A brick cesspool is a great way to equip a sewer system in a private house. It is mounted quite simply, the work can be done by hand, even without special skills and experience.
A brick drain pit is designed to collect and process wastewater from the sewer system. It can have a bottom, representing a sealed structure, or it can be built on a thick layer of drainage through which water will seep into the soil.
Brick cesspool
The location and size of the cesspool
Before proceeding with the installation work, you should determine the location of the pit and its volume.
As for the location, the SNiP states that the drain pit should be located no closer:
Location of the cesspool according to SNIP
- 5 meters to residential buildings;
- 1 meter to outbuildings;
- 30 meters to a well or spring;
- 3 meters to the highway.
Now you can begin to determine the volume of the pit.
To do this, multiply the number of people living in the house by 150 liters. This is the average amount of water consumed by one person, you should not take less.
If there is a washing machine in the house, other equipment that consumes water, then 170-200 liters per person should be taken as the basis for calculations.
The resulting amount must be multiplied by the number of days after which the wastewater will be pumped out by the sewage machine.
The average is 15 days. As a result, we get 7650 liters for a family of three or 7.65 m 3.
If there is a cesspool made of brick without a bottom, part of the runoff in the form of water will go into the ground, passing through the drainage layer of crushed stone.
Accordingly, here the volume of the pit can be reduced, taking as a basis for the calculation not 15, but 7 days.
Cesspool made of brick without a bottom
What materials and tools are needed for work
When a do-it-yourself brick drain pit is being equipped, you will need to prepare all the tools and materials necessary for work.
As for the tools, you will need:
- bayonet and shovel for digging a pit, if this is done manually;
- two sets of pegs and ropes for arranging fences;
- 3 buckets in order to remove the earth from the pit;
- stairs;
- tape measure and building level;
- Master OK.
Of the materials, the first step is to purchase a brick, determining the most suitable type of it and choosing which brick is best for the drain pit.
Most often, experts recommend using red ceramic bricks, because it is characterized by increased strength and enviable durability. Its standard dimensions are 25*12*6.5cm. The cost on the market is 7-15 rubles per 1 piece.
Is it possible to make a drain pit from silicate brick? Yes, you can. Let there be a cesspool of white brick, its service life will also be quite long. The degree of strength starts with M100. The price is the same as ceramic, in the region of 9-12 rubles per brick.
With the question of which brick to choose for the cesspool, we figured it out. But how many ceramic bricks will be needed to build a drain pit?
Let's count:
The area of the outer surface of the walls of the pit: (2.6 + 2.6 + 2.2 + 2.2) * 2 = 19.2 sq.m.
The dimensions of the red brick are 25*12*6.5. We spread them around the perimeter, these are ~ 38.5 bricks (without a seam), with a seam of 1 cm ~ 37 bricks. Next, we go in height (in the example 2 meters): 27 rows come out. Total: 27*37=999 Cypriots. Also take into account the percentage of "battle" ~ 10% (if you unload from the car). Cement mortar: 0.264 m3 per 1 m3 of masonry.Total: for a pit measuring 2.6 * 2.2 * 2, you will need ~ 1000 bricks and 3-4 bags of cement.
In addition, you will need cement, sand, crushed stone, roofing material, reinforcement.
These materials are needed to equip the bottom, if it should be a drainage layer, as well as to seal the seams, fasten the bricks together.
If you need an airtight pit, you can equip the bottom with a ready-made concrete slab so as not to fill it with cement, wasting extra time.
Cesspool bottom concrete slab
The sequence of work on the construction of a brick drain pit
Here we will look at how to lay out a brick drain pit quickly and efficiently.
You will need to do the following:
As for the last point, it is worth considering in more detail to anyone who is interested in how to lay a cesspool out of bricks.
In the role of overlap, it is better to use a finished reinforced concrete slab with a hole for the hatch. So the work will be simpler and more efficient.
But, it is possible to build a ceiling from boards, but then it will need to be strengthened.
That is why it is better to give preference to the first option. The diameter of the hole for the hatch should be approximately 70 cm.
The overlap itself should be covered with a layer of roofing material to ensure waterproofing, covered with soil from above.
Reinforced concrete slab with a hole for the hatch
You can do otherwise: make a formwork, fill it with a layer of concrete. After it dries, remove the formwork, and overlay the walls of the structure with bricks. Next, it remains to process the overlap with bitumen.
Installing the hatch will be an order of magnitude easier, because you will be working with a ready-made design.
The only thing that needs to be checked is the quality of the sealing of the seams.
