The size of the drain pit without pumping. Do-it-yourself cesspool: simple designs

  • 03.03.2020

Depending on the amount of drained water, you can choose suitable option:

  • a pit without a bottom (drain) is a suitable option to make a drain in the bath;
  • hermetically sealed pit a large number drains;
  • septic tank - for partial treatment and draining of wastewater.

Which is better - a sealed or drain cesspool?

If the daily amount of discharged water does not exceed one cubic meter, a drain pit can be used. This is convenient, for example, when organizing a drain in a bath. It is enough to dig a pit with a volume of 3 m³, lay a pillow of 30 cm of sand and 50 cm of stones on the bottom, strengthen its walls with brick, concrete or even tires and close the hole.

If much more water is drained, it does not have time to seep and be cleaned. Then you can make a completely sealed cesspool. Ready-made containers are sold, which can be immediately buried.

The only drawback of such a pit is the monthly pumping of waste.

A septic tank is the best cesspool

If the amount of discharge exceeds one and a half cubic meters per day, but it is unprofitable to order a monthly pumping out of the pit, the best way out is to make a septic tank in a private house. It filters waste quite well, polluting environment much smaller than the usual latrine with a pit. Ready-made systems are sold, which are enough to bury on the site, or you can do it completely on your own.

Advantages and disadvantages of a homemade septic tank

A do-it-yourself septic tank has whole line advantages over ready-made solutions:

The final cost is significantly lower;
+ does not require a large area for organization filtration field;
+ you can organize one septic tank for two houses;
+ depending on the type of wastewater, pumping is required every few years;
+ spend complete cleaning Maybe once every ten years.

But the disadvantages of such a septic tank are also present:

- significant labor costs - it is problematic to cope with the device of a septic tank alone;
- time - pouring cement into the formwork and its hardening takes about a month;
- additional equipment - to simplify the process, you will need a concrete mixer or a drill with a mixer.

Site selection

The requirements for a septic tank are the same as for a cesspool - no closer than 15 meters from the well and 30 meters from the reservoir. At the same time, do not forget about the neighbors - the distance to their well should also not be less. But to the house it can be placed almost close - 3 m from the foundation with a one-story building, and 5 m - with a two-story building. In addition, this is how the issue of insulating the drain pipe is solved - the greater the distance to the pit, the deeper you will have to dig a trench and insulate the pipe.

Be sure to take into account the direction of groundwater and flood water - they should not go from the septic tank to the house or well. At the same time, it is also undesirable to arrange a septic tank in the lower part of the site - melt and runoff water will flood it. To protect the septic tank from flooding or raise above the level ground water, it can not be buried completely in the ground, insulating the above-ground part to prevent freezing.

Step by step instructions on how to make a septic tank

After choosing a place for a septic tank, work begins on its organization. It is necessary to calculate the required volume of the main chamber and the overall dimensions of the pit. So, for four people, the main chamber will be at least 150x150 cm, and for five or six - 200x200 cm. In this case, the depth should be at least 2.5 m, but not deeper than 3 m. This is done for the convenience of future pumping. The second, or drainage, chamber cannot be less than a third of the main one.

If there is a shower in the house and it is used daily, the size of the chambers must be increased by another 50%. It is also better to leave a small margin, since the filling of the working chamber should not exceed 2/3 of the total volume per day. In addition, the drains in the working chamber should settle a little, and not immediately overflow into the drainage chamber. The optimal volume of a septic tank is the daily amount of drained water multiplied by 3.

