Using bleach when you have a septic tank?

[Ought Six]

I just moved into a place with a septic tank not too long ago. I was adding bleach to my laundry, and later it occured to me that it might kill the bacteria in the septic tank that digests the sewage.

So does anyone know whether bleach is not recommended for use with a septic system? What are your personal experiences?

 

[Mrs Smith]

Bleach and other household chemicals are okay to use as long as you don't abuse it. For example, when doing heavy household cleaning, dump your dirty water buckets outside rather than down the toilet.

 

[FireDance]

We moved to a place with a septic tank about 8 years ago. I still use all the cleaners that I used before with no problems. But you do need to be careful not to overdo it. I do recommend having them pumped every 3 years though - like clockwork. Lady that lived here before me said "you never, ever want to have one overflow". In our area it costs around $125 to have it pumped and it's fast and well worth it. If you have female bodies in the house - no tampons! You could probably get away with it for awhile, but I don't allow it. It's a pain, but you get used to it after awhile and then you forget that you can do that "in town" - haha...

 

[Mrs Smith]

The smaller the holding tank, the more often it has to be pumped. Ours is a very small tank (750 gallons), there are only 2 of us in the house, and we have to have it pumped every year.

The minimum size that's allowed to be installed now is 1,500 gallon.

If you don't know when it was pumped last, get it done. Ask the pumper what size he thinks it is, once he gets it pumped out.

When the tank gets full, the solids start leaching out into the leach lines. When they get full, YOU'RE DONE. Time for a whole new system.

 

[A.T.Hagan]

Yeah, so long as you don't pour bleach in by the quart you'll be alright.

If you have your washing machine draining directly into your septic tank it will cause it to need to be pumped more often than if the washer were draining into a drywell set up.

Some folks can go for a decade or more between needing their septic tanks pumped out while others need it a lot more often. We're pretty conservative about what goes into ours because we're trying to nurse the drain field along for as long as we can. Replacing one is expensive.

.....Alan.

 

[Trek]

For twenty years we had 13 people living in two homes connected to one 1000 gallon septic tank. One washing machine handling laundry for 6 people was connected into the same system. We had the tank pumped out every 2-3 years, but...

EVERY MONTH

we were sure to add a bottle of "Rid" or a similar product to protect/boost the "good" bacteria in the septic system.

Now, we are in a home with a 1000 gallon tank and 7 people. It's been two years that we are here, and no septic trouble despite the tank not being emptied out yet. I use more bleach and ammonia than ever thanks to having a person with an age related compromised immune system in the home. Septicemia, Bacticemia, and E Coli infections are not things to be treated lightly cleaning wise.

In this home, the washing machines are NOT connected into the septic system. They drain into grey wells (dry wells).

So far... no trouble with the septic system. All things draining into the system drain without any trouble. If they become a little sluggish, I would be calling a service in to pump the system right away.

Just make sure to dump a "Rid" like product, or a pound of yeast from your health food store, down the toilet once a month. Also, be sure there are no tree roots growing towards your septic tank or leach field. They can be a nasty bit of trouble for a septic system. And... keep an eye on how your toilets are flushing and your sinks draining. Sluggish, noisy draining can be a sign of a septic tank becoming overfull.

 

[Copter Doctor]

You may extend the time between septic tank pumpings if: you do not dump paint thinners and excessive cleaning solutions down the drain, look for and use biodegradable cleaning products, and you use products like "RidX" that reintroduce bacteria into the septic tank.

 

[Gingergirl]

FWIW,

In our county, it is required that the tank be pumped before occupancy (esp. resale.)

With "female bodies" more tissue is used and tank should be pumped more often...1-2 years.

It was recommended that we use a ONE-ply tissue as they break down easier.

When we had our fields replaced, it was recommended that the water softener be discharged into its own field. (codes had changed) Salt water was damaging the tank and had distroyed the baffle. (ie. we had to replace the fields.) Some counties allow for the washing machine to have its own field, but these rules are constantly changing.

You can use RidX and yeast, but the engingeer told us that the toilets provide plenty of bacteria to break down the material.

The installer (new fields) told us that from what he has seen over the years (30) he thinks the discharge into the fields actually kills the roots/trees. MY/MN

In general, we try to pace the discharge into the tank. I don't run the dishwasher and clothes washer at the same time, nor when people are taking their showers. OTOH, insufficient water flow throughout the day is thought to not "feed" the fields enough to keep them active.

