The only advice I can offer is to never ask a pro how to do something.
They will tell you to hire a pro every time.
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right size of excavator for septic tank replacement
- Thread starter coolcatman1
- Start date
The only advice I can offer is to never ask a pro how to do something.
They will tell you to hire a pro every time.
Just to cheer things up here. Heres a tank I installed last week and did the job with a Case 580M backhoe.
You can see off to the left of new tank where the old tank was. I pumped it out , crushed up top half of tank , filled with sand , and ran drain pipe through it to new tank.
You can see off to the left of new tank where the old tank was. I pumped it out , crushed up top half of tank , filled with sand , and ran drain pipe through it to new tank.
Attachments
Not totally relevant ... but heres one I did a couple of weeks ago. The designer included a pump in the replacement system I was putting in. I did about 2 minutes investigating and decided I could lift tank ten inches and save the customer from having a pump , so thats what I did. Heres the tank lift out pic and system complete pic. doug
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special tool
Senior Member
What put that tank into the hole?
In the first thread of mine , the delivery trucks crane set the tank.
special tool
Senior Member
Yeah - that's how we usually do it, unless you don't really have a "road" for a remote site.
coolcatman1
Active Member
power joke thats entirely ok i was laughing my arse off reading your posts:falldownlaugh that basicly consisted of a english comprehension class curriculum im still laughing and in tears because of the replys as for the tank i will be starting the project soon and thanks for all the replys
ointlaugh and these smile's are awesome when i start the project i will have to :stirthepot (or in this case stir the tank) and then im sure something will hit the :shf and then i will be so that i will want to ointhead but i will end up :guns:spongebob
those are great i can tell a whole story just with smilies
ointlaugh and these smile's are awesome when i start the project i will have to :stirthepot (or in this case stir the tank) and then im sure something will hit the :shf and then i will be so that i will want to ointhead but i will end up :guns:spongebob those are great i can tell a whole story just with smilies
Orchard Ex
Super Moderator
I hope that everybody has had a chance to calm down and take a breath. Just because somebody asks a question doesn't automatically mean that they don't have any experience, they are just asking a question. I don't want this board to turn into another "Hire a Pro!" or "If you have to ask you won't be able to do it" answer to every question. Every pro moves into new areas and needs advice too. So let's stop assuming the worst and try to be be helpful.
special tool
Senior Member
I agree.
bill onthehill
Senior Member
I learned a long time ago it is cheaper and a lot safer to ask questions first. So with that in mind can somebody tell me how to stretch my social security to buy a small place in Florida? The wife sees the leafs turning color and keeps wanting to move south.
Deereboy
Active Member
I have a question about the tank removal. I have seen where most fill it with sand.Is that something to do with enviroment? I remove them in eastern Canada,and all i have to do is pump them out and crush /break up the old tank (usually metal) for easy removal. Just wondering.
plummen
Member
depends on where youre located and your local codes.ive dug up lots of old septics that were just made from cinder block,usually the mortar joints are gone and yard has become one big cess pool! when i do sewer hookups to houses that have existing septic tank i usaully bring the new sewer in as close to the house as i can then i pump the tank into the cleanouts on new sewer before crushing tank and connecting new sewer to house.as far as setting new tanks i usaully just dig the hole and let the guys delivering the tank set it with crane on their truck. then i just do the hookups and run the laterals
when i do sewer hookups to houses that have existing septic tank i usaully bring the new sewer in as close to the house as i can then i pump the tank into the cleanouts on new sewer before crushing tank and connecting new sewer to house.as far as setting new tanks i usaully just dig the hole and let the guys delivering the tank set it with crane on their truck. then i just do the hookups and run the laterals I usually break them up and remove also ,whether they are metal or concrete. But some times it is ok to leave it there as fill and add sand so there is no voids. There no environmental reason I fill with sand , its just so there is no voids.
diggerman57
Well-Known Member
I don't know what the laws are where your from, but in Massachusetts if you don't have the design approved by an engineer, have a permit, and are licensed to do septic work in the particular town you're in, you'd have big problems if you got caught. That being said, it sounds like you have the right equipment for the job. Good luck with your project. It's not rocket science, but it's by no means easy. Stock up on Advil for your headache pain just in case.lol
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Deereboy
Active Member
Up here i do need and have a liecence from Dept of Health and they need to look at it before and after(for their fee of coarse). I just wondered about the sand,and if leaving it in ground filling makes sence.
