Garbage Disposal With Enzyme Injection

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Can we use garbage disposals with septic tank if the disposal has enzyme injection? I'm in Mass. and New Hampshire.



Thanks, Bob Gagnon

Mark Eatherton

Garbage...

is tough for the little beasties to break down. They can do it, it just takes a lot longer than it does after is has been run through OUR digestive tract. I don't even use my disposer here in town, except for rinsing bits of food off the plates. Older houses with small drains HATE garbage too.



And for anyone in Denver considering one of those water powered disposers, I'd suggest you check with the water authority, because Denver Water outlawed water powered equipment (elevators, etc) a LONG time ago, like 1920... And if it is a municpality that purchases their water from Denver, they must comply to Denver's operating rules.



ME

TonyS

Interesting subject

With all the anti bacterial soaps and  germicidal cleaners we dump down the drain it seems hard to imagine there is any aerobic or anaerobic activity taking place in the tank.

In my township and I believe it is PA law, you must have your septic tank pumped every 3 years and the local honeydipper writes a report back to the township if he sees anything wrong(dont forget to tip your honeydipper). At 3 years the septic tank is nothing more than a solids remover so I fail to see whats the big deal about throwing a a little extra garbage in there.

Patrick_North

Go Green.

I finally ditched our disposal this past spring and starting composting kitchen scraps along with the yard waste. Getting in the habit was simple, and I'm starting to reap the benefits.

Now, not only do I get primo compost for the yard, but I avoid sending all that stuff to the water treatment center. Win win. Win.

I suppose one could toss this stuff in a septic tank, but why not consider getting some good out of it? remember- you paid for that food!

Good luck,

Patrick

Charlie from wmass

Yes Bob

If the local board of health allows it they are required if a garbage disposal is used in MA. NH I have no idea.

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Thanks

For your replies, I'm going to refuse to install garbage disposals with septic.



Thanks, Bob Gagnon

EJ hoffman

Blanco article

Blanco just wrote an article last month about disposers I would read it. For some good info.

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

I Usually Agree

With his writings, but I believe garbage disposals are not green, composting is much better. The sewer treatment guy in my city tells us it is very expensive to get rid of sludge. composting is easy, I'll continue to do that.



Thanks, Bob Gagnon

archibald tuttle

dudes, little blue sky here

While I don't believe this stuff is a big worry in the scheme of things it is reasonable to think about what problems it might entail. I don't see the link to Blanco's article. Where would I find that, here on heating (and garbage disposal) help or . . .?



I don't recycle either unless I get paid for the effluent which is a signal that it is worth something and doesn't cost more in life cycle to recycle.



But, in the abstract, if I was trying to think about garbage disposal, I think the idea of how to deal with this stuff once it is in the septic tank vs. the notion that it has to be removed before it hits the drain misses the point of why there are garbage disposals in the first place. For myself, it isn't an effort to keep all vergetable or food matter out of the trash, and we actually do compost obvious volumes of plant waste - because we get a benefit out of it, not to save the dumpster or the septic per se. But rather the convenience of rinsing plates where the fine matter ends up in a strainer full of guk - I can't get worried about every bit of that getting into the compost or trash or wherever. It is just not a relevant volume and this is the reason for garbage disposal, so we don't have to deal with scraping those strainers out. (doesn't help that I'm old enough to have a good portion of my vegetable diet consist of Metamucil that really gums those strainers up when you rinse that last bit out of the glass. So there is virtually no volume involved and I have never given the septic a second thought. I just wanted rid of the strianers.



That said, if you had a higher volume or worried about these things just because you do, i can get retentive like the next guy. But why not a disposer with a smaller trap tank (could double as household grease trap as well) for the kitchen effluent. Of course it must be maintained at some interval, but if the default is the stuff going in the septic that is kind of where it goes otherwise. And, if you're into composting you have to locate the tank and cleanout for high convenience and then you can dump the (non greasy) stuff in the compost anyway.



I don't really have the side by side, enzyme/no enzyme emperical testing. If I had transparent plastic tanks that I leave exposed and watch what happens, that would be cool. (it would be equally cool to have transparent toilets and near piping for those low flushers that just can't seem to pull a whirlpool reliably no matter how many times and how carefully I check the wax ring seal, etc.



Even though I'm interested, it is easier to get pressure assisted flusher and when it comes to septic systems, I've seen remarkably good results for systems that have a good sized tank but aren't otherwise babied or enzymed. In the good old days, I used to jump in the beehives and dig 'em out if they got too solid bound. But of course back in those days I had tenants who were willing to run the wheelbarrows down to the corner of the field to compost for a while. Those days, and those tenants are long gone (hate to admit anything I used to do could be long gone but . . . )



Brian

rlaggren

OT - Good toilet

I just tried one of those much hyped Toto Drake 1.6 flush - round front.



Amazingly, I think some of the PR might be justified. The thing has _no_ swirl, just one quick GULP-Thump as the flush valve slams closed. A 1-second glug and it's all over except the fill-valve hissing. First flush seemed so strange I figured I got a bad product but the thing just keeps clearing the bowl, 1st time every time, no matter what's in it. Had it a month and I'm about sold.



Cheers, Rufus

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Buy American

Kohler makes a great 1.6 that I have used for a few years that I have  had no problems with. I now use 1.28 Kohler's when ever I can, and I put a dual flush Sterling, Kohler subsidiary, that uses .8 on a liquid flush and 1.6 with solid wastes. This toilet has not clogged in three years since I put it in. Before someone else says it the last one I put in was manufactured in Mexico, but at least it's an American Company and made in North America.



Thanks, Bob Gagnon

rlaggren

Good to hear Kohler works for you, Bob

Sorry to say, I've had really mediocre experience with their toilets the last 10 years, heck, the last 5 years. And I've put in a lot because they were "brand name" and American. They had a problem with chlorine rotting the flush valve in less than a year (fixed, I think) and the flush has always appeared real average.



But next time I see one of those trade demo's I'll go bother the guy a little, see if I can find anything hopeful.



Cheer, Rufus

bill_105

The issue is over

Dave Barry (check his site) knows it all!!