Rid-X For Septic Systems: Any Good ?

[Robert11]

Hello:

That product for septic systems, Rid-X, is it any good ?

or, just "good" advertising ?

Any thoughts on would be appreciated.

Bob

[Matt]

It's pretty good on cornflakes. Don't put it on Lucky Charms tho.

[Barkie McDog]

I hear it's great with crabs too. So I've read anyway.

[Matt]

Yeah. I think if you eat enough of it, then it absorbs all your shit before it needs to exit your body, and therefore, your septic system never fills up.

Or maybe you die if you eat it, and therefore, your septic system never fills up.

I can't remember which it is.

Maybe Jeff Wisnia will have a bowl and let us know.

[Bob S.]

I guess you'd appreciate an honest opinion instead of a wise-ass remark about now.

Yes, it's a good product as are many other brands. All are concentrated bacteria designed to breakdown organic material in your septic tank.

What is more important, however, is what else is going down the septic system. If you flush comdoms, Kotex pads, plastic trash, etc., no amount of Rid-x is going to do you any good.

If you can lift the flush-out lid on your tank, take a look inside. In a properly maintained tank there should be little to no material floating on the surface of the sewage. That means the tank has sufficient bacteria to handle the products going into it.

I use Rid-x about every 4-6 weeks and am careful about what goes into the tank. After 10 years of use there was about 1" of sludge on the bottom of the tank. At that rate it may never need pumping out again. Bob S.

[Richard J Kinch]

Bunk. As is Rid-X.

[Mike Fritz]

Good Advertising? Anything that tells anyone they don't have to do anything is good advertising, right?

If I tried to sell you a product that you pour into your engine to stop requiring oil changes, would you buy it?

Wouldn't you wonder where all the sludge and metal flakes go? I would.

The septic tank is supposed to allow bacteria to break down as much as the solid waste as possible. Bacteria is present in crap. So when you crap, you provide the bacteria and the food needed.

As the bacteria breaks down the crap water, methane, and other stuff comes from it. However, some things cannot be broken down. (Think corn shells, for one example.) No amount of septic tank additive will break down all of the solids.

The reason you have the tank pumped is to remove the solid (sludge) before they build up so high and leave the tank clogging your drainage field of seepage pit.

There is also a certain amount of floating material called scum.

I recommend the following book, since you probably own a septic system, it's your responsibility to keep it working properly:

If the link is took long, the name of the book is:

The Septic System Owner's Manual

A great book, I own it, and I know a lot about my septic system now.

--Mike

[toller]

Septic system manufacturers say additives do not help. They have no reason to lie, since they want you to be happy with your system; so I figure additives do not help.

[Matt]

I've never had a septic system. But I always figured Rid-x was full of shit for 2 reasons:

1. Anyone who runs an ad campaign with people who make a living pumping shit giving advice that supposedly will reduce the number of times they have to come pump shit - is bullshit.

1. Any ad that actually shows little cartoons in the process of breaking down shit - is a shitty ad.

Hence, rid-x is full of shit.

But, they have been able to bullshit a lot of people with their crap, as somehow they manage to run their shitty ads on national tv in prime time.

Viva la rid-x!

[Eric Tonks]

If you don't have sludge in the bottom of your tank you must be flushing it out into your leaching field. That is what Rid-X is well known for, stirring up the sludge into the liquid so that it can flow into the leaching field and clog it up.

You should have sludge in the bottom of a tank that has not been pumped out. That is all the non-organic materials that go down the drain. One major non-organic item is minerals and grit which is from all the dirt that is flushed down the drain every time you wash yourself. This is the stuff that should be pumped out on a regular basis not stirred up and drained into your leach piping.

[Matt]

That brings up an interesting point. What is the politically correct method of disposing of condoms these days?

Flushing? Trash? Composting? Recycling?

Effi, please let us know.

[Bob S.]

flushing it

No! Sludge is heavier than water and settles at the bottom of the tank. It cannot get into the leach field until it builds up to the level of the tank output line. Rid-x is concentrated bacteria. It has NO properties for stirring up sludge.

Agreed that sand and grit cannot be broken down by bacteria and remains at the bottom of the tank as a prime ingredient of sludge. However, using a 1000 gal. septic tank would require a LOT of dirt. Personally, I'm not that dirty.

