Garbage disposal and septic

[czechsonofagun]

I read somewhere you should not use garbage disposal if you have a septic tank. And Lowe's or HD sells special GD for septics. Now I can't understand what could go wrong if I used normal GD with the septic. It is just mulched food, nothing else and I am sure the bacteria in the septic would not have problems processing it. Or would it?

Anybody knows why?

 

[ray66v]

The disposal has the ability to put more solids into the system, then it can handle.

I suspect that the disposal made for septic systems, grinds the garbage finer. And if you pump out your system more often than normal, you can use either. Some need to pump annually.

I get 5 years between pumpings. I choose to live without the disposal; its not that tough too do.

 

[mjarrels]

I have two houses on septic systems and no garbage disposals. The other house (rental) does have a dishwasher and I will not replace it when it fails! I remember the commerials for dishwashers where they place a complete cake into it and it disappears... its got to go somewhere! Fewer solids the better.

mark

 

[Doc_Bob]

Sadly, folks use their disposals for food waste such as meat. Meat, fat is bad for a septic.

My wife and I never put anything done the disposal, we scrape it all into the trash.

My brother who works for a city sewage treatment plant, feels converting solid waste into liquid waste is silly. I agree.
Bob

 

[ByronBob]

To put in a disposal when I built would have required a larger tank and more leach lines. I imagine it's the extra solids and the need to organically get rid of it.

 

[WayneB]

I have an In-Sink Erator at our home and it has been in use for about five years now. There is a BIO charge that has to be used with the system and each time you turn on the disposal a shot of the enzyme is squirted into the unit. This aids is breaking down the solid matter.

We have our tank pumped every few years and to date have had no problems with the system.

 

[SnowRidge]

Septic systems are designed to handle food that has been, er, digested first. If you didn't eat it or drink it, it's not supposed to go into the septic.

Not to be concerned, there is an exception for TP.

 

[schmism]

as said they will put more solids into the system.

if you have your tank pumped regularly (say 3 years) you shouldnt have any issues.

 

[HappyCPE]

My county board of health does not allow any house on a septic system to have a GD. Like everyone else said, too much solids in the system are no good. I actually don't know how they enforce the rule, though.

 

[czechsonofagun]

OK, clear enough, thank you all for educating me

 

[Nissan197]

I did not even think about it when I built. We have a GD, but majority of the waste goes in the trash. Although, I do put egg shells down it. I plan on getting the system pumped every three years so hopefully I will not have an issue. The wife used to put everything down the GD when we lived in the city, but quickly learned not to when our drain backed up. When I unclogged it I was pulling lettuce, celery, pasta. I thought she knew better. Live and learn.

 

[kenmac]

My county board of health does not allow any house on a septic system to have a GD.

same as here. on new houses . Code doesn't allow it if you'er not on the sewer system. If you install one on a septic system. You will have field line problems

 

[schmism]

same as here. on new houses . Code doesn't allow it if you'er not on the sewer system. If you install one on a septic system. You will have field line problems

only if you let the solids build up to a point were they start floating out to the drain feild.

The only thing it does is put more solids in the bottom of the tank. so they accumulate quicker. If you get it pumped regularly it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[skipro3]

speaking of pumping septic systems, I've never had mine pumped in 23 years. Every 3 or 4 years I pull the lid off and shove a stick down there. I have about a 6 inch layer of foamy stuff floating on liquid and maybe 6 inches of really thick stuff on the bottom before the stick hits concrete. What is the purpose of pumping the tank every few years? I thought it was to remove solids before they over flow into the leach field and clog it up, but if I'm not seeing solids in the tank, then what's the point?

 

[Kays Supply]

My new private sewage installation contractor's liscense came today. In Illinois a garbage disposal is equal to one bathroom when sizing the system. I am on a system 8 years old, with a GD. I use a product called Bio Clean. It is a natural bacteria product. My system hasn't been pumped yet and is monitored closely. So far roots getting into my clorinator tank has been a bigger problem. The factory fittings leave something to be desired.

 

[Highbeam]

There is no point in pumping your tank before it is needed. Except for peace of mind. See, it is tough to know when your tank is ready unless you have a tool like the Sludge Judge to measure the thickness of scum, clear, and sludge zones. Some jurisdictions require a scheduled pumping and/or inspection to be done and recorded with them.

That thick goop on the bottom is sludge and is your "solids". A stick isn't the best tool to feel the layers since the top of the sludge layer is very soft as it transtions to the clear zone.

