Could someone give me a brief explanation of the best way to keep a septic system working properly?

Question

I have heard that you are to use no bleach. I put some of the rid-x down there but I was wondering just how that works and what should I do to never have problems with it.
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

First, those products sold, enzyme and bacteria are plain nonsense. Plenty of bacteria in sewage.

What destroys a septic is that wash water from a clothes washing machine with that clorine and strong detergent getting into the lines and killing off the bacteria that eat the sewage up.

We dug a seperate pit in my back yard about 4 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet deep then we filled that with crushed stone ( 2 inch stuff)
Then we piped out the wash water to that. I have clay here and its fixed things for us and that was 10 years ago. Course you cover that pit with dirt and plant grass over it.

Answer 2

Septic systems work by bacteria eating the solid material so they never "hard pack". Bleach kills bacteria.... no bacteria to breakdown materials and then you have to hire someone to pump out all the solid waste. Rid X works by putting bacteria back into the system which gets depleted from things like cleaning (since we clean with anti-bacterial cleaners, this can cause an imbalance in the system). You can continue to use Rid X but what we use to do is every six weeks finely cut up a head of cabbage and flush it down the toilet in handfuls until it's all gone (usually takes a day or two to get all of it flushed down). The cabbage breaking down creates the same bacteria you need and it's cheaper and all natural. You may eventually have to have your septic system pumped, but if you keep the bacteria level up it can take a decade or longer before you would even have to think about it.

Answer 3

Using it regularly is the best way to keep it functional. True, bleaches and other anti bacterial chemicals can slow the bacteria growth down significantly. Use in moderation and it shouldn't hurt. Never pour harsh chemicals or food grease down the drain.

If you have a disposal in the sink, don't dump large amounts of waste into it. Just use it for the small stuff like rinsing plates. Big waste food should go in the garbage.

WARNING: If you have any of those stupid willow trees, or any tree with an aggressive root system, get rid of them. I had one over 100 feet from my septic tank and it ruined my tank AND leech field.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 4

All of the previous posters made good points:
*Run your washing machine water to a separate area.
*Don't use a garbage disposal for more than minimal wastes.
*Don't plant trees anywhere near the drainfield.

However, after 20+ years we had to have our septic tank pumped, and the plumber recommended using the bacterial additive to restart and keep decomposition working well. As noted by one of the previous posters tree roots can travel from far away to find water, so you may also have to remove roots from the drainfield eventually. There are additives that purport to "dissolve" roots that clog drainage lines, but I have no experience with them.