Installing new bathrooms

[Demolition Derby]

I know I am chancing my arm here given that I am already seeking advice re damp issues.

The house that we have has a septic tank, nothing new in that but the only thing that appears to be feeding the septic tank is the one upstairs loo and the outside lav, everything else seems to be surface drainage. I gather from the previous people that it all the surface drains go into the beck outside the farm wall. (I know, I know that bit is illegal)

Unfortunately the toilets are at one end of the house (7 beds) and we need a couple more bathrooms. Don 't worry I'm not basking in the glory of owning a massive house, I just live in it we are farm tenants who have repairing responsibility of the museum we have taken on.

My problem goes back to the fact that the ground level of the house is actually lower than the external ground level. It is going to be extremely difficult to install new drainage.

How would anyone else tackle it, one addition to the above is that it maybe the drain at the rear of the house does drain into septic tank, just going to investigate that over the weekend. Presumably that will make life easier hopefully.

 

[Lime]

You have not given enough information to make any meaningful comment relating to your particular situation, so I'll respond in generalisations.

If the new bathrooms are to be upstairs then high exterior ground level should not make much difference.
If they are to be on a lower level than the exterior ground level then there are pumping units designed to deal with this type of problem. If I had the choice I wouldn't use them as they add another thing to go wrong in the system and rely on electricity.

Draining surface water into a septic tank or cesspool is not a good idea.

Having responsibility as "farm tenants who have repairing responsibility of the museum we have taken on" does not mean that any alterations can be carried out without consulting the owner.
Repair does not mean alteration.
The house may be subject to protection. It could be listed for example.

 

[Penners]

I agree with everything Lime has said.

If the new bathrooms will be upstairs, then I can't see that you've got a problem taking your grey and foul water drainage into the septic tank.

 

[Nemesis]

The possible problem is size of tank and size and type of drainage for that. If currently all that is draining into these is the loo contents they could be very inadequate for large amounts of grey water in addition.

It's not illegal to drain normal surface water into an adjacent watercourse.

 

[Penners]

The possible problem is size of tank and size and type of drainage for that. If currently all that is draining into these is the loo contents they could be very inadequate for large amounts of grey water in addition.

A moot point. Does a family with 2 bathrooms send more waste into the drains than the same family with one bathroom? Presumably they all still bath/shower and use the loo the same amount. They just disperse the usage.

 

[Demolition Derby]

OK, let's break this down:

Downstairs

Inside toilet needed.

Problem

Septic tank although in garden, higher than ground level of house

Upstairs

3 bathrooms needed

Problem

Far end of house long long way from septic tank, no drain, no fall

 

[Nemesis]

The possible problem is size of tank and size and type of drainage for that. If currently all that is draining into these is the loo contents they could be very inadequate for large amounts of grey water in addition.

The house that we have has a septic tank, nothing new in that but the only thing that appears to be feeding the septic tank is the one upstairs loo and the outside lav, everything else seems to be surface drainage.


If all that is currently going in is the loo waste, and grey water is going into the surface water, and not through the tank, then suddenly putting bathwater etc into a small tank with inadequate drainage network could cause problems.

 

[chuckey]

Not too disimilar to what I did. House is cut into a hillside, ground level at back is 5' higher then floor level. Toilet on first floor went into septic tank at the back of house. Kitchen at front drained into some soakaway. Due to two instances of flooding ( was it the septic tank? I don't know :roll: ) at the back of house I abandonded the uphill septic tank and built a new one at the front of the house.(downhill). Dug a new trench right through the house taking the toilet and bathroom waste from the back ,under the house and out to the front. Also put in a new downstairs toilet and put the kitchen waste into it. Big job, wrecks the downstairs floors, but they had to be re-jigged anyway.
On a related point a friend of mine had an Architect design his house and all the rainwater goes into his septic tank!! :roll:
Frank

 

[Penners]

OK, let's break this down: Downstairs Inside toilet needed.

Problem Septic tank although in garden, higher than ground level of house

Upstairs 3 bathrooms needed

Problem Far end of house long long way from septic tank, no drain, no fall

It seems to me that, on the basis of that summary, you have two options. One is to have a pump installed in your existing waste system. The other is to install a new septic tank deeper in the ground, or downhill from the house.

Neither will be cheap.

But I refer you back to Lime's comment about the rights and responsibilities of tenants.

 

[Demolition Derby]

Please do not worry about covering yourselves, I am for my pains a property solicitor, I consult regularly with the Lord of the Manor and various skivvys! We have clerk of works coming tomorrow, to pass comment on the progress of our french drain, he will in true estate stylie come in a green landrover. Anyway by virtue of your advices we have a large list of questions to give him.

We have thought that we need a new (second septic tank) to cover the other end of the house, it seems impractical to try and get it all to go to the one place. Given that the new bathrooms will be mainly at the other end of the house to the existing septic tank, it would make sense to run a new soil pipe down the gable end of the house and dig a new drain to run into a new septic tank (EA permitting).