Anybody that recommends, sells, or uses any sort of septic tank additive has a lot to learn about septic tanks. These are the same people that pump their tank every year.

I agree with Schmism that you can use a GD IF you are diligent about monitoring and removing the solids accumulation before it enters the drainfield system. The GD does not introduce more water so a larger drainfield is not required. The solids are the impact of the GD and they will accmumulate faster with a GD than without.

If you want a GD or are worried about ruining your expensive septic system then I would highly recommend a septic tank effluent filter. This filter prevents solids from leaving the tank and ruining the drainfield. Yes, its job is to plug when needed and this would cause a backup but I would rather have a backup then a ruined drainfield.

 

[Doc_Bob]

There is no point in pumping your tank before it is needed.

My brother, who works full time at a sewage treatment plant, indicates that pumping every year is a bad thing to do. The fellow who pump my septic when I first bought my 37 year old home said no need to pump every year, he said just a waste of money. I just keep my full of organic stuff from the toilet and shower and that is it. A septic in good shape and treated well does not need nor does it benefit from yearly pumping.



Bob

 

[tmvickery@gmail.com]

It is a myth that septic tanks do not work well with garbage disposers. I have read this in many places on the internet but I have to see anywhere that this conclusion is based on real experimental evidence. Just because it seems reasonable, does not make it so.

It is also a myth that septic tanks need to be ever pumped.Yes, I said ever. Well there may be a few exceptions but I doubt there are many.

Very rarely do septic tank problems come from accumulated solids. I would like to hear from people who have actually solved a septic tank problem, on a long term basis, by pumping.

Millions of dollars are wasted by pumping septic tanks every year.

Mike Vickery
tmvickery@gmail.com

 

[Doc_Bob]

It is a myth that septic tanks do not work well with garbage disposers.

I don't believe anyone has said they don't work well with GD. Septic don't work well if they get overloaded with fat, meat products or the conversion of lots of solid waste into liquid waste that is then dumped into a septic tank.

GD can easily exceed the capacity of a septic system. Septic systems were designed to digest feces and urine. That was their original intent. GD are a late addition to their duties.

I assume if a septic is designed at the outset to handle the waste a GD can generate, then all is well. My septic was built before a GD was ever considered in my little home. I respect that my septic was never meant for a GD for 37 years ago. Folks tell me 20K will fix it if it fails. I prefer to take the solid waste in my sink and put it into the trash. It is cheap insurance.

Bob

 

[AlanB]

It is a myth that septic tanks do not work well with garbage disposers. I have read this in many places on the internet but I have to see anywhere that this conclusion is based on real experimental evidence. Just because it seems reasonable, does not make it so.

It is also a myth that septic tanks need to be ever pumped.Yes, I said ever. Well there may be a few exceptions but I doubt there are many.

Very rarely do septic tank problems come from accumulated solids. I would like to hear from people who have actually solved a septic tank problem, on a long term basis, by pumping.

Millions of dollars are wasted by pumping septic tanks every year.

Mike Vickery
tmvickery@gmail.com

I don't know if I fit the bill of the fixed a septic problem on a long term basis by pumping, but here is my end of it.

Bought a 40 year old house, with an old septic system (I believe to be original)

Neighbors said they never believed it was pumped (and from the condition of everything else, I agree)

We were having a large party and I realized I would be "loading" heavily my septic that had never been checked out and I figured failure would be immenent with 70 people at the house on a weekend.

Anyway, when I got the Turd Herder (his description) out there and he walked around my yard and said, "dig here" and I dug down and opened up the septic, we had a 1500 gallon tank, with about a 700 gallon capacity.

We pumped the liquids off the top, then hit the gooey layer, then it was dried out. We shot water in and pushed and stirred and pumped etc. etc. and filled his 2500 or 3000 gallon tank and there were still solids there.

I think my scenario is the exception, but given long enough, mine formed a dry layer, that then started reducing tank volume.

I will probably get him out again this year, and we will do it again, hopefully the "dry" stuff we left, will have saturated and gone too goo again, and I can get full tank volume again.

When I first stuck my tank, I had a befuddled look on my face when I could not believe how shallow it was, then the turd herder explained what had happened over the years.

As another side note, he had me add some 4" pipe into the outflow to put the outflow to the drain field below the top surface of the water, that way he said the floaty stuff would not leave the septic and go direct into the drainfield.

Basicly a 4" elbow with two short lengths of pipe, one stuck in the outflow, the other pointed down into the tank below the "operating" height.