Septic tank needs updating

There’s spanking and SPANC’ing… make no mistake… or it could prove painful :roll_eyes::rofl::rofl:

Both possibly dirty!

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Hi, Yes - the house used to be a house and a gite with a FS at each end, but only what is now a bedroom bathroom end has a grease trap and it sounds as if water from the kitchen and buanderie go through the back of the house to that FS as well. From there the diagram shows a piusard (which must be well buried or have pipework going uphill), but its obvious to anyone with eyes that there is a pipe going down the side of the house to a big cover over what I presume is water tank and from there the pipework goes across to join the pipes from the kitchen FS. Can clearly be seen from Google Earth.
However there is a FS outside the kitchen and the SPANC diagram shows that as having drainage down the garden with 2 regards to that pipework.
The recommendations on the report say a decolloideur is necessary and actually recommend a whole new system!
Anyway my husband comes home on Sunday and SPANC are coming out on Tuesday. So maybe we will find out whats what!

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So what do people think SPANC will advise from my starting point above. I have no fosse, a long drop and a sink with a well fed water supply? Where do I start please. I also have a fresh water spring running through my land so I assuming positioning is going to be everything when it comes to installing the fosse. My French is probably not yet of sufficient quality to conduct a full conversation on the subject. What would folks advise I do please.

You need to have a meeting on site with spanc. I strongly advise a French speaker to be with you. Our first meeting was really difficult , the second time the contractor came out and rang us later to tell us what was discussed. We were in the UK.

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Brian… remind us… which Department are you in ??

Likely as not, you will need a soil test so that SPANC can tell you what type of system you can have.
If you can, consider the water treatment systems. The need less work to install than a gravel bed and can work out cheaper. There is a company in Northern France called ATS Pumps that supply them. They are English, but are approved and licensed here.

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I’m in Mayenne just outside or Ernee

Thank you Paul I can do a lot of the ground works myself as I used to be a landscape gardener I just need to know requirements for pipe laying etc. But I will look this company up thank you.

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OK… too far for me then, I’m afraid.

If I had your installation I would have toilettes sèches (lots of eco websites will tell you how to organise them) and think how green and economical with water you are being.

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Thanks Stella I will see if my Eatate agentnof her husband can come along as she is English but fluent French speaking. She has been great so far.

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Good idea… it is important that all parties understand what is going on and what is being said.

SPANC are usually very helpful… just make sure they write everything down…(or your friend does)… as it is so easy to forget what was said… suggested… agreed… :thinking::wink:

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I’ve just been looking at water treatment systems they could be just the ideal thing for me, my only concern is how much soil depth I have but hopefully this is something I can work out. I wasn’t able to find ATS via a web search so if you have more details on them that would be much appreciated

Just don’t drop your mobile down there whilst drafting a reply to latest Brexit circus!

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Hi Brian,

ATS Pumps? I don’t know where I pulled that from! I obviously wasn’t concentrating. The company is Automated Environmental Systems. I found them as I was looking for a replacement pump for a friends pool. It came in at half the price of one sourced from a French shop.
Looked at their site and chatted with their man in France. I think they would be very competitive.
[https://www.automatedenvironmentalsystems.co.uk/]
Regards
Paul

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Brilliant thanks Paul I was having a bit of a job locating it I must say! Lol

Yes - Brian do get it written down.
We have had our SPANC visit now and the assessors agreed we DO have pipework and a manhole cover that wasnt mentioned on the last report. (I have a feeling that the previous owners may have put in the shower room drainage without permission as he could tell it was only 5 yrs old, yet no additional work was noted in the files).
Also found that they only looked at what was obvious (so it would have been easy for the last owners to have not shown SPANC what would have been hidden in long grass) and didnt query why we couldnt actually find a fosse for that end of the building! We have now found another fosse hidden inside the back of the garage.
Next stage is a repeat visit with the original assessor next Monday at the request of the guys that came last week.

Just had my new system installed. I plumped for a Tricel system which is big enough for the habitable surface area of the property.
The guy who did it performed miracles as the ground he was digging in was mainly brick rubble from when the house was built in 1977.
He put everything back as it should be even managing o finish off the surface with original topsoil.
The lady inspector from the Tricel company checked the system and verified it ok to use and officially wired it up.

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Hi Peter,

Were you satisfied with the Tricel product?

Best regards