Septic Systems

[Boris]

I'm new to septic systems.

In July 2021, I purchased a mountain vacation home that uses a septic system. The 1,000 gallon septic tank was pumped as a requirement before sale. Since then, I've been using Rid-x once a month. One person, my daughter occupies the home full time. We visit once a month or so.

I recently contacted the septice company that pumped the tank, and they told me they had a product for $20 that only needed to be used once a year, rather than the more expensive Rid-x monthly treatment.

I've read that some septic tank owners also treat their system once a year, with no problems.

Anyone have any comments/advice?

TIA

[Snag]

Flush a piece of raw chicken down the toilet and forget about treatments . Once you have established the bacteria that break down the products you flush , you only have to have it pumped every ten or fifteen years (don't flush feminine hygiene products) . Depends on how much sludge builds up in the tank . We just had a new 750 gallon concrete tank installed (last Monday) because the steel tank was rusting out - we got screwed on the old one . After 15 years it actually had very little sludge . Out here the only thing that goes into the tank is black water , gray water goes directly into a separate drainage field , codes in your area might not allow that .

[Boris]

Snag <snag [e-mail] wrote in news:KPQmL.16920$ [e-mail]:

Sounds like starter yeast when making bread...once started, it lasts perpetuates itself.

, you only have to have it pumped every ten or

I'm assuming by black water you mean toilet water, and grey water is all other water? I'll have to ask my county/septic man. I've tried to trace all the drainage pipes under the house, but once they dive into the earth, I loose them.

Thanks.

[hubops]

What NOT to put into the septic system is most important :

"There are dozens of septic tank additives and enzymes on the market claiming to enhance the bacterial flora of your tank or break down fat and oil deposits that can clog your tank.

They sound great, in theory, but the EPA states that the effectiveness of such products hasn’t been determined. In fact, septic tanks already contain all the microorganisms necessary to break down household pollutants and waste, and the best way to properly maintain the correct biome of your tank is by regular pumping every 3 to 5 years. "

My 3 homes, over a span of 40 years, have all been septic systems. I never added any special treatments - never had a problem. John T.

[Snag]

Right , the toilets are the only thing that goes into the tank . I know where every single pipe and wire in this house goes , I put them there ...

[Frank]

Gray water is the overflow from the sediment tank that goes to the drain field.

You need to add nothing to the septic as human waste will have all the bacteria you need.

Only caution septic pumper gave to me was not to pour fats down the drain and use liquid soap to wash clothes. He showed me a waxy layer on the sediment tank. Septic will tolerate chemicals like bleach in normal quantities. Neighbor sold his house and county made him put in a separate drain for water softener as excessive salt is bad for concrete tank.

[micky]

That's in your case that it's only the toilets. I only had a septic tank from age 10 to 19 but i'm 98% sure the sinks, bathtub, shower, and washing machine also drained into the tank. There was no place else they could have gone. All the houses in the area would have been done the same.

As to the original queestion, we didn't put anything into the tank. We did have it pumped out once during that time.

The builder, or someone, had put a patio on top of it, with a 3 foot hole in the middle where my mother planted flowers. So when it was pumped out, it looked better to have the newly shoveled dir in the hole. The problem is if the the tank needs to be replaced. We never had to. I was back there about 30 years later, and the pinkish pavement would have made it easy to tell if it had been dug up, but it was all covered with snow.

It don't rain in Indianapolis in the summer time, so you could tell where the finger system was because that's where the grass was green and taller.

[hubops]

Modern drain fields should be mapped for the building permit -

- mine is - 10 45 ft. runs off the main header ; circa 1990. Very old homes or cottages - anyone's guess. John T.

[hubops]

I would refer to gray water as non-toilet water - sometimes people will plumb their house so that the toilets flush into the septic system but the sinks & showers drain into a separate gray water drainage / storage ... cottages or cabins where a proper full-scale septic system isn't possible or perhaps drought-prone areas where the gray water is useful for irrigation ? I wouldn't refer to septic tank effluent as gray water. John T.

[micky]

But who has the bulding permit even of newer home? Even the original owner may not.

[hubops]

My municipality has my septic drain field map on file. ... not sure about the building permit. John T.

[Frank]

I think most go to the same place and overflow is generally called grey water.

[micky]

very good.

I have city sewers here or I would look up my records. not worth looking for my high school home.

[trader_4]

That definition is uniquely yours. The industry and regulators define gray water as water from sinks, showers, baths, washing machines, etc. ie water that is not full of human waste bacteria. Those regulators allow gray water to be used to irrigate lawns, what do you think would happen if they used your "gray water"?

[hubops]

gray water

dictionary dot com noun dirty water from sinks, showers, bathtubs, washing machines, and the like, that can be recycled, as for use in flushing toilets.

or here :

Some would exclude kitchen sinks because of the wee food solids and grease ...

Just sayin' .. John T.

[hubops]

Greener lawn ! :-) John T.

[micky]

I'm not sure what is meant by overflow from the sediment tank. The tank is more than a sediment tank and normally output has not merely overflowed. It stays a while and changes in some way.

Not arguing about the definition but at my home and many others, whatever comes ouut of septic tank including toilet water also waters the lawn.

>

[Frank]

I read better called effluent. What ever.

[Frank]

Nice neighborhood you live in. Sounds shitty to me.

[trader_4]

Say what? By what system are you using septic tank effluent to water your lawn?