Snowmelt from septic tank?

KBP&H

Has anyone installed or did research for a small 4x30' paver sidewalk bi looping pex (won't use it over if it doesn't work) in a 1000 gal septic tank w/ circ,etc....

Weezbo

might be sketchy to figure:)

I think you might get the btus out right enough,only thing is say you used car antifreeze it is going to bring some decidedly chillier temps back to the tank or heat source,now while indeed it could generate some heat and you could add heat it mostlikely would freeze the sewer tank in january then the anti freeze would likely gell and recirculation would be down to a crawl then the impeller or motor would smoke.... however i heard of a guy who did something similar....loop,+ deep hole into water table pit run gravel over it,bunch of heavy rip rap over typar and typar over it back filled....seems to work for him and it gets Beacoup Cold around here...it is on constant recirc...

Mad Dog

sounds nasty and far-fetched....but

why not? right? Mad Dog

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Uni R

It's a matter of scale.

Even though that sidewalk doesn't seem large it would probably take enough heat from the septic tank to kill the nasty little workforce in there. Without living bacteria it becomes just a holding tank.

hr

I think

a septic tank works like a compost pile. Their is a bacterial breaking down of the waste that, that may be compromised if the process gets cooled down??

I once tried to extract heat from a compost pile with a coil of copper. Experts tell me cooling (removing too much heat) stops the break down process, and the whole pile went cold.

hot rod

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Kal Row

ok here is a couple ...

first: you need a flat plate heat-ex - dont even think of doing it direct - you simply dont mix that stuff with the real world and the snomelt needs anti-freeze anyway

second: you need a backup heat source since you dont want to chill the spetic tank too much - inline gas or electric tankless will do just fine

third: consider solar (also with a heat-ex of course) to add/store heat in the septic - again with limits

forth: you need a buffer tank to smooth out the whole show

LOL - you go-na need it

tombig

Btu's

I doubt you'd get the needed Btu's anyway. Iffy at best unless it's a six bath house with 12 people home all day.

Mad Dog

Yeah....hefty folks who like to eat

really chow down. 3-5 good movements a day. Mad Dog

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Constantin

Yeeeehaaa!

Nothing like discovering that you've just created the largest frozen turd the DPW has ever seen. Yep, you'd be the talk of the town alright. The humiliation would be followed by an expensive repair bill when the septic system has to be rebuilt because the leach field has become contaminated with frozen fecal matter (yech!)

Seriously, while there may be some heat potential down there, either the septic tank is enormous and the sidewalk tiny or you're asking for trouble. I'd shy away simply because the missus would not be too pleased if her water closet was suddenly off limits just because I was too lazy to scrape the sidewalk. My vote would be for a solar or geo powered system. Cheers!

tombig

Yeah....

Now that I've reverted to city life I forget about my Dad's swamped out yard when seven kids were home. The back yard's been high and dry since it's just Mom and Pop.

BTW... doing some family research and found that my gr gr uncle died at 17 from typhoid in Chicago in 1885. Told my sis I remember an outbreak in history killing bunches of Chicagoans cause the city was drinkin it's s^#@t water. Turns out it was 1885....same year... after a big rain. Killed 90,000!! THAT'S why plumbers are licensed by the HEALTH dept. around here (and elsewhere I suppose) The city's fix was to reverse the flow of the Chicago river and send that stuff downstate because they didn't understand TREATMENT!! In a typical Chicago power play the politicians ordered to blow the dam and let fly as legal action was in process to stop it.

Just an HVAC guy with a hell of a lot of respect for plumbers, Tom Goebig

KBP&H

WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HEY, TAKE IT EASY ON ME--------------------I was only asking a question,,,, Oh, by the way I am a licensed plumber and in this industry all of my life.!!! This was a thought as the sidewalk and the tank are 3' apart and the area i'm talking about is due north ( shade all the time).. I was looking for some input but maybe I should have logged on the Health dept site ( sorry). I was looking for input - yes I knew not to use the septic water (have a little more respect for others in this industry), as far as pressure- this isn't all that different than a baseboard zone off of a steam boiler... ( I've(45 ) been to all of Dan's seminars in Fairfield in the last 6 years, many shows and other seminars, 4 years of college in mechanical ( HVAC) design, and our family has been in business since 1959, my dad had over 50 employees for 15 years,,, BUT This isn't all that far fetched if all of the right parameters and proper control is put in place.... We Americans have been taking to much from others to support ourselves,, and some things in this country are lots cheaper than what it costs to replace them,, I have 3 kids that will know a different world.. , COME ON-- lets start designing real SYSTEMS that are very efficent and peices that make up bigger parts..

Uni R

It's a great idea...

And like most of us said a matter of scale. Look on the bright side... Your idea forced us to think about the same crap as you were thinking about. LOL

tombig

Sorry Bro'

Like I said, I'm an HVAC guy, not a plumber. Thinking outside the box is what makes this country great. If it melts snow,hatches chickens, or warms the tile by the front door....more power to ya!