  1. After determining the size of the chambers, markings are made and a foundation pit is dug. The upper fertile layer is removed - it can be used to cover the septic tank and arrange the beds.
  2. The trench for the drain pipe is dug at the same time as the pit. The slope of the pipe is 3 degrees per meter. So that the masses do not stagnate, the pipe must be laid without straight and sharp corners.
  3. It is desirable to get to sandy or sandy soil. On clay soil, a sand and gravel cushion is made. First, 30 cm of sand is poured and tamped, and then the same amount of crushed stone of a fraction of 5 cm. Thus, for a septic tank 2.5 m deep, you will have to dig a pit 3.1 m deep.
  4. The rest of the formwork is done on top of the pillow. The formwork along the walls is one-sided - the second side is the earth.
  5. Inserted into the formwork at a height of at least 80 cm from the bottom drain pipe 100 mm in diameter. If it is above freezing of the soil, the pipe must be insulated.
  6. A tee is inserted into the wall formwork between the chambers, through which settled water will drain into the drainage chamber. It should be 20 cm below the drain pipe.
  7. Concrete can be kneaded both manually in a trough with a chopper, and a concrete mixer. To give the mixture elasticity and frost resistance, you can add a tablespoon of ordinary washing powder to each bucket of water.
  8. Concrete mixed with crushed stone and stones is poured into the formwork different size, and the mixture itself is bayoneted, removing air bubbles. The pipe and the tee are poured so that after the formwork is removed, there is a monolithic wall around them.
  9. As soon as the concrete hardens, you can make the top floor. It is most convenient to use corrugated board for formwork. It is laid so that it goes halfway onto the walls of the septic tank - so that when pouring, the roof and walls merge into a monolith.
  10. A technical hatch with a diameter of 1 m is made, around which formwork is installed. It is necessary to make two holes above the chambers and insert pipes. In the main chamber there is a pipe with a diameter of 100 mm and a reverse slope for pumping out sludge, which does not reach the bottom by 20 cm. A vacuum release hole is made at the end of such a pipe. A ventilation pipe with a diameter of 50 mm is inserted into the second.
  11. An overlap with a minimum thickness of 15 cm is poured with the obligatory addition of stone and bayonet. After hardening, the septic tank is covered with waterproofing and can be completely covered with earth, leaving only a technical hatch. So that in winter the septic tank does not freeze through this hatch, it is covered with foam plastic and covered with another lid.

An improved do-it-yourself cesspool is ready to go. After some time, the bottom of the main chamber becomes silted, bacteria develop there, increasing the filtration capabilities of the pillow, and the final cleaning of the drain water takes place in the second chamber.

And how to make a simple cesspool is described step by step in the video:

Or the owner of a country house thinks about the need for a cesspool in the adjoining area. Expensive - you say? Not at all, and today you will see it. The cesspool installation option proposed below is extremely easy to perform and does not require you to have special construction skills or costs.

Interested? Still would! And now let's take a closer look at what you can make and install a cesspool in your country house from.
We bring to your attention a cesspool of tires.

What are its advantages?
The main thing is, of course, its low cost. No need to buy expensive Construction Materials, be it brick or concrete rings. It is enough just to find a couple of dozen tires. And even if you don’t have that many tires, don’t be discouraged, because you can always buy them for a more than affordable price or even get them as a gift. Drive through several auto repair shops in your city and make sure these words are right. Another plus, of course, is that such a cesspool is very easy to install, which is very often a decisive argument in favor of one or another type of building materials.

However, this type of cesspool has several disadvantages.
The most important of them is a short service life. As a rule, the service life of such pits is ten to fifteen years, after which the pit deforms and collapses. Another disadvantage is the complexity of its dismantling and repair.

So, having weighed all the pros and cons, you have decided that there should be a cesspool of tires! Where to start?
First, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the general schematic structure of the pit and with the features of its installation.

After that, you should decide on the location on the site, the size and depth of your future pit. Think about how often you will visit your dacha - once every two or three weeks on weekends or coming there every other day. As a rule, to create a hole with optimal dimensions ten to fifteen tires will be enough.

The next step is to dig the hole. To do this, measure the diameter of the tire you have and measure this diameter on the ground. It should be remembered that the pit should be dug a little larger in diameter than the diameter of the tires, so that in the future there will be no difficulties with their installation in the pit.

After digging a hole the right sizes and volume, a drainage well should be made in it. To do this, it is necessary to drill a hole in the center of the pit with a drill and insert a drainage pipe with holes on the sides into the resulting hole. This is necessary so that the sewage does not stagnate in your pit, and passes through the waterproof layers of the earth. Important: top drainage pipe and the side openings on its surface should be protected with a special mesh so that they are not clogged with large particles of debris and drains.

We cover the bottom of the cesspool with rubble, creating a kind of foundation with a thickness of about ten centimeters. After that, on the resulting “pillow” of rubble, we begin to lay out tires. Please note that it is recommended to cut off the inner rim of each tire to allow water and debris to flow freely. Also, this step will prevent stagnation of water inside the tire and ensure a longer operation of the cesspool.


