Handyman Guide > The sewage system

The house drainage system serves two purposes. First, it must safely carry away all waste matter from the house to some disposal point, which may be either a community sewage system or a cesspool or septic tank. Second, it must prevent the gases formcd by the sewage from entering the house by flowing back through the sewer pipes and out the fixture drains.

It is very important, for your health, that this system be properly installed and kept in good repair. Faulty hot water systems are an inconvenience and a leaky pipe may cause damage, but sewer gases are poisonous and sewage carries many harmful germs.


Unfortunately for the home mechanic, most minor repair jobs involving the house plumbing system will deal with the sewage system. As no work of this type is considered pleasant, the home mechanic should see to it that the system is not abused.

Vent Stack. To provide a safe means of disposing of sewer gas, an extension of the sewer pipe runs through the roof of the house. This is called a vent stack, and it allows the gases in the system to pass harmlessly into the outside air. A fresh air intake for this venting system is provided in the lower portion of the sewer pipe. This must be done so that the gases may flow freely out of the system. If this fresh air intake becomes blocked, the ventilating system will not operate properly. In a correctly installed system, however, the intake will be so located and designed that no foreign matter can enter it, under normal conditions.

The tops of the vent stacks above the roof must not become choked with ice, leaves, or any other substance. If this should happen, the pressure generated by the sewer gas in the system will cause the water to rumble as it flows down the drain. If the pressure of the gas is great enough, it can force its way through a fixture drain, bringing sewage along with it.

Any cracks in sewer pipes should be immediately repaired, for these provide an easy escape for sewer gas.

SEWAGE DISPOSAL

There are several methods of disposing of sewage. In cities, or in any densely populated areas, the drain pipes from the house run into a community sewer pipe which brings the sewage to a disposal plant for treatment to render it harmless. In this case, the homeowner is only concerned with the pipe from the house to the city sewer line.


Cesspools. In rural areas where houses are not close together, a leaching cesspool or septic tank is used to dispose of all waste from the house. A cesspool is nothing more than a large hole in the ground lined with stone or concrete blocks placed in such fashion that the water can pass through the walls into the surrounding soil.

The disadvantage of this system is obvious. The soil around the cesspool will become contaminated in time, and this may lead to the pollution of the water supply, should it be drawn from a nearby well. Even if the well is located a considerable distance from the cesspool, there is no assurance that the water will not become contaminated. It is quite possible, due to rock formations, for the sewage to reach the water supply even though the cesspool is lower than the well.

When a cesspool fills up, the only effective remedy is to build another alongside and connect the two. It is wise to have the water in the well tested occasionally to be certain that it is safe.


Continue to Disadvantages of cesspools, grease traps and septic tanks




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