55 Gallon Drum Septic Tank.....

ehenry

Commander
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Jan 6, 2002
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2,393
I'm going to install a toilet in my house over at my deer camp. Our camp is WAAAAYYY OFF the grid and definately not prone to inspection by "Code Enforcment" officers. I am planning on using a plastic 55 gallon drum for the tank along with 50 to 100 feet of field line. Does anyone know what you call the rubber grommets or collars that I'll need to fit the tank with to put the inlet and outlet pipes through?

I know some of yall will come back to me with "Check the local codes" before I do anything and thats fine but in the 45+years I've been in this camp I've only seen two law enforcement type officers there. One was invited as a guest to hunt and the other was a new DWFP officer that rode in on a horse to introduce himself to us and to contact him if we needed anything.

In the same 45 years the trek to the "Bath House" has gotten longer and longer as time marches on.
 

robert graham

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Apr 16, 2009
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Re: 55 Gallon Drum Septic Tank.....

Maybe you could bury and tie together about 3 or 4 55 gallon drums, each drum a few inces deeper than the first one, with holes drilled into the sides of each drum to allow drainage...that way the drums sorta become your drain field also....a buddy with a back-hoe could make it an easy project. Tie drums together with say 4" Diameter PVC pipe. Add a few inches of gravel all around the outside of each drum, cover the whole thing with dirt. Better put a marker or something so one of the guys don't run his truck over tops of your drums!
Just some ideas! Good Luck!
 

JB

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Mar 25, 2001
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45,907
Re: 55 Gallon Drum Septic Tank.....

I used a 55 gallon Septic tank and 50' of leach line when I first put a singlewide on The Hideout, ehenry. I had a pro install it. It worked fine until it failed after 7 years. The timing was right because my new home was just finished with a conventional setup.

I live alone and most of those 7 years I was only home at night and on weekends. Several people might overwhelm such a system in a weekend.
 

The_Kid

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Apr 18, 2008
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447
Re: 55 Gallon Drum Septic Tank.....

I think what you are looking for is called a waterstop. Do a search for Fernco waterstop.
 

davepol

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Jun 28, 2012
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Re: 55 Gallon Drum Septic Tank.....

Ive done something very similar, in very sandy soil, used 2 plastic drums, cut the bottoms out, emptied one ito the other, but the run was only about 25 feet. Worked great, as a matter of fact, I believe its still working
 

halfmoa

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Aug 19, 2011
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955
Re: 55 Gallon Drum Septic Tank.....

Does anyone know what you call the rubber grommets or collars that I'll need to fit the tank with to put the inlet and outlet pipes through?

No more use that it will get I'd think a 4 inch toilet flange would tie them together well but I've never even heard of such a system.
 

ehenry

Commander
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Jan 6, 2002
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2,393
Re: 55 Gallon Drum Septic Tank.....

Like I said we put a system like this on what we call the bath house 15 or so years ago and it still works fine. It is used by 7 to 8 guys a weekend during hunting season. Mine will mainly be used on the weekends during hunting season by one or two folks tops.

We dont utilize the camp much in the spring and summer because of the road conditions. I feel like it will serve me fine as long as I keep it treated with the RidX doodoo eating bacteria or something similar on a regular basis.
 

colbyt

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Aug 9, 2012
Messages
824
Re: 55 Gallon Drum Septic Tank.....

Bulk-head fittings is what you are looking for. A threaded nipple that accepts a glued PVC connection on one side.


I used 2" ones on my home made fish pond filter. I doubt that Slows or homecheapo will have them but they can be ordered online.
 

dolluper

Captain
Joined
Jul 19, 2004
Messages
3,900
Re: 55 Gallon Drum Septic Tank.....

Glue in couplers to take your pipe size ....works like conventical septics except much smaller...if possible have outlet [leech} down grade ...they work fantastic ......don't forget your vent eh!!!!
 

dolluper

Captain
Joined
Jul 19, 2004
Messages
3,900
Re: 55 Gallon Drum Septic Tank.....

A caddy= a cadilac of a system.....2 drums a deluxe system or a caddy {cadilac}of systems....LOL's.....I'm used to a one drummer non deluxe system very crude but works perfect......steel drum also we found in the dump
 
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