Septic System Myths...or are they???

So you live in a home on a septic system. You have been warned to not flush anything down the toilet and not to use the garbage disposal as a garbage can. You have been told that you need to pump it out annually or you have been told to remove every living bush or weed within a 100 yards for fear of it messing up your system... well Septic Medic is here to try to clear up some of these crazy and maybe not-so-crazy notions.


Myth #1 - DO NOT USE THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL!!!
Ok, this is partly true and partly not true! I mean, it is there in the sink begging to be used! Here's a good rule of thumb on garbage disposals... IT'S NOT A GARBAGE CAN! Sure, you can use your garbage disposal to get the left over dish gunk out of the sink. You can churn up a citrus fruit to make the thing smell good again! Don't use the garbage disposal for excessive food waste, use the garbage can. Excessive use of garbage disposals will overwhelm the septic tank with waste. Also, if you have an older garbage disposal, consider installing a new one that grinds the waste up better. This will also make the waste easier to digest once it get to the tank.

Myth #2 - ONLY USE SEPTIC SAFE TOILET PAPER/WIPES.....ETC!

First of all, "septic safe" is the silliest marketing scam ever on a toilet paper package, moist flushable wipes box, tampons, etc. There is no such thing as "septic safe" products like these. Obviously, if you are on a septic system, they are going down the toilet. The key is to teach the inhabitants in your home to use ONLY what they need in the toilet paper department. Little kids LOVE toilet paper! Grown ups love toilet paper that "gets the job done", think Ultra Strong or Super-Duper Softness brands. All of that toilet paper is okay to use if you don't over-do it! A true problem with septic systems in the recent years has been the increased use of the "flushable" wet wipes for adults. Just because they go down the toilet, doesn't make them "flushable". These wipes are particularly heavy-duty, ultra-strength toilet paper. This takes a long time to break down in septic tank. They also cause the effluent filters to become clogged in the new septic tanks. This prevents the wastewater from entering into the disposal field and will cause sewer line backups. They hang up on baffles inside of the tank and generally cause problems. Stay away from the "wet wipes" and keep the toilet paper use down and you should be okay when you pump out your tank at the recommended times.

Myth #3 - FEMININE PRODUCTS ARE "FLUSHABLE", RIGHT?
Let me preface this one. I AM A LADY writing this blog post and ladies, lets talk frankly here. I know it's a pain in the you-know-what, but keep the tampons and pads out of the toilet and out of the septic system. They don't break down at all in the septic tank, in fact it is quite the opposite. A tampon can swell up to an enormous size (like 10 times the size it is in the toilet) when it sits in the septic tank for a long period of time. Plus it's a magnet for other junk (like the above referenced wet wipes). These products can also clog up the baffles and filter inside of the tank. I know this isn't very fun stuff to read about but it has to be said! I get phone calls from ladies often asking about these products. I'm a lady, I get it, it's not pleasant and its an inconveince but if you want to save some serious money and be free of septic system issues (think more shoes money), heed my advice on this one! Oh, and a side-note to the ladies and the guys out there, condoms that are flushed down the toilet hang up the same way feminine products can so make sure those hit the trash can as well. And, one last note here, for heavens sake, don't try to flush paper towels, Lysol Wipe, diapers or any article of clothing down the toilet! That's a disaster waiting to happen not only for your plumbing but also for the septic tank.

Myth #4 - IF I ADD BACTERIA OR YEAST TO MY TANK I DON'T HAVE TO PUMP IT OUT... EVER!!
Um no, if that were the case, we would all be out of business! The septic tank should be pumped on a regular maintenance schedule. For a family of 4 on a 1000 gallon tank, the recommendation is every 3-5 years. What's with the window you say? Well, if you are one of the heavy garbage disposal offenders, pump every 3 years. If you have 5 small children at your home, pump every 3 years. If your home consists of just yourself and your cute husband or wife, every 5 years would be sufficient for you! Make sense?!
Yeast.... well that does nothing for your tank, so stop it! Bacteria products will help keep the bacteria colonies that live in your tank continue to do their best job. With all of the anti-bacterial products we use in today's world, it's a good idea to help out your tank with an inexpensive dose of new bacteria every month.




Myth #5 - TREES AND SHRUBBERY ARE GREAT SEPTIC TANK "COVER-UPS"
Some of you may read Myth #5 and think, well that's silly... but you would not believe how often we see this in our profession. Homeowners plant oleanders, shrubbery or even palm, mesquite or palo verde trees right near the septic tank itself or the disposal field (leach field or drywall/seepage pit). BAD IDEA! First of all, we live in the desert. There are months at a time that go by where there is no rain here. The roots of these plants will travel to unbelievable lengths to reach water. A septic tank and it's disposal field is water... and fertilizer, if you will, to a thirsty root. In order to preserve your septic system, keep root anchoring plants and trees far away. We have seen the roots penetrate through concrete cracks in older septic tanks, septic tank lids and forcibly tangle themselves into a web within a disposal field's perforated pipe. This can cause severe havoc for your system. I know they are pretty and there really isn't much else you can do with the area on or around the septic system, but keep them a fair distance away to avoid any costly repairs later on.


Hopefully this information was helpful and answered some of your burning septic system questions... Have more questions?? We are always here to help! Call Septic Medic 480-306-3841 or visit our entire site for even more information about your system.