What kind of pump do people use to pump their septic tank? Is it a trash pump? I know this probably sounds stupid but could a person pump their own tank? I wonder if this would be a good side business to get into?
With the economy the way it is, I have been lookign for a long time for somethign to do that a person could "fall back on" I wonder if a septic tank pumping business that also did driveway sealing (blacktop) would be good? Can you use a trash pump for blacktop resealing? Where do you get larger quantities of blacktop?
The reason I asked if you could do it yourself is I would like to test both theories on my own septic tank which needs to be pumped out and my driveway.
Hey, great post! Almost couldn't stop laughing. (But note, your question is off-topic in this newsgroup. The purpose of rec.crafts.metalworking is discussion of metalworking, not humor, sewage, politics, etc)
Septic tanks are pumped with a vacuum cleaner! A huge one driven by a
10 ton truck engine. The whole unit is very expensive, I suspect and that is just the beginning. You have to contract with some municipal sewage department to dispose of the stuff. That is not cheap. Then there is bonding and insurance. Then there is the training you MUST have in how to maintain and sanitize the equipment before, during and after pumping.
Your best bet is to befriend someone already in the business and get the complete scoop from them.
Or, be there when someone pumps your tank. You realize many tanks are
stryped on Thu, 8 Jul 2010 06:07:09 -0700 (PDT) typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
Somebody else's. That's a job I don't want to have to deal with, at all.
If you don't mind having a very large "wet/dry" vacuum cleaner tank which smells like an outhouse, not at all. There is, however, going to be the small detail that people (and local governments) get really touchy when it comes to - ahem- "night soil". Your system will not be allowed to leak, and you will have to dispose of all that crap (and it isn't all crap, either) in a "responsible manner". Which rules out the trip to the local RV dump spot. It would make a nice start on a compost pile - but it is a health hazard till it is done. And even then, not something you should put on crops which will be eaten - lettuce, tomatoes, etc.
Local refinery. Just be aware that your after asphalt - that's the black goo left over after refining, so there are problems with that. Like the price of oil. And that for a decent job, you're going to have to heat it up so that it flows.
Snerk, on a quick read of that last sentence, it read like you wanted to pump out your septic tank onto your dirveway to seal the driveway. Well,t hat is one way to keep the in-laws away.
Probably the best way to get into either biz is to find someone who's willing to take you along as apprentice helper. Pumping Septic Tanks - it is a shitty business, but you get to charge a lot to do it.
No. (I see you've been patronizing some other posters that same way recently. Attempt at humor? Sardonic remark?)
Most stuff posted in r.c.m is off topic and often is just noisy blabber about politics. Anyone who understands that the purpose of rec.crafts.metalworking is discussion of metalworking should shun such threads.
I have a friend who runs a septic business. Takes BIG money to do it correctly. Pumping is the easy part. Hauling and disposing of the waste is the hard part.
Blacktop sealing is not a fun job either. You need a hot pot and good sealer if you ever want repeat business. There are some fly-by-night outfits that travel around and do a "sealing" job that is really nothing more than a black latex paint. Stuff lasts until the first good rain!! There used to be an outfit that spray painted barns about the same way. They sprayed EVERYTHING from the ground. You could tell where they had been because there would be red on the roof, windows, doors, trim, grass and dirt around the place.
The local outfit will pump my 1000 gal. tank for $250.00. They like mine because I installed a pump out port on both sections. Makes it MUCH easier...
As for the driveway. Buy a GOOD sealer and a wide roller and DIY. Wash it really well and get all the loose crap off, repair any cracks, then wait for a hot day and roll on two coats perpendicular to each other. I buy the same asphalt they use to seal highways at the local batch plant. Putting it on cool isn't as good as a hot seal BUT it's still better than most of the store bought crap.
I'll never forget the old gal with three teeth that pumped our tank a long time ago. She knew what she was doing, but it was the sight of her smoking by holding the cig between her pinkie and next finger while the rest of her hand was covered in grey goo that stuck in my mind.
I hate two words: should and probably. Should is used by manipulators to get people to think that they are in the wrong, and "should" think this or that way. Probably is a catchall word for clueless people who have no idea of what is going to happen, and is a cop out. Any way it goes, there's plausible deniability.
You don't buy asphalt to seal an asphalt surface. You would buy asphalt if you are going to cap an existing or make a new pavement. The key to any asphalt job is a lay down machine and a roller. Installing asphalt is labor AND equipment intensive. It is installed hot. Capping raises the grade and may affect drainage. Here's your sign:
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Sealing asphalt is closer to painting. There are a number of products that will get some more life from asphalt that is beginning to fail. Here's your sign:
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Pumping septic requires a large capacity truck with a holding tank and vacuum system. Septic systems often run over 1,000 gallons. Here is a movie to watch:
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