Septic

Hi, I live out in the sticks and have my own well and septic. I have a few questions about my septic system.

I faithfully put Rid Ex in my system every month via the toilet. Once in the summer, I let a 1/2 gallon of milk go bad and dump it down the outside drain as well.

I called some septic people about sucking my septic system out and the one person opted that I don't do my monthly Rid Ex. I haven't had my system sucked out since we bought our house almost 6 years ago and I had talked to most people and they seem to recommend every 5 years.

Any suggestions or recommendations,

let me know...

I get my septic & grease trap cleaned out every 5 yrs or close $$$ always the factor--I never put any rid-x or any other crap in my system--well, I guess I have to take that back, I put plenty of CRAP in it

Yep - nothing but *censored* goes in mine. That makes plenty of bacteria - no need to add any fake stuff.

I had mine pumped for the first time in 10 years this past July. Could've went another 10. Just me & the wifey here - no rugrats. That'll probably be the last time I pump it while I'm alive.

Check my previous posting on septic tanks:

Garbage Disposal And Septic Systems

The second link in that post, repeated below has near the end a section titled: "How to Check Your Septic Tank"

It tells you how to use simple tools to check sludge depth and scum level. Only you can know after testing if you system needs pumping.

http://www.carrollhealthdepartment.dhmh ... anual.html

I also have "on lot sewage".A sand mound with holding tank and pump tank. In the past 14 years we have pumped out 3 times,each time by the same company. Each time he asks if we use any "additives" to help with the bacteria. His take is that what you put in has plenty of the bacteria it needs to function properly. I do not have a garbage disp but my grey water goes in there to. When he does pump he pumps out thru the man hole,not the 4 inch pipe that was supplied by the installer. His addage is its like trying to drink a thick milkshake thru a straw(yuck). He also leaves just a little bit in the bottom to act as "seed". prob about 55 gals or so. So far no problems.
My previous home was built in 1950,had a cesspool, was pumped out 1 time approx 5 years before we moved in, that was 1992, we were there for 5 years, no problems there either and didn't use any additives.

Bill

No additives. Pumped about every four years on average. 34 years and no problem. Knock on wood.

we have two systems here, mine is the original with the auction, circa 1962, i only have a rough idea where the tank is at, the drainfield must go under the garden, but i never see any standing water over here on my side. i doubt it's ever been pumped, i've been here since 05, i put the drains back to use in 06.......there was 4 sinks, 3 toilets and a urinal originally, now i have a kitchen sink, i converted the mens room into a bathroom with a big shower, and i have a shop sink and a shop toilet.

skip had the tank on his side of the building pumped in 04 cause it was clogged, and he replaced that drainfield, the oil company put those two bathrooms in around 93 and that septic tank and drainfield. the drainfield was only 30' long and clogged, so the tank clogged, it's all about the drainfield lol

Don't use Rid-X. That allows disolved solids to get out into your drain fields. You didn't say how many people the system is used by. That makes a difference in how often you get it pumped. It's not expensive. I get it done every two years.
Also don't use chlorine bleach in your laundry. Use liquid soap for the washer and dishwasher. No kitchen grease down the drain. No tissues, paper towels, qtips, cig butts, condoms, feminine products, etc. Essentially if you didn't eat it or drink it, and it's not toilet paper, it should not be in the septic.

We just had ours pumped a couple years ago. First time in close to 40 years. Most of that time, there was only one or two people living here.

Once me and my crew moved in, it really put a load(sorry about that) on the system.

The septic guy said using Rid X is fine so I've been doing that. I put it in the category of "can't hurt, might help."

jpete wrote:We just had ours pumped a couple years ago. First time in close to 40 years. Most of that time, there was only one or two people living here.

Once me and my crew moved in, it really put a load(sorry about that) on the system.

