Polymaster ST3100 Septic Tank Installation Guide
- June 13, 2024
- Polymaster
Table of Contents
Polymaster ST3100 Septic Tank
Product Information
The Polymaster Septic Tank is an innovative product designed to provide a complete septic tank system that complies with Australian Standards. It is a wastewater treatment system that utilizes the soil to naturally absorb and treat wastewater flows. This system is ideal for situations where centralized sewerage treatment is impractical or unavailable. Septic systems use bacteria to break down waste, so it is important to avoid using cleaning products or disposing of any substances down the drainage system that can kill bacteria. Items such as disposable nappies, sanitary napkins, cat litter, and plastics should not be disposed of in the septic tank. During the initial weeks of operation, some odors may be produced by the septic tank, but these will gradually disappear or be replaced with a slight earthy smell. If there are significant changes in odor, it may be due to the use of chemicals or a large amount of laundry being washed. Spreading laundry evenly over the week and using less water can help mitigate this issue. Maintaining the ground around the septic system is essential. The drainage pipes should be left undisturbed with only a mowed grass cover. Excessive ground or stormwater should be diverted away from the drainfield area. Additionally, roots from nearby trees or shrubs should be monitored to prevent clogging and damage to the drain lines. Driving or parking over any part of the drainage system should be avoided. Desludging the septic tank is necessary every 3-5 years to remove accumulated solids. The frequency may vary depending on the volume of waste put through the tank. It is recommended to hire a licensed liquid waste contractor for this task and consult the local council for any specific EPA regulations. For more information about maintenance or inspection of your Polymaster Septic System, contact the plumber who installed your tank or the local council. It is important to note that entering the septic tank is extremely dangerous and should never be attempted. The Polymaster Septic Tank comes with a ten-year manufacturer’s warranty, exceeding the 7-year Building Industry Guarantee for new homes. The warranty ensures guaranteed performance and meets accreditation guidelines for a service life of 15 years. Strict adherence to installation instructions is necessary to validate the warranty.
Product Usage Instructions
- Before beginning the installation process, read the entire manual to understand all procedures and ensure that you have all the necessary materials.
- Select a suitable site for the septic tank installation.
- Excavate the area according to the provided guidelines.
- Avoid using cleaning products or disposing of substances that can kill bacteria in the septic tank, such as disposable nappies, sanitary napkins, cat litter, and plastics.
- Consider using biological cleaning products specifically designed for septic tank systems.
- During the initial weeks of operation, some odors may be produced. This is normal and will gradually dissipate. If there are significant changes in odor, adjust laundry usage and spread it evenly over the week to minimize impact on the system.
- Maintain the ground around the septic system by keeping the drainfield area undisturbed with only a mowed grass cover. Divert excessive ground or stormwater away from this area and prevent roots from nearby trees or shrubs from clogging or damaging drain lines. Avoid driving or parking over any part of the drainage system.
- Desludge the septic tank every 3-5 years to remove accumulated solids. Hire a licensed liquid waste contractor for this task and consult the local council for any specific EPA regulations.
- Do not attempt to enter the septic tank at any time, as it is a confined space and poses extreme health risks.
For any further information or assistance regarding maintenance or inspection
of your Polymaster Septic System, contact the plumber who installed your tank
or the local council. Remember to strictly adhere to all installation
instructions to validate your ten-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Thank you for choosing the Polymaster Septic Tank. We guarantee its
performance and compliance with Australian Standards.
CHECK FIRST…
Read this manual thoroughly to ensure all procedures are understood and
materials needed are available.
Select site
- Contact relevant authorities before digging to locate all underground cables and pipes
- Determine the best location of the tank taking into account existing underground services, excavation required, location of blackwater run and heights into tank and outlet fall to drain.
- Is the tank excavation hole far enough away not to impact on foundations and adjoining structures? Where no regulations exist the distance of the excavation from any structure should be a minimum of 2 times the depth of the excavation.
- Consult with a Geotechnical Engineer if you have any questions about possible influence of excavation on surrounding structures
- Must not be installed where there is a possibility of water table exceeding half the height of the tank
Excavation
- Excavate hole according to dimensions of tank
- Excavation slopes should be a minimum of 30 degrees
- Hole depth should be a minimum of 1675 below finished pavement / lawn level
- Remove all loose soil from base of hole, and add 100mm of sand or crusher dust and compact to a firm level pad.
- Be aware of the safe working practice for working in excavated holes.
- Hole dimensions at the base should be a minimum of 200mm larger in width and length of the tank.
Positioning Tank
- Using the top lifting points for stability, lift tank into place by use of a backhoe or excavator.
- The Tank has 4 feet for stability but extra chocking may be necessary depending on conditions
- Using the access hole for a guide, level tank in both directions
Backfilling
-
Before commencing backfill, fill the tank with water up to the half way mark.
