cjm

Tried to Search this, but failed to get relevant info from Search option. Got two concrete fosse. Original house feeds the larger fosse housed in the garage below the terrace; second fosse adjacent to first with sloping link pipe between two (larger to smaller). House extention, water waste only, feeds directly to second fosse. Both concrete fosse appear to have no extraction points. I shall ask locally, but hoped someone may have some knowledge.

White Trash

So what is your question?

cjm

How do you 'vide' the thing as apart from the large polypipe entry points and the link polypipe between the two, there is no other access point?

White Trash

Fosses normally have two large inspection lids on top of the tank itself. When the fosses are buried they are often covered with earth and grass, etc. grown over the top so they are often lost. If a fosse has been built over, like with decking or a floor then it may be a big problem for you. Maybe it is possible to detach the linking pipe where it joins the upper/larger tank and feed the suction hose into the tank from there. There should be nothing but liquid in the lower tank as the "solids" will be trapped in the top one.

cjm

Ought to have explained in more detail. The two fosse sit on top of the earth garage floor, fully exposed, but with no obvious entry point for a suction pump. It may be that we have to detach one of the entry pipes and go that route as you touched upon.
We have though bitten the proverbial though and spoken with the Maire's office and booked a rendezvous with a guy a few km away who 'looks after' this area. I'll report back on whether he has a solution or shrugs -

Ka Ora!

No screw lids on them? But from the explanation it sounds like you might have the ones that don't need emptying just let them trundle along as they are unless they are malfunctioning and kak is oozing out the end. They should be inspected and you get a certificate anyway by the "I forget the name"

White Trash

Inspection at some point is a legal requirement and emptying (there will always be a slow buildup of gunge in the bottom of a properly functioning fosse septique) will need to be done by a licensed contractor and a certificate issued. These systems have been known to go for 20 years without attention or problems of any sort but now that our lives are controlled by the eco-nazis in Brussels it is all now under strict regulation. The emptying interval can be every 3 or 4 years depending on the whim of the local authority.

dmu

I hardly dare admit this, but ours has been going since we bought the house about 28 years ago and we've never had any problems. If we wanted to sell the house we'd have problems, but the whole village is scheduled to be converted to "tout à l'égoût" in the not-too-distant future, so fingers crossed....

cjm

Always rely on you dmu to make me smile. That's a sort of record I guess. Our village is due for 'mains', if the lotissement gets permission.

cjm

The man with the big sucking machine visited today. Notwithstanding what he had come to collect, my OH and myself were keenly interested to know how he was going to get access to the large, rear fosse that takes the foul waste. There is a 'lid', but it seemed an integral part of the concrete structure. Out came lump hammer and chisel and after chipping away the circular reinforced concrete lid was revealed. We had earlier read that it is the proprietor's responsibility to expose and free the lid and provide water for the flushing. But, our man, just got on with it, using his own water hose from the lorry.
When the lid was off, a peek inside showed the full almost to the brim interior. Big suction hose then employed to do its work.
Learned that the second fosse took the liquid overflow which somehow is filtered away into the wider area!
My job was to refit the lid and to re-mortar the edges to seal it all up again. We've been here over three years, so it has done well I feel. Cost was a tad over €180.
Interesting, last evening at the Mairie, a reunion to receive a presentation on the mains being put into the village, possibly by Autumn 2013. It will employ an eco reed/filter bed system and will embrace a new lotissement, which I feel is the reason why the investment is being made.

dmu

Thanks for that. I'm dreading anything going wrong with ours now, it's indoors, in the basement, used as a support for a load of clutter, and I just hope that the infamous sucking machine has a long enough hose!

cuthbert

and you have good ventilation

cjm

dmu, so long as you can get access to remove the concrete lid, which on mine was mortered in like a stopper, you'll have no problems.
As to smell cuthbert, I refrained on detail in case anyone was eating. No smell to speak of when lid removed , but when being sucked out the air in general was more than a tad rank and we both stepped back several paces. But, it may be the tanker the waste is siphoned into has some form of vent pipe, as we were in the road and fosse inside garage

kazzo

We had to have our fosse pumped and cleaned last summer. Similar situation in that we had to break the concrete round the edge of the main opening on the top of the fosse to gain access.
Our neighbour arranged the 'local man with mobile tank and pump' to come round one sunday afternoon. Neighbour duly joined us to supervise the pumping out and cleaning - we provided the water - and to ensure that we offered Pinot and appropriate snacks after the whole process. (Pump man declined the offer of a place to wash his hands and so we kind of went of the bowl of nuts he was dipping in and out of...) Oh and this cost us 100 euros (our neighbour always knows how to get things done for a good price!!)
We understand this is the first time that the fosse has been pumped and cleaned since about 1986. However we do use a biological activator in our fosse which we were recommended to use as we understand helps keep it functioning properly for longer. The products are called Epacil or Tarex that we use - does anyone else use these, or are we wasting our money?

dmu

We regularly use biological activators, and I think you and I are both living proof that they help keep the fosse functioning for longer, and certainly aren't a waste of money!!
P.S. I presume everyone knows that you must never put eau de Javel in the loo, nor take antibiotics without using the above activators?