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22 December 2013

[DIY] Septic System Maintenance....

 

Posted by: "Jan Flood" jan.flood2@att.net

> When we lived on the farm we used enzyme tablets

> the old style toilets are still being made and they could
> order one. I don't know exactly how the low flow flush
> works but a good handyman might be able to override
> the low water option

Posted by: "Chuck Vischulis" seaavee@yahoo.com

> We also use Rid-x once a month.

Hi folks,

The overwhelming evidence is that if you are lucky
you might as well just flush money down your toilet,
as use additives. And, if you are unlucky, additives
can actually reduce the life of your septic system, by
moving more suspended solids into the drain field. It
is also true that reduced water usage improves septic
system performance. My system is nearly 70 years
old. A friend who wastes 50¢/day on ritual annual
tank pumping managed to convince me my 60 year
old tank (which had never been pumped) needed
pumping when there was a clog. Without me even
asking, the man who pumped my tank told me that
it had not needed it. ($185 wasted, as he smilingly
took my check) These systems are designed to
work without intervention. Unless you do foolish
things like flush plastics, paint, or a lot of grease
and fat down them, they should work (as mine
does) for decades without trouble, or need
for any maintenance.

Generally, if you are having trouble, it is because
there is too much water in the system, not too little.
The water could be getting into the drain field via
ground water, or other non-septic system paths.
When it is backing up, increasing the water usage
of your toilet is likely to be the exact opposite of
what you should do. It is probably doing that
because it's already full. If you are having trouble
when a lot of people are at the house, flushing
the toilet, and in the kitchen with water running,
that may be an indication that your problem is
from too much water usage, not too little. It
may also have been after a rain. A water
wasting toilet would likely make that situation
worse, not better. Do you have a garbage
disposal......bad idea for a septic system.

< http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/2006/030906/11avoidu.htm >

< http://www.egr.msu.edu/age/documents/news_archives/eco/additives.pdf >

<
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/septic-tank-additives-zb0z10zarc.aspx >

<
http://rc.mt.gov/content/environmental/documents/53Septictankadditives.pdf
>

I could post a hundred links, but they all say the same
thing. There is no disagreement. All research says that septic
system additives are (to put it in common language) a scam.
In fact, the State of Washington has outlawed their sales.
They all also say that reducing water usage is a solution,
not a problem.

-Laren Corie-
Natural Solar Building Design and
Solar Heating/Natural Cooling/Energy
Efficiency Consultation Since 1975
www.ThermalAttic.com (many new
photos and pages, coming soon)

Read my Solar house design articles in:
-Energy Self-Sufficiency Newsletter-
www.essnmag.com

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RefrigeratorAlternatives

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