Contrary to the opinions of many others, who's opinions I do NOT agree with, here's why Rid-X, or any other similar product, is ocassionally a good idea to use: (1)It takes bacteria to break down organic material into soft liquids that flush out into the leach field. The "primary" source of bacteria is feces. (2)Chlorine kills bacteria. Chlorine enters the septic system from household clensers and clothes wash products. (3) The more people in a family, the more feces, but also the more table scraps, grease, and clothes wash (chlorine). (4) Over a period of time, the bacteria level drops until it cannot keep up with the organic input. And your sludge level starts rising dramatically.

Do you NEED to add Rid-x or other type products? NO. Will you have to have your tank pumped more often if you don't? YES

So do you pay the septic tank service company more oftem for a cleanout, or pay a merchant for a septic tank additive? Your call. But as I stated in an earlier post, I had my tank cleaned after 10 years use just because I didn't know how it was building up. I watched the whole process. It only had about 1-2 inches of sludge. The service man stated it was the "cleanest" tank he'd seen in a long, long time and for me to continue doing what I have been doing. And that is adding an additive occasionally.

Others have their opinions, but I have seen the facts.

Bob S.

[Bob S.]

flushing it

No! Sludge is heavier than water and settles at the bottom of the tank. It cannot get into the leach field until it builds up to the level of the tank output line. Rid-x is concentrated bacteria. It has NO properties for stirring up sludge.

Agreed that sand and grit cannot be broken down by bacteria and remains at the bottom of the tank as a prime ingredient of sludge. However, using a 1000 gal. septic tank would require a LOT of dirt. Personally, I'm not that dirty.

Contrary to the opinions of many others, who's opinions I do NOT agree with, here's why Rid-X, or any other similar product, is ocassionally a good idea to use: (1)It takes bacteria to break down organic material into soft liquids that flush out into the leach field. The "primary" source of bacteria is feces. (2)Chlorine kills bacteria. Chlorine enters the septic system from household clensers and clothes wash products. (3) The more people in a family, the more feces, but also the more table scraps, grease, and clothes wash (chlorine). (4) Over a period of time, the bacteria level drops until it cannot keep up with the organic input. And your sludge level starts rising dramatically.

Do you NEED to add Rid-x or other type products? NO. Will you have to have your tank pumped more often if you don't? YES

So do you pay the septic tank service company more oftem for a cleanout, or pay a merchant for a septic tank additive? Your call. But as I stated in an earlier post, I had my tank cleaned after 10 years use just because I didn't know how it was building up. I watched the whole process. It only had about 1-2 inches of sludge. The service man stated it was the "cleanest" tank he'd seen in a long, long time and for me to continue doing what I have been doing. And that is adding an additive occasionally.

Others have their opinions, but I have seen the facts.

Bob S.

[Richard J Kinch]

Nonsense.

Do you have any idea of the chlorine demand to sterilize 1000 gallons of ripe poo? Or the concept of "chlorine demand" itself?

Has it occured to you that oxidizers like chlorine are instantly consumed by reducing agents in sewage?

Are you aware that bacteria reproduce? If you kill one-zillionth of them with a little bleach, the other zillion that are left will happily equilibrate in hours.

[MUADIB®]

Bad Question Matt. We all know that Condoms cause something much worse than cancer. They cause PREMARITAL SEX! and other types of things like EXTRAMARITAL SEX, and FRAT PARTIES!

No need in asking a profession al now. That'll only stir things up.

Disposing of them is not necessary. Just send them to the Dry Cleaners.

Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply

MUADIB®

one small step for man,..... One giant leap for attorneys.

[dbkcmk]

I read Rid-x is mostly saw dust. Best not to use.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I have no idea if that is true or not.

I'd avoid anti-bacterial soap though and not dispose of anti-biotics in the septic system. Avoid grease too, of course.

[Frank]

Grease, I am most careful with but others cause no harm if not used in extreme excess. Natural bugs in human waste do the job and Rid-X is a waste of money.

[Arthur Conan Doyle]

Rid-X (and similar products) are very good at doing what they were designed to do - remove money from the accounts of uninformed consumers.