friend of stouby

Good question Dave! Both companies (listed as groundworkers in PJ and middle aged men) so far have pondered the same question. Yes we are on slopes with one continuous one falling away from the house and new fosse site. That's the reason for posing the question here as we don't understand the problem with adequate fall and adequate space to build whatever is required??? We have a third man arriving on Monday, this chap has worked for us before. He is recommended by everybody so we will wait and see but was trying to understand the problem before he arrived. Thanks for your interest.

Thanks Dave We have a diagram from SIVOM for the drain type filter they want us to use, but the item that the two potential ground workers are puzzling over is item 13 on your drawing. As we neither have a ditch or a stream within about 400m of the filter exit (No.13), they want to know what they should do with the exit water. I didn't think we would have the only property without a ditch downstream, but both of these companies are pondering this problem? Thanks

I have to guess as to inclination as all sandstone in the lower field has a soil covering. That said, due to a small quarry to one side of the area under discussion, it's possible to see a side view. On mentioning this, the quarry base is never waterlogged either. So, as this is a much lower point than the surrounding areas on all sides, it has just occurred to me that the soil/rock is very permeable... The sandstone area is inclined following the soil surface. The base of the sand filtre is around level or just above the soil above the sandstone.

Good morning The source is so far away as to not be very relevant, also we are discussing the filtered water not pure effluent. We are in rolling countryside, the land falls away in 3 directions away from our house. Quite complex to describe but only one direction is of any relevance... the site of the fosse and filtre. Re the sandstone area, perhaps I didn't explain clearly enough. It is at or very near the surface about 100m down slope of the filtre bed. Sorry, but don't understand your acronyms. There is no ditch that I know of although there is a damp area/tiny stream on occassion about 400m away. We back onto fairly continuous grazing farm land and forest. My question is, what is the technical/official norm if there is no ditch? Thank you

The slope continues downhill from the filtre for maybe 250m. The vegetation is a hay field starting about 35m below the filtre. There is an occassional 'source' about 200m away but not in a direct line with filtre, maybe 40m to the right. There is an underground sandstone area about 100m below the filtre. The soil is loam for about 25cm under pinned by clay and sandstone rock in small and large pieces. We have one area which is very wet in a tropical storm type situation which is above and over the brow of the slope so doesn't affect the fosse area. This we think is from drainage of our neighbours large roof? That apart water doesn't ever lay unless it's tropical, then for only maybe a few minutes and maybe once or twice each year. Thanks

Sorry to start another thread but this doesn't really go into my other thread re costs of a fosse installation. With both visits from prospective fosse fitters they both had the same question " where is the ditch that the water exiting the sand filter will run into ? " The filter bed will be pointed downhill to the hedge dividing us from a neighbouring field. this is around 200m away but with no ditch on either our or our neighbours land. At this they both appeared puzzled as to how to complete the drainage but with one accepting the idea of a UK type soak away 10m down slope of the sand filtre. Is there a standard proceedure in the absence of a ditch? Thanks

The first two of three of terrassement companies have now inspected the proposed fosse installation and one raised a technical point regarding the depth that our fosse would have to be sunk to to enable the correct pente (fall) for the pipe work. We are situated on a slope with the high point behind the house. All pipe work existing and in the future exits from the rear of the house. Due to other factors the fosse will be around 9m from the house, slightly uphill. The internal floors are around 55cm below the ground level touching the rear wall (this will be removed or moved back by about 4m). The fall to the fosse will be around 20- 25cm giving a total below ground level for the fosse inlet of around 80cm. The point raised was - would Sivom allow the fosse and to a lesser extent (as the ground slopes down from fosse to filter bed location) the sand filter to be buried so deep in the ground. Does anyone have any information as to whether there are minimum and maximum depths for the various component parts of a fosse system? Thanks as always

Hello We are considering converting a small stable block into a 2 roomed self contained apartment. It will be simple in respect of a sitting room, bedroom and simple bathroom. The roof type will be the same as the original, a pitched tiled roof. The max dimensions are approx 10 x 4m internally. The stables sit at right angles to the end of our longere house, and are built of local stone. The idea is to pull the original building down and to start from scratch, but re-create the outside to look similar to the existing building. We want to use the original stone of the stables to face a block interior, but built to best insulation standards (hope this is feasible). So I am guessing this will cost a little more than a new build but don't have any idea what the going rate for a new build is anyway. We are in the northern Allier if this affects pricing? Many thanks for any imput.

That's very good, thanks, and you aren't so far away either so maybe prices are similar? We were advised by the inspector that the earthwork people are currently very busy (due to this round of inspections?), so although we don't have to complete a new system yet it will hold up other things if we don't start this by summer. How long did the whole process take, from the start to the finished job?  ...  and thanks again for your time.  