At some point of their lives, even the "Professionals" installed their first tank, I wonder if they were met with the same "chicken little" syndrome as we've seen in this thread? When I put Heavy Equipment Forums together it was my vision to have like minded individuals coming together to help each other wherever they could. That happens here for the most part and I'm very proud of our members and their willingness to exchange this information. coolcatman, thank you for maintaining your composure throughout all this.
One thing we need to remember as well is that we are all from different regions of the globe facing different rules and regulations. What might be a concern to some may not be in another place. Where I am, septic systems are governed by the County Health Department, but they only regulate new installs. Repairs are made without engineering nor inspection.
What I'd rather have seen in place of the calls for hiring a professional is to express your concerns about some of the difficulties in a constructive manner and educate coolcatman instead of trying to defeat him. Yes, there are safety concerns with placing a tank, but are there not safety concerns with nearly everything we do in life? Changing a tire on a car can be dangerous if not done properly.
Common sense should be used with this job and standard safety practices apply as well. One should NEVER place themselves under anything that is being lifted by a machine at any time, and one should not be in the hole while the tank is being lowered, this is one of the most important rules in working around equipment.
I don't consider myself a professional, but I've installed 3 1000 gallon tanks without incident and they all continue to work today. One I even had to lower myself with my J/D 410 as the hole was not accessible by the boom truck. I made a sling from my tie down chains and lowered each half, it was about all the machine could handle.
Digging out the old tank can take a while but by digging all four sides and a lot of wiggling with some crushing and they have come out without too much trouble. I've always put the new tank in the same spot as the old to minimize the amount of splicing to tie in the existing inlet and outlet pipes.
I worked as a laborer on a few tank installs so I wasn't going in blind, but I soloed on all 3 that I've done. coolcatman, you'll have to do some math to determine your grade for the floor of the hole to be sure the tank inlet and outlet are at the right height. what I do is over dig the hole just slightly and then use 3/8" stone to level the floor to the proper grade. If you've done your math right, you just set the tank once and it's both level and ready to tie in.
One thing we need to remember as well is that we are all from different regions of the globe facing different rules and regulations. What might be a concern to some may not be in another place. Where I am, septic systems are governed by the County Health Department, but they only regulate new installs. Repairs are made without engineering nor inspection.
What I'd rather have seen in place of the calls for hiring a professional is to express your concerns about some of the difficulties in a constructive manner and educate coolcatman instead of trying to defeat him. Yes, there are safety concerns with placing a tank, but are there not safety concerns with nearly everything we do in life? Changing a tire on a car can be dangerous if not done properly.
Common sense should be used with this job and standard safety practices apply as well. One should NEVER place themselves under anything that is being lifted by a machine at any time, and one should not be in the hole while the tank is being lowered, this is one of the most important rules in working around equipment.
I don't consider myself a professional, but I've installed 3 1000 gallon tanks without incident and they all continue to work today. One I even had to lower myself with my J/D 410 as the hole was not accessible by the boom truck. I made a sling from my tie down chains and lowered each half, it was about all the machine could handle.
Digging out the old tank can take a while but by digging all four sides and a lot of wiggling with some crushing and they have come out without too much trouble. I've always put the new tank in the same spot as the old to minimize the amount of splicing to tie in the existing inlet and outlet pipes.
I worked as a laborer on a few tank installs so I wasn't going in blind, but I soloed on all 3 that I've done. coolcatman, you'll have to do some math to determine your grade for the floor of the hole to be sure the tank inlet and outlet are at the right height. what I do is over dig the hole just slightly and then use 3/8" stone to level the floor to the proper grade. If you've done your math right, you just set the tank once and it's both level and ready to tie in.
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diggerman57
Well-Known Member
Sorry Deereboy I was responding to the original question.
Deereboy
Active Member
Nothing to be sorry about at all.I'm just happy to be part of it.In my last post the last line should have read "and leaving it in the ground filled makes sense". My fingers are faster than the brain at times.
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sorry, I shouldnt have been such an A-hole on the last post, but to answer the Q' you can dig a entire septic system with a shovel if thats all you have and you have enough time, if your asking a Q' like this it kinda makes me wonder
Pj
I gotta go along with 95 here Joke. Since you're so adamant that you "answered" the original question it is more than a little obvious that, unlike you emoticon, you are not only confused but clueless(maybe we need a custom emoticon just for you?). The OP asked what he would need to lift the tank, not excavate around it or for any peripherals.
From what I can see you have added nothing to this thread other than to demonstrate that you truly live up to being just what you were apologizing for!