Are you planning to install sewerage in a private home, but have a very limited budget? This is not a reason to deprive yourself of amenities, is it? Or have you decided to build a septic tank from tires, using available materials for these purposes? But you doubt your own abilities and don’t know where to start?
We will help you understand this issue in detail - the article discusses common options for setting up a local treatment plant, for which you can use used car tires. This material is easy to find in motor transport companies, where it is simply written off as unnecessary, or look for advertisements from private individuals.
The article also provides detailed instructions for making a homemade septic tank, starting with calculations and ending with laying the sewer pipeline. All actions are accompanied by step-by-step photographs.
To help the novice craftsman, we have selected video recommendations on the arrangement of this type of septic tank with useful tips on making sealed connections of pipeline sections from the craftsmen.
How much can you save on a septic tank if you use old tires? One medium-sized concrete ring costs 4,500 rubles. you need at least three of them. The cost of a worn tire does not exceed 2,000 rubles, and a minimum of three or four are required.
For a hermetically sealed connection of the elements, there are special sealing rubber bands inserted into the inside of the sewer pipe. Information about this is discussed in our other article.
For the assembly and construction of sewer pipelines of any degree of complexity, a wide range of shaped parts is produced. Polymer products are designed for constructing lines from similar pipes
The suitable diameter of sewer pipes for laying to an autonomous septic tank is 110 mm. This is a full-fledged sewer that will last a long time.
It is better not to skimp on pipes and install them with the expectation of a possible increase in load on the system, otherwise they may need to be replaced in the future. The approximate cost of materials can be found here.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Video with practical experience in constructing a septic tank from tires:
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Do you have a septic tank made from old tires on your property? Please tell us how difficult it was for you to build it and what nuances you had to face. Or did you notice a discrepancy in the instructions given in the article? Please write to us about this in the comments.
Equipping your home with all the benefits of civilization is the main task of a good owner. Fortunately, now there is every opportunity to supply electricity to a residential building and organize a water supply. But centralized sewerage is not available everywhere. If you have enough funds, you can purchase a ready-made factory septic tank or build it, for example, from concrete rings. In cases where finances are not going very well, folk craftsmen come to the rescue and come up with the idea of making a septic tank from tires with their own hands. This is a very good idea, but only suitable for a house with a small number of residents.
What is the difference between a septic tank and a cesspool?
To people who are not particularly knowledgeable, it may seem that a cesspool and a septic tank are different names for the same sewerage structure. This is fundamentally wrong. A septic tank, unlike a cesspool, is a more modern and modernized type of sewage system.
It consists of two interconnected tanks. Wastewater flows through the sewer pipe into the first - storage. Primary cleaning occurs in it: large particles settle to the bottom and cleansing bacteria begin to process them. The second tank, which is usually slightly smaller than the first, receives partially purified wastewater, where the bacteria continue to work. Approximately 95% of the total volume entering the septic tank is ultimately discharged as clean water.
Diagram of a standard two-chamber septic tank with a filtration well
If you compare all the characteristics of a cesspool and a septic tank, the indisputable advantage of a septic sewer system will become clear and obvious. It shows much greater efficiency.
Advantages of a septic tank made from car tires
- Availability and abundance of material. You can save up old tires yourself or ask for them at the nearest tire shop. They will be willingly given away, because service station employees will have fewer problems with tire disposal.
- Remarkable performance. If you calculate everything correctly and take a responsible approach to the construction of a homemade septic tank from tires, then you can achieve even greater efficiency than some factory-made ones.
- Low cost. The construction of a sewer well from tires can be completely free of charge if you assemble the tires yourself and do not involve hired workers in the excavation work.
- Easy to install. To install many factory-made septic tanks, you have to use more than one extra pair of hands, and do-it-yourself sewerage from tires is so easy to install that you can do everything without anyone’s help.
Disadvantages of a septic tank made from tires
A septic tank made from used tires does not have the longest service life
- This sewerage structure is not suitable for use in houses inhabited by more than 3 people.
- In winter, using a tire septic tank is difficult, because despite careful insulation, the tire material still freezes and the contents of such a well are not processed by bacteria.
- Whatever size tires are installed, their contents will have to be pumped out at least once a quarter.
- Twice a year it is necessary to inspect the connections between tires in order to identify leaks in time and seal the joints.
