Reasons to Avoid Septic Tank Additives

As the owner of a septic tank, you might occasionally come across products designed for ongoing septic tank maintenance. These could include additives that are marketed as a means of breaking down some of the waste inside your septic tank, thereby reducing the frequency with which you have to have your tank pumped and cleaned out.

This sounds attractive to people who would like to avoid some of the expense associated with septic tank pumping in Strafford County, NH. However, these septic tank additives often do more harm than good, and experts strongly advise you avoid using them. There’s a reason why all reputable companies say you should prioritize regular pumping: it’s the best, most reliable way to safely keep your system in good condition.

Here are a few of the most important reasons to avoid using these septic tank additives.

They could potentially kill off your tank’s bacteria

Many of the chemicals used in these additives for septic tanks could kill off the bacteria in your septic tank that are needed to break down solid waste. These “good” bacteria need to be preserved at certain levels if that waste breakdown is to occur. They’re naturally found in human feces and are an important part of a healthy septic system. If you kill off these bacteria, the waste might not be naturally eliminated. This means that even if the additives do actually work at breaking down the waste, the more you use them, the more you will become reliant on them, as the natural breakdown processes will be harmed.

Therefore, it’s in your best interest to avoid using these septic tank treatments in Strafford County, NH and allow natural breakdown to happen.

They could be corrosive to your tank

One of the biggest reasons to avoid using septic tank additives is that they have chemicals that could corrode the system, both in the pipes leading into the tank and to the tank itself. Over time, an overuse of these chemicals could eat away the pipes and tank, which will significantly shorten their lifespan and potentially result in cracks or damage that could necessitate premature replacement, which is both expensive and time-consuming.

So, while it might be expensive to pump a septic tank, it’s a whole lot more expensive to replace the entire system because you damaged it with cheap chemicals. Avoiding these chemicals will help you ensure your tank and system as a whole have a long life.

They could damage your drain field

Additives aren’t just harmful for the bacteria inside your tank—they could also damage the soil in your drain field. If they make it out into the drain field, the chemicals could go into the surrounding soil and into the waterways in your area, which is bad for the environment.

Always avoid putting anything down your drains that is not safe for septic systems. Anytime you purchase soaps or cleaning products, check and make sure they’re septic safe so you can preserve the bacteria in the tank, as well as the tank itself.

For more information about septic tank additives, or to schedule service for your system in Strafford County, NH, contact the team at B.H. Cameron Septic Services LLC today.

Categorised in: Septic Tank Maintenance

This post was written by Writer