OT. Septic System additive......

I found a good article on the web that may help you.

• Good article on additives and overall care

Besides water and toilet paper,
if you didn't eat it, don't put it in the system.

I don't think Rid-X would hurt the system.
But I don't think it would help either.

An old trick is to get a gallon of whole milk,
let it sit out overnight and spoil,
then pour it down the toilet and flush it.
Supposed to introduce helpful enzymes into the tank.
Don't know that it really works. but can't hurt.

The best thing you can do for your system,
is to have it pumped out every few years.
Cheap insurance against a new system.

Pooh Bear

The septic guy should have some additive that will get the juices flowing. If not, they have suggested to me that I add some yeast once a month as insurance. If you do some internet searching you will get lots of opinions but I took the guy"s advice and I now put yeast in once a month. You don"t want to put a lot in because a large yeast bloom will generate enough gas to bring solids up and potentially get them into the leach field. Sam"s Club has a packet of yeast that will last you about 2 years for somewhwere around $5.00. Lots cheaper than rid-x.

The pumper that I use suggests cleanout every 3 years for a family of 4. When I bought the house I had it pumped out and he told me it looked like it had never been done before. It was 11 years old at that point. Three years later I watched him again and I could see a dramatic difference in the ratio of liquids to solids. The wife and I are becoming empty nesters now and I"m sure we can back off a bit but in the mean time I am playing it safe. Pumping is a lot cheaper than replacing a drain field.

Best of luck

The synthetic fibers from clothing used to be strained out in the older washing machine but newer machines flush it out with the washwater. Fibers do not breakdown unless in direct sunlite. He recommended putting a strainer bag on the discharge hose (cheap).

As for chemicals, he always said only mix yeast with spoiled milk products from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature and yeast begin to work before flushiing down the water closet. He claims the other chemicals work too good and break alot of grease and junk loose in the tank allowing it to flow into the leach field clogging it up (and thats bad news).

I am the only house left in neighborhood (built in the 1920's and '30s) that I know of that has not had to have their septic system replaced. I do have the tank pumped every 7-10 years.

Yeast and spoiled milk is cheap.

Link

I think the main thing about septic systems is that if they are installed properly they are pretty much trouble free.

I might need to knock on wood:-).

HTH. Rick

Not cheap, but shoot, I like the idea and since it doesn't have laderial lines, less ground usage. We are going to run our discharge lines to a set of sprinkers over in the side and some into the back yard.