- The service life of such a country septic tank made from tires, even with careful care and careful operation, is no more than 15 years.
- If you do not install a vent pipe, an unpleasant odor may occasionally appear from under the septic tank lid.
- It is not recommended to overhaul a septic tank made from old car tires with your own hands, therefore, if the tire material is corroded, it is necessary to redo everything again.
If all the pros and cons are weighed and a decision is made in favor of building a sewer system from tires, you can get to work.
Location requirements
Installation
So, what do you need before making a septic tank from tires? To begin with, communications must be brought to the location of the future septic tank. To protect against freezing and damage, the sewer pipe must be insulated and protected with a duct. After this, we determine the depth and width of the hole.
The size of the septic tank must correspond to the average daily volume of wastewater multiplied by three. Based on this, we select the diameter and number of tires.
Having placed one of the tires on the ground, you need to draw the boundaries of the holes for the septic tank. A gap between the outer side of the tire and the soil can be left for ease of insertion of tires and for additional insulation of the septic tank. Then we dig holes for the tanks and bury the tires. The top liquid level should always be below the soil level. This must be taken into account when laying tires.
We dig a pit for sewage from tires with our own hands
The bottom of the first septic tank must be filled with crushed stone (approximately 30 cm) and lined with some material that does not allow liquid to penetrate into the soil. If funds allow, you can concrete it. In budget options, the most popular materials are roofing felt or very dense polyethylene in several layers.
The construction of a septic tank involves discharging settled water directly into the ground, so in the bottom of the second well, for better drainage, you can drill a well about five meters and insert a perforated flexible plastic pipe there. It will need to be covered with crushed stone to a depth of about 10 cm so that the bottom does not silt and water passes through without obstacles. Inside the tire tank, the pipe should rise one meter, and it is better to cover its top with a fine mesh. The bottom around the pipe must also be covered with crushed stone and sand. But with a good level of water absorption by the soil, in the last tank it will be sufficient only to use a filter bottom.
Tire sewerage scheme
For structural strength, the edges of the tires are connected with wire or mounting “clamps”, and then treated with any available sealant.
The tires are cut so that liquid does not accumulate in them and are connected to each other using clamps
Now you need to make holes for the pipe in both tanks. The pipe must go into the first container slightly higher than it comes out of it for overflow to occur. We insert the pipe and fill the edges of the hole with crushed stone and sand. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the structure. The places where the tire pit connects to the pipes are well sealed.
We connect the sewer pipe to the car tires
The last step in creating a septic tank from tires with your own hands will be to secure the lid from a material that is not subject to rotting or damage. Thick plastic is best.
- It is better to place the sewage system in a private house made of tires on the leeward side of the house. This simple trick will allow you to protect yourself from “enjoying” unpleasant odors coming from under the sewer cover.
- In order not to worry about overcrowding of the drain, it is better to initially install tires with the largest possible diameter and in the amount of 5-7 pieces. In this case, even if three people live permanently in the house, the volume of the septic tank will be sufficient.
- While digging holes for each of the tanks, it is necessary to periodically check the diameter with one tire so as not to gradually narrow.
- When excavating, it is most convenient to use two different shovels with long handles. The bayonet type is designed for loosening the earth, and the scoop type is for removing loosened soil from the hole.
- A tire septic tank can be connected not only to sewer lines from the house, but also from an outdoor washbasin or outdoor shower.
- The inner rim of tires must be cut off so that unprocessed dirt and debris do not accumulate in the curves.
- It is best to use plastic “clamps” to secure tires. They are not prone to moisture damage and are fairly easy to attach.
- The ventilation pipe should rise slightly above the septic tank lid (at least 60 cm). The closer the tanks are to residential buildings, the higher the pipe should be.
- For convenience, you can make an inspection window in the lid of the septic tank and cover it with a piece of thick rubber. This will make it much easier to control how full the containers are.
- To insulate a septic tank, before filling with sand or crushed stone, tires can be wrapped in roofing felt or thick polyethylene. The same technique is used if there is even the slightest risk of untreated wastewater getting into groundwater.
- Experienced owners recommend planting some kind of moisture-loving tree near the tanks: weeping willow, alder or broom. The plant will absorb all excess water.
Do-it-yourself tire septic tank video
In this section you can watch a video on the topic of our article.
