Septic season is about to begin, and with it comes a range of considerations for septic tank owners. Homeowners with an existing septic tank may have maintenance questions that may be answered here; while those who are planning a new septic tank installation this year will likely have an entirely different set of research to do.
We’ve got the resources to help, such as calculating the right size septic tank, or advice on which septic tank may be best for your property, but today’s article is going to focus on septic tank risers.
Septic tank risers create surface level access to your septic tank system. The primary benefit of installing septic tank risers is a significant reduction in ongoing maintenance costs, by improving the ease of access to the internal plumbing in your system. Septic tank risers allow for inspections, repairs, maintenance, and pumping to be completed without the need for digging.
Adding septic tank risers is an obvious choice, but there are some basic considerations that will help ensure they’re effective for your needs.
Riser Height
As a general guideline, minimizing the height of your riser is good practice. Ideally, the total height of the riser (the distance between the top of your septic tank and the ground surface level) should be no more than 18”-24”. By minimizing the height of your riser to allow for maintenance workers to be able to reach inside the tank to complete their work from the surface. Since reducing the maintenance cost is one of the primary purposes of risers, it makes sense to keep them short enough for convenient maintenance. Additionally, keeping the riser height to a minimum helps to reduce the total weight pushing in on the riser, improving the stability and integrity of the risers.
Riser Material
Septic tank risers are crafted from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with UV stabilizers. Risers are designed to withstand the harshest environmental conditions and resist corrosion, ensuring its longevity and reliability.
Sealing Your Riser
Our recommendation for sealing the connection between your septic tank and your riser is Butyl Sealant Tape. Butyl Sealant Tape provides an exceptional seal and creates a waterproof barrier that maintains elasticity and adhesion in all weather conditions. Risers also include stainless steel screws to connect individual components.
Riser Components
There are a few key pieces required to build your septic tank risers, with each project requiring a customized combination of parts. Below you’ll find the main components required for most projects.
Cast in Pan: Designed to be molded into the concrete tank and safety screen directly, allowing standard risers to attach easily.
Adapter Ring: Easily convert multiple riser types. Great for projects with existing risers that may be from a different or unknown manufacturer.
Square Flange Adapter: Designed with a large rectangular flange that allows you to retrofit your square concrete tank access to accept standard 24” diameter risers.
Riser: High strength HDPE lid with UV additives that comes in three different sizes. 3” x 24”, 6” x24”, and 12” x 24”. Designed with gaskets to ensure air and water tightness, and screw holes to connect to the other components of your riser system.
Safety Screen: Safety screens can be secured to the inner ring of your riser stack, and are designed to support up to 1,000 lbs. They also feature a 4 ½” opening to allow for the vacuum hose during clean up.
Septic Lid: High strength HDPE lid with UV additives to resist fading. Lids come with an anti-slip surface and integrated handles.
We hope that this detailed breakdown of septic tank risers has helped to increase your confidence when dealing with your septic tank installation and maintenance. Risers are a great investment for new installations, or improving your existing tank. Risers can be attached to both Poly and Concrete Septic tanks, offering a customized solution for your specific needs.
You can find more about our septic tank risers online or in store. Whether you’re a homeowner looking for advice, or a septic tank installer looking for a supplier, we’re here to help. If you have questions, our team is always available via phone at (905) 386-1744 or email at sales@ontarioagra.ca to help with your research and make customized recommendations.
