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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.
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.
Sounds really unusual! The only rationale I can think of is that the waste water from washing clothes prolongs the natural breakdown of bacteria that assists with the degradation of solids in a septic tank.
When I built my first house, I did design the septic system with a separate drywall area and fields so that the laundry sink and washer was not piped into the septic tank. That’s unusual to most houses with a septic system.
Regardless, you should not have an issue when using your washing machine whenever necessary, unless I’m really missing something else ?
I could see where the builder recommends this for a new field- more than likely they want to see the natural breakdown process occur first in order to take the shock of harsh detergents.
We use a mild soap that is recommended for septic fields and have had zero issues in over 20 years of living with a septic field.
I could see where the builder recommends this for a new field- more than likely they want to see the natural breakdown process occur first in order to take the shock of harsh detergents.
We use a mild soap that is recommended for septic fields and have had zero issues in over 20 years of living with a septic field.
You can also add some treatments that assist with the breakdown process, as you probably know. As long as the system is properly designed, you should have zero issues.
You can also add some treatments that assist with the breakdown process, as you probably know. As long as the system is properly designed, you should have zero issues.
Yeah I don't disagree. It really sounds like an abundance of caution to me.
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.
No - never. That is the second-silliest thing I've heard all week!
(I say second-silliest because I hate to give top billing to anything, this early in the week)
I could see where the builder recommends this for a new field- more than likely they want to see the natural breakdown process occur first in order to take the shock of harsh detergents.
We use a mild soap that is recommended for septic fields and have had zero issues in over 20 years of living with a septic field.
Yeah - We live and work where septics are the norm... and I have never heard of any admonition to not do laundry for MONTHS or even minutes after installation. If the tank chemistry were the issue, the same issue would be true after pumping... and it isn't. No such warning is given.
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.
I'll say this- if there was a true, reasonable explanation, then I'd be lead to believe that the washer should have been "gray-water" plumbed (what was the explanation?). But, you didn't say what "type" of septic system you have- that could certainly have a determining factor.
Regardless of the septic system wheather it’s conventional fields gravity fed, galleys ( which are common in sandy/granular type soil) or pressureized dosing systems, the comment has to do with the bacteria breakdown in the septic tank itself. The tank is there to collect any solids while allowing the effluent to flow into the fields.
My recommendation would be to use your washering machine to clean your dirty clothing!
I was searching google on this and came up with some weird stuff. One thing not to put in Septic Tank...BURIAL AT SEA! WTH? That's not burial at sea that's putting Uncle Joe in the tank ;-)
That said, I find nothing saying to hold off on doing laundry (do you have a dishwasher?) but recommends not to use powder detergent. Also to choose "Green" labeled detergents and to use the minimal amount necessary. Also to avoid running the washer and shower at the same time. Avoid flushing toilets too while washing or probably at least while draining.
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