In a conventional septic system, there are two main components—the septic tank and the drain field. The most obvious and the most urgently attended one is the septic tank. This is the holding vessel of the wastewater that comes directly from your household. Here, three layers are formed—the scum (top solid waste layer), the effluent (the middle clear liquid layer), and the sludge (the bottom layer resulting from anaerobic bacteria degradation. The septic tank is where the primary treatment of the wastewater takes place. If something wrong happens here, then you can be sure that the rest of the entire septic system will eventually perish. One of the big questions we encounter is do garbage disposals harm septic tanks?
Your new home has just been furnished and necessary appliances have just been installed such as the ever present garbage disposal unit. This appliance is considered as a very important tool in disposing of garbage easier. It is an alternative to keeping leftovers and other garbage to rot in your trash bin. Doing so could just attract pests like cockroaches, rats, flies, and stray animals. It could also be a means to spread disease and contamination to the surrounding environment. When you have a garbage disposal unit installed, you could be assured that the sanitation in your home is optimal. Before you had the garbage disposal installed, you did your needed research on it. Do garbage disposals harm septic tanks?
Well, most American homeowners think so. Majority of the US population d not have garbage disposal units installed because of the idea that the septic tank would have a hard time accommodating all the additional solid particles produced by the garbage disposal unit. The true answer to the question is a resounding NO. If you observe the function of the garbage disposal, it grinds up and increases the surface area of the solid wastes that you dump in it. This may add to the solid wastes but it also makes the solid wastes much easier for the resident bacteria to break down. The septic tank is a component f the septic system that received everything that your household delivers as waste. It is only proper that its size and the capacity should fit the household. With regular maintenance and pumping out, the septic tank would do just fine even with a garbage disposal gobbling up all those solid wastes.
You have to make sure that the septic tank gets regularly pumped out because the sludge should not be allowed to accumulate. Once this happens, the resident bacteria will get suspended and will not break down the solid waste products effectively. This will eventually result in clogging, backing up, overflow, and system failure. Pay attention to the septic tank care and the garbage disposal would do just fine with it. Another thing to remember is that you should treat the garbage disposal unit as an organic garbage grinder and not a garbage transformer. It only grinds up the solid wastes into finer pieces so that the bacteria could decompose them right away. With this, you should make it a point not to dump non-biodegradable materials, grease, and oils into it because when they enter the garbage disposal, they are still what they are. And what they are will harm the tank and the system. Just place them in an enclosed jar and dispose of them in the trash bin. Bad habits can be very difficult to break but you have to change them for the sake of your septic tank.
These days, you can opt for bacterial additives that can be used on garbage disposals. These additives help the anaerobic bacteria in making sure that the added solid wastes would be degraded faster and easier. It can really be taxing to have anything installed in your home. Every single thing should make things easier for you and not make your life more difficult. Do garbage disposals harm septic tanks? A garbage disposal unit is a good tool to have. It is generally safe for your septic tank just learn to use it properly for your septic system’s sake.