Care of Septic Tank

[KestrelMerlin]

wouldn't boiling it kill the bacteria? I would of just put it in a blender or garbage disposal to get it down drain and or just flush down toilet.

Yeah - That was a dumb thing to write. I was just taken aback by the thought and couldn't imagine how you would do it.

 

[jerrybob]

I'll having a slightly differing opinion here to the others. Talking to folks who work in the industry the consensus is that you don't need to put anything extra, just what naturally goes in there. That provides plenty of bacteria, bacterial additives probably don't hurt, but anything that promotes dissolving grease etc and getting it into the leech field is bad news. You can find recommended pumping schedules online for your size tank and family, but its generally 2 - 5 years. Other things to be careful of are not putting grease or harsh chemicals down the drain. Try not to use anti-bacterial soap and limit use of things like bleach, though regular cleaning with bleach products doesn't have enough to really matter in your tank. Basically if its not biodegradable don't put it down. The only other concern is not to drive or use heavy equipment on the field and be careful of the Distro box, pump box (if there is one) and tank itself, you can fall through it if you drive the wrong thing on top.

Agreed.....our local guy said the same thing. Here's some good info.....
Chemical in septic tank s: are they necessary?

 

[kw22614]

In my county it's every 5 years to pump it out, but I ususally get it done about every 3. Just the wife and me with 1500 gal tank. The system has been in for near 60 yrs(we've lived here near 30). 1 time the pipe to the dist box collapsed but when I dug it up and flushed it, it straightened itself back, that's why I pump it every 3 yrs. No prob since. Sometimes when I think about it I flush(twice) a box of rid-x.
After pumpings, when empty, I always throw 5 -10gals of horse manure in before the first flush. An old-timer long ago taught me that - he said the bacteria in that is stronger to digest the solids enzymes faster(may have the enzymes and bacteria reversed(?)). Don't know if it's true or not, don't really care, but it's been working for me for about 25 yrs on a 60 yr old system.

 

[Grateful11]

How did you know that the bacteria died? Did you have a backup in the house?

And what did you do to the chicken skin and guts - Did you boil them and then pour down the broth?

It backed up into the basement toilet. When they opened the lid it was up to the top of the tank, it should about 4-6" below the top. Had it pumped, restarted the bacteria and knock on wood it's been working since then. What goes into the leech bed doesn't come off the top of the holdings, it has a T that allows only liquid to go into the leech bed. I was pretty pi$$ed about the whole thing as the new lines had only been in a short while. I had my wife's cousin come over and check it out and he said, "to just give a shot after it was pumped and see what happens".

We actually had a new line run into the tank several years ago because the house was built in '56 and and they used that crappy fiber pipe, around here it was called Orangeburg pipe or something like that and it has deteriorated and collapsed almost flat in some places. It works well enough to use the basement toilet once and awhile. The new line is on the ground floor level and it's 4" PVC and was put into another hole in the tank, it has about 9-10' of drop in about 70' so what goes through it should be flying by the time it hits the tank.

You wouldn't want to cook anything and put it down, flush it down raw. Cousin said they used to throw a dead chicken in the tank on an occasion or two to get things percolating along.

 

[hosspuller]

bacteria will adjust to the food they have, given enough time. Darwin's ideas work in a septic tank too. Don't have to throw anything into the tank to get it started. Unless you're disposing chickens or horse manure, I wouldn't... The trouble starts when conditions change suddenly.

Wine barrels, fish tanks, ethanol plants, septic tanks, etc keep the bacteria fed and the conditions correct and everybody's happy.

 

[turnkey4099]

Rid-X - The longest running scam in history. There is nothing in it that a good "dump" won't provide.

I bought this house in 1976 with a newly installed tank/drain field. 2 persons mostly, dishwasher and laundry. Everything goes in the tank. I pump it every 5 years and even then it really doesn't need it. But then the soil here has good "perc". Even my wife's attempts to kill the tank didn't work. She was pourting bleach by the cupfulls in the toilet to clean it. Yellign at her didn't cure it. I finally had to hide out the bleach jug.

Harry K

 

[PhilY]

Have lived with a septic tank my whole life practically. After 20 years my parents had to pump their tank and it wasn't because it was full. The soap products from the washing machine over the years had all congealed together on the top and made a layer several inches thick that caused the drain into it from the house to be blocked. As has been said, soaps and antibacterial products are not the best for septic systems, but with the new washers and the HE soaps, it shouldn't be as much of a problem. As long as everything that goes into a septic system is biodegradable and it is healthy with adequate bacteria, it should never need to be pumped.

 

[Locoweed]

That is what I was told also. I'm 16+ years on mine with out it being pumped.

 

[unbidden]

I'm in agreement with most of you. A good running systems needs nothing; however, every couple of months I add Zep to my system. It's a cheap insurance policy, kind of like taking a multivitin.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Put my 1000 gallon tank and leach field in in 1980, Haven't pumped it yet. Washer goes elsewhere. little grease down the drain , no tampons, no dripping faucets., no bleach down the toilets except when cleaning the bowl with toilet bowl cleaner. Only problem I've had was the town plow truck got off the road and went over the end of the tank and sheared off the inlet pipe,I had to dig it up and stub in a repair.
Going away for a weeks vacation once in a while gives the tank and field a rest.