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I Know It's Supposed to Flow Downhill, But Ours Has to Go Up...


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I am investigating putting in an RV pad with full hook-ups on family property. The biggest issue I see, at this point, is moving sewage uphill to the existing septic system. The rise to the system is about 10 feet and the run from the pad to system is about 100 feet.


We will park there once per year for periods of a couple months to perhaps six. Power and water are not issues as they are readily available. The existing septic system is sufficient in size to handle our needs.


Any suggestions on how to make our stuff flow uphill?? Any things to be especially aware of to ask potential contractors?


Thanks -- Kevin

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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Could put in a small lift station. I did that a few years back. Small tank and a pump from Septic Tank Solutions got me going

Steve and Joy

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I would bury a 1" PVC line from the rig to the sewer connection. I'd put a shutoff at the sewer connection area, and also at the RV. Use a MIP connector at the RV end, then connect to that using a macerator. You will have no issue with a 1" line and 10' head at that distance. I commonly macerate that far and with that much head. I use a 3/4" hose, but I'd recommend the 1" permanent connection - the pump heats up faster with the 3/4" line. With 1" line it performs much better.

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The lift station, if you go that route may have an issue with the high flow from dumping your tanks. You do not want to pull the black dump lever and find that your sewer hose has exploded from the back-pressure when the lift pump can't keep up with the flow.

 

Adding a surge tank for the lift-pump to draw from would solve that problem, a few gallons bigger than your black tank at a minimum. You'd want to be sure to wait long enough for the pump to empty the surge tank before dumping a second tank if you went small so a larger one might be a better option.

 

Going to be more expensive than a macerator for little gain.

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I've been looking at residential lift stations but did not think of the huge influx during rig dumping. Good point. They would handle 'normal' flows but I suspect a big introduction like dumping tanks could overwhelm them. A macerator may be the best solution. Any experience or suggestions for brands?

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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Home made? http://steampunkworkshop.com/diy-rv-macerator-pump/ He says it lifts seven feet fine.

 

I would suggest this because you are not going to leave it in the tank to collect sludge. http://onsitesepticservices.com/septic-systems/ I have a home system Identical to this but in a two chamber concrete. When my old pump quit I had a mess. It overflowed and so I bought the biggest cast iron with stainless steel macerator blades pump for ~$300. Mine lifts about 7 feet from the tank, 12 feet from the bottom where the macerator sits. It uses bigger than 1" pipe and goes about 200' and uphill underground to my oxidation pond. Mine is not able to accommodate a dump line without creating several problems. My pump is similar to this one withthe fast GPH ratings and lift. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-0-6-HP-Heavy-Duty-Cast-Iron-Sewage-Pump-ESE60W-HD/204667247

 

Here is a 30 gallon premade system: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-2-HP-Submersible-Pre-Plumbed-Sewage-Basin-System-THD1075/206475885 I'd get a 200 gallon tank and bury it then run PVC to the point you are pumping to 10 feet above grade. Rather than get a cheapie plastic pump c0nsider one of the good ones from any source that is heavy, has the float switch, and all you need next to it is a weatherproof 110 to plug in the pump switch and the power piggybacked on it, in an out door receptacle housing. Looking down into mine it looks like this but with a heavy duty macerator pump, a 90 degree elbow at the top, and a screw connector to the 1.25" PVC going out 100' to the oxidation pond.

 

I also bought the 200 dollar RV macerator pump and would do the home built one above if I had to do it again, much cheaper too. It needs a cool down break after the first tank lifting 7 feet or so 100'.

 

Hope that helps!

RV/Derek
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Retired AF 1971-1998


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Thanks for the info. I am leaning toward a tank & pump system. Similar to Ranger, Stan and RV´s suggestions.


I looked at the Flojet portable macerator. Looks like a neat setup but a couple things occurred to me. My clothes washer does not empty into a tank. It bypasses the tanks and goes directly to the sewer line. If the line is closed the washer drain over flows, DAMHIK :). I´d have to run the macarator every time I wash clothes. Also, I have an in-house RO drinking water system. The effluent would cause a closed gray tank to fill up quicker than I like.


A sump-type waste pump with about a 100 gallon (I have 93 gal gray capacity) basin looks to be the best set up.


Thoughts???

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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Could put in a small lift station. I did that a few years back. Small tank and a pump from Septic Tank Solutions got me going

How big was the basin you installed? How many gals are your holding tanks?

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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Kevin,

A good macerator pump with a float valve would get rid of the waste water from the R/O and the washer too with just a bit of electric. You can install an extra valve to let the washer drain all the time, and have separate valves for the gray and black tanks. That would flush your dump tubing beyond the valves with the washer water and soap. Remember you will have some solids accumulate as a sludge so you need the cover water plus the gallons you want it to take until the float turns on the pump. I'd size it at 50% more than your tank's capacity. If you get the .6 or half horsepower ones with a good macerator you can see the charts for their GPH or GPM capabilities at all lift heights. Don't forget to measure lift from the bottom of the tank. Does that make sense?

