2007 - Volume #31, Issue #5, Page #16
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Power Mixer Pumps Solids From Septic Tanks
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"I tried a dozen or more different devices," Stockert says. "Then I thought of an airplane propeller. It really rolls the solids in there so I can pump them out."
The design is simple, with paddles that fold down to make it through a 4-in. tank cleanout hole. The paddles are attached to a 3/4-in. steel pipe. A welded piece at the top of the pipe fits a drill. Starting the drill opens up the paddles to a 15-in. diameter. The paddles collapse when the drill is turned off.
Though a 1/2-in. or 7/8-in. drill will work, Stockert recommends a 3/4-in. drill to do the best job.
"It works like an eggbeater," Stockert says. "The pitch of the blades grinds up material as it's rotated and pushed around the tank."
After stirring for less than five minutes, the solids pump out quickly with the liquids. Pumping time is cut from half an hour to about 10 minutes on a 1,000-gal. tank, Stockert says.
Retired, Stockert still has three sons in the sanitation businesses, who all use the mixer. He recently started selling the mixer.
Ideally, pumpers leave about 2 in. of sewage in the tank to keep bacteria starter, Stockert says. In the past, some pumpers added water to pump the solids out, but that practice is shunned by the industry as it also hurts the bacteria that breaks down the solids. Stockert's system preserves the bacteria.
He charges $140 (plus shipping) for his collapsible model, which includes a 7-ft. pipe, plus a 3-ft. pipe extension. He also has a $90 non-collapsible model that slips into 10-in. or larger septic risers.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Val Stockert, 2098 Valentine Ave., Dickinson, North Dakota 58601 (ph 701-225-0782).
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