Took care of my Aerobic my self it was actually pretty simple. except apparently no one uses Clorine in the discharge tank went to get some because MFG recommended it couldn't find any guy at the local plumbing store said heck nobody treats theirs.
Rid X or my septic guy said a big cup of dry dog food on occasion!
I had to replace the air pump a couple years ago which was not a big deal and has been mentioned, cost a couple hundred bucks and took maybe 10 minutes. Sounds like pumping every couple of years might be a waste of money. I do keep a chlorine tablet in there and seems to need one about once a week.
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We have lived on an acerage with a septic system for 35 years. As far as pumping goes, “ the guys at work” with septic systems always told me if it’s not backing up, it’s working. After about 15 years, we started to develop a very smelly wet spot over the lateral lines. The guy that put the original septics came out and asked me if we were the third owner. He said it’s usually the third owner that discovers the first two owners neglected their system. Our laterals were clogged with sludge and were blocked. We had new laterals installed. He told me that if we were contributing even two bowel movements a week, we were putting more useful bacteria than any additive. With only my wife and I here, he said pumping about once every four years would be adequate. We went about four years and another company came to pump it and said four years was just about right. So far, so good.
While we've been on septics a lot in the past, the ONLY thing I HIGHLY RECOMMEND is to NEVER flush any of those "flush-able wipes." When we were volunteering as managers at a retreat and reunion center in Oregon, one of the lodges had the septic back up. Flush-able wipes were the issue.
yep and everyone it seems is using them now!
1-2 chlorine tablets a week is normal.
flushable wipes have been a nightmare for WW operators for years. This is why municipalities install grinders to shred them and other debris that flows into the lift stations.
Adding a cup of dog food to the septic occasionally is a waste of your time. We only recommend the addition of dog food to a wastewater system when the treatment plant is first put on line to give the bacteria that is coming into the plant something to initially eat.
