What does chlorine do to a septic system?

It's a good pasttime. Much like playing chess.

What does your grass look like near the finger system?

Ask the septic tank cleaner next time he comes if he saw anything, or if he knows anything about this. Better yet, call the company now and ask them. They won't charge extra if you make this admission, will they? Maybe call from a pay phone so they won't know it's you.

Ever hear of "google"?

This is California where there is no rain for 10 months of the year, and then the monsoon season for the other two months - hence - the grass is green in winter everywhere - and brown in summer - everywhere - septic or no septic.

Besides, how DEEP is the septic system anyway?

They're all on hills so they flow downward but aren't they too deep to affect the grass anyway?

I've been here for over two decades and never once needed the septic system pumped out so I don't have a 'septic cleaner' guy.

Besides, with all the septic systems on steep hills, I can't imagine them ever "overflowing" to the point that they could possibly reach the surface.

How deep are they anyway?

Who knew they purposefully chlorinate home septic systems!

Who knew chlorine is fine but drain cleaner is orders of magnitude worse!

Who knew some septic systems discharge chlorine into surface water!

Moderate use of chlorine is apparently no problem.

Who knew they use calcium hypochlorite for treating septic systems:

How do you know you never needed it? Aren't you at risk of a trashed septic system if you don't have it checked once in a while?

Not in Indiana. In the hot days of summer, the grass is light green, except over the finger system where it's darker green and taller. Can't miss it. I think when I first got there, age 10, I wondered what it was, and got it explained to me. It was a first for my mother too, and I think it took her a few years to learn it was supposed to be cleaned.

My guess on the depth is based on how far I think the water would spread out while getting closer to the surface, and how wide the green strips are. They were about 15=18" wide ttbomr.

I think we only had ours cleaned once in the 8 years I lived there, or maybe more but I was never home when he came. I guessed the top of the tank was a foot below the surface. The previous owner violated some rule and built the patio over it, with a 4' hole over the tank so that when it was dug up for cleaning it didn't affect "the yard", just a flower bed or whatever was planted there after he left.

How am I supposed to know if there is no "problem" extant?

I'm hoping we don't have a s***ty day. Our septic is being pumped this afternoon. Been a few years and hopefully there will be no problems.

You do have to be careful who you hire around here as a couple of big plumbing outfits are told to tell customers that they do have problems when they don't.

After clean out yesterday, my wife asked the pumper about additives and he advised bakers yeast.

Looking this up this am I found this which makes a lot of sense and answers your question about household cleaners:

Yeast additive makes sense as it aids in breakdown of cellulose. You do not have to add bacteria like in Rid-X as the toilet supplies plenty of them.

Might also mention that a few years ago the pumper showed me a cake of fatty material in the tank and advised use of liquid detergents in the washer to help avoid this build up. We have been doing it since and pumpers have not said anything about this since.

You have to check it periodically unless you just don't care if you may suddenly need to call in a backhoe to replace your drainage field. What do you check? You check the amount of sludge and the amount of scum. If either of those layers are thicker than 1/3 of the fluid level then you definitely need to have the tank pumped out.

I do know old rednecks who dig a big hole, scoop out the scum with a shovel and bury it but I would not do that for $400. I did hire a machine and replace my drain field myself tho. I used chambers instead of perf pipe so they say I will die before my system does. I did all of the backfill with a shovel but I didn't have the same time pressure as I did to get the drains in. I had the tank pumped to buy a few days tho. The way it turned out by the time the tank was full, I was trying to get the grass going again. Backfill goes faster than digging even for a 70+ year old guy

Had not heard such guidelines. Does sound sensible. As mentioned, mine was pumped yesterday and solids level not mentioned but he told my wife it was all liquid. I don't believe that. With just wife and I in the house, I think we can wait five years. A neighbor in our situation told my wife that they only had their tank pumped once in the forty or so years they have lived there.

I had been more concerned about the status of the tank and would never wait until a problem developed.

You're so right.  Having it pumped is just good preventative maintenance.  Wait too long between pump-outs and you'll be spending thousands repairing the system.

You get the septic tank and system inspected once in a while. If you just let it go forever, eventually, the tank will overflow, the drain field will get plugged up, and big bucks will get spent. Admittedly, I have never had a septic system myself.

There are also possible mechanical problems like concrete degrading. Several years ago the pumper found a part that needed patching. I also have 2 drain fields and the switch box was degrading and I needed to fix it. People we know needed a whole new tank as old was collapsing.

I have neighbors with newer systems which need more service. Apparently drainage rules have changed where perk is more restrictive and they had to add chemical treatment filters for the grey water (the water from the overflow tank). These need clean out and replacement now and then. Another neighbor who has to pump grey water to leach field up hill and has had electrical failure of the pump.

I have well and septic and figure over the years I have saved thousands of dollars not paying for water and sewer. OTOH a failure in either can cost thousands and I have had these. On balance I am far ahead but it is tough to get a big expense when it happens unexpectedly.