Pleasant holiday experiences at the dacha can be ruined by the lack of basic amenities. To make your stay more comfortable, it is necessary to build a local sewage system. Today, manufacturers offer a variety of installations for such systems. However, if the cottage is used only for periodic recreation, purchasing expensive equipment is not advisable. In this case, you can get by with a simple solution, for example, build Do-it-yourself septic tank made from tires.
Currently, the construction of local sewerage is not an overly complex problem, since ready-made septic tanks of a wide variety of configurations can be found on sale.
If desired, you can purchase small-capacity models that are ideal for summer cottages. There are also more productive installations, including compact stations in which a full cycle of water purification takes place.
However, the option of purchasing a ready-made installation is not suitable for everyone. If you want to build a sewer system at minimal cost, you should build a septic tank yourself, using available material to build the chambers. Let's look at how you can make a simple cleaning installation yourself from old car wheels.
What is the difference from a cesspool?
If you need to build a local sewer system as cheaply as possible, most owners choose between a homemade septic tank made from tires and a cesspool. Both of these settings are very simple, but not very effective. However, even such a primitive septic tank made from tires is still a more convenient installation.
The fact is that in a septic tank, water is purified through multi-stage settling. And in the pit, wastewater simply accumulates, so it has to be pumped out often. The advantage of a septic tank assembled from old tires:
- Availability of material. You can get used tires for free almost anywhere.
- Easy to install. Assembling inner tubes from tires yourself is much easier than constructing them, for example, from concrete rings.
However, a septic tank made from car tires is far from the most effective and safe option for organizing a local sewage system. This structure has many disadvantages, so it is not possible to create such a treatment facility in all cases.
When can you build a septic tank from tires?
We must immediately admit that it will not be possible to build a full-fledged treatment facility that can serve a house or dacha where the family will permanently reside in the summer, since chambers assembled from old car wheels will not be airtight.
In addition, for the septic tank to work, it is necessary that the soil on the site have certain characteristics. Thus, before starting construction, you need to make sure that local conditions allow it.
Advice! If you build a septic tank made from tires in an area with high ground water, the leaky chambers will simply flood.
So, a tire septic tank will work if:
- The level of soil water on the site should be low, at least 5 meters. Otherwise, the rising water will flood the chambers and the use of the septic tank will become impossible;
- The soil must have a good ability to absorb water, that is, the soil must be predominantly sandy;
- It is important that the septic tank is built in an area where the soil does not freeze deeply. This is necessary to prevent the destruction of the septic tank during seasonal soil movements.
In addition, a septic tank built from tires is not recommended for cleaning “black” drains, that is, drains coming from the toilet. The fact is that since the chambers are not sealed, contaminated water will enter the ground and can become a source of contamination of aquifers. This will make using well water hazardous to health.
Advice! A septic tank assembled from tires can be built for a bathhouse (provided that it does not include a toilet). In addition, water from the shower stall and kitchen sink can be directed into such a septic tank.
Construction of a septic tank
Let's look at how to build a simple septic tank made from tires. First of all, a scheme of the treatment plant must be drawn up, after which it will be possible to select a sufficient number of tires. Of course, there is no need to purchase new tires (in this case it would be quite expensive); used tires with worn out tread will do just fine.
The size of the tires will determine the volume of the septic tank chambers. If water consumption is low, tires from a regular passenger car are perfect; if you need large-volume tubes, you will have to use truck tires.
Excavation
It is necessary to prepare a pit for constructing inner tubes from car wheels. The parameters of the pit depend on the size of the tires that will be used to build the septic tank.
Advice! As a rule, a scheme is used that involves the installation of two chambers, but if the water flow is small and the septic tank will be used only for processing “gray” waste, then you can get by with one chamber.
Construction of chambers
You need to start building the cameras by preparing the wheels. Tires must first be prepared, namely, cut off the sides. To perform this work, it is convenient to use a jigsaw. The prepared tires should be laid one on top of the other in a pit, constructing a kind of well.
In order for the structure to acquire the necessary strength, it is recommended to tie adjacent tires together in pairs using wire. A pipe leading from the house is connected to the top of the first tire well. To do this, you will need to make a hole in the side of the well into which the pipe is inserted. A tee is put on the pipe from the inside.
