Toilet paper septic (does it dissolve or not)

I've had a septic system for 15 years and never had it pumped out. Yet I see neighbors pumping theirs every 3 years.

All I put down mine is crap and TP and pee (sorry for being blunt).

  1. Pee just drains away.
  2. Crap (I assume) dissolves itself (bacteria) over time.
  3. But what about the TP?

Does the TP dissolve like the crap dissolves? Or does the TP eventually fill the tank up?

(Why doesn't mine fill up then?)

Reply to
Martim Ribeiro
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It dissolves eventually, brand dependent. Some are worse than others. Charmin (and similar) is supposed to be the worst.

Reply to
gfretwell

There's a sceptic tank additive you can get at a hardware store that helps break down solid waste.

Reply to
01001100110

Apparently your neighbors are smarter than you.

Reply to
Jimmy

At some point yours may need more than just a pumping. May be five more years, may be next week. It won't be forever.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Toilet paper composts but it is not a good idea not to have your system pumped occasionally. If you wait until solids spill over into field you might have an expensive problem.

Reply to
Frank

I can easily understand what you're saying, but some of my neighbors said they've gone easily 20 years without a problem while others say they pump every 3 years, so, something is very weird here with the answers.

Why I need to rely on you is that it's crazy when you google for what happens to the toilet paper in a home septic tank system.

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You never get an answer to the question!

What you get is a list of toilet papers that are "better" than others. OK. But that's not really the question (although I guess it's part of the answer.)

The main question is does the stuff eventually biodegrade to nothing or does it eventually need to be pumped out.

Googling for what happens to the poop:

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Again, it's amazing that you never get the answer straight. Most of the answers are from companies selling septic system cleaning, so, I guess that's why you can't get a straight answer out of the web?

Reply to
Martim Ribeiro

I asked a few neighbors today, where there are two types it seems (I asked in email so I had a good sample of a handful of replies).

Some do it every three years. Others never do it.

I'm not sure what the difference is since they all must be built to the same code.

Reply to
Martim Ribeiro

Now we're getting personal, but to let you know, I use Kirkland, the cheapest stuff they sell.

Reply to
Martim Ribeiro

An sdditive for a sceptic tank seems suspicious to me. It probably doesn't work anyway.

Reply to
FromTheRafters

It's a waste of money. You don't need to reactivate the bacteria. Even if killed by gallons of bleach, it would wash through and poop reactivate.

Reply to
Frank

There is no one answer for everyone. Take the simple parts like a four person family that does the same laundry, same diet and excrement etc. but put them a few miles apart.

Variables start with the results of the perc test. How big a system? What is the soil composition? Water table, trees, and a bunch of other things that affect the overall life of the system. Best to have it checked once in a while.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

It's paper. Of course it breaks down.

Reply to
Dan Espen

If they are doing it every 3 years, someone has convinced them they need it. I doubt they experience back ups or overflow every 3 years.

I'm in the never camp.

Reply to
Dan Espen

Just don't use Tyvek brand.

Reply to
micky

That means to me that you can go forever unless something goes wrong, and by having someone check it every so many years, mayyybe he'll see that it is more full than it shoudl be, and he'll do something about it

So that you wont' have a so-called emergncy where your toile won't flush and have to pay extra for him to come out on Xmas eve. Some people think avoiding a weekend tthey can't use the water is worth paying when there is no problem, some people want local proof that this can happen, and others will go to the supermarket to use the bathroom rather than pay for a cleaning they might need. The odds are, in an "emergency" you can get someone to come out during regular work hours and, if you're willing to call around, will only have to wait from 3PM on Monday to 4PM on Tuesday. Or from 6PM on Monday to 10AM on Wednesday.

I think part of the service is to add more of those microbes that do the eating, even though they are randy little devils and have been know to make their own babies. You should ask and not rely on me.

And of course some of the services add something to kill the microbes so that they can come back again in 6 months.. Just kidding.

Reply to
micky

I fully agree. I have my septic pumped every 3 years. Those solids do decompose, but they accumulate, and they have to go somwhere. There are only 2 places they can go. Either into your drain field (which will clog it), or they will backup into your house.

By the way, "REAL MEN" dont use toilet paper.

Reply to
Bud

The latest idea in drain fields is a chamber system where you have big open chambers underground that the tank drains into with soil or gravel on top of the soil under them. It makes the system a lot less susceptible to being plugged by scum coming out of the tank.

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Reply to
gfretwell

If you really are religious about only putting human waste and TP into your system, you can almost always go for at least 5 years without pumping.

If you know where the tank cleanout cover is located, you can did it up and stick a rough-surfaced wooden pole into the tank, If there is sludge buil d-up, you can see it when you remove the stick. If the stick is clean, you are in good shape and not in danger of clogging the drain field pipes.

Reply to
hrhofmann

I don't know the cost of periodic pumping nor of a bidet, but, it seems to me that if the cost of pumping is, say, 500 bucks each time, and the cost of a bidet is, say, 1000 bucks, that I can justify to the wife that it's cheaper to install a bidet than it is to periodically pump the septic.

Anyone out there have an aftermarket installed bidet? Does it make economic sense?

Reply to
Martim Ribeiro

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