The septic guy said using Rid X is fine so I've been doing that. I put it in the category of "can't hurt, might help."

jpete, Coalkirk has shared the most important information just above your post.

coalkirk wrote:Don't use Rid-X. That allows dissolved solids to get out into your drain fields. You didn't say how many people the system is used by. That makes a difference in how often you get it pumped. It's not expensive. I get it done every two years.
Also don't use chlorine bleach in your laundry. Use liquid soap for the washer and dishwasher. No kitchen grease down the drain. No tissues, paper towels, qtips, cig butts, condoms, feminine products, etc. Essentially if you didn't eat it or drink it, and it's not toilet paper, it should not be in the septic.

The only thing Rid X does is provide degrading microorganisms to the system and some of them might already be there. Terry already said most of this. Additives like Rid X do not eat minerals (solids). There's more. If you rely too heavily on these products, you might be operating the system under a false sense of security** if the sludge and scum layer thicknesses are not monitored. Once the solids get out into the leach field the holes in the leach field's filtering medium, be it gravel or select fill, are gradually plugged . Then the leach field's pipes fill up next. If stuff gets into the leach field, bug additives might help clear this material before the pipes are plugged solid but it's only a matter of time since the system has already been compromised.

The flip side question to ask in this thread if you also have a water well or spring is:
Do you frequently test your well water?

IMHO, every couple of years well water shoud be checked at a minimum for bacteria and nitrate levels. The fill type that makes up the material of leach field and the local soil types are the biggest unknowns for a system that you aren't familiar with. Some soils and fills will go forever without pumping maintenance, some won't. Know this; the fill placed into newer systems is there to filter out nasty bugs so they do not make it into the aquifer where your draw your potable water, water for human use. If this fails, you could end up with ill people or maybe livestock. If it gets to this point, you are looking at options that include a new well or expensive systems that will make the water safe to use. There is a large initial cost for these systems and they require maintenance and monitoring to keep them working. It's the old adage again: Pay me now or pay me later. There are old (~100yrs old?) lake communities just a few miles from me that have these problems. NO municipal sewage or water systems exist - they're the people paid to watch this stuff. The houses have septic/cesspool and shallow wells much too close together in wet soils. They've been that way for a long time and the problems recently showing up. There's a lot of money being made by business people maintaining water treatment systems in that community.

There are just too many variables to make generalizations about septic and well systems. Know your soil, bedrock, topography, water, well depth/casing, leach field fill. That's a lot of info to have. My first house had a cesspool and was dug into glacial moraine; gravel and sand many feet deep. There were three very large Norway Spruce trees very close to the pit. AFAIK, it was never pumped out in the 53 years I know about. Water was from a shallow well - never a problem. I'm only several miles away from there now but I'd never risk that maintenance schedule here -much too thin clay and rocky soil on this granitic niece hillside. Glaciers took all that nice draining soil away from here along time ago The take away from all this is if you don't do the right stuff, someone sometime will have to. Might be soon, might be in a long time but it probably will happen. If houses are too close together, you options are fewer.

**Anyone with a well and septic needs to ask yourself how much money do you have to gamble in the crap casino

One of the problems now with home septic systems is the over use of anti-bacterial soaps. You have hand, dishwasher and kitchen sink dish, laundry and bath soaps all anti-bacterial and it kills your septic system making frequent pump outs necessary.

"Kills 99% of all bacteria". If that remaining bacteria is strong enough to survive, how long until that becomes 98%, 97% or even 50% (the count down continues)?

How did the "old timers" survive with all of the bacteria?

beemerboy wrote:How did the "old timers" survive with all of the bacteria?

Dam good thing they did, isn't it! There are all sorts of stories out there about how our kid's immune systems aren't as well off as those of us that got to play in and 'eat' dirt when we were little.

Those my friend are not stories. That's why Docs are concerned about so many mothers being "too busy"( BS) to breast feed. It's just a common sense thing which so often gets lost in this day & age of over thinking & procrastination.

jpete wrote:We just had ours pumped a couple years ago. First time in close to 40 years. Most of that time, there was only one or two people living here.

Once me and my crew moved in, it really put a load(sorry about that) on the system.

The septic guy said using Rid X is fine so I've been doing that. I put it in the category of "can't hurt, might help."

I'll bet your septic pumping guy also repairs and replaces septic systems. "sure you can use Rid-X."

Ya think?