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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How big was the basin you installed? How many gals are your holding tanks?

My holding tanks are a total of 100 gals. My tank was 60 gals. I emptied one at a time. I had no issue with overflow. When the tank hit 2/3 full the pump came on and pumped it up to the septic tank. I think I had a 3/4 hp pump.

Steve and Joy

Amateur Radio Operator WZ1T . . .  Flex 6600 M,  Flex PGXL, Flex TGXL, 

2014 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q . . . Lincoln MKX Toad


The Kids . . . Yogi the Yorkie  passed 10/20/2018. . . Cookie the Chihuahua passed 11/30/2017 . . . Cooper the Aussie Doodle passed 3/10/2020

Abbie  and Abel  the Doodles . . . Brother and Sister Born 02/02/2020   . . . Lucy the Yorkie . . . and Axel  . . .The Bernie Doodle

 

Where We Are Now

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Having a requirement to leave your grey tank open changes everything. While you can easily bypass the macerator for the grey, it won't help you in this situation since you are up hill.

 

Given the "new" requirements, I would not attempt a macerator. Too many things to go wrong in the "procedures". Put in a holding tank and a pump. It will cost you more, but you will have less chance of a failure. A conventional residential holding tank and lift pump will do the job just fine. I complicates things for power, and controls; and is far more expensive. But a better long term solution.

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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A couple of the RV macerators are available with a gray water bypass. Thetford and Clean Dump are the two I know of. My FloJet doesn't have one. See HERE.

 

I trenched and ran a 1 inch PVC pipe from the RV about 140 feet to a spot close to the house sewer clean out. I used a couple of in-ground green valve boxes and put female hose fittings on the PCV pipe. I use a couple of dedicated 3/4 inch hoses to connect the macerator and the clean out. Worked well when we still had the RV and now when friends visit with their RVs.

 

I dug a dry well about 18 inches across by 24 inches deep, filled it with 1 inch gravel and let the gray water run into it. I closed the gray water valve a couple of days before I planned to dump the black tank so I could let some of the gray water backflow into the black tank during the process (per the FloJet instructions).

 

Before the gray water police have a hissy fit - gray water does not have an odor unless it is kept in a tank.

Note that CO is in the process of setting up regulations/codes for domestic gray water separation so it can be used to water trees, shrubs, etc. We are in a high desert valley and water is a precious commodity so using it makes sense.

I won't split mine out for two reasons - cost and we use irrigation water from the rivers that is furnished by an irrigation district here in the valley.

Clay(WA5NMR), Lee(Wife), Katie & Kelli (cats)
Full timed for eleven years in our 2004 Winnebago Sightseer 35N Workhorse chassis. Snowbirds for 1 year. Now settled down in western CO.
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I would think, instead of trying to reinvent a system that may be a maintenance headache, why not just put in another septic system that you can just drain your tanks into. It sounds like the RV pad will be a long term site that will see a lot of use, so make it easy to maintain and use.

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I would think, instead of trying to reinvent a system that may be a maintenance headache, why not just put in another septic system that you can just drain your tanks into. It sounds like the RV pad will be a long term site that will see a lot of use, so make it easy to maintain and use.

 

Good suggestion, Becky. If we did not have the option for a lift system then a separate septic would be considered. This is in North Carolina. "Level" land slopes only 20 degrees. When I started asking locals about it I was told to stop thinking like a Flatlander :) This type of setup is common out here, so even tho it seems a bit unconventional, builders out here don't give it a second thought. After the suggestions here I did a bit of research. Packaged systems are readily available. Expensive, yup. Good ones are in the 1k range for pump and tank after shipping. Don't know what installation is but I figure I can have the perfect solution without installing a complete septic system for around $2-2.5k.

The richest are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.

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Another consideration on a second septic is how your zoning control folks will react, some places it is no problem but in others it will draw the attention of a bureaucrat with a rule book and you will suffer their attentions. I've learned to never ask the zoning folks a question I don't already know the answer to and that I like the answer.

First rule of computer consulting:

Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day.

Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime.

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I had the same trouble, same 100ft run, and pretty similar head when I put in my dump to septic. I went with a pre-assembled Zoeller kit from a local wholesaler. It easily keeps up with my 100 gal trailer and it even shuts off a few times while the trailer is dumping. But I also tried to lay my pipe as close as I could to the minimum 1/8" per ft so it all gets to the pump pretty slow. Be real careful about dropping rocks down the end of your pipe when using because they will lock up the pump and it really, really sucks to work in that pot of muck. :( Also change all the manhole fasteners to stainless when it is new and un-stinky so you don't have to grind them off to get in it later. Also note that if wired to code it needs to be on a dedicated circuit so if your panel is already full then things just got expensive again.

 

Pump specs (264 is what mine came with I think):

 

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