Morales, Myca Linea J.

BS- Architecture 3-2

Fixtures used in Septic tank

Septic Tank

a receptacle or vault used to collect organic waste discharge from

the house sewer.

A covered watertight tank for receiving the discharge from a

building sewer, separating out the solid organic matter which is
decomposed and purified by anaerobic bacteria and allowing the
clarified liquid to discharge for final disposal.

Anything that floats rises to the top and forms a layer known as the scum
layer. Anything heavier than water sinks to form the sludge layer. In the
middle is a fairly clear water layer. This body of water contains bacteria and
chemicals like nitrogen and phosphorous that act as fertilizers, but it is
largely free of solids.

Wastewater comes into the septic tank from the sewer pipes in the house

A septic tank naturally produces gases (caused by bacteria breaking down

the organic material in the wastewater), and these gases don't smell good.
Sinks therefore have loops of pipe called P-traps that hold water in the lower
loop and block the gases from flowing back into the house. The gases flow up
a vent pipe instead
As new water enters the tank, it displaces the water that's already there.
This water flows out of the septic tank and into a drain field. A drain field is
made of perforated pipes buried in trenches filled with gravel. The diagram
shows an overhead view of a house, septic tank, distribution box and drain
field:

The water is slowly absorbed and filtered by the ground in the drain field.
The size of the drain field is determined by how well the ground absorbs

water. In places where the ground is hard clay that absorbs water very
slowly, the drain field has to be much bigger.
A septic system is normally powered by nothing but gravity. Water flows
down from the house to the tank, and down from the tank to the drain field.
It is a completely passive system.
Concrete septic tank

Advantages

Have higher liquid waste level than plastic septic tanks.

There is no chance of floating since its heavy, unlike plastic

septic tanks.

Concrete tanks are long lasting and extremely durable

Disadvantages

Very expensive.

These septic tanks can crack under extreme circumstances.

Since its heavy, it is very difficult to install.

Though very durable, they can crack and are more prone to leaks.

Metal septic tank

Disadvantages

Least durable and least popular tank option.

Designed to last no more than 20-25 years.

Steel top covers can rust through and cause an unsuspecting person to
fall into the tank.

Covers can be replaced without replacing the entire tank.

Plastic septic tank

Advantages

More cost-effective than a concrete septic tank.

Very resistant to cracking, unlike concrete.

4

Does not rust

Weighs less than concrete, it is much easier to get a plastic septic

tank into the location for installation.

Water-tight and corrosion proof.

Disadvantages

Tend to have lower liquid waste levels

If not installed properly, a plastic septic tank can float to the surface
of the ground.

Plastic is such a light-weight material, it can be damaged at

installation.

Toilet Cistern

The Flush Mechanism

The purpose of the tank is to act like the bucket of water described in
the previous section. You have to get enough water into the bowl fast enough
to activate the siphon. If you tried to do that using a normal house
water pipe, water would not come in fast enough -- the siphon would never
start. So the tank acts as a capacitor. It holds several gallons of water, which
it takes perhaps 30 to 60 seconds to accumulate. When you flush, all of the

water in the tank is dumped into the bowl in about three seconds -- the
equivalent of pouring in a bucket of water.
There is a chain attached to the handle on the side of the tank. When you
push on the handle, it pulls the chain, which is connected to the flush valve.
The chain lifts the flush valve, which then floats out of the way, revealing a
2- to 3-inch (5.08- to 7.62-cm) diameter drain hole. Uncovering this hole
allows the water to enter the bowl. In most toilets, the bowl has been molded
so that the water enters the rim, and some of it drains out through holes in
the rim. A good portion of the water flows down to a larger hole at the
bottom of the bowl. This hole is known as the siphon jet. It releases most of
the water directly into the siphon tube. Because all of the water in the bowl
enters the tank in about three seconds, it is enough to fill and activate the
siphon effect, and all of the water and waste in the bowl is sucked out.
The Refill Mechanism
So the bowl will flush as long as we dump enough water into it to
activate the siphon. And the purpose of the tank and the flush valve is to
hold and then dump about 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water very quickly into the
bowl. Once the tank has emptied, the flush valve resituates itself in the
bottom of the tank, covering the drain hole so the tank can be refilled. It is
the job of the refill mechanism to fill the tank back up with enough water to
start the whole process again.
The refill mechanism has a valve that turns the water on and off. The valve
turns the water on when the filler float (or ball float) falls. The float falls
when the water level in the tank drops. The filler valve (or refill valve) sends
water in two directions.
Some of the water goes down the refill tube and starts refilling the tank. The
rest goes through the bowl refill tube, and down the overflow tube into the
bowl. This refills the bowl slowly. As the water level in the tank rises, so does
the float. Eventually the float rises far enough to turn the valve off.