Septic problems ...

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 6:16 am

Has anyone used this kind of product?

http://www.amerisep.com/septic-free.html

Best wishes,
Jerry

missy · Post by **missy** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 6:51 am

I grew up in a house with a septic system. While I don't remember using a product like that, I'm sure it couldn't hurt - the main thing you want to do is keep the little "bugs" happy.

We only had to have the tank "honey dipped" about once every 10 years. Some of the things we found helped to keeping the thing working well:

Do NOT use a garbage disposal. The bugs have a hard problem with undigested food scraps and such, and it'll just wind up exhausting them.

Do NOT use "cheap" toilet paper. Use good, one ply preferably, stuff. And don't use any of the paper that has lotion, etc. on it.

Of course, no "feminine" products, paper towels, baby wipes, etc. should go down toilet, either.

Use non-phosphate laundry detergent (probably not a problem because it's hard to get here anyway). We also had a cistern, and my dad figured out it was actually cheaper to go to the laundra-mat then to do laundry at home where we would have to buy water and/or have the tank cleaned out more frequently.

Probably not a problem for you - but our main trouble was ground water not allowing the leach lines to drain properly. We were on a corner lot, and our property was the "terminal moraine" of a glacier, so we had about 4 feet of top soil on a hard clay layer. Dad finally put a sump pump out in the yard to drain ground water (NOT the leach bed) away from the area and to the front ditch. That helped keep the water from coming back in the basement toilet!

Dad used to toss baker's yeast down the system monthly - which seems to be a part of the product you referenced.

Father Emmet · Post by **Father Emmet** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:08 am

I use a product called Cess-Flo by a company named Pequa, recommended to me by several different plumbers. You can get it in a hardware store. Home Depot has it for less than $20 a gallon. You only need a gallon every other month or so. Did that ad in the link say over $300 for a treatment?

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:11 am

Every single septic system expert I've spoken to regarding our system has stated firmly that you should NEVER add any of these products to your system. They're designed to work without any additions, and some of those additives can damage your system or require more frequent pump-outs.

We went into this in some detail, as we had to have our system replaced a few years ago (leech field failure). If I were you, I'd call a few septic system experts and ask them, just to be sure, but that's what we were told.

Redwolf

Father Emmet · Post by **Father Emmet** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:16 am

http://www.findplumbing.com/forums/abou ... highlight=

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:42 am

We've lived in our house for twenty years and the last time we had our septic tank emptied was 17 years ago. The only problem we've had (twice) was kitchen grease blocking the drain into the tank, which falls rather too gently, but we just take care now not to put excessive fat down the kitchen sink. It must be six or seven years since I even looked into the tank. Last time I looked it was swarming with beneficial brandling worms (tiger worms). The rules are dead simple. Do not use biological detergents. We use small amounts of toilet cleaners and hypochlorite bleach with no ill-effects. You're not really supposed to use bleach.... Small amounts, mind! Other than that just don't put stuff down the sink or toilet that you wouldn't with any other system. Three toilets, three sinks, a bath, a shower, a washing machine and a dishwasher all discharge into our septic tank with no problems.

dwinterfield · Post by **dwinterfield** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:48 am

Redwolf wrote:Every single septic system expert I've spoken to regarding our system has stated firmly that you should NEVER add any of these products to your system. They're designed to work without any additions, and some of those additives can damage your system or require more frequent pump-outs.

We went into this in some detail, as we had to have our system replaced a few years ago (leech field failure). If I were you, I'd call a few septic system experts and ask them, just to be sure, but that's what we were told. Redwolf

Good advice. You need to know what your system is cess pool, septic system etc. Then you need to know what the problem is. Is the tank full? Is the leaching field clogged? My understanding is that all leaching fields will eventually clog.

There aren't any short cuts. Most states and/or towns regulate septic systems very tighly. Your best resource may be you local board of health.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:21 pm

After a thoroughly confusing morning on the Internet and on the phone talking to any number of people who would be happy to take hundreds and hundreds of dollars for the only product that will solve my problem (all the others are frauds), I decided to do some more digging. I found a second manhole cover and the outlet inside the tank, that leads down the pipe to the drainfield.

The tank isn't full of anything but fragrant water, but it's full to overflowing.

I found the outlet by lying on my stomach, sticking my arm into the water and feeling around. Then I fed a thick wire about thirty feet down the pipe and met no obstructions (no roots! that's good news). Then I fed 30 feet of garden hose down the same pipe just as easily. I believe I got to the end of the pipe where it makes a bend. Now I'm off to the hardware store for one of those balloon pressure thingies that screws onto the end of the hose to blow out obstructions. I read on the 'net where someone had gotten their septic working again that way.

This isn't how I had planned to spend my day, but it's interesting nonetheless.

I was wondering if maybe I could just drop in a couple of those BarsLeaks tablets like we were talking about doing with a radiator, but I think there's something wrong with that idea.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:37 pm

Well, shoot.

After reading that someone had been able to unclog a system using that method, I've just found another source that says not to do it.

Grrrrr ...

Best wishes,
Jerry

dwinterfield · Post by **dwinterfield** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:22 pm

Jerry:

We approved many of these things when I was on our Conservation Commission.

This illustration is pretty typical. Sounds like you got the hose down to the distribtion box. That's the small concrete box between the tank and the field. If it's not too deep, you can dig down to it and figure out where the trenches are. If you then dig down to the top of the trenches, you can see what sort of shape the field is in. The result you don't want is to find water stuck in the trenches. When we moved into our current home in the early 1990s, the house had been vacant for two years and the trenches were full of water. Fortunately for us, we were able to negotiate a reduction in the purchase price to pay for a completely new system.

As I understand it the trenches should be lined with gravel. Fields should have a life span of 20-30 years. Eventually floating particulates clog the gravel. In Massachusetts, a standard modern design would include a "reserve" field for the homeowner to use when the original leeching field becomes unusable.

Good Luck

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:38 pm

If that "fragrant" smell won't come off your arm, Jerry, a scrub with toothpaste should do it.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:18 pm

I have a plan of action now.

I checked to see if anyone closer than Home Depot sells the Cess Flo product, but the local hardware store sells a different company's product. The most knowledgeable person in the store had good things to say about it, having used the product herself.

I checked the company (Roebic) and they appear legitimate and mainstream, not to mention that they supply Ace Hardware. I spoke to one of the technical people at the company, and he gave me a protocol to follow.

Bottom line, their product is a mixture of various strains of bacteria that are supposed to munch on the sludge in the leachfield. He says if all goes according to pattern, I should see improvements in 10 days to two weeks. He'll give my money back if I'm not 100% satisfied, which isn't much money anyway -- about $40. If that doesn't work, there's a guy who says his company's bacteria are the only ones that will do the job, and I can do a complete treatment for just $1,400 (not).

So we'll see how it goes. I'm learning a lot about septic systems, and about septic system scams too, it seems.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:23 pm

Jerry Freeman wrote:I'm learning a lot about septic systems, and about septic system scams too, it seems.

There's a joke in there...somewhere...

scottielvr · Post by **scottielvr** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:28 pm

Jerry Freeman wrote:....I can do a complete treatment for just $1,400 (not). So we'll see how it goes. I'm learning a lot about septic systems, and about septic system scams too, it seems.

Sounds like you've discovered the best defense: A skeptic system.

djm · Post by **djm** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:40 pm

Denny wrote:
Jerry Freeman wrote:
I'm learning a lot about septic systems, and about septic system scams too, it seems.
There's a joke in there...somewhere...

I thought you were just being fecetious.

djm