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Lots of shortcuts and hoping a system does not fail could not be an operating practice in an area that has a Department of Health or other environmental agency doing a proper job of specifying and overseeing construction of such systems.
I suspect the builder is operating in an abundance of caution to allow the appropriate bacteria to proliferate in the system without being compromised by the chemicals in detergent products and particularly every day chlorine bleach which will kill the bacteria. I would suggest using bleach substitutes for an initial period and checking with the regulatory agency for their recommendations.
Yes, perhaps the builder is being overly cautious knowing that soap (soap & grease) do slow down the bacteria process.
I've never heard that in my life unless septic beds/tanks have changed in the past 6 years.
With both the houses we built, one in 1980 and our current one in 2013, I started washing clothes as soon as I had a dirty load of laundry. Never had a problem.
I suspect the builder is operating in an abundance of caution to allow the appropriate bacteria to proliferate in the system without being compromised by the chemicals in detergent products and particularly every day chlorine bleach which will kill the bacteria. I would suggest using bleach substitutes for an initial period and checking with the regulatory agency for their recommendations.
Don't use bleach, then, is a useful warning (though unnecessary) That's different than don't do laundry. Nothing in a laundry ban prevents soaps from being used in other sinks and drains in the house.
Septics aren't so fragile they can't take normal amounts of soaps and even bleach. The reason for limiting the number of loads in a day is not because of the soap, it's because adding a LOT of water at once, as happens with laundry, stirs the tank, and adds potential solids to the water leaving the system to the drain field. Think of your septic tank like a bottle of oil and vinegar dressing. If you shake it up, it all becomes suspended, for a time, and then settles out again. Your septic tank is like this, but with solid layers both on the top and bottom. The outlets to the drain field are in the middle... between the layers, where the water is the clearest and 'cleanest'. Septic designers want to add water slowly to the tank, so the solids have time to settle out of this middle layer. They don't want to send the water and solids and sediments out while it's still stirred up... in time that would clog the drain field.
But that's the only reason to limit laundry per day... the sudden influx of lots of new water at once. Not the soap so much. Within reason, the septic tank isn't killed or made "antiseptic" by soap or bleach. Those bio-forces are stronger than that! The additions that cause septics to need maintenance and pumping are the solids which won't break down. Grease, wipes, powdered laundry soap, too much paper... those form the floaty layer. Non bio degradable minerals and solids form the sinking sludge... it's when these two layers get too thick and start to take up the middle space that should be clear, that they risk allowing solids to enter the drain field.
Here's a picture to hopefully help illustrate these layers:
I don't know why the builder told the OP not to do laundry. It's suspect, though, and while I'm hesitant to accuse anyone of malfeasance, I would certainly recommend the OP clarify the instruction with actual clear information about her system.
Last edited by Diana Holbrook; 02-05-2019 at 09:58 AM..
I built new homes for decades. If I had a twenty for every "expert" who knew more than the system designers, soil engineers, and state officials who design and oversee the construction of onsite systems, I would be able to take a nice vacation. I used to get a bit of entertainment by asking my tank cleaning guy if the latest silliness I heard was true? I can now add "don't do wash for three months when "breaking in" a new installation" to my list.
I've learned, after all this time, that 99.9% of all 'advice" given by friends, neighbors and other helpful folks on the topic of onsite septic systems, ranges from worthless and a waste of time, to expensive and/or damaging to the system. A properly designed and built, modern onsite system can be used without ANY silly additional steps, procedures, additives, precautions, etc....... end of story. The only thing that has changed over the years are $#%^&@ WIPES! There are no such thing as FLUSHABLE WIPES, and you will screw up ANY system, from an old cesspool to a brand new hundred million dollar municipal system, by flushing any kind, type or brand of wipes.
This ^^^
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook
Don't use bleach, then, is a useful warning (though unnecessary) That's different than don't do laundry. Nothing in a laundry ban prevents soaps from being used in other sinks and drains in the house.