After mounting the tires, we install an inlet pipe for drains and water. For this electric jigsaw on the side surface of one of the upper tires, we cut a hole corresponding to the diameter of the inlet pipe, after which we introduce a pipe into the resulting hole and fix it. Remember that to facilitate the flow of water through the pipe, it should be placed with a slight slope.




An important feature: tires must be laid in such a way that the last of them is above ground level. We cover the space between the tires and the walls of the dug hole with earth, not forgetting to seal the joints between the tires with sealant before that. To ventilate our cesspool at the top of the pit, we install ventilation pipe, whose height is about sixty to seventy centimeters above the ground.
Close the pit with a lid or hatch. That's all - our cesspool is ready.

Such a cesspool, built with your own hands, is very unpretentious in operation, will serve you for several decades, and add a lot of comfort to your life in the country.

To date, there are a huge number of options and methods for installing a cesspool without pumping. Of course, in some sense this is impossible, since sooner or later the solid particles will have to be removed, but there are ways to build and means to delay the date of calling the sewers for many years. In our article, we will consider the question of how to make a sump without the need for regular cleaning.

To date, there are many ways and methods for arranging a full-fledged sewer system. If we consider the classification of cesspools, then there are three such types:

  • sealed pits;
  • Without the need for pumping;
  • Septic.

Practice shows that the most popular option today is a sump storage tank. What does this mean? This pit does not have a bottom, so there is no need to clean it with a cesspool machine. Although, it is worth saying that there is also a huge minus, since the soil is polluted.

Advantages and disadvantages of cesspools without pumping


Cesspool without pumping - this is the easiest option for draining wastewater. In addition, this device has a number of such advantages:

  • Simplicity of design, which makes it possible to build pits with your own hands;
  • Variability of materials for installation work;
  • More rare call of cesspools;
  • Low price and production costs.

Looking at all the advantages of this cesspool, you might think that this is an ideal system, but, like all others, it has flaws in operation. Namely, such as:

  • The difficulty of choosing a place for a pit in accordance with the rules and regulations;
  • Over time, the absorption capacity decreases;
  • Bad smell;
  • The pit is dangerous to the environment;
  • If biological bacteria are used, it is unacceptable for chemicals to enter the sewer.

Choosing a place for a pit without pumping


The cesspool should be located on the site of the house, which it will serve. It is worth considering that in our case it is a sump without a bottom, which has even more requirements and prohibitions. Let's get acquainted with all the rules for the location of the pit:

  • The distance from the pit to the water supply of the house should exceed 10 meters, and to the well or well - 20 meters. This action will protect the water supply of your home from possible overflows of sewer system effluents.
  • The distance between the sump and the buildings of neighbors should be more than 12 meters. If you do not comply with this regulation, then the foundation of the neighbor's house may collapse.
  • The segment from the fence to the pit cannot be less than one meter;
  • The depth of the sump is more than 3 meters.

Important! Only by following all the rules, you can protect yourself from liability before the law.

Do-it-yourself mounting materials


To create a pit with our own hands, we need a lot of tools and materials. Which ones we will now find out. So:

  • A ladder that is as big as a hole;
  • Bayonet and shovel;
  • Bucket and other tanks;
  • Trowel, construction purpose;
  • Pegs to mark the edges;
  • Building level.

The cesspool has a different structure and design. This, first of all, is influenced by what material for the base you choose. To date, most often a sump without pumping is built from the following materials:

  • From concrete parts;
  • Wood treated with resin;
  • Clay brick;
  • Reinforced concrete rings;
  • utility material.

Do-it-yourself construction of a cesspool


One of the questions that torments many homeowners is how to make sure that the pit does not require pumping. It occurs especially sharply when building a sump with your own hands. Before starting the installation of the structure, you need to find out the type of soil in your area and calculate the volume of effluents.

Sewerage in its waste generally always contains impurities of solid particles that are not absorbed by the earth. It is for this reason that your cesspool will need to be pumped out. This septic tank technology is designed for natural filtration. Therefore, the type of soil is very important.

Attention! If you see that the runoff has slowed down, we recommend making several holes in the walls of the system.

We have already said that the type of soil greatly affects the functioning of the sump. It happens because of that. That they have different densities and speeds of water passage. For example, if your site has clay soil, then the drains will seep through its layers for a very long time and as a result, the pit will be overflowing. In such situations, you need to install an additional outlet. The principle of operation is that when the first pit overflows, then the drains overflow through the pipe into the second.

