This article will cover drain field enzymes and the effects they have on septic systems. What are enzymes? Enzymes are substances that act as catalysts to hasten the metabolism of living organisms. You have them in your body, particularly in your digestive tract. They help accelerate the process of digestion so that the food you eat could be efficiently absorbed by your body. Because of this function, enzymes are also used for the improvement of your septic.
The septic system is essentially a living organism found underneath your home. It is composed of the septic tank and the drain field. The septic tank is where the primary wastewater treatment process happens. Here, the anaerobic bacteria break down the solid waste materials that flow inward with the wastewater. Enzymes are present there to enhance the digestion process that takes place. The drain field is where the final phase of wastewater treatment takes place. Here, the minute traces of solid waste are degraded by the aerobic bacteria that thrive there. The bio-mat soon filters and purifies the resulting effluent, stripping away the harmful pathogens and pollutants. The aerobic bacteria regulate the bio-mat by consuming it so that it won’t get thick enough to clog the drain field. Enzymes are also present in the drain field to help the aerobic bacteria with their work.
But there are times when the drain field fails to efficiently do its job and this can be detrimental to the household, to the system, and to the environment. If the drain field malfunctions, the rest of the septic is affected. Many septic product manufacturers recommend the use of drain field enzymes to correct any malfunction caused by slow performing bacteria or by heavy blockage. Enzymes are found in biological additives that like bacteria, occur naturally. The biological additives contain enzymes and by applying drain field enzymes to your system, the drain field’s performance will greatly improve. But there are experts that disagree on this note.
Experts say that the enzymes contained in these additives are not enough to make significant improvement in the drain field’s performance. They argue that humans waste has much more beneficial enzymes. By simply dumping human waste every single day, you could already supply the drain field and the rest of the septic with generous amounts of enzymes needed for more efficient functioning. They only recommend regular pumping out of the septic to prevent the sludge from overflowing and dispersing into the drain field.
Because of the today’s demanding lifestyle, many homeowners opt for the easy way in taking care of their drain field. They would love to skip the pumping out process already because they think that this could save them more time and money. The cry of the consumers for a pump out-free septic is taken advantage of by septic product manufacturers. They come up with new products and promise consumers that they will NEVER have to pump out their septic if they patronize the product. As a result, more and more consumers believe the promises and depend on the drain field enzymes as a means to maintain the system’s health. The exaggerations of these manufacturers reel in new buyers of their products even if pumping out is still needed.
Pumping out the septic is the number one method of maintaining your septic system. With this regular treatment, the sludge level is kept at normal levels. In effect, the drain field is kept safe from clogging and the process of wastewater treatment is kept at a smooth, steady pace. But there should be a set schedule for pumping out your septic. This should be done according to the number of people who live in your home. If you have two people living in there, pump out every 3 years. If you have a moderate sized household of up to five people, pump out every 2 years. A yearly pump out is a must for a large household of 6 or more members.
Using drain field enzymes or not is completely up to you. Just always make sure that you use the septic properly and coordinate with your septic expert at all times. We hope this article covered drain field enzymes and the effects they have on septic systems.