Thanks all, it appears that around 6000 euros was the was the going price about 3 years ago, did that include ventilation for the fosse too? In all cases was the soil excavated removed or left on site as I believe this is a large item in the cost breakdown? We return to France in around 2 weeks and will arrange to get quotes in the following weeks. If any is interested I'll post the totals here. Thank you again.      

Hello We have had our 'Controle de l'assainissement non collectif' inspection and rather than make minor repairs to an old small septic tank we will have a new Fosse septique installed. We will get 2 or 3 quotes locally but wonder if others have had recent quotes for a fairly standard system (as described below) to give us a guide to work from. We were advised that we will need a 3000 ltr fosse with a bac a graisse and a 5m x 5m filter bed in the style of 'Filtre a Sable Draine' due to the underlying soil being clay. We have plenty of land behind the house where the fosse will be located with no boudaries or trees to impinge on what ever site is decided. Access is good for a gravel lorry to be able to dump within about 20m of the fosse area and plenty of room for machinery to work. Fortunately we also have a location on our land that is very suitable for the spoil with the means to move it too, so the contracter only has to pile the excavated soil at a close position to the fossse and we will do the rest. Since we moved to the Allier we have had quotes for 3 separate small projects and all were wide ranging to the extent that it's not easy to say whether the cheapest was a fair price or cutting corners or whether the dearest were taking the p.. or were really the value of a good job? Thanks for any help

Thanks Danny, I did go into the menu via the scart connecton and yes it was set to RGB as the option when first used. Changing to component source was straight forward although on completing that and trying to view a DVD through the component link still didn't work. A new message appeared something in the order of the component connection wasn't made. I did what I would do with a computer and switched the tv and DVD player off and then on again and they both reset. Now have fabulous DVD playback at the click of a button. Thanks for pointing out the possibilities, just so pleased that people are prepared to give their time. Jamie

Thank you all. The various input options are pretty clear on the screen so that's not the problem. In fact it's only possible to get the 'No Signal' message when in Component mode. After reading these comments it has made me think that the DVD player is locked into RGB maybe? When the DVD player was connected for the first time it was into an analogue tv via a scart lead. Is it possible that the first use automatically sets the video out to what it finds, ie RGB (scart) and until I reset it will only send signals via the scart connection? I guess that the problem is I can't get into the menu via the component connection but will have to use the scart connection to access the menu. But then switching to component will cut the transmission via scart? Not near the tv at the moment but will try this later. Thanks

Hello Connected a new TV to other existing eqipment and have a problem with the DVD to TV connection. Am using a new set of Belkin component leads, the usual 3 for video and 2 for audio. The TV shows ' No Signal ' when switched to the component source, and doesn't recognise the DVD player is on and running. Connected the DVD player with a scart lead with no problems, but this tv only has one scart socket I wanted to connect with the superior component leads so that the scart socket is left free for the Sky box. Have I miss connected or failed to switch something which causes this to happen perhaps? Or is there a common fault when using component leads? The tv is a Samsung LE40C530 LCD, the leads are new Belkin, the DVD is a Toshiba SD290EKB about 1 year old and working fine with old and new tv via a scart. Many thanks

What's the weight Jo? as that will dictate which methods you can use to move it.

Thanks again to pachapapa and steve for your inputs, it all helps. pachapapa, you are 'still lost'. What you do want me to explain if anything? I'm here looking for advice from people generous enough to give their time. As this is not my speciality, ask me to explain the parts that you don't understand, it's the least I can do. The idea of looking at the connections from the pole onwards is a good idea, again when we get back from the UK. steve, the thought had crossed my mind re replacing the cable running from the box where it attaches to the end of the house to the master socket, especially as someone has rendered over about 1.5m of it. Thanks

OK here goes. Bought new HD tv. Have read all over that the aerial lead and tv have to be as far from DECT phones as poss. The entry phone socket is currently directly behind where new tv will be positioned. For our use the entry phone socket is totally out of place, so decided to move it anyway, new tv just brought that process forward. Current extension socket is the length of a wall away from the livebox, computer etc, so while moving the entry socket move the extension socket. Also the extension socket is only 1.5m away from site of new tv. By moving both the layout will be much more convenient for us and I guess that's all part of it. By setting up new eqipement in the UK recently and reading it is imperative to fit a modem to the entry phone socket I have to believe Talk Talk, I don't know better. Which is where we came in with the reasoning that placing the entry socket close to where the livebox is would create a favourable situation in regard to an unreliable Orange livebox setup. We use the Orange VOIP livebox as our main phone, but as it cuts about every 3rd or 4th call we can't rely entirely on that for comms, we have 4 very elderly relatives who feel comfortable with being able to phone us at any time. The FT phone system has never gone down. Sorry it's so long winded but now you have all the detail. Thanks for your interest, Jamie

Thanks pachapapa. That then allows for the entry box to be moved closer to the the point of entry, the FT phone located there using the entry box, and a new cable for a single extension to run diagonally across the room to be located next to the livebox and computer. So each phone socket has one unit in each. Just 2 further points. Is there a superior quality cable to use for the extension, and why would a telecoms provider such as Tak Talk insist on placing the modem at the entry box, is it different for the UK?

