them. They are environmentally friendly, durable, and unlike metal, they are not subject to corrosion, durable, and unpretentious. They are used for storing water, grain, chemicals, fuel, etc. They have become very popular for organizing autonomous sewage systems.

The containers can be used both inside and outside buildings. Since there are more risks outside that they will be subjected to mechanical, temperature loads, etc., plastic containers are often installed above the ground for a reason. They are partially or completely buried in the ground. It is most convenient to bury the container completely in the ground so that it does not interfere or take up unnecessary space on the site.

In what cases can you bury a plastic container in the ground?

This is usually done when it is planned to store some liquid in it. This can be water, fuel, sewage waste, etc. Plastic containers can also include ready-made liners, for example, for creating an artificial pond in a summer cottage or even an entire swimming pool. They also involve storing water.

How to properly bury a container in the ground?

It is necessary to dig a pit and install a container. If you need to connect pipes to this container, you need to do this, after which you need to fill everything up, leaving only the hatch if it is a closed tank. If it is a pool or pond, a container for storing fish, you will need to fill the sides with soil and compact it to fix it securely. It just seems so simple, but in fact the process is quite complex and labor-intensive. Much depends on the size of the container. The larger it is, the larger the pit needs to be dug.

A pit can be dug:

• manually;
• using special equipment.

If this is a small liner for a pond, for example, you can do all the work yourself or ask someone from your family or friends to help. A pit of the appropriate size is dug. At the bottom of it, a special cushion is made of crushed stone and sand so that the container is installed securely and does not move or change position after it is filled. It is important, when installing a plastic container in the ground, to ensure that the soil and groundwater do not push it back up. To prevent this from happening, special metal fasteners are used for the container, which are installed in the form of a reinforcement frame on a concrete slab. Low grade concrete is used to fill this slab. In this case, when it is necessary to protect the container as much as possible from displacement by soil and groundwater, when backfilling it, sand mixed with cement is used, which also provides additional fixation and reliability. All this does not have to be done if the groundwater is deep. But, if they lie at a shallow depth, it is better not to be lazy and save money, because otherwise you will still have to spend both time and money.

If the groundwater is shallow and you need reliable fixation of the container during installation, and this is not just a decorative pond, but something more important, for example, a sewage container or a reservoir for storing water, it is better to have the work done by professionals. Yes, it will cost more than installing it yourself, but the quality is guaranteed one hundred percent, while amateurs could make mistakes.

Features of installing a plastic container in the ground

• At the first stage, the place where the pit will be dug and the container will be installed is determined. For example, if this is a container for storing imported water or sewage waste, access roads are also needed so that the special equipment servicing them can easily approach and then leave.

• The pit must be dug of sufficient depth and width to provide free space on the sides. You can’t stop halfway and try to squeeze the container into a pit that’s almost the right size. It can be damaged and its integrity compromised. Therefore, it is better not to rush and dig a pit with the necessary parameters.

• It is better to carry out work in the warm season, not in winter, so that the soil is not frozen and the air temperature is not too low.

• Sand-cement, sand-gravel mixture or a concrete slab can be used as a cushion, depending on the characteristics of the soil, the depth of groundwater, the volume and purpose of the container itself.

• To prevent the container from floating, you can use not only a frame, but also special cables that are attached to a concrete slab installed below.

• If the container needs to be installed at a greater depth, you will need to purchase an additional neck to extend it and have access from the surface of the ground.

Professional services for installing plastic containers in the ground

If you turn to specialists, they will do the job quickly and efficiently. Specialists will study the type of soil, the depth of groundwater, select the optimal location on the site to install the container, take into account its volume, features, and select the appropriate type of special equipment and method of reinforcement, if necessary. You can be sure that the container will be installed as needed, its integrity and all other characteristics will be preserved.