Moving into our new home tomorrow.....

We have septic and well, any tips from people who currently have septic/well or have had in the past?

What maintenance did you do, use any specials soaps,detergents,etc.....

Any/All tips would be appreciated.

Out here in the country we have no option OTHER than septic systems and water wells. Nothing special is required maintenance-wise other than cleaning out the septic tank every 5-7 years (and no, this isn't something you do yourself). The well will last for years without you doing a thing as long as it was drilled deep enough to begin with and the well pump isn't too old.

They make a biological agent that is flushed into the septic system on a monthly basis I believe it might be called "Rid-X" it keeps your lines clean. Well worth using.

With a well using a water filter system like Culligan is a good idea for both potable water and to keep the elements from building up on your porcelain fixtures.

Rid X is for crabs, I thought.

Steel Valley Football;802690 wrote:Rid X is for crabs, I thought.

No that is Quell Lotion. I mean that is what my friends told me.

Wells and septic systems. 2 reasons I hate the country. I got a lot more reasons, though. Might as well go amish to live in the freakin' 'docks.

Some have said you have to take it easy on soaps, like anti-bacterial and your cleaning supplies. Is that correct or just another myth that spreads around?

Out in the country here. Well and septic. Both 14yrs old. The only thing I have ever done is switch the drainage from my septic between my two sub-surface sand filters every few years.

Doesn't everyone use ridX or whatever?

Swyped from my HTC Evo with Eternal Prophecy 6.0 ROM.

My parents house has well/septic. Generally, they're maintenance free. Get your water tested, you may want to put a filter on your line (my parents have a filter for certain sediments, the rate they change it, it's about 6mo to a year). Septic gets taken care of by professionals.

Check your water pump. It's a pain if it loses its prime. Also, if the water pump kicks on too often, you have a leak somewhere that you should get sorted out. Not just potential water flow issues, but electric bill issues as well. My parents have never used Ridx, etc, and had the house for almost 30 years and never had any septic tank problems and have no qualms about what gets flushed/drained.

Sykotyk

We had both, the well was borderline dangerous and we ended up capping it and had a "friendly" arrangement with a neighbor that went south when they decided they wanted more money. The septic tank needed cleaning every few years - absolutely hire a professional service. It was absolutely the grossest job imaginable.

On your well I assume you have a softner too, change your filter on a regulat basis. Of the two the well is usually the least of your worries.

Hopefully you checked with the previous owner on when the last time they had the septic pumped. You should have a diverter box which allows you to change your drain fields. Make sure you have nothing but a liquid in this box. If you see solids you've got a problem. When you do get the tank pumped make sure you've got a baffle in the tank that prevents the solids from leaving the tank. Depending on the number of people in your home usually determines how often to pump the tank. I had 5 in my home and never went more than two year without a cleaning.

As for Rid X, I've seen it recommended but have also talked to contractors who put septic fields in that state the tank itself creates it's own bacteria. All the tank is doing is letting the liquids out to the field and allows the solids to settle on the bottom thus the need to pump the tank periodically.

Dumb question. How do you switch it to drain into a different field? (or whatever the correct terminology is there.) I know I have two fields and I have lived there for 5 years and have no idea when the last time was they were switched.

FatHobbit;803027 wrote:Dumb question. How do you switch it to drain into a different field? (or whatever the correct terminology is there.) I know I have two fields and I have lived there for 5 years and have no idea when the last time was they were switched.

Place a PVC elbow on the end of one of the pipes to the drain field.

FatHobbit;803027 wrote:Dumb question. How do you switch it to drain into a different field? (or whatever the correct terminology is there.) I know I have two fields and I have lived there for 5 years and have no idea when the last time was they were switched.

This depends on how old your system is. if its newer then you might have to change the fields but if its done right you should never have to worry about this. I recommend everyone shocking their wells about 3-5 years. you wouldn't believe the bacteria that grows on the inside of the well pipe which is where the pump draws water from.

As far as rid x goes its a scam cause your septic tank makes its own enzymes that eats the solids and turn them into liquids. I have my tank pumped once every 7-8 years with 5 people in the house. alot of people has theirs done alot sooner but i dont see it being necessary to do so. I have never had a problem. before i owned it it went 10-15 years with out being pumped and that person never had a problem. Of course I will always recommend people into pumping their septic tanks ever 3-5 years cause that means more money to me.

We don't do anything at all to the septic or well. Septic gets pumped ever 5-7 years.

I heard you shouldn't flush condoms down the toilet.

Most ohio wells have very high concentractions of iron, calcium, and usually some sulfur. Usually, the deeper the well, the more likely you will have sulfur, but you will know that immediately (it smells like rotten eggs). If you are considering buying a house with a well, open up a hose bib, and see how long it takes to fill a 5 gallon bucket, then repeat it 5 or ten times and see if the last bucket time is the same as the first time, or just run a hose for 20 minutes as see if there is still strong flow. The sustainable yield on many residential wells is quite low. 20 minutes on constant flow may create a temporary drawdown on the well, that may require a few hours to recharge. The well head should extend at least 12" above grade. If not, it has been several years since it has been serviced, and you should anticipate spending a few thousand dollars upgrading the pump, the well head, and pitless adapter. Any time the well is opened, it must be "shocked" with bleach as previously mentioned.
Excess Calcium (lime) can be removed with a water softener. The lack of removal with substantial increase maintenance othe fixtures and shorten their lifetime. Excessive Calcium will also cause soap and detergents to be less efficient. Excess Iron can be filtered out with a whole house filter resonably inexpensively. Place the filter between the pump and the tank so that pressure is not as dramatically affected when you are due for a filter change. Depending on the amount of iron in your well, you may need to change it as often as monthly. Excessive Iron will cause laundry to come out stained, and can cause toilet bowls to look pretty nasty. Sulfur is the toughest nut to crack. To get the sulfur smell out of the water is generally more costly. There are many systems that profess to do this, and various price ranges. All are expensive, and none work 100%. Many involve reverse osmosis type systems.

As for septic systems, depending on how it has been maintained, how hard it has been used, how many people it has serviced, and the type of ground it is in, what type of design (does it have a curtain drain?) it's life expectancy is probably between 30 and 50 years. Warning signs are walking around the leech field in the spring when the ground is saturated and smelling the unmistakable odor. As for the Rid-X, if you use a lot of anti-bacterial soaps, you should supplement the septic tank bacteria with Rid-X at least bi-annually. If you are very "green" and do not put anything down the drain that will kill the bacterial microbes, the system should be able to maintain itself. As for the condoms... I got no clue!

I have also heard that condoms and tampons are hard on a septic system.

If you flush condom's down the drain. They will blow up like ballon's when they hit the sewage plant aeration basin's.

Who would flush condoms down the drain? I pin them up on the wall as trophies of my conquests (Willy Mays Hayes batting glove style).

In all seriousness, with your water softner will give you softer water than city water. You won't need to use as much laundry detergent, dish soap, or body wash. Your skin will also feel different after you shower, almost slimy. Don't fret about this. You are clean and will get used to it.