Installation

This the general procedure for the installation of a Cajunaire Wastewater Treatment System.

1. The site plan should show the desired location of the wastewater treatment plant and the location of the effluent disposal system. Check to make sure the site plan accurately reflects the conditions actually existing at the site and that all required setbacks are being met. (Distance from the water wells on location and adjoining properties and property lines.) if there are any questions contact your local and state health departments and the governing authorities for clarification.

2. Position wastewater treatment plant where surface water and effluent will drain to a low elevation.

3. The tank should have enough risers on it to have six inches of riser above the ground surface. This will allow for easier maintenance and any service.

4. Carefully check the elevations of the sewer pipe for proper fall to the Cajun Aire Wastewater Treatment System. Make sure you will have enough riser for the tanks buried deeper than twelve inches below ground level.

5. Dig and area at least one foot longer and wider than the system to be installed this will allow for easier leveling of the tank once the tank is placed inside the excavation.

6. Determine the required depth of the system will need to go. Your depth is determined by the amount of fall (angle of the downward elevation) and distance from where the system will be plumbed.

7. Dig the hole wider at the top than the bottom. This will reduce the amount of dirt that could cave in.

8. Check the dimensions of the tank and dig accordingly.

9. Check your local and state regulations for a sand or gravel bed to be used at the bottom of the hole and follow accordingly.

10. Make sure the bottom of the hole is completely level and free of any large collections of dirt, rocks, and / or clay. Even clay may cause damage to the tank bottom and cause infiltration / excavation resistance problems.

11. After the hole is ready, and upon delivery of the tank, make sure the tank is completely level before the delivery truck leaves the job site. Do not attempt to level the tank with heavy equipment as this will cause great damage to the unit and void the warranty.

12. Before filling with water or back filling around the tank, make sure all elevations and grades conform to the tank locations and depth. Double-check the tank to see if it is level.

13. Once the tank has been thoroughly checked fill it with water. It is a good idea to do a water check to see of your form of sealant is making a good seal on every tank installed. In some states, it is a requirement to perform a water check on each unit prior to selling and back filling. At all cost, become very familiar with your local and state regulations for aerobic treatment unit installations.

14. After the leakage test has been completed successfully, back fill around the side of the tank half way up.

15. Start from the inlet working toward the outlet. Insert the four-inch sewer pipe into the tank through the provided inlet port. Do not allow the pipe to extend further than four inches passed the inside of the wall of the tank.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

At this point you are either installing the Cajun Aire Basic or the Cajun Aire Advanced system. The difference is in the use of a pretreatment chamber. The Cajun Aire Basic does not have a pretreatment chamber attached to it. The Cajun Aire Advanced does. This is a new evolution for the Cajun Aire system. To install the pretreatment chamber you will need an extra holding tank around 500 to 750 gallons in total volumetric capacity for the 750 gallon per day unit or 750 to 1000 gallons in total volumetric capacity for the 1000 gallon per day unit. If you are using the 500 model, you will not need an additional box as this model is available with a pretreatment chamber already attached to it. Make sure your elevations and site preparation will allow the use of a pretreatment chamber prior to excavation. You will also need to make sure you have enough fall through the box to accommodate the Cajun Aire system that follows. If you are using a Pretreatment Chamber, make sure the injections into it are secure and sealed properly. As with the rest of the installation, check with your local and state regulations and rules regarding the use of a pretreatment chamber.

16. If you are not using an elastometric gasket or another form of self - sealing gasket, use some form of sealant to seal the pipe going into the tank. Note: some states will not allow the use of caulk or concrete to make this seal. If this is the case, check to see what your local area will accept for this seal.

17. A diffuser bar comes with your kit. The diffuser will have two (2) hollow stone pipes and two one half inch schedule 40 inserts that have long slots on opposing sides. These inserts can be glued to common half inch, schedule 40 fittings for their application. Take them out of the box and remove the packaging material.

18. the one half inch PVC fittings you will need to make the diffuser bar are:

a. 2 ½ inch schedule 40 90’s

b. 2 ½ inch schedule 40 end caps

c. 1 ½ inch schedule 40 tee

d. Glue and primer

e. A piece of good quality one half-inch schedule 40 pipe about one foot in length.

19. Cut the one half inch pipe in half to form two sections of pipe six inches long.

20. Glue the two half inch end caps to one end of each six-inch section of pipe.

21. Glue the two 90’s to the opposite ends of each six-inch section of pipe.

22. Glue the tee to both inserts inside the stone diffusers.

23. If the stones are not on the inserts, place them on and glue the other end of the 90 to the opposite end of each side to form the “legs” for the diffuser bar.

24. Let the assembly sit and dry for at least five minutes prior to installation. Check to make sure each section and fitting is secure and well glued.

25. After the diffuser bar has been assembled, open the lid over the aeration chamber and insert the diffuser bar into the man way.

26. Hold the diffuser under the center one-inch hole in the tank and insert a joint of one half-inch pipe into the center pinhole from the top of the tank. This pipe should be as tall as the tank at a minimum.

