Garbage disposal / Septic system

I was told years ago that having a garbage disposal on a septic system was a bad idea. Anyone have any thoughts? Here in central Virginia we have to have our tank inspected or pumped every 5 years due to the "Chesapeake Bay Act".
Eith that requirement it seems a garbage disposal would have little impact on septic system.
 
I know it's a bad idea. They even make a special disposal for septic tank. You may need to pump it every year. When mine needed pumped, it was in the middle of the winter, ground frozen. So is it really worth that much to have a disposal?

In 1991, I had no choice, had to connect to city sewer even though I'm 3 miles out of town. Now my sewer bill is $45 a month. That may be about the same as having tank pumped once a year. At least I don't have a septic to worry about.
 
I never understood that either, if it's all organic material and ground up, what's the difference? And how much are you really going to put in there? Do you really waste that much food? Go for it!
 
I don't think the garbage disposal will hurt a thing as long as it is working properly.
What part of central Virginia are you ? Hanover county ? I lived in Hanover years ago.
 
country hick here.
I remember the first time I saw a garbage disposal.
Scraping plates into the [i:1988b78d83]sink[/i:1988b78d83]!?!
man, I woulda got my butt whipped.
water down the drain, garbage in the garbage can.
 
There has been one in this house for 37 or 38 years, well its on the 2nd one now. I don't push heaps of material through it, occasional use and never any high volume.

Lint from washing machines, harsh solvents or bacteria killing chemicals and the usual rules apply. Never needed the tank pumped until some weather anomaly froze up or water logged the leach field during this odd freeze thaw cycle in '03. Pumped it one more time 3 years later, thinking it happened again, but there was a clog from the house to tank, was not needed, but not bad practice just the same. I'll probably have it done again for good measure. I exposed and damaged the line from the tank, (1000 gallon concrete)to the distribution box. I noted during my repair that the tank effluent was clear, system works quite well being over sized.
 
There has been one in this house for 37 or 38 years, well its on the 2nd one now. I don't push heaps of material through it, occasional use and never any high volume, its no issue at all.

Lint from washing machines, harsh solvents or bacteria killing chemicals are the worst things for these types of systems. Never needed the tank pumped until some weather anomaly froze up or water logged the leach field during this odd freeze thaw cycle in '03. Pumped it one more time 3 years later, thinking it happened again, but there was a clog from the house to tank, was not needed, but not bad practice just the same. I'll probably have it done again for good measure. I exposed and damaged the line from the tank, (1000 gallon concrete)to the distribution box. I noted during my repair that the tank effluent was clear, system works quite well being over sized.
 
Once in the septic tank, ground up or not ground up probably don't make that much difference as far as decomposition and the bacterial action. However, for sure ground up makes it easier to flow and pass through plumbing traps and drains etc. Try stuffing some carrots and potatoes etc etc down the drain without them being ground up.

Enemies of a septic tank are Grease (kitchen sink) and Lint (clothes washer) so some dudes don't drain them into the septic tank. Just sayin

John T
 
As John T said, grease is your enemy. Plumbers work overtime the day after Thanksgiving because so many people try to cram the turkey carcass and skin down the disposal.
 
Have had garbage disposals on septic tank systems for many years and never a problem. We have never intentionally pushed food down the disposal though. I have it there for the incidentals that slip by.
 
We don't run the water from sink or clothes washer into septic tank it all goes into grease trap and then into leach field past the septic tank( never passes runs through septic tank). Also have screen on pump that pumps wash water to grease trap to take out lint.
 
My wife learned the hard way not to put potato peels down the garbage disposal. They gummed it up good, and I had to pretty much disassemble it to clean it all out.

Beyond that, we've had one on a lagoon for years with no problems, and on a septic tank in a different house.
 
Winter is the only time to have it pumped. Those heavy trucks can make some big ruts on your property.
 
When I built here in 2000 I put the washer/dryer in the shop/garage which is insulated and heated. I dug a 6x6x6 pit where the washer drain was to be. Filled it with coarse red rock. Keep my washing down to 2 loads per week. Easy peasy with one person.
 
Who likes digging frozen ground. My tank was close enough, truck stayed on drive.
It depends on how many people are living in the house how soon you will need it pumped. Some places recommend once a year.

A disposal is a must if you have a dish washer.

Agree with JohnT, grease and bleach kills septic.

Old school thinking have a grease trap for kitchen sink. Old school thinking was gray water, wash machine water goes on the ground, over the hill, not in septic. New board of health rules, everything goes in the tank.

Old school thinking have a grease trap for kitchen sink.
 
Once a year put a mixture of two pounds of sugar , a packet of dried yeast and two gallons of blood heat warm water down the septic system . You will never have problems with undigested waste afterwards .
 
