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You can’t do without an outdoor toilet in your summer cottage. Whatever the size of the cesspool, over time it fills up, and the time comes for an unpleasant procedure – the removal of sewage. It is easier to clean the toilet in the country when it is not yet full. However, from practice we can conclude that almost all summer residents delay this issue to a critical limit. What to do with an incomplete and overcrowded cesspool? There are several options for solving the problem, which we will now consider.
How to determine when it’s time to clean an outdoor toilet
An outdoor toilet in a summer cottage is usually installed away from a residential building, and it is remembered only during use. The owner is rarely interested in the filling of the cesspool, and notices the problem only when the level of sewage has reached the upper limits. It is clear that it is often unpleasant to clean the toilet, but the problem only becomes more complicated by delaying the procedure.
If we take the average figures, then the cesspool of a street toilet with a volume of 1,5–2 m3 can last up to 10 years without cleaning. But few people think that it is easier to remove a small amount of waste once per season than to clean large volumes after 7–10 years. The fact is that in winter sewage hardens, and the liquid partially evaporates and is absorbed into the ground. If bacteria are settled in such a hole in the spring to process sewage, they may simply not take root.
Another thing is if the toilet in the country is cleaned only mechanically. The services of a sewage truck are expensive, and it is very unprofitable to hire it annually to pump out sewage. In this case, look at the filling of the pit. Of course, it is impossible to allow up to the upper limit, but when the level of waste exceeds more than half, they must be pumped out.
If you do not clean the country toilet in a timely manner, negative consequences may appear:
- In an overflowing cesspool, many harmful bacteria multiply, posing a threat to human health. They pollute the soil in the summer cottage and negatively affect garden plantings.
- The stagnation of a large amount of sewage is accompanied by the formation of poisonous gases. An unpleasant odor spreads throughout the territory. A large accumulation of gas can cause poisoning to humans and pets.
- Delaying the cleaning of an outdoor toilet leads to an increased concentration of harmful gases, and the likelihood of getting rid of them, even with effective means, is reduced to zero.
So, we figured out the need to clean country toilets, now we will find out in what ways this can be done.
Four basic cleaning methods
There are many popular ways to clean an outdoor toilet, but we will not dwell on them, but consider time-tested options:
- The most reliable way to clean an outdoor toilet is to call a cesspool truck. The service is effective in case of overflow of the cesspool, when biological and chemical preparations are not able to cope with a large mass of waste. The machine with the help of a vacuum pump pumps all the sewage into the tank. Units equipped with a cutting mechanism are even capable of grinding solid fractions and objects that accidentally fall into a cesspool. The waste pumping process is accompanied by an unpleasant odor, but the sewage machine quickly copes with large volumes.
- It is advisable to clean the outdoor toilet with chemicals only in extreme cases.. They are effective, and work even in winter, when the bacteria of biological products do not work. But most chemicals pose a threat to the environment. In addition, after their use, solid sewage liquefies and they still need to be put somewhere. You can’t pour it into the garden, such waste is harmful for compost, so you will again have to resort to hiring a sewage truck. Of the chemicals, nitrate oxidizing agents are considered the safest.
- Biopreparations contain a complex of beneficial bacteria that help recycle waste in an outdoor toilet. After their application, sewage is split into harmless sludge and liquid. Recycled waste can be used instead of fertilizer or simply drained into the place allotted in the summer cottage. The disadvantage of using bacteria is their fear of low temperatures and aggressive environments. If acids, alkali, chlorine get into the pit, or the air temperature drops to a negative level, the bacteria die.
- The most common way is do-it-yourself mechanical cleaning of the toilet. The procedure is very unpleasant, as it involves scooping up waste from an outdoor toilet with buckets and other devices. This work is best done annually, as it is difficult to handle large volumes manually. If sewage is too liquid, they are mixed with sawdust or peat.
Each owner individually selects a way to clean an outdoor toilet on his site. And now we will try to briefly cover several ways to dispose of waste.
How biologics work
Now on sale you can find a lot of biological products for cleaning the toilet. They are available in granular, powder, tablet and liquid form. The composition of biological products includes aerobic or anaerobic bacteria and excipients. One type of bacteria is able to work only in liquid, the other – in a dense mass. In addition, there are microorganisms that are unable to live without oxygen. When buying a biological product, you should immediately pay attention to this nuance and read the instructions. Most often, one preparation contains a complex of different bacteria that allow you to effectively process waste.
The method of application of each biological product is described in the instructions. Usually, dry substances are diluted with warm water, and after half an hour of infusion, they are poured into the toilet. Liquids contain already awakened bacteria. They are poured from the bottle immediately into the cesspool without prior dilution in water. Microorganisms can even process toilet paper. Subsequently, the waste is used instead of fertilizer.
Liquid for cleaning an overflowing pit
Biological products are unable to cope with an overflowing cesspool, especially if it is heavily silted. To clean the toilet in the country, you can use a special reinforced liquid. The drug is several times stronger than ordinary bacteria, but the manufacturer assures that it is safe for the environment and humans.
How to use the liquid is shown in the instructions. The procedure is usually performed late in the evening. The liquid is shaken, poured into the cesspool and closed. It should be noted that during the day you can not use the street toilet. When sewage is processed, they will have to be removed from the pit.
Vacuum truck – a reliable way to clean
To use the services of a sewer truck, you need to find the appropriate company. This is usually done by public utilities. If the cleaning of the outdoor toilet is supposed to be done only by pumping out, even before it is installed in the summer cottage, a suitable place is determined. A free car access should be organized to the cesspool. It is important to take care of the availability of water. The vacuum pump will not pull very thick waste, so they will have to be liquefied.
When arranging a cesspool, you need to take care of a wide neck. It is through this hatch that a hose will be inserted and water will be poured in to liquefy the waste. The owner himself does not have to take part in this procedure. The workers will do everything themselves, all that remains is to pay for the service.
Do-it-yourself mechanical cleaning
When none of the above methods is feasible, it remains to resort to extremely unpleasant measures – manually cleaning the outdoor toilet. To perform work, it is advisable to purchase personal protective equipment: rubber gloves, a respirator or a gauze bandage. If you have to partially dive into the pit, it is good to have a rubber chemical protection suit or at least high rubber boots. From the tool you will need a couple of buckets, a rope or a pole to scoop.
Manual cleaning technology is simple. The bucket is tied to a rope or a long pole, immersed in sewage, pulled to the surface and poured into a free bucket. Further, the waste is taken out to the designated place, and the procedure continues. To dispose of sewage at the end of the garden, you can dig a deep hole. When it is full, the waste is covered with soil and left to rot. This place must be fenced off so that no one falls into the liquid masses.
In the video, an example of cleaning a cesspool:
Conclusion
Each of the above methods of cleaning the toilet has its own advantages and disadvantages. They can be used in combination or separately. It all depends on the individually assessed situation of the state of the cesspool.