house with septic tank

[JONOV]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

Not necessarily. Assuming the household pays some attention to what goes down the drains and how often, how well a septic functions is influenced by the soil conditions in that area. I've lived on septics in higher altitude colder climates for over 30 years. No municipal sewer options so it was either septic or a pit toilet/greywater arrangement. Anaerobic bacterial activity in the tank can be much slower in colder soils and it is usually much slower than the rate at which the tank fills with sludge. Those septic additives don't really help much for the same reason. The added microbes may bloom for a short time, but once the chill gets to them they die. Septic tanks in these sorts of areas need pumping periodically. How often varies with household use. Just the way it is.

A pump out every few years isn't going to hurt anything nor will it break the bank. A septic service can inspect the condition of your tank when they pump it. They can detect issues such as excessive grease or paper build up. The services I've used kept detailed records about their clients' systems over time: detected problems, capacities, etc. Listen and learn. They can help you maintain your system.

When I consider buying a house on a septic system I find out who serviced it and ask them about its history, any previous problems, repairs, leach field issues, whether anything was abandoned in place or relocated. While the property disclosure may give the date it was last pumped, I still try to talk to the company that did it. You can learn a lot about what works in that specific area.

As for how careful I am with what I put down the drain, it isn't draconian. I use ordinary recycled content TP instead of the fancy "luxury" stuff (never saw the point of a luxury version of a product you use once for about 2 seconds and toss). A bit of a dilemma about laundry/dishwasher detergents. Overusing powdered products can create more of a problem for drains and septic systems but liquids need to come in a plastic jug which then may or may not end up getting recycled. I don't flush higher absorption facial tissue or wipes, paper toweling or feminine products, don't dump excessive amounts of bleach, other toxic chemicals or grease (a couple of tablespoons isn't excessive IMO), and don't use the garbage disposal if whoever outfitted the house was clueless enough to install one. There are so many ordinary foods disposals don't seem to handle well anyway. IMHO they're a PITA appliance and not worth trying to second guess what will agree with them.

To be fair, the bolded really shouldn't be dumped down a city drain either. Especially face wipes, paper towels, or tampons. The chances of it getting stuck pre-tank or pre-sewer main, are enough that it isn't worth it.

[MikeHeckish]

Thanks... We're zeroing in on a home that has "aerobic" septic.. with its own dedicated sprinkler system. Not sure how that is supposed to work in the winter, but I'll ask.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by MikeHeckish

Thanks... We're zeroing in on a home that has "aerobic" septic.. with its own dedicated sprinkler system. Not sure how that is supposed to work in the winter, but I'll ask.

Where are you looking at this house? I'm asking because I've had several aerobic systems in the southern US and they were aerobic and worked fine in the winter, even when it was below freezing. But YMMV depending on location!

I realized after I posted earlier that I've had two septic systems - both were on large properties. One was a type of hybrid - drip in one area and aerobic in the back yard - and one we switched from aerobic to drip because we were putting in a pool. Didn't have any significant issues with either but they do require a bit more maintenance in my experience than city sewer systems.

I wouldn't let a septic system stop me one way or the other - I'd just learn about it and go with it if I loved the property.