Checked archives – no luck. I’ve just moved in to the house that I’ve renovated, and the septic system has been dormant for several years. It’s been pumped and inspected, all looks good, and I’m hip to the maintenance of the system and what not do put down there. My question: aside from my own “contributions” and perhaps a chicken, is there anything I need to do to get the system up and working properly? I’ll inspect the tanks after a month or so of use – how can I make sure that the bacteria are proliferating and doing their job? Thanks.
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Replies
"contributions" are sufficient
and perhaps a chicken
Is that a live chicken you put in the tank to contribute its droppings before the first flush?
Solar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
I generally brink a box of "Roebic" septic activator at the thirty day walk through and instruct the home owners to flush half the box down the toilet then and the second half a few weeks later to get it off on the right foot. It's a powdered compost activator, just follow the directions on the box.
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"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
To make a septic tank work, just add sewage.
From UMN Extension service:
Starters: A starter is not needed to get the bacterial action going in the septic tank. There are naturally occurring bacteria present in sewage.
Feeders: It is not necessary to “feed” the system additional bacteria, yeast preparations, or other home remedies. There are millions of bacteria and plenty of food for them entering the system in normal sewage. If the bacterial activity level is low, figure out what is killing them (for example, household cleaners) and correct it. High levels of activity will return after the correction.
Cleaners: Additives effective in removing solids from the septic tank will probably damage the soil treatment system. Some additives may suspend the solids that would normally float to the top or settle to the bottom of the tank in the liquid. This allows them to be carried into the soil treatment system, where they clog pipes and soil pores leading to partial or complete failure of the system
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/components/6583-04.html
If you go to a rural hardware store they will have "stuff" you can put in. You can put in stuff on a regular basis. It is supposed to help keep the tank healthy. I'm not sure if it is necessary though. You still should pump it every once in a while. But you will probably get a bunch of different answers as to how often.