27. Apply glue to the pipe and the inside of the one half inch tee on the diffuser bar and push the pipe into the tee.

28. Allow the diffuser bar to dry and slowly drop the bar to the bottom of the tank. Make sure the bar is flat against the tank wall.

29. Cut off the excess pipe from the top of the tank where the center hole is. The cut should be flushed with the top of the tank.

30. At the top of the inside of the aeration tank where the one half inch pipe runs through the tank top, cut the pipe and install a one half inch tee facing the clarifier baffle (wall or partition).

31. Glue a six-inch section of pipe to the open end of the tee on the inside of the aeration chamber.

32. Glue a one half inch 90 facing down toward the bottom of the tank.

33. Glue or thread the HEM-501 BALL ASSEMBLY to the bottom of the 90. Note: use the HEM-501 BALL ASSEMBLY ONLY if you are using a control panel with a preinstalled air pressure switch inside.

34. At this time it is a good idea to check your four-inch sewer pipe inlet to make sure it has been installed correctly.

35. Glue a one half inch 90 to the end of the pipe in the center hole pointing toward the man way over the clarifier on top of the tank.

36. Use the excess one half inch pipe from the diffuser installations and run the pipe from the 90 at the center hole to above the top of the baffle between the aeration chamber and the clarifier. Make sure all connections are glued and the pipe is void of any kinks or bends.

37. Go back and check the diffuser bar to see if it is still flat against the baffle. If not re install the piping from the center pinhole.

38. Use mastic, caulking or concrete to seal the center pinhole around the pipe.

39. Cover the man way over the aeration chamber with the provided concrete cover. Seal the lid with mastic, caulking, or concrete.

40. Place a strip of mastic rope gasket around the man way over the clarifier.

41. There should be a one-inch thick knock out on one side of the riser. This side of the riser will face down when placed over the man way. The one half-inch pipe and electric wire will run through the knock out. Note: in some states it is not acceptable to use underground wiring for this installation. Check with the state requirements for your installations and follow them accordingly.

42. After placing the riser over the man way, run the electric wire (or conduit) through the knockout. If there is not enough room for both to run through the knockout, request that an additional knockout be furnished with each riser you receive from your Cajun Aire distributor. You can also drill a hole in the riser for this purpose. Make sure the drilled hole does not affect the structural integrity of the riser structure. Note: it is recommended to use 12-2 wire for all electrical work on the Cajun Aire Wastewater Treatment System.

43. Concrete seal the bottom of the riser to the top of the tank all the way around the riser edge. It is a good idea to seal with mastic rope gasket and with concrete on the inside and outside.

44. Cut off the one half inch pipe two inches from the inside wall of the concrete riser.

45. Glue a one half 90 to the pipe facing upward toward the open end of the riser.

46. Glue a section of one half-inch pipe to the 90 and allow enough pipe to extend eight inches above the top of the riser. Note: more risers may be needed for your installation to cover the distance to grade level from the top of the tank. If your installation calls for more risers, use enough risers so that at least four inches of the top most risers exposed above grade level. Make sure you seal between each riser added. It is not a good idea to have more than five twelve-inch risers added to one installation.

47. Place the riser lid (aerator platform) half way on top of the riser. Push the wire through the hole in the lid from the bottom and pull all slack from the wire in the riser. You should have about two feet of wire to work with from the hole in the riser lid.

Note: the aerator can be located up to 40 feet away from the unit. You do not have to install the aerator at the tank or run additional wiring to the unit for the high water alarm when using the HEM -501 BALL ASSEMBLY as long as you are using a control panel with a pressure switch preinstalled in the panel. If not, you will need to install an electrical high water alarm system.

48. Pick up the riser lid. Slowly guide the one half inch pipe through the hole in the lid. Make sure the pipe is standing straight in the riser without bending. Turn the lid until it is even with the riser all the way around.

49. From this point forward we will explain the installation of the aerator. Take the aerator out of the box. Remove the wrapping and set it on the lid (aerator platform).

50. After a location for the aerator has been established, it is a good idea to install a ground fault circuit interceptor (for units with a supplied plug) for an outlet for the unit unless your local and /or state requirements call for hard wiring. In either case, it is acceptable to do either or as long as the local and state requirements have been met during installation.

51. Apply the supplied rubber fitting to the aerator and connect the other side to the one half inch airline going to the unit.

52. Apply the hose clamps to the rubber fitting.

53. Plug the aerator in and turn the switch to the on position. You should hear the warning alarm sound and see the red light come on unless the unit has been filled with water.

54. If water has not been placed in the tank at this point, do it now working from the cleanout located nearest the house.

55. If the unit does not possess any leakage problems, installation is now complete. And you can carefully back fill the dirt around the unit.

Note: if you are using a rotary vane aerator, you will need to install the control panel. We do not recommend that you perform the installation unless you hold a valid electricians license. In which case, install the control panel in accordance with the electrical code. If you do not hold an electricians license, you can either hire one or have the homeowner hire one for the control panel installation.

If you have any questions concerning any portion of this installation process, do not hesitate to contact a Cajun Aire Wastewater Treatment System Representative.