-
The backfill material around the tank must be compacted in layers not exceeding 200mm. Use only hand held vibrating plate compactors
in the compaction process. -
Use cohesionless material such as sand, crusher dust, 6mm FCR etc. as a backfill material in the effective zone as shown. The material should be a minimum density of 18KN/m3 and maximum density of 20KN/m3•
Final hookup
- Ensure all caps and overflows are sealed prior to backfilling the excavation and check all connections.
- Apply 20mm silicone bead around the groove in the top of the access hole and fasten lid down with steel tamper-proof screws.
- If a riser is to be used, fasten riser in from the inside with silicone and using the 6 stainless steel tamper-proof tek screws supplied that originally secured the lid to the septic tank.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Much effort and thought has gone in to the design of this product, and every precaution has been taken to ensure the customer’s health and safety. The following points need to be carefully considered:
- Use a qualified plumber/installer to install and fit-up tank.
- When lifting tank in to place use the appropriate lifting lugs on the tank and lower evenly into hole. Do not manhandle tank in to place or try lifting manually as injury could occur.
- Once installed, never leave tamper-proof lid off tank. This is a serious hazard to young children, personnel and animals, and could result in death by drowning.
- All Worksafe regulations and safe work procedures should be adhered to when installing your septic tank. Never enter the tank at any time without adhering to all guidelines and protocols of relevant confined space entry warnings and directions.
IMPORTANT
It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure proper installation and
maintenance of the underground tank. Polymaster will not be held responsible
for any loss, injury or death resulting from a failure to observe all safety
and installation requirements or safe working procedures.
Care of your Septic system
Owners reference
Polymaster septic systems
Septic systems are ‘on site’ individual wastewater systems that use the soil
to absorb and naturally treat wastewater flows. They are typically used where
centralised sewerage treatment is impractical or not available. A septic
system uses bacteria to break down the waste and therefore it is important
that you do not use cleaning products or dispose of any product down the
drainage system that will kill bacteria.
Items to watch out for are:
- Products that contain chlorine or ammonia
- Fats and greases
- Non-degradables such as disposable nappies, sanitary napkins, cat litter, plastics etc.
- Poisons like petrol, paint, thinners, pesticides etc.
- Excessive food scraps
There is a range of biological cleaning products that are made specifically for use with septic tank systems.
Odours
It is normal in the first few weeks of operation for your septic tank to
produce some odours which after a short time will disappear or be replaced
with a slight earthy smell. If there is much change to your situation you may
find you have used some chemicals or have put a large amount of washing through
the laundry. If this is the case the unit will correct itself in a few days;
try to spread the laundry evenly over the week as much as possible.
Remember: less water used means less water to be treated and disposed of.
Ground Maintenance
Septic systems have a network of drainage pipes that allows the wastewater to seep into the subsurface soil. The area over this ‘drainfield’ should be left undisturbed with only a mowed grass cover. Divert excessive ground/stormwater away from this area and be aware that roots from nearby trees or shrubs may clog and damage your drain lines. Do not allow anyone to drive or park over any part of the drainage system.
Desludging your septic tank
Septic systems overtime will build up with an excess of accumulated solids
that should be pumped out every 3-5 years. This depends a lot on the volume
that is put through the tank so varies greatly on applications.
Make sure the tank is pumped out
by a licensed liquid waste contractor, please see the local council in your
area about any special EPA regulations.
Always leave a small volume of efficient in the tank to ensure tank does not
float up or become dislodged. Bacteria levels in the tank will restore once
wastewater enters the system again.
For more information about maintenance or inspection of your Polymaster Septic
System contact the plumber who installed your tank or the local council.
Please Note: Never allow anyone at any time to enter the septic tank as
it is a confined space and once operating is an extreme health risk.
Thank you
Thank you for purchasing a Polymaster Septic Tank. The purpose of a septic
tank is to provide a complete septic tank system which complies to Australian
Standards, and gives you guaranteed performance.
Stringent testing
Some of the stringent testing and standards we have complied to are listed
below:
- Complies with AS/NZS1546.1:2008 for the construction of septic tanks.
- Tanks have been designed using engineering design methods including finite element analysis
- By following the installation requirements. You will find this tank will give you many years of trouble free service.
Warranty details
Polymaster septic tanks come with a ten year manufacturer’s warranty. This
exceeds the 7yr Building Industry Guarantee on a new home. It also meets with
the accreditation guidelines guaranteeing a service life of 15 years.
To validate your warranty all installation instructions must be strictly
adhered to. When you submit your warranty you agree to adhere to the
acknowledgment and release outlined below.
Please visit
warranty.polymaster.com.au to submit your
warranty on this product
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND RELEASE
The customer undertakes to install our underground tanks strictly to the
manufacturer’s directions, recommendations and specifications as contained in
the Installation Manual accompanying the tank.