OT, septic tank maintenance/chemicals

None of them have ever had anything fancy added to treat it. We always put toilet paper in the the toilet, use washing powder, bleach, etc. Everything the 'experts' say dont do. Mom raise 3 boys and we ran a dairy for years, sometimes she would run the washer all day long, bleach on every load of whites. Only reason they had the tanked pumped when they did was the electric company dropped and excavator through a lateral line and they had to rebuild part of the drain field.

Our code now requires that we use a concrete 500 gal sewer treatment plant per household. Mine was installed in 1990. It pumps air into the first compartment before the separator plate to keep any sludge from settling to the bottom of the tank and to feed air to the bacteria. Nothing lives with out a air supply. The water coming out the exit pipe is suppose to and still looks like tap water but I think I will pass on trying it.

I am very happy with my system.

Roughly what did your in house wastewater thingy cost?

What do you do with the output? What kind of smell does the output liquid have if any?

What kind is it?

I got a Hoot (cost more) because at the time they had a larger pump that only runs 20 min. per hour.(elec. savings) Other brands run 24/7.

The newer systems of today all have a half a$$ field bed and pumps that run 24/7. The field bed is just a special pipe with holes in it and spacers on the bottom to keep a air space under pipe so water will run out of holes and percolate into soil rather than dumping 100% of water into ditch like mine does. NO gravel field bed required.

I had one of these newer types installed (tighter regulations now so you can not install yourself any more) at my in-laws 4 months ago (Mo-Dad brand) and it cost them $1900. for everything. Estimates ranged from $1900. to $2500. depending on brand and contractor. They took the cheapest because of finances. It is still to early to tell how this system is working but it seems to be fine. Very little if any discharge on no smell but it is not summer yet.

They make any size system you need from one house to trailer park size.

Hope this helps you !!!

P.S. John, just in case you didn't see the ads, there will be an antique tractor show and pull on march 27th but I don't remember where.

I use vinegar or yeast to keep the tank active. Cheap and effective. Like the others said keep a watch on using too much chorline or colored TP.

I boondock camp 6mths a year in the NF for the past 15yrs and use 1cup vinegar per 25gal black and that disolves all solids and TP with-in 48hrs, depending on temperature and also controls odor.

T_Bone