More and more owners of private houses are choosing local treatment facilities Topas as a septic tank. These stations are reliable, efficient, compact and easy to use. However, sometimes you can hear negative reviews. Let's figure out what shortcomings cause dissatisfaction among owners and what malfunctions force Topas septic tanks to be repaired.
Most modern people, before making a purchase of any equipment, try not only to get acquainted with the technical characteristics, but also to study reviews of people who are real users.
Autonomous sewerage is no exception. If you try to systematize reviews about Topas septic tanks, it becomes clear that most owners are quite satisfied with the equipment. However, there are also negative opinions. Let's figure out what can cause them.
Owner's review of Topas 8
In the summer of 2021, we served Topas 8. On the same day, we asked the owner of the site, Ivan, several questions about the operation of an autonomous sewer system and about the experience of cooperation with the Zagorod company. From his review we learned:
- What influenced the choice of model?
- Is he happy with how the septic tank installation went?
- How does the septic tank behave over time: is there noise, is there an odor?
- Does Ivan continue to use the services of the Zagorod company?
For Ivan, the main parameter that influenced the choice of an autonomous sewer system was the volume of salvo discharge. This is the volume of wastewater that the station is capable of absorbing within 10 minutes.
The house has two bathrooms, one of which has a large bathtub. That's why Ivan chose the Topas 8 septic tank, which allows you to instantly drain 440 liters of water.
Contacting the Zagorod company was due to several reasons. Firstly, the optimal price/quality ratio. Secondly, a convenient payment method. On the day of installation, the installers had a mobile terminal with them, so Ivan was able to pay for the work using a bank card. Thirdly, the company's excellent reputation.
The positive feedback was also influenced by the fact that all work was promptly completed in one day. And already in the evening on the day of installation it was possible to use an autonomous sewer system. Because the delivery service forgot to take the hazard warning light. A few days later, an engineer arrived and installed the missing element for free. This is a clear example of how the Zagorod company always strictly follows the rules.
About the operation of Topas 8, it is enough to say one thing: it works perfectly. Over several years of use, Ivan did not have any problems. There is no odor in the wastewater, and the electronics in the station function without failure. The review of Topas 8 is simple: I installed a septic tank and forgot about it.
Look at the detailed review from the owner of Topas 8.
The key to excellent cleaning quality is timely and high-quality maintenance of the Topas septic tank. After installation, Ivan turns to Zagorod specialists to carry out service. Engineers always carefully check the operation of the device, wash airlifts and filters, remove insoluble debris from the receiving chamber and, if necessary, correct minor violations. As Ivan said, after service the station is like new.
Septic tank malfunctions
VOC Topas is made from durable and high-quality materials and is equipped with reliable equipment. Therefore, if a Topas septic tank fails, repairs in 99% of cases have to be made due to errors made during installation or violation of the rules of use.
VOC flooding
This is one of the most unpleasant breakdowns, and often requires expensive repairs. Before checking the station, it is necessary to remove the air pumps (airlifts), rinse them well and dry them. Causes of flooding:
- In stations with forced removal of treated wastewater, flooding can cause a malfunction in the drainage pump. Therefore, you need to remove the pump and check it in a separate outlet. If the pump is faulty, it should be replaced or repaired.
- In both forced and gravity stations, the cause of filling can be a failure of the airlift. To eliminate the malfunction, you need to clean the clogged parts, and replace the faulty ones using high-quality spare parts.
- Flooding can be caused by a faulty sensor in the sample chamber; if this is the reason, the sensor should be replaced; the necessary spare parts can be purchased at a service center.
- Another common cause of flooding is freezing of the purified water discharge channel. This happens if the installation of the outlet route was carried out incorrectly.
Advice! A simple power outage can also lead to overflow of the station. Therefore, if the power in the house is temporarily turned off, you should use water to a minimum.
Odor or dirty water coming out
As a rule, the main reason for this malfunction is a prolonged lack of maintenance. To eliminate it, you should flush the septic tank. How to clean the equipment is described above.
The emergency sewer light is on
This type of failure is most likely caused by one of two reasons:
- float switch failure;
- airlift malfunction.
In the first case, the sensor should be replaced, and if the airlift fails, you should first try to clean it. If cleaning the equipment does not bring results, then you will need to purchase spare parts and perform repairs.
Electrical faults
Separately, it is worth considering faults that are associated with damage to electrical equipment or problems with power supply. As a rule, almost any electrical fault causes the RCD to trip (or a circuit breaker if an RCD has not been installed). Such an accident can result from:
- damage to the cable supplying the VOC;
- compressor breakdown;
- breakdown of the chamber filling sensor;
- failure of the drainage pump.
Advice! To avoid such emergency situations, during each maintenance of the Topas station, the functionality of the electrical equipment listed above is checked. This helps to identify faults in time and prevent emergency shutdown of the station.
Inflow (outflow) of water from the station during downtime
If water is not used in the house, and the septic tank is still filling, then, most likely, the plumbing fixtures are leaking, that is, they need to be repaired and the leaks eliminated. If, during a period of inactivity, water leaves the station, then there may be two reasons for this situation:
- Poor organization of water drainage from the station, that is, installation errors.
