Septic System Problem

[Roger Gibbs]

Ok, simple solution. Pour all the bleach you feel like down your system and not a problem as long as you add bacteria that the bleach is killing off!!

minor problem or cheap maintenance ridex.com

big problem and need a fix www.newtecbio.com

My washer machine goes directly into my septic and no problems and NO PUMPOUTS for 12 years straight! I use newtech's packages and the bacteria that is killed through bleach and anything else I throw at the system is replensihed. You do not need a yearly pumpout as log as you have strong bacterial counts. Find a product that suits your budget and get on a regular maintenance program and keep the system in tip top shape.

Good luck

[Roger Gibbs]

Ok, simple solution. Pour all the bleach you feel like down your system and not a problem as long as you add bacteria that the bleach is killing off!!

minor problem or cheap maintenance ridex.com

big problem and need a fix www.newtechbio.com

My washer machine goes directly into my septic and no problems and NO PUMPOUTS for 12 years straight! I use newtech's packages and the bacteria that is killed through bleach and anything else I throw at the system is replensihed. You do not need a yearly pumpout as log as you have strong bacterial counts. Find a product that suits your budget and get on a regular maintenance program and keep the system in tip top shape.

Good luck

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

Wow, I can't believe how often some have pumped their tanks. Lots of people will poo poo (sorry for the pun) what I do but it has worked for years. Last time I had the tank pumped was 17 years ago. The dishwasher and washing machine all go right to the septic tank.

Don't spend all your money on the magic elixirs for the septic tank. Waste of good money. I just buy a 3 pack of dry yeast and empty 1 of the packets into the toilet every 4 months.

If they are getting sewer/septic smell in the house, my guess is the drain field is blocked / clogged / or shot. Even a tank cleaning may not help.

Good luck.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by badair

Added note:

The other toxic component of sewer gas is methane, which interferes with the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood and can cause suffocation and death when you inhale high concentrations. Exposure to low levels causes headache, nausea and drowsiness.


Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D.

DR. Weil has to check his facts a bit more. The gas he is talking about in the above paragraph sounds like carbon monoxide.

From Wikipedia:

Potential health effects (of methane)
Methane is not toxic; however, it is highly flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air. Methane is violently reactive with oxidizers, halogens, and some halogen-containing compounds. Methane is also an asphyxiant and may displace oxygen in an enclosed space. Asphyxia may result if the oxygen concentration is reduced to below 19.5% by displacement. The concentrations at which flammable or explosive mixtures form are much lower than the concentration at which asphyxiation risk is significant.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by sstanczyk

Wow, I can't believe how often some have pumped their tanks. Lots of people will poo poo (sorry for the pun) what I do but it has worked for years. Last time I had the tank pumped was 17 years ago. The dishwasher and washing machine all go right to the septic tank.
Good luck.

Wow, I can't believe how long some people go between tank pumpings. If you have a properly sized tank for the house/family size (1000 gal Imp for a family of 4), good practice is to pump every 2-3 years. If only 2 persons in the house, it should be pumped every 5-6 years with normal use.

In our area, there is a new outlet filter that can save the leach field in the event that the tank usage is not normal or it is not pumped at proper intervals. It is cone shaped and slips down into the top of the open "T" found at the interior outlet. It catches solids/undigestibles that may be leaving the tank and will eventually block the field over time. The filter may plug up and the drainage system performance declines with slow flushes, backup....but that's the warning alarm. Some sewage blackwater may also end up on the lawn but that's just another warning that the filter needs service. But it just saved you a leaching field at what $5,000 - $15,000. The filter should be serviced yearly. I recommend this filter in my report plumbing appendix.

Vern:

Anyone that that has to pump a tank yearly has a problem system.......probably a way too small tank for the house load.

[Kenton H. Shepard, CMI]

Originally Posted by Roger Gibbs

My washer machine goes directly into my septic and no problems and NO PUMPOUTS for 12 years straight! I use newtech's packages and the bacteria that is killed through bleach and anything else I throw at the system is replensihed. You do not need a yearly pumpout as log as you have strong bacterial counts. Good luck

Roger, sludge builds up in the bottom of the tank and needs to be pumped out on a schedule which varies with tank size and the pressure on the system (# people in the home, their habits, garbage disposer, etc.)

I couldn't get your link to work. What product do you have that does away with the necessity for pumping out the sludge? Bacterial action in the tank may reduce the volume of sludge some, but doesn't make it disappear. It still accumulates. When was the last time you opened your tank and checked its condition?

Ooops! got it to work. I'm skeptical. I took the NAWT training this year and their advice, and the advice of every knowledgable source I've heard from who wasn't trying to sell me a product, was "Don't use additives... a properly-sized system, used reasonably, won't need them."

If one insists on using additives , bleach is a bad, very bad thing to use. Bleach will kill the bacteria which break down sludge, but killing bacteria won't turn sludge into a liquid.

If they're smelling sewer gas in the home, they've got an open sewer in the home... unless they've got an open window in the home and it's blowing in from the yard. In that case they've got a tank or leach field problem.

Sounds like it's time for a qualified, experienced septic system inspector to step in.

[Dennis R. Goudreau]

Originally Posted by kshepard

Roger, sludge builds up in the bottom of the tank and needs to be pumped out on a schedule which varies with tank size and the pressure on the system (# people in the home, their habits, garbage disposer, etc.)

I couldn't get your link to work. What product do you have that does away with the necessity for pumping out the sludge? Bacterial action in the tank may reduce the volume of sludge some, but doesn't make it disappear. It still accumulates. When was the last time you opened your tank and checked its condition?

Ooops! got it to work. I'm skeptical. I took the NAWT training this year and their advice, and the advice of every knowledgable source I've heard from who wasn't trying to sell me a product, was "Don't use additives... a properly-sized system, used reasonably, won't need them."

If one insists on using additives , bleach is a bad, very bad thing to use. Bleach will kill the bacteria which break down sludge, but killing bacteria won't turn sludge into a liquid.

If they're smelling sewer gas in the home, they've got an open sewer in the home... unless they've got an open window in the home and it's blowing in from the yard. In that case they've got a tank or leach field problem.

Sounds like it's time for a qualified, experienced septic system inspector to step in.

I agree with kenton regular pump outs as defined by design, additives especially bleach not required as the breakdown of materials produce enough bacteria to do the job definitely time for the septic company to come

[Peter C. Russell]

In my area a good rule of thumb is pump it out every two years, cheap insurance! also do not use powdered laundry/dishwasher soap, it has to many compounds in it that do not breakdown in the drain line, tank and field, garbage disposals not a good idea as well as back washing your water softening system.