It also seems from neighbors that problems are not noticed until the system is already damaged. We have an above ground access for the tank and take a look about 2x a year. It would be better if we could also inspect the distribution tank. (Sounds disgusting doesn't it?)

Good luck

 

[Imaginethat!]

We moved into our house in 1996 and moved out in 2004 and never had the septic tank pumped. It was a new house and there were 8 of us, including 2 babies through those years. And a MILLION showers because we had on average 2 teenagers all the time.

I used bleach, but I never allowed grease or oil to go down the drain. I also tried to use vinegar instead of bleach and other cleaners when ever I could.

I tried to give the septic tank a few days off each month. That is when we wouldn't use the washer or dishwasher (paper plates) and I was a real timing, shower nazi. During that time I would use a RID type product that someone in Florida sold me. You are only supposed to use a half package each month, but I used a whole one because I figured with sooo many people in the house, the tank probably needed it. My friend swears by the health food store yeast. I think she used a cup.

I'm trying to do the same here in our new home. We'll see, because I don't know the habits of the previous tenants.

Imaginethat!

 

[rugmaker]

Oh MY!

We had a new septic system put in when we moved in 1987. We have NEVER had it pumped.

I don't use bleach and I put the Rid Ex in every month. There are only 2 of us in the house now and we travel most of the time...only home about 8 days a month.
I am noticing problems with the toilet flushing, so I better call someone. I sure hope it isn't too late. We do have 2 trees that are growing pretty big and near the tank, so maybe that is adding to the problem too.

Since I'm basically a "city gal", could someone tell me if it goes down when the house is empty or is it a continual build-up. I thought that the liquid would drain out and the solids would be digested by the enzymes. Does heavy rain effect it?
I am not sure, but I think that all of the water systems go thru to the septic.

 

[rb.]

I grew up with a septic tank that had no laundry water go into it. We built the house, so Dad made a "holding hole" in the concrete basement floor that the laundry water went into. Then we would plug in the sump pump submersed in the hole, and pump it outside. It came out in the backyard by a white rose bush. That rose bush ended up about 6' high, 4' wide, and about 5' long. And covered with peony sized roses. The septic tank was never pumped in the 15 years I lived there, and there were four of us. We never had a problem.

 

[Gingergirl]

Rugmaker,

The soils that surround the fields make a big difference, so the fields in some soils may drain quickly but not in others. Clay is notorious for not draining well and having a short life expectancy while fields in loam will drain better and the fields last longer. So it is difficult to give a general life expectancy to someones fields. Comparing with neighbors is usually helpful. Water (rain) flowing arcoss the fields can also reduce their ability to drain. (We are on a hill and have a swale to divert most of the run off away from our fields.)

The problem with bleach is that it is anti-septic...kills the bacteria that digest many of the solids. Not all solids break down well especially things like toilet tissue, soaps, and grease. The outlet from the tank to the fields is set to be low enough for the top layer of liquid to bleed off and high enough that solids will not move into the distribution box and then into the fields (and clog them.) If the solids fill the tank above the outlet, or the baffle collapses, or so much water rushes into the tank that turbulence stirs the solids up to the top, some of those solids can flow into the fields. Levels in an unused tank will fall below the outlet but can go no lower. The tank is pumped to keep the level of solids low.

Sometimes, a cement tank will collapse (usually from salts), or a distribution box become clogged, but most system failures are in the fields. The life expectancy of fields with average care in our area is 20 years. In better soils and given better care, they can last at least 50 years.

If toilets are draining slow, at least have them checked. Good luck.

 

[Charlie]

Regarding trees! In our area most pines, oaks, etc. do not seem to cause many problems with root infestations to the drain fields. However, WILLOWS are another story. They seem to always clog up the drain fields in a big hurry. I would avoid any similar species around your system IMHO.

 

[NC Susan]

I just moved into a place with a septic tank not too long ago. I was adding bleach to my laundry, and later it occured to me that it might kill the bacteria in the septic tank that digests the sewage.

So does anyone know whether bleach is not recommended for use with a septic system? What are your personal experiences?

I had the same question a few years ago, when our system started to fail after 20 years. (My son drove over the field lines and crushed half our gravel beds or leach fields and we started to see standing swamp water in that area).

clorine liquid bleach is NOT recommended. You can use the powder oxygen bleach, such as Deft, Snowee, Clorox II, or Purex brands with the excellent results. That cleans the "rocks".

also note, you must use yeast or enzymes monthly to counter act shampoo, soaps, and detergents etc. I buy 2 boxes for $2.00 at Dollar General Stores and use one full box on the first and one full box of the fifteenth of every month.