This type of sump can be equated to a filtration well, because the pit also accumulates and cleans the liquid with the help of soil. What cannot seep through the ground must be pumped out periodically. sewer trucks. It is worth considering that the maximum depth for the sump should not exceed 3 meters. Otherwise, the hoses will not be able to reach the silt.

The dimensions and design features of the cesspool depend only on the consumption of fluid in a particular house. Based on this, the volume for the pit is calculated as follows: the average water consumption by one person per day - 200 liters is multiplied by the number of people living.

Pit made of concrete rings

The most optimal option for a private house or cottage is a design made of concrete rings. Its huge plus is durability, and besides, you can build it yourself. It is worth noting that the walls of the sump can be made of a different material, but they are less reliable and durable. It is for this reason that the design of the rings is the most popular.

Stages of erecting a pit from concrete rings


As with the construction of any other septic tank, it all starts with digging a foundation pit, that is, earthworks. They can be done by hand or with the help of specialized equipment. It is best to carry out this stage during the construction of the foundation of the house in order to save on the services of heavy equipment. Using a mechanized method, the structure and concrete rings are mounted by a crane. In this case, it is very important to correlate the sizes of the elements.

But if you decide to build a device with your own hands, the installation technology is different. We will talk about this now. At self installation you need to follow the following procedure:

  • On the selected place, we place one ring and dig the earth inside it;
  • We level the bottom of the first ring with the ground line, after that we begin the installation of subsequent concrete components;
  • The number of circles is determined by the depth sewer pipes;
  • The best material for this process are devices made of concrete elements with perforated walls;
  • If the perforation is not in the device, then it will have to be done independently. To do this, you need to withstand the following parameters: diameter - 5 cm, distance - 20 cm from each other in the form of a chess field.
  • We cover the bottom of the pit with a layer of sand and gravel of 30 cm;
  • We create holes at the input of the pipeline;
  • We put the pipe so that from concrete walls the distance was 20 cm;
  • After that, the check valve is installed;
  • Fill hole with mortar

Attention! Very often, a filtration well is installed near such a pit, which improves wastewater treatment.

Cesspool cover


To perform such an action as overlapping, you can use either the factory or any other concrete slab. We can buy it in the same place where the rings are sold. But it is worth noting that the cover can be made independently. To do this, you will need cement, sand, crushed stone and rebar. All actions are performed in the following sequence:

  • We make markings with pegs and pull the cord;
  • Checking the diagonals
  • We remove the soil around the entire perimeter to the upper ring;
  • We block the ring with reinforcement in two to three places;
  • We forgive a sheet of tin, which we cover with a film on top;
  • Reinforcing bars are placed at a step of 25 cm;
  • For all work, there is a mandatory reinforcement piping;
  • Installing a ventilation system
  • And install the finished cover design.

This method of building a cesspool without pumping dates guarantees a hundred years of life. However, remember that periodically it will be necessary to remove solid particles that linger on the bottom.

A resident of a modern city, accustomed to the benefits of civilization, does not represent the living conditions of life in the countryside.

Facilities apartment buildings: plumbing, sewerage, heating - have become commonplace.

Owners of private houses do not have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of centralized utility networks.

First, design

Designing and installing a sewer system is an important part of arranging life in a house.

Features of living dictate the method of collecting wastewater (how to do it).

A cesspool will allow you to collect waste activities of people in one place, will protect from unpleasant odors and environmental pollution.

Structurally, the pit is not a complex object.

But improper installation and use will lead to:

  • the spread of unpleasant odors,
  • the spread of infections
  • deterioration of the ecological situation.

The owner of a rural house is able to independently make a pit.

To do this, you need to know the features of the technology (it is written about PVC tees for sewer pipes) and possible difficulties in installing the structure.

Technological features

Before starting work, they are determined with the type of cesspool.

Design features will determine the course of events (how to make the transition from cast iron to plastic 160 mm, read on the page).

Sewage collection facilities divided into 3 types:

  1. a pit without a bottom;
  2. sealed container;
  3. septic tank.

Leaky bottomless structures are a cheap, easy-to-make option.

Pit will not require weekly cleaning, may be smaller than a closed container.