The overflow pipe between the wells is installed, departing from the bottom approximately two-thirds of the height of the chamber. Tees are put on the overflow pipe, just like the inlet pipe, from inside the chambers.
The final stage of construction
To backfill, it is better to use not excavated soil, but a mixture of dry cement and sand. This backfill will protect the chambers from destruction in the off-season, as the soil moves during the process of freezing and thawing. The upper part of the wells must be covered with a lid. Moreover, for the construction of the lid it is better to use material that does not rot.
If you want to build a treatment plant for the local sewage system as cheaply as possible, you should build a septic tank from tires with your own hands. However, in this case, the structure will not be very reliable, so such weapons will not be suitable for a home with permanent residence. But for a small cottage or bathhouse, this option is quite acceptable.
Sewage is one of the most important elements of a private home, which will help ensure comfortable living activities for residents. While apartment owners solve this problem by simply connecting to the central sewer network, summer residents or owners of a private house have to build a sewage system from tires with their own hands. This is a simple and inexpensive option for arranging a private plot.
The structure looks like a tank consisting of two or three chambers, the purpose of which is to collect, settle and filter waste, which is ensured by special bacteria.
As a rule, all liquid that gets into the septic tank from tires is purified by 97-98%, according to SanPin standards. Home owners will not have to spend a lot of money to create such a structure, since worn-out tires are perfect materials.
In this article you can learn how to competently build a high-quality sewer system from tires.
Rules for building a structure
Locating the tank too far from the house is also a bad option. This will significantly increase the cash costs of building the structure.
As a rule, at least one manhole is required for the external part of the sewer. If the pipeline is longer than 25 meters, additional wells will have to be added.
If the water supply is too long, there is a high probability that blockages will often form inside. This should be taken into account even though a special pump will be installed that will remove wastewater from the sewer.
Tire sump options
The choice of structure is made depending on how much wastewater will come out of the residential building. If few people live on the site, the simplest option will be enough for them.
Watch the video
For a family of more than four people, this option will not be suitable, as it will quickly become unsuitable due to excessive load. Therefore, experts recommend considering the option with two wells.
Sump with filter system
This is an inexpensive sewer option. To build it, you will need to dig a hole for the pit, arrange the bottom and put the tires down. It should be borne in mind that it is undesirable to build such a septic tank next to buildings or cellars.
It is better to give preference to wheels from large vehicles with a wide diameter, as they accommodate more waste and increase the working capabilities of the sewer.
The operating principle of such a septic tank is simple:
- waste flows through the sewer pipe into the well through the drain;
- that part of the wastewater that does not dissolve does not fall into the ground and remains on the crushed stone layer;
- the purified liquid is absorbed into the ground through the drain.
The advantage of this design is that it does not require large construction costs, and also does not harm the environment, which makes it attractive in comparison with other options.
The main essence of the design is that water passes through the pipeline, bypassing the bottom contaminated with silt. However, the pipe quickly becomes clogged with the same silt and therefore it is short-lived.
Materials and tools necessary for the construction of sewerage from tires
If the owner of a private plot cannot afford to install an expensive sewer system, he can perfectly cope with this task using improvised materials, which, as a rule, are available to any home craftsman. Old car tires or tires are perfect for installing a septic tank.
This material is not so difficult to find; it is available at enterprises that write off tires and tires as unnecessary. In addition, you can find advertisements from private individuals on the Internet. The best option is to go to a tire service station. There, there will be an abundance of old tires from various cars, and the owner of the service can give away heavily worn tires for free, thereby saving on their disposal.
However, it is still important to take into account several basic rules that will help you correctly build a cesspool or septic tank in a private house. Care must be taken to seal all joints and seams between the wheels to prevent wastewater from entering the ground.
It is worth deciding in advance on the type of structure and its location.
The location of the sewerage must meet all the standards previously specified in the article. Also, the structure itself must be installed below the ground freezing level.
A well-maintained house is, first of all, housing with sewerage. Unfortunately, not everywhere there are conditions for arranging communications. Often you have to resort to unusual methods of creating it, for example, setting up a septic tank from tires, a simple and practical option that allows you to provide your home with a sewer system without much expense. However, you need to understand that such a structure is not intended for large volumes of wastewater, so it is chosen if the sewerage system will be used by a small number of people.