- Violation of the tightness of the station housing. In this case, independent repair is impossible; you need to invite specialists.
Topas 5: owner review
When choosing an autonomous sewer system for a cottage or dacha, you have to take into account Russian legislation.
Topas biological treatment stations have the necessary certificates of conformity, which allows the device to be installed without approval from Vodokanal or regulatory authorities. Thus, during possible inspections in the future, users will not have any difficulties with regulatory authorities.
It was the legal aspect that was decisive for our other client, whose name is also Ivan. In his case, the installation of an officially approved autonomous sewerage system was a matter of principle: otherwise he would have been denied connection to the centralized water supply.
We asked Ivan a few questions:
- Why did he choose the Zagorod company?
- What aspects of the installation process bothered him?
- Impressions about the operation of the Topas 5 septic tank?
- The quality of the Zagorod customer service?
According to Ivan, he chose Zagorod for two reasons: good reviews about the company and an excellent price for turnkey installation. Before installation, he asked the engineers whether they could install Topas 5 so that, firstly, it would not damage the spruce trees growing nearby, and, secondly, it would not touch the gas pipeline, which is located a few meters from the pit. Since we dig the pit for Topas 5 manually, and the septic tank is also moved manually, the installation was carried out very carefully. Even two years later, the customer does not hide his admiration for how professionally the work was done.
For many reasons, the work of Topas 5 deserves a positive review. With regular maintenance, the water is cleaned efficiently. In this case, the opinion is shared not only by the owner of the autonomous sewer system, but also by his neighbors. Over the two years of operation of Topas, there has never been an unpleasant odor in the purified water. If this were not so, the neighbors would make a comment, because the water from the septic tank flows into a ditch that runs past several neighboring properties.
See the review from the owner of Topas 5 about the septic tank service performed:
An indicator of the quality work of Zagorod is the recommendations of our clients. Ivan said that he recommended the Topas septic tank to several of his friends. They carefully examined the work of the autonomous sewer system and were satisfied.
What are the advantages and what are the disadvantages?
Local installations of Topas are in great demand, as the stations have significant advantages. However, we should not forget that ideal equipment does not exist, so it cannot be denied that Topas septic tanks also have disadvantages.
pros
To begin with, let’s note the obvious advantages of the stations:
- Efficiency. Only in biological treatment stations is a full cycle of wastewater treatment carried out, so water from it can be discharged or reused (of course, for technical purposes) without additional treatment.
Advice! For comparison, the efficiency of the Topas installation is 97-98%, but the quality of operation of a conventional settling tank is only 50%. And even the most modern anaerobic plants, equipped with additional biofilters, supply water that is purified to a maximum of 80%. Therefore, aerobic VOCs have no competitors in terms of effectiveness.
- Compactness. Topas aerobic stations do not take up much space, since the cleaning processes in them proceed quickly. But in a regular sump, the water must settle for at least three days, so they are more voluminous. In addition, when installing VOC Topas, there is no need to allocate areas for the installation of filtration fields.
- Comfort. The stations operate almost silently and do not emit an unpleasant odor.
- Easy maintenance. Maintenance activities can be carried out independently.
Minuses
An objective assessment of the properties and qualities of VOC Topas allows us to identify the shortcomings of this equipment. This is, first of all:
- Energy dependence. If there is no power, the station will not function. Therefore, when the lights are turned off, you cannot use water as usual.
- High price. If we compare the price of Topas and the prices of conventional septic tanks, the comparison will not be in favor of the former.
- The need for regular maintenance. The installation needs to be serviced approximately every three months. But a regular septic tank needs to be cleaned once a year.
Rules for operating the Topas septic tank
The peculiarity of biological treatment stations is that they process exclusively organic substances. It is allowed to throw soft toilet paper down the drain, but it is prohibited to flush wet wipes down the toilet. It is also not allowed to pour solid household waste, hair or animal fur into the country sewer system. All this remains in the receiving chamber in the form of non-decomposing waste. To minimize hair getting into the shower drain, you should install dense filter grids. But even with the most careful operation, it is necessary to regularly clean the cameras.
It should be remembered that bacteria living in the station are killed by exposure to chemical cleaning agents (especially those containing chlorine) or when the pH level fluctuates sharply.
It is recommended to choose organic detergents for washing machines and dishwashers. However, using regular soap and shampoo does not have negative consequences. On the contrary, the acid-base environment in the chambers is normalized.
Do you want to receive professional recommendations on the use of autonomous sewerage? Watch the video in which service engineer Zagorod explains simple rules.
Introduction to septic tanks Poplar
At the moment, two types of septic tanks are very popular:
- Topol septic tanks, which in design resemble Topas wastewater treatment plants;
- Tank-type septic tanks, which work on the principle of settling wastewater and its subsequent soil filtration. By the way, reviews of Triton septic tanks, which are also included in this group, are quite good, especially among summer residents. And this despite the simplicity of the design.
Septic tanks Topol are compact containers made of durable plastic, which are internally divided into several chambers. The equipment is designed for sequential wastewater treatment in the process of settling, mechanical crushing of large impurities, intensification of the vital activity of aerobic microbes and their subsequent biological transformation of organic compounds. These installations are available in various capacities, so choosing a septic tank model is not difficult.
