Propery Question Cesspit and Oil
Discussion
Cesspit and oil will be your responsibility.
Cesspit. Depending on size plan for £150 to empty it each year.
Oil, £300 should last about 3 months for hot water and heating in a three bed over winter. 6 months in summer. Some companies run payment plans but the price of oil that way is shocking!!!
Cesspit. Depending on size plan for £150 to empty it each year.
Oil, £300 should last about 3 months for hot water and heating in a three bed over winter. 6 months in summer. Some companies run payment plans but the price of oil that way is shocking!!!
Hi.
Is it a cesspit or a septic tank? We've got a tank and its emptied once a year - ideally don't use bleach in your loos/sinks as that kills off the bacteria that helps break down the gunk. Oil tank straightforward too - make sure you don't run out as you'll get an airlock in the pipework. Shop around when buying the oil as prices can vary hugely. Worth checking with the house owner if they're a member of a local oil buying syndicate.
MIght be worth getting both checked for condition if you want to buy the house. Make sure the tank is on level ground and hasn't got any splits/leaks.
More importantly check the internet speed that's available as we moved from superfast in the last place to 1.5Mbps here and it drives me nuts on a daily basis! Ignore anyone that tells you to get satellite broadband too as it's s
te!
Is it a cesspit or a septic tank? We've got a tank and its emptied once a year - ideally don't use bleach in your loos/sinks as that kills off the bacteria that helps break down the gunk. Oil tank straightforward too - make sure you don't run out as you'll get an airlock in the pipework. Shop around when buying the oil as prices can vary hugely. Worth checking with the house owner if they're a member of a local oil buying syndicate.
MIght be worth getting both checked for condition if you want to buy the house. Make sure the tank is on level ground and hasn't got any splits/leaks.
More importantly check the internet speed that's available as we moved from superfast in the last place to 1.5Mbps here and it drives me nuts on a daily basis! Ignore anyone that tells you to get satellite broadband too as it's s
te!Nothing to be concerned about - just get them checked out pre-purchase. Any signs of cracks/wear on the oil tank (if it's in the shade and not ancient that shouldn't be a problem) and it will need replacing.
Cost to run will very much depend on the house and current price of oil. It's pretty cheap at the moment (30p ish a litre). It's been cheaper (23p) and also much ore price (60p+). Ask the current owners for the last few oil bills (pref covering at least a calendar year).
Is it a cesspit or a septic tank? The former need regular emptying. Talk to neighbours about who they use for emptying.
A septic tank will digest the waste if you don't chuck too much crap down the drains (crap's OK. Food waste and household cleaners less so. Lady stuff a definite no). In theory these can go for donkeys without emptying. We have ours done every 18mths or so but aren't overly considered about what goes down the drain.
Cost to run will very much depend on the house and current price of oil. It's pretty cheap at the moment (30p ish a litre). It's been cheaper (23p) and also much ore price (60p+). Ask the current owners for the last few oil bills (pref covering at least a calendar year).
Is it a cesspit or a septic tank? The former need regular emptying. Talk to neighbours about who they use for emptying.
A septic tank will digest the waste if you don't chuck too much crap down the drains (crap's OK. Food waste and household cleaners less so. Lady stuff a definite no). In theory these can go for donkeys without emptying. We have ours done every 18mths or so but aren't overly considered about what goes down the drain.
With the septic tank (i'm assuming it won't be a cesspit), may be worth getting a survey done to ensure it discharges correctly (to a drainage field or sometimes called a soakaway, although should be linear).
A lot (especially older ones) are connected into watercourses (streams/surface drains/ditches) and if the EA get wind, I've seen very unfair terms served in the past (£10k fine if not fixed in 30 days).
Although, the regs did change and you should now get 6 months if pollution proved for any EA noting. Regardless of pollution, any sub-standard or historic installs with tanks going into watercourses have to be fixed by 2020, or the EA will be able to start getting heavy handed again no doubt.
If it does just outlet to anything but a drainage field, don't be put off. Just negotiate hard. Several solutions to resolve (either a STP conversion of the tank or replacement STP system). Neither should be silly money (under £10k) and should be longstanding.
If it is all connected correctly, see if they have records of it being emptied annually. Anything less will result in the drainage field gradually becoming contaminated and will shorten its life to the point it could stop working.
They are pretty low maintenance and tend to work well though.
A lot (especially older ones) are connected into watercourses (streams/surface drains/ditches) and if the EA get wind, I've seen very unfair terms served in the past (£10k fine if not fixed in 30 days).
Although, the regs did change and you should now get 6 months if pollution proved for any EA noting. Regardless of pollution, any sub-standard or historic installs with tanks going into watercourses have to be fixed by 2020, or the EA will be able to start getting heavy handed again no doubt.