But such designs have several disadvantages:

  • substances from wastewater enter directly into the soil;
  • groundwater pollution,
  • over time, perhaps, siltation of the well.

The ecosystem is able to cope with one cubic meter liquid household waste.

Microorganisms cannot process large volumes, therefore, before starting work, they calculate the size of sewage.

This will help to avoid soil contamination on own site and will not cause problems with neighbors.

IMPORTANT!
It is impossible to create a cesspool within a radius of 30 meters from a well or well that supplies water to the house.

Close proximity to a septic tank poses a threat of harmful substances and microorganisms getting into drinking water.

Installing a sealed structure will avoid several problems:

  • the spread of odors
  • Soil pollution,
  • ground water.

This type of sump has one serious drawback.- the need to pump out wastewater several times a month.

The frequency of calling special equipment depends on the number of residents and water consumption.

Availability household appliances(read about plumbing hatches for the bathroom) and an increase in draw-off points speeds up the filling of the structure.

INFORMATION!
Modern developments will speed up the decomposition of sewage, reduce the amount of waste.

The location of the septic tank on the territory

When choosing a place for a cesspool, the following points are taken into account:

  • the sump is located no closer than 5 meters from the house;
  • the security zone of a well or well is 30 meters.
    It is not recommended to arrange a cesspool closer;
  • it is necessary to provide an entrance for equipment for pumping wastewater.

In addition to the above, consider soil features, the location of aquifers and other features of the site.

What material to use

Cesspools various types made of brick or reinforced concrete rings.

An effective solution to create a sealed design is to buy a plastic container.

Device from polymer materials not subject to corrosion, well withstands mechanical stress and aggressive environments.

The container is easy to install and operate. The only downside is the cost.

Installation of a sump

The installation of a cesspool takes place in several stages:

How to clear deposits

Settling tanks different types filled at different rates.

Cesspool cleaning you can do it yourself, but right decision will call a special service.

Constant control over the filling level of the sump is necessary.

Liquid level should not be higher than 20-30 centimeters from the surface. Timely pumping will save the site from spilling sewage.

The sewer machine pumps out liquid waste, so this method is not able to solve the cleaning problem completely.

Over time, sediment accumulates at the bottom, which reduces the useful volume of the cesspool.

This leads to an increase in the number of rollouts.

Special formulations and additives are able to decompose sediment and accelerate the disposal of sewage.

In summer, the best option will become biological activators, consisting of several strains of bacteria.

Microorganisms will reduce the amount of waste, eliminate bad smell. The functioning of activators takes place at temperatures plus 4-30 degrees.

During cold periods chemicals are used.

safe option will be the acquisition of a nitrate oxidizer. The substance will not have harmful effects on the ecosystem and human health.

Sanitary Compliance

Installation of a cesspool (the distance from the septic tank to the house is indicated) will solve the problem of comfortable living in the country.

Safe life, a good ecological situation on the site and around is possible subject to sanitary standards:

  1. in accordance with SanPiN, the sump is located at a distance of 30 meters from water sources and be lower than them in level;
  2. you can not use the design without a bottom with a daily volume of effluents more than one cubic meter. It is necessary to build access roads. The depth of the pit should not exceed three meters;
  3. the hatch must be tightly closed, especially in winter. The lid needs to be insulated. This will prevent the sump from freezing.

Observing simple rules . you can independently build a cesspool and ensure comfortable living in your own home. Proper execution works in compliance with sanitation standards will allow you to use the sewer for many years.

While watching the video, you will learn how to draw up a sewerage scheme in a private house yourself.

On the suburban area Sewerage is a huge advantage. Without the presence of this device, even a temporary stay in a summer cottage will be deprived of elementary comfort and convenience. The specificity of this communication is that it can be equipped not only at the beginning of the development and planning of the residential area, but also in the presence of all the buildings built earlier. The main thing in this business is a technological approach in compliance with all the norms of the construction business, which we will analyze in order.

The main difficulty that is often encountered in the way of laying sewerage in the country is the presence of centralized lines, collectors, to which it would be possible to lay a pipeline and make it fully functioning. In this case, it would be possible to bring to it all the plumbing fixtures necessary for a comfortable stay. But this is more of an idyll than reality, and it is extremely rare. Most often, sewerage in a summer cottage is completely autonomous, and does not have access to public centralized networks.

