4 Laundry Habits That Can Make or Break Your Septic System
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Septic system replacement is very expensive, with costs often running from $5,000 to $20,000 or more. You can greatly reduce this risk using the following laundry tips.
1. Use a washing machine filter.
Did you know that washing machines are a leading cause of septic system failure? The primary culprit is lint generated by washing machines, which clogs the soil in drain fields. Did you know that a typical family washing machine produces enough lint each year to carpet and entire living room floor! Lint screens and nylon traps found in hardware stores trap 5% or less of these particles. Because they are so light and small, the lint particles do not settle out in the septic tank. Instead, they stay in suspension and are flushed out to the drain field, where they plug up the pores of the soil bed. To compound the problem, much of our clothing is now manufactured with synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon. These substances are not biodegradable, and will not break down in a septic system. Instead, they accumulate and plug the soil. Once these materials enter the soil, there is no way to remove them.
The good news is that lint can be prevented from entering the septic system through the use of a reusable, inline filter which attaches to your washing machine discharge hose. The filter, called the Filtrol 160, retails for $139.95.
2. Avoid Excessive Water Use You can also damage your septic system by doing a large number of laundry loads in a short period of time. In standard septic systems, solid materials settle in the tank, while effluent flows out into the ground. If you put more water into the system than it is built to handle, the high volume of water will flood your system, and can also stir up and flush solids out of the tank into the drain field (in fact, septic pumpers use water from their hoses to help break up solids in your tank before pumping them out). A typical washing machine can use up to 60 gallons of water per wash load. On a heavy day you can easily put 400, 500 or 600 gallons of water through the system in a few hours. The solution is to spread out your water use. Do one or two loads of laundry per day, rather than 10-12 loads on Saturday morning.
3. Careful with the Bleach If you do over 5 loads a week containing bleach, problems could arise. Bleach can kill off beneficial bacteria in the tank which digest waste.
4. Use Liquid Detergent Avoid powdered detergents as they contain plastic fillers that can plug up your lines and drain field.
Corey K. Tournet is the owner of The Laundry Alternative, a company which specializes in unique, eco-friendly laundry and septic tank products. You can visit his website at www.laundry-alternative.com
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