Septic tank: difference from a cesspool and principle of operation
Many people mentally equate a cesspool with a septic tank, confident that since they have to be pumped out, there is no difference. However, it is not. The difference is colossal. A cesspool is a regular tank that is emptied as it fills. Whereas a septic tank made from tires is a system that carries out biological treatment of wastewater. It also requires pumping from time to time, but much less often than a cesspool.
The system consists of two sealed tanks connected to each other. The first container receives wastewater directly from the sewer pipe. This area can be considered a primary purification zone in which large particles of contaminants settle. This is where the bacteria that clean the drains begin their work.
Sewage settles to the bottom, only the initially purified water reaches the overflow zone, which is located in the upper part, and enters the second chamber. It is slightly larger than the first one. Here, the active work of bacteria continues, only it occurs much more intensely.
Basic rules for arranging a structure
When choosing a location for a septic tank, you need to consider the following:
- There must be at least a meter of soil between the upper groundwater level and the bottom of the structure.
- The distance from the drinking water intake to the septic tank is at least 50 m for sandy soils and 20 meters for clay soils.
- There must be free access for the sewage disposal truck.
- The distance from the house to the septic tank is at least 5 m.
- If possible, the structure is arranged so that its level is below the water intake, that is, in the direction of the natural slope of the landscape.
A sewer pipe must be connected to the septic tank. To prevent damage in the cold, it is best to lay it below the freezing level of the soil. You can arrange a special protective box in which it will be reliably protected from mechanical damage and will be able to “play” from temperature differences without consequences.
System installation features
Having chosen a place for a structure, you need to decide on its volume. It is usually considered that it should be equal to at least three times the daily flow. Based on this, the approximate depth of the structure is calculated. Most often it is equal to the height of 5-7 tires.
Considering that tires can be very different, both from passenger cars and from powerful agricultural equipment, the volume of the structure also varies.
When laying tires in a pit, they can be fastened to each other, then the structure will be stronger
The work is being carried out in stages:
- Marking. The tire intended for the first well is taken and laid on the ground. The dimensions of the future well are marked on it. At a certain distance, a tire intended for the second container is placed. It can be larger in diameter, since the volume of the second well must be larger. Markings are also carried out on it. Then a hole of the required size is dug for both containers.
- Arrangement of the bottom of wells. It should not allow sewage into the ground. The surface can be concreted or a so-called “clay plug” 20-25 cm wide can be arranged.
- Tire preparation. The top part of each tire is carefully removed using a jigsaw. After installation, such parts form a well with smoother walls, which will prevent sewage from lingering on them.
- Tire installation. The tires are stacked one on top of the other. At the same time, for the strength of the connection, they can be pierced in pairs and tied with wire. Each joint and seam is carefully coated with sealant. Between the wells, at a height of approximately 2/3 from the bottom, a transition pipe should be inserted, under which a hole should be cut. In the upper part of the first well, a hole is also cut out for a sewer pipe extended from the house.
- Laying pipes between wells. An ordinary plastic sewer pipe is suitable for these purposes. A structure that supplies drains from the house is also inserted and secured inside the hole.
- Filling the hole. For these purposes, you can use sand or soil that was removed when digging a hole. The operation is performed carefully so as not to damage the integrity of the structure.
- Arrangement of the lid. Wells must be covered with lids; it is desirable that the material from which they are made does not rot.
The structure is ready for use.
The overflow pipe between the containers is mounted in a hole cut into the tires
The main advantage of this option is its low cost and ease of installation. There are, however, disadvantages:
- The small amount of wastewater it can process.
- There is a fairly high risk of soil contamination with sewage, since it is difficult to achieve complete sealing from tires.
Also, when planning to build such a septic tank from tires with your own hands, you need to understand that the structure belongs to the class of septic tanks and therefore requires pumping out the accumulated liquid.
Some owners of country houses are making attempts to equip a full-fledged three-chamber septic tank from tires. However, it is worth noting that although technically this is quite possible, tires are not the best material for such structures. It is unlikely that it will be possible to ensure the tightness necessary for the effective operation of the septic tank. In addition, tires connected to each other can gradually shift as a result of seasonal temperature fluctuations in the soil, which further compromises the tightness of each chamber. As a septic tank, the tire structure serves very well, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of civilization even far from the city.