OK let's set the record straight. The reason for pumping a septic is to get the build-up of dirt (nonbiodegradables) before they reach the level of the outlet and start filling and blocking the drain field. Frequency of pumping will depend on how fast you fill it up with sludge. That said, the number of people in the household and how careful they are not to wash dirt down is pivital. A garbage disposal will add a small amount to that load. No big deal. I would be more cautious with washing garden veggies in the sink. There are lots of bacteria down there which can deal with most any organic biodegradable. Even grease. Where we get in trouble with grease is putting it down the drain as a liquid, and having it congeal in the pipes on the way down. Grey water (washer and kitchen) should go to septic. The more water the happier the septic. This will avoid gunking up drain field. The small amount of bleach and detergent to make it to the septic will hardly be noticed by the bacteria mass in the tank. If you are concerned about lint, tie a old nylon on the wssher drain pipe to collect lint. Each summer I rent a plot to the local septage hauler. Practically all his product is water, some sludge/soil, and non-digestables. These would be feminine producs, plastic appliances, and disposable wipes. These should be avoided at all cost. They do not degrade gracefully. Paper products break down very fast and rarely make it out of the septic.
 
I dug mine this past Jan. we had no snow and near zero temps. I put a tarp folded up to about 4' square over the area 2 day's before digging. the ground was thawed out no problem.
 
FIL used to have a pumper spread his sludge on the fields. The little bit of fertilizer value is not worth the trash that it brings in. Used to find cigarette filters, tampon applicators, all kind of plastic pieces and large clumps of white stuff that resembled gypsum. A lot of people think when you flush something it's gone, never think about where it goes.
 
I have an aerobic system now and my septic man said you can do it but it will probably need to be pumped more often. My neighbor has an identical system and he spends a lot more money pumping than I do. My old conventional system needed pumping once in 20 years, but the leach field eventually died, the system was about 40 years old. We do not have a disposal, I have a dozen hens and a compost pile that get all the scraps. I think it is a bad idea as the food parts are not nearly as composed as what comes out of you. I would not do it, but hey, its your system. JBD
 
I will share with you what the state rule in Minnesota requires for septic systems and garbage disposals, when it comes to sizing a new system. If you home is specifically sized to have a 1000 gallon septic tank (based upon the number of bedrooms in the home), the addition of a garbage disposal necessitates an increase in septic tank capacity by 50 percent AND there be at least two tanks or two compartments to that tank. A 1600 gallon, two compartment tank is quite common here. The other added requirement is for an effluent screen be in the tank to help catch additional suspended solids before they go to the drainfield. My own system (sized for 4 bedrooms) consists of a 1600 gallon two compartment septic tank with the effluent screen/filter, followed by a 1000 gallon tank for the lift pump. From the lift pump, the effluent is sent out to a mound type drainfield. The septic rules require the septic tank to be pumped at least once every 3 years to remove the solids. I do not have a garbage disposal in my home, as we compost our fruit and vegetable waste material. Going back to the specifics of the rule/code.....................the added tank volume, two compartments, and the effluent screen are in place to help reduce or eliminate the extra solids from going out to the drainfield. The tank volume allows for more time for the ground up solids to settle out rather than go out to the drainfield.
 
(quoted from post at 17:04:26 07/13/15) Once a year put a mixture of two pounds of sugar , a packet of dried yeast and two gallon of blood heat warm water down the septic system . You will never have problems with undigested waste afterwards .

Whut the ell is blood heat... :D
 

At the risk of sounding a little obnoxious, OK, let's set the record straight here. All tanks need to be pumped periodically, frequency depends on number of occupants in the house and life style. many systems go into failure for lack of pumping, but it is rarely from too much "dirt" on the bottom. It is far more likely to be floating solids on top. The baffles at inlet and outlet extend about two feet down into the tank. The outlet baffle keeps the outflow liquid going out to the field BELOW the level of the bottom of the floating solids layer. When the pumper comes, if he does a good job, he will use a sort of wooden paddle to break up the floating solids so that his suction will take it in, instead of just sucking the liquid out from under it. he will also stir what little "dirt" may be on the bottom, so that he can suck that up too. I expect that a disposal has to add a little to the floating solids, so it will need pumping sooner. If the floating solids layer accumulates deeper than the outlet baffle, solids are then going out into the field, slowly plugging it. Periodic pumping, every 2-10 years will keep you from having to ever replace your field.
 
(quoted from post at 14:08:36 07/12/15) My wife learned the hard way not to put potato peels down the garbage disposal. They gummed it up good, and I had to pretty much disassemble it to clean it all out.

Beyond that, we've had one on a lagoon for years with no problems, and on a septic tank in a different house.

wow, my wife used to do the same thing. I peel potatoes into newspaper laying in the sink and then pitch the peels/paper. My wife would peel directly into the sink and then pack it into the disposer. then call me and say the "disposal is broke". :roll: It happened a few times but I think I've got her cured.
 

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