Archie Posted September 16, 2016 Share Posted September 16, 2016 Hi AllThis is my first post after spending a lot of my time reading the helpful comments here.Our house has a fosse septique (plastic so not ancient) and we assume the grey water goes to a soakaway as when we dug down to locate the fosse, the shower, basin and washer waste pipe went past the fosse. We have no idea where it goes to - my question is that if we use a lot of water eg washer, dishwasher, showers etc in a short space of time, will the soakaway drain more slowly? Thanks in anticipationA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted September 16, 2016 Share Posted September 16, 2016 In my experience it's not the amount of water, it's what is in with the water. We had a very ancient soakaway that eventually backed up, and I'm sure it was down to grease etc.. So I rerouted into another soak away; and put a grease trap in line, also now before plates etc. go into the dishwasher we wipe over with kitchen towel. Also of course it depends a lot on the type of soil that is in your garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted September 17, 2016 Author Share Posted September 17, 2016 Thanks NickP, it hadn't occured to me that the soil type might have something to do with it. It's quite chalky here but there isn't much of it and is like concrete where it hasn't been cultivated.The prophet of doom that is my OH is convinced that the fosse is about to explode and won't be convinced that the grey water doesn't go into it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 I am fairly certain that current norms do require grey water to be routed through the fosse, but if they are not so routed the world is not going to come to an end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted September 17, 2016 Author Share Posted September 17, 2016 I believe it is the case and it is something we'll need to face up to in the near future ... not really looking forward to it though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmite Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 [quote user="Archie"]I believe it is the case and it is something we'll need to face up to in the near future ... not really looking forward to it though[/quote]Archie it might be a good idea to gen up on the new regs, if you are expecting a visits from the jobs worth to look at you fosse by sorting out the waste before they come might save you a lot of grief. Yes waste from sinks baths etc have to pass through the tank If its not to their satisfacation they might not pass but if done any other small infractions they might overlook. We had ours put in years ago by a local farmer with his digger, there was no vent pipe in the system ( because he hadn't one) I read that its now a requirement, so before our visit by mr inspector to check the fosse septic I put one in, he saw it and was very impressed that there was one there, he passed our system as acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 [quote user="andyh4"]I am fairly certain that current norms do require grey water to be routed through the fosse, but if they are not so routed the world is not going to come to an end.[/quote]Yup; called a "fosse toutes eaux". And it does demand a Grease Trap on the waste water: called a Bac Degraisseur.The only water that must under no circumstances enter the fosse is gutter water.Ergo, a soakaway; or better yet a big reservoir tank for recycling and watering the garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajal Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 And it does demand a Grease Trap on the waste water: called a Bac Degraisseur.Only if the fosse is installed 10mts or more from the bathroom and kitchen waste.regardscajal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 [quote user="cajal"]And it does demand a Grease Trap on the waste water: called a Bac Degraisseur.Only if the fosse is installed 10mts or more from the bathroom and kitchen waste.regardscajal[/quote]Which is fine.If one likes the concept of the grey water clogging up the outlets in the discharge field and having to dig it up etc every few years...I have been utterly horrified, over the years to see the gunge from detergents, bathroom products which reside in waste pipes; and that's without the gunge from sinks and dishwashers in kitchens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chessie Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Oh my crumbs.... the reference to -'grey water clogging up the outlets in the discharge field.............'Yikes - what the heck is that ? I'd happily imagined all my lovely warm shower water, and the lovely delicate wash detergent for my expensive silks - just went straight into the ground and soaked away.You mean, you really do mean, don't you - that the pipes going from the fosse to take away the grey water do - over time - actually get clogged ?How the heck are we supposed to know when that is happening; do we sugger blocked sinks - even with no gunge in them ? - or do the loos 'back-up' ?Can we use bottles and bottles of CocaCola to flush these discharge pipes and stop them getting clogged ?Oh heck - yet another thing to worry about....thanks very much Mr G.Chessie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Chessie, you will eventually get your fosse controlled and if "some" grey water doesn't go into the fosse, you are in for a shock fine. Better get your silk underwear wash water redirected to the fosse in the very near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chessie Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 OK - probably got the wrong end of the bath water here...We are in a new build - 2002; new fosse; has been inspected and approved. Emptied twice as well.So are you being very kind, and reassure me, that we will not have clogged pipes anywhere ? So with a new fosse where does the 'grey water' actually go ? I've never really understood the system; I just assumed the fosse collected what it should, and that the shower, bath and sink water just - well just sort of - disappeared into the ground.It was the 'clogged pipes in a field' that brought me up with a jolt...............Chessie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyn_Paul Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 I can think of no reason to think that the guck which accumulates in waste pipes, shower traps etc, would end up blocking the pipes in a field drain. I cannot imagine it getting beyond the fosse, unless you are running prodigious quantities of water through it (in which case it is under-sized for the system).The bacteria in a fosse will digest hair (eventually) which is the main culprit in the guck. the rest is muck and soap residue. - none of which would stop in the bac de grasse as it's not lighter than the water it's in Yes, some of it ends up in the field or sand filter, but blocking the pipes? Really, I don't think this is something you need lose sleep over.My feeling is that a l-o-n-g field drain of perforated pipe is a better bet (assuming the percolation ratio is ok) for grey water. as the soil nearest the house becomes saturated, the water simply flows further along the pipe.Many microbiologists would say that grey water has no business in a fosse, diluting the bacteria, and killing it off with modern household cleaners, but that's EU rules and regs for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Posted October 15, 2016 Author Share Posted October 15, 2016 Thanks for all your replies, they've been really helpful. Apologies for the delay in responding but we're back in the UK for work currently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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