Septics aren't so fragile they can't take normal amounts of soaps and even bleach. The reason for limiting the number of loads in a day is not because of the soap, it's because adding a LOT of water at once, as happens with laundry, stirs the tank, and adds potential solids to the water leaving the system to the drain field. Think of your septic tank like a bottle of oil and vinegar dressing. If you shake it up, it all becomes suspended, for a time, and then settles out again. Your septic tank is like this, but with solid layers both on the top and bottom. The outlets to the drain field are in the middle... between the layers, where the water is the clearest and 'cleanest'. Septic designers want to add water slowly to the tank, so the solids have time to settle out of this middle layer. They don't want to send the water and solids and sediments out while it's still stirred up... in time that would clog the drain field.
But that's the only reason to limit laundry per day... the sudden influx of lots of new water at once. Not the soap so much. Within reason, the septic tank isn't killed or made "antiseptic" by soap or bleach. Those bio-forces are stronger than that! The additions that cause septics to need maintenance and pumping are the solids which won't break down. Grease, wipes, powdered laundry soap, too much paper... those form the floaty layer. Non bio degradable minerals and solids form the sinking sludge... it's when these two layers get too thick and start to take up the middle space that should be clear, that they risk allowing solids to enter the drain field.
Here's a picture to hopefully help illustrate these layers:
I don't know why the builder told the OP not to do laundry. It's suspect, though, and while I'm hesitant to accuse anyone of malfeasance, I would certainly recommend the OP clarify the instruction with actual clear information about her system.
Lot of , well, let's just say I find it spurious. And this diagram is not drawn to scale. The baffles are close to the top of the tank, and the outlets are right at baffle level, so the tank can fill pretty much with solids and the "water" portion can continue to run out to the drain field.
OP....use it as you wish. There is no logical explanation for not using your system on the very first day just as you would use it during the entire lifetime. I suspect your builder is trying to hide a little something.....but who knows. Regardless, it is like driving your car on the day you buy it. You drive as you plan to use it!
This ^^^
Lot of , well, let's just say I find it spurious. And this diagram is not drawn to scale.
Well, thanks... Everyone's a critic. I have a feeling you're not the audience I was writing it for. I am trying to describe general concepts to people who don't know a thing about septic systems. The drawing is cartoonish, but I don't think anyone really wants to see a picture of an actual septic tank.
Lot of , well, let's just say I find it spurious. And this diagram is not drawn to scale. The baffles are close to the top of the tank, and the outlets are right at baffle level, so the tank can fill pretty much with solids and the "water" portion can continue to run out to the drain field.
OP....use it as you wish. There is no logical explanation for not using your system on the very first day just as you would use it during the entire lifetime. I suspect your builder is trying to hide a little something.....but who knows. Regardless, it is like driving your car on the day you buy it. You drive as you plan to use it!
I built new homes for decades. If I had a twenty for every "expert" who knew more than the system designers, soil engineers, and state officials who design and oversee the construction of onsite systems, I would be able to take a nice vacation. I used to get a bit of entertainment by asking my tank cleaning guy if the latest silliness I heard was true? I can now add "don't do wash for three months when "breaking in" a new installation" to my list.
I've learned, after all this time, that 99.9% of all 'advice" given by friends, neighbors and other helpful folks on the topic of onsite septic systems, ranges from worthless and a waste of time, to expensive and/or damaging to the system. A properly designed and built, modern onsite system can be used without ANY silly additional steps, procedures, additives, precautions, etc....... end of story. The only thing that has changed over the years are $#%^&@ WIPES! There are no such thing as FLUSHABLE WIPES, and you will screw up ANY system, from an old cesspool to a brand new hundred million dollar municipal system, by flushing any kind, type or brand of wipes.
Pay attention to only one post on this thread. This one ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
We've been told by our builder not to wash clothes until three months after our first toilet flush into our new septic tank system. Has anyone ever heard of this?
We have a front-loading machine and use liquid detergent. The septic system is rated for four bedrooms.
Trust me on this one. Your builder simply missed a step that would allow you to immediately do your laundry. Simply click your heels 3 times while saying, "there's no place like home". I do this everytime I build a spec-home and install a septic system and have never had a problem.
Trust me on this one. Your builder simply missed a step that would allow you to immediately do your laundry. Simply click your heels 3 times while saying, "there's no place like home". I do this everytime I build a spec-home and install a septic system and have never had a problem.
Well then offer something of value instead of diatrabe.
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I have a feeling you're not the audience I was writing it for. 