In such a situation, a cesspool without pumping out will be the most accessible and uncomplicated, which you can do with your own hands. How to do it and what you need to have for this? About everything in order.

How to start arranging sewerage in a summer cottage

In the construction business, first of all, careful planning of their actions and measures for building something is accepted. This applies not only to large projects, but also to such small earthworks as, for example, the arrangement of a cesspool.

The position and rules for arranging a cesspool in a summer cottage are determined by the norms of SanPin, as well as the requirements of SNiP 2.04.03-85 “Sewerage. External networks and structures”. The placement of a drain or cesspool must be agreed with the local authority of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision. In the case of placing it near open water bodies - with local environmental authorities.

SNiP also determines the remoteness of such structures from others in the summer cottage and in its vicinity. It can be classified according to the following indicators displayed in the table.

The remoteness of the cesspoolDistance, m
House8-10
Water pipes20-25
gas pipes5
Outbuildings, trees5-7
fencesNot less than 1 m
Neighbor houses10-12

All these rules and laws were developed and adopted not by chance, because we are talking about soil and groundwater pollution. harmful substances. Failure to comply with these norms can lead to irreversible consequences of violation of the ecological balance, from which not only a particular site, but the entire district will suffer. Protective measures for sealing and reliable protection soil and groundwater from wastewater can significantly extend the life of the cesspool without harming the environment.

How to equip a cesspool with your own hands

Cesspools in their structure are different. They may have some kind of filtration or soil treatment system, or they may be completely enclosed. In the latter case, it is worth thinking about periodically emptying it with the help of a sewage machine, because storage tanks sooner or later they get clogged.

A drain pit without pumping, by definition, must have a post-treatment or filtration system. And this is its main difference. Such devices are often used when its location, for some reason, completely excludes sewage.

Important!
Despite the addition of "no pumping", which implies the absence of any maintenance, such a cesspool, one way or another, will require its cleaning over time. It is better to foresee this nuance in advance in the design of the pit itself, by making vents in it.

You can equip a cesspool without pumping out with your own hands in the following ways:


Important!
In such cesspools, not designed for pumping for a long time, it is worth making a settling well. This is a container that is part of the overall design, and connected in its upper zone by a small pipe outlet. When the main tank overflows to a certain level, excess wastewater enters the adjacent aeration tank. Biobacteria are added to it, designed to process and liquefy organic matter.


Important!
In some modern versions Reinforced concrete rings are provided with perforation along the entire perimeter of their walls. In this case, filtration and settling of effluents will occur faster. However, the excavation for this will need to be made 25-30 cm wider, since it is necessary to provide for sand backfilling of these rings after they are finally installed in place.

Photo: w / w rings with perforation

A cesspool from several wells - is it really necessary?

Filtration wells, as an addition to the main ones, greatly accelerate the processing of wastewater like a septic tank, thereby extending the life of the cesspool without sewage. Therefore, they are very often recommended to install and not save on this device.

They can be part of the entire design of the cesspool, or as separate containers, placing them on a slope for better flow. Connect them with pipe segments various materials: asbestos, PVC, HDPE, etc. They are equipped as aerotanks, in which accelerated waste processing takes place. For these needs, various biobacteria are used, which, in addition, also eliminate unpleasant odors especially during the summer season.


Photo: cesspool from several wells

Overlapping - how best to do it yourself?

The upper part of the cesspools should be equipped with a reliable ceiling, on top of which they usually equip a toilet, shower, etc. This element must be designed for sufficient loads for a long time.

The best material for it will be reinforced concrete slab. If the dimensions and capabilities of special equipment allow, ready-made hollow reinforced concrete floor slabs can be used. However, in most cases it is necessary to fill it in at the place where the pit is built. To do this, you can apply accelerated pouring technology using crates made of metal corners. In small cells, resulting from the welding of individual elements, you can put a flat slate, which will serve as a formwork for pouring concrete. The frame mesh of reinforcement will contain deformations, and the thickness of the slab can be varied within 12-18 cm. It is not difficult to make such a design with your own hands, with minimal use of tools and the help of professional workers.

Despite the fact that the cesspool is one of the most ancient sewer structures, its modern counterparts can be quite worthy devices that can function for a long time and reliably, and most importantly, without harm to the environment.