If it does just outlet to anything but a drainage field, don't be put off. Just negotiate hard. Several solutions to resolve (either a STP conversion of the tank or replacement STP system). Neither should be silly money (under £10k) and should be longstanding.
If it is all connected correctly, see if they have records of it being emptied annually. Anything less will result in the drainage field gradually becoming contaminated and will shorten its life to the point it could stop working.
They are pretty low maintenance and tend to work well though.
4 bed 1960's dormer bungalow. I get through about 800 litres of oil a year. Cornwall, so the winters are relatively mild. When I finally got around to getting the septic tank emptied (after 5 years of living here), the chap said it didn't really need doing. It's a replacement system though, put in about 10 years ago by the previous owner. Apparently the soakaway on the original system got silted up.
guitarcarfanatic said:
If it is all connected correctly, see if they have records of it being emptied annually. Anything less will result in the drainage field gradually becoming contaminated and will shorten its life to the point it could stop working.
They are pretty low maintenance and tend to work well though.
Septic tank in my parent's house has been there since 1989 or 1990 IIRC and hasn't been emptied once... They are pretty low maintenance and tend to work well though.
Very little bleach going down the toilets though. The tanks are at the top of the lawn and infiltrate into a soakaway further down the lawn again.
I've heard if the bacteria is killed with bleach etc you can leave a few chunks of meat out in the sun until they go manky and full of maggots etc and drop them into the tank to get the system going again, haven't seen it done though
Just a hint for ordering oil, we have a heating oil side to the business here. Order in the summer, it's cheaper and you get it quicker. Whereas everyone is panicking now about snow, so they are ordering oil now, when it's more expensive and the oil companies are busy so can't deliver as quickly.
Too Late said:
Stupidly, i thought a Cesspit and Septic tank were the same..
Not stupid at all - if you've never had to deal with either, you wouldn't necessarily be expected to know the difference.Septic Tank
Cesspit
Don't make a mistake and think this one is a septic tank just cos it says so on it, it will be a tank full of septic waste but it is a cesspit not a septic tank!
chasingracecars said:
Be aware those of you with drain away tanks they never actually fill!! The bacteria and solids end up at a level state and then the solids need removing. We have to have ours serviced every year and ours is due for emptying now.
If your's is filling up, it is not digesting properly. As other posters have said, if it is all working properly they are pretty much fit and forget. The solids are broken down by the bacteria and the resulting liquids then drain away into the local area - no smell or anything as the bacteria has broken it all down into (relatively) harmless substances, though I ceryainly wouldn't lick my fingers after digging in that area!chasingracecars said:
Oil, £300 should last about 3 months for hot water and heating in a three bed over winter. 6 months in summer. Some companies run payment plans but the price of oil that way is shocking!!!
We get oil on a payment plan, each time we order a fill up I check process online and phone the supplier (total Butler) they always match the best price I can find.I do not have an auto top up plan
blueg33 said:
We get oil on a payment plan, each time we order a fill up I check process online and phone the supplier (total Butler) they always match the best price I can find.
I do not have an auto top up plan
Ok I have paid over £1 for oil on the plan, didn't know better. Now pay £0.30. This suits us though now. I do not have an auto top up plan
I'm later to this thread than other so I think your questions have been answered. But if it helps I can add in some experiences. We moved to a rural house with oil CH and no main drainage at the end of 2013. We move £100 a month into a savings account to cover our oil bills. So far this has covered all bills (buying in summer and when the price is low is advisable as mentioned above) plus annual boiler servicing. Water bills have been very reasonable at £25/month (on a meter) with no drainage charges. We have a filtration system which empties water in to the stream but contains the solid waste which should be broken down by bacteria in the tank system (diagram above). Emptying the tank costs us £125 once a year using a local specialist who can also repair the electrical parts of the system (compressor failure one year, for example).
What you may want to look at is the age and condition of both the oil tank and the septic system. Our place was built in 1976 by the previous owner (a builder), both systems were original and we agreed replacement of both as part of the sale. The rusty oil tank was replaced with a 2500 bunded plastic tank, for example.
I guess your big question with a 500 year old place will be how well insulated it is and the possible need for year-round heating. My CH is off from May to September, sometimes longer.
What you may want to look at is the age and condition of both the oil tank and the septic system. Our place was built in 1976 by the previous owner (a builder), both systems were original and we agreed replacement of both as part of the sale. The rusty oil tank was replaced with a 2500 bunded plastic tank, for example.
I guess your big question with a 500 year old place will be how well insulated it is and the possible need for year-round heating. My CH is off from May to September, sometimes longer.
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