Hello Danny, thanks also for your comments. No I haven't plugged the livebox into the master socket as yet, as mentioned above I'll get a longer ADSL cable and will do that when we return from the UK. We have a filter fitted to the only socket in use, and as Orange always suggest on the phone that the filter is faulty we now have tried 4 new ones, we don't think they are all faulty? The FT phone/modem is connected as per the first diagram in your link, with the phone plugged in the back of the filter. As per the insistence from Talk Talk for our UK phone line system, my idea is to use the master socket for the livebox to try to create a more reliable internet and livephone, therefore the original question of is there a special connecting box (which isn't a phone socket) that will enable me to extend the master socket down the length on one wall. Thank you for taking the trouble to answer Jamie

Thanks for your thoughts Ame, but having checked the master socket there is no 'Test' marking. On buying the house the master socket had a bell connected to it. It had the volume of an outside bell but inside! We couldn't take that for long and just pulled out the standard phone plug that the bell used to make connection to the socket. The phone was on the extension, both worked normally. The last FT engineer explained to us that our master socket was the master socket by pointing out the differences with the cover off of box the master and the extension sockets. Both sockets are in the same room. We use a desktop as our main computer due to it's easy connectivity to all the peripherals, so not so easily moved. I will buy a longer ADSL cable to test the idea of one and then both untis being plugged into the master socket. We are the last home in the hameau on the phone line, it ends at our house, and find the internet and live phone erratic. We have had FT/Orange in to check various symptons a number of times, and although they have found one or two items haven't made the service completely reliable (or put another way if we go for more than a day without a disconnection we remark on it), we are told it's as good as they can make it. We don't quite believe this but difficult to argue with an expert. Finally, a couple of months ago we changed UK phone service provider to Talk Talk, the instructions for connecting the modem were very specific, put the modem on to the master socket. Thank you again

We need to move the master phone socket about 5 m further away from it's current location. The master socket has nothing plugged into it. The single extension socket has both a phone and a livebox plugged into it. The idea is to move the master socket to where the livebox, computer and desk is. To do this the incoming cable has to be extended. So is there such a thing as a phone line connecting box or will a standard junction box with a set of connecting blocks do the job? From the newly located master socket an extension lead will run back roughly toward the cable entry point to enable an extension box to be fitted, into this the FT phone will be connected. The reason for placing the master phone socket near to the livebox and computer is having read that the modem should be connected to the master phone socket where ever possible, although I stand to be corrected on this. We also have the fault that when the original FT phone line rings the link to the internet is immediately broken... every time. Was hoping that by giving the modem first shot at the phone line this may not happen? Very sorry for such a drawn out question, thanks.

Thanks very much. After reading all the above we'll probably look at the forcast a week ahead and travel without chains if there are no adverse or unusual weather conditions. A few years ago we had planned an alpine road trip to take in a couple of the higher road passes within France. There were weather reports that a severe storm had struck the Alps but we decided to travel anyway 2 days after the storm. We were amazed at seeing 2m+ of snow had fallen and all roads perfectly clear, this was mid June. Thanks again

Thanks Anton, but the probable vehicle we will use is a large van with commercial sized wheels & tyres, I think that chains for this are a bit more than 30 euros? The part I am not sure of is whether through transit vehicles are subject to the same regulation as local traffic. Thanks

Hello again We may make a pleasure/business driving trip through to Greece in April. The route is 03000 Moulins - Mont Blanc Tunnel - Milano - Bari - Greece The question is, as we are travelling from Macon onwards on autoroute only, are chains or winter tyres mandatory? The are several reasons for asking - We have the choice of two vehicles with different wheel sizes so different chain sizes? If driving only on autoroutes, do regs for winter driving apply re chains or tyres or as the autoroutes are kept relatively clear is it different as we are purely passing through the area? (We travel to and from the UK about every 4 weeks and no one has suggested we use chains even though we have met snow on both of the last 2 trips, each way). Is it a better option to drive down the Rhone valley and across to Torino a better but longer option to avoid snow or having to buy chains? All opinions gratefully received  

Thanks to all for opinions and details, I will further check whether there is French type approval for the car model I am interested in. I think that if it doesn't exist I'll leave well alone, but as part of my interest is in air cooled engines I will pursue this as far as is practical. Thanks again