Hello everyone,
I have a somewhat unusual question, and as amusing as it might sound, I ask for a as sober an answer as possible—and yes, it is (unfortunately) serious. Here is the situation: Near the house—about 3-4 meters (10-13 feet) away—there is a "large" concrete cistern (big enough to stand in) and a submersible pump. It does not have a sewer connection because that was too expensive for the builder. When it fills completely, it simply overflows, and the water soaks into the surrounding soil.
So, what is the problem? The builder has an irrational fear that when the cistern overflows, the water will erode the foundation under the house and cause it to literally "collapse." In extreme cases, this leads to him sometimes running out into the garden in heavy rain to set up a sprinkler and pump water from the cistern into the garden (yes, we end up watering the garden even when it’s raining!) to prevent overflow. Or he gets up at night to turn on the pump and let water from the cistern flow into the garden, or he spends half a day on "rain preparations," meaning he moves the sprinkler every half hour to “water continuously and prepare the cistern for incoming water.”
As amusing as all this sounds, it is incredibly stressful to deal with—constantly setting alarms, checking the weather forecast, and running out into the garden with a flashlight or in the rain to prevent a problem that, in my opinion, doesn’t even exist. So, what is the truth? Could the whole house actually shift or collapse because the cistern next to it fills up? What can be said to help convince this person?
Best regards and thanks
I have a somewhat unusual question, and as amusing as it might sound, I ask for a as sober an answer as possible—and yes, it is (unfortunately) serious. Here is the situation: Near the house—about 3-4 meters (10-13 feet) away—there is a "large" concrete cistern (big enough to stand in) and a submersible pump. It does not have a sewer connection because that was too expensive for the builder. When it fills completely, it simply overflows, and the water soaks into the surrounding soil.
So, what is the problem? The builder has an irrational fear that when the cistern overflows, the water will erode the foundation under the house and cause it to literally "collapse." In extreme cases, this leads to him sometimes running out into the garden in heavy rain to set up a sprinkler and pump water from the cistern into the garden (yes, we end up watering the garden even when it’s raining!) to prevent overflow. Or he gets up at night to turn on the pump and let water from the cistern flow into the garden, or he spends half a day on "rain preparations," meaning he moves the sprinkler every half hour to “water continuously and prepare the cistern for incoming water.”
As amusing as all this sounds, it is incredibly stressful to deal with—constantly setting alarms, checking the weather forecast, and running out into the garden with a flashlight or in the rain to prevent a problem that, in my opinion, doesn’t even exist. So, what is the truth? Could the whole house actually shift or collapse because the cistern next to it fills up? What can be said to help convince this person?
Best regards and thanks
S
Sternennacht30 Apr 2022 18:10Nida35a schrieb:
The pump only turns on at the upper switch point and turns off again at the lower switch point.
When water arrives, it rises to the upper point, is pumped out until the lower switch point is reached, and the pump then switches off automatically. Yes, okay. The issue here is more of a human factor. I asked, and an "automatic system" is not wanted; it has to be operated "manually," so you always have to keep an eye on the weather forecast to possibly "empty it out" — ideally, the cistern is always kept as full as possible in case the next heatwave is approaching. I’m starting to think this is more of a "busywork therapy" than a real problem.
N
Nice-Nofret30 Apr 2022 18:36Hmm, it seems the mentioned homeowner might need therapy for fear rather than another technical solution.
This is meant kindly and sincerely.
This is meant kindly and sincerely.
S
Sternennacht30 Apr 2022 19:34Nice-Nofret schrieb:
Hmm, it seems to me that the mentioned homeowner needs more of a therapy for fear than another technical solution.
That is said kindly and sincerely. No worries, that’s how I understood it as well, and I agree with you. Apparently, it’s not "broken" but exactly intentional. He wants to decide himself when to empty the cistern and how much, and all the – in my opinion unnecessary – extra measures seem to be a kind of pastime or occupation due to lacking other, bigger hobbies. Well, now I know how to do it more easily; I will tackle it at some point, just not right now. Thanks for your help.
M
motorradsilke30 Apr 2022 19:53Just build an overflow for the cistern. Attach a pipe as high as possible on the cistern, so it is always filled to the maximum and any excess water simply flows out into the garden, near a hedge, or similar.
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WilderSueden1 May 2022 09:51Sternennacht schrieb:
He wants to decide for himself when to empty the cistern and how much to empty, and all the - in my opinion unnecessary - fuss around it seems to be a kind of "pastime" and "activity" due to a lack of other, bigger hobbies. This behavior absolutely does not fit with the fear of undermining. What do you do when you are on vacation or just away for an evening and it rains heavily?
I don’t quite understand the question. What’s the point of telling someone who is so off track, “Hey, it’s all fine, the house won’t just fall down.” Do you think they would believe that?
Is there no way to install a drain into the sewer on your property? Your remaining wastewater has to go somewhere. Personally, I would definitely prefer that over being a slave to my cistern.
Is there no way to install a drain into the sewer on your property? Your remaining wastewater has to go somewhere. Personally, I would definitely prefer that over being a slave to my cistern.
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