Water changes- Water level below septic pipe

[HarleyK]

Howdy

I’m thinking about setting up a large tank in my basement. The only problem is that the outlet to the septic tank is about 5 feet off the ground, meaning that water changes would need help beyond gravity. An alternative is the basement floor drainage that goes into the front yard underground and comes out in a ditch, but I’m worried about freezing (living next door to Canada).

I figure a pump is obviously needed and was wondering if anyone here has a setup under similar circumstances that they might share their experiences? I used to have a gravity-fed drip system, but that’s not going to work....

thanks
HarleyK

 

[Toby_H]

Worrying about the floor drain's discharge freezing is a very legitimate concern. Especially being next door to Canada. I strongly suggest moving south. way South.

 

[dr exum]

hey -

i have a float switch (auto top off .com) that turns on at a set water level and pumps water out - water is dripped in on 1/4” line - have a water level sensor that turns off water if it gets too high -

alternatively you could maybe deploy some sort of heating wire down and out the drain to prevent freezing- or do pumping in winter and gravity when warmer?

i got pics and more info if needed -

cheers!

 

[TwoHedWlf]

Howdy

I’m thinking about setting up a large tank in my basement. The only problem is that the outlet to the septic tank is about 5 feet off the ground, meaning that water changes would need help beyond gravity. An alternative is the basement floor drainage that goes into the front yard underground and comes out in a ditch, but I’m worried about freezing (living next door to Canada).

I figure a pump is obviously needed and was wondering if anyone here has a setup under similar circumstances that they might share their experiences? I used to have a gravity-fed drip system, but that’s not going to work....

thanks
HarleyK

I frequently plug a hose onto the outlet of my FX5 to pump water out and around the irrigation system in my garden. I've also had a hose on a big pond pump, just throw it in the tank and plug it in. Both I could connect straight to the kitchen tap to refill the tank through them.

Both worked great.

 

[Oughtsix]

I plumbed my tank into the house plumbing. Hot an cold go into a temperature balancing valve than then feeds a float valve in the sump.


When the water in the sump gets low the float valve automatically opens and fills the sump back to the preset water height.


I also have a separate purge pump that pumps water directly down the drain.




The purge pump pumps water out of the first compartment. The float valve fills the second compartment. The fresh water has to go from the second compartment, through the return pump, into the main tank, through the entire main tank, then back down the overflow before it is pumped down the drain with the dirty water. The purge pump is on a timer and pumps about 30g of water down the drain every morning. Because this happens in about 10 minutes much less fresh water goes down the drain than with a continuous drip system.

The only thing you won't be able to do is add an emergency overflow to your sump to prevent a flood. You could use a float switch to trip an emergency pump in case the water level in the sump gets too high.

I thought I loved this auto water change system. Evidently I don't love it NEARLY as much as my fish and plants love it. Both love the daily fresh water changes!

P.S. I am on well water so I don't treat my water at all before adding it to my tanks.

 

[BIG-G]

I have my tank setup with a sump and plumbed with a Tee on the return line with shutoff valves to a pipe that drains to the yard.
A water change is as simple as closing one valve and opening another to divert the water from the return.
No need for a second pump just for a water change.

 

[FJB]

I have tanks in my basement, where there are no drains. I use a sump pump to deliver waste water to the backyard lawn, via a gardeners hose that I maintain inside the basement so it does not freeze in winter. I made a elevated hole on the wall next to a window and fitted a piece of pvc that allows the garden hose to be extended through it. On water change days, I push the hose out and walk out to extend it to where I want the waste water to go; when done, I pull most of the hose minus about a foot, which stays on the pvc (elevated), and most of the hose is stored emptied of water inside the basement. It is a simple system but it works well. I have thought about installing a permanent pvc pipe but decided not to do it due to aesthetics and fear of freezing.

 

[Randys]

I’m thinking about setting up a large tank in my basement. The only problem is that the outlet to the septic tank is about 5 feet off the ground, meaning that water changes would need help beyond gravity.

You may want to do some research on septic tanks. When I did I was surprised to learn that pumping large amounts of water into your septic is not good for it. They don't even recommend running your washing machine several times in one day (although we do anyways). My basement 300 gets drained out into the backyard (it's a walkout basement) and my main floor 90 gets drained out the front door onto the driveway and then onto the lawn.

 

[deeda]

I agree with Randys re: avoiding dumping into septic system.

I might also be hesitant on using the floor drain system depending on how it is set up. If it's just a sump in the floor that ejects out through piping to the front ditch, it might be workable though you would want to be sure that tank water could not back up into the floor drain system. You might also want to see if local authorities prohibit non-ground water from being discharged into the front ditch.

Do you have enough backyard ground space to just dump on the surface until you can figure out another option?