This article will cover leach field maintenance products and their effects on our systems. An experienced consumer could never deny the fact that in today’s day and age, one can never really tell if something is for real or not. There are myriads of products out in the market that tell one thing and then do another. It can be really confusing and oftentimes, disheartening to find out that many manufacturers do this kind of tactic just to have their products sold.
The biggest concern of consumers these days is to purchase products that are worth every penny they have. For homeowners, this is a must because they see to it that they use products that will protect their investment. Of course, time is of utmost importance to such busy people who maintain homes and families. The last thing they need are products that would do more harm than good.
One specific area of concern is the septic system. This is a very vital part of the house because it recycles the wastewater that the household produces. The homeowner has to make sure that whatever they put into the system would not harm it, instead benefit it. According to many septic owners, the leach field is the most crucial part of the septic. This is where the final phase of wastewater treatment takes place. If the leach field is clogged or damaged, it should be attended to immediately. If not, it will fail. If the leach field fails, the entire septic fails.
Since caring for the leach field is of high priority, many septic manufacturers release products that promise to help the homeowners maintain this part of the septic. There are so many leach field maintenance products for you to choose from and majority of them promise the impossible—no pump outs. Pumping out your septic system is a staple for every homeowner. It is the method that enables both the homeowner and the septic expert to work together for the betterment of the system. It isn’t the septic expert alone that should care for your septic. You, as the homeowner, should do majority of the work because you live with your system every hour of everyday.
Leach field maintenance products come in different brands and in different forms. But there are only two basic categories—chemical and biological. Chemical leach field maintenance products are those that use organic or inorganic products that usually harm the system. Inorganic ones are the corrosive bases and acids that damage the physical structure of the septic. They are also lethal to the resident bacteria. Organic ones are the baking soda and yeast that improve the system for a while and then do harm once used for a sustained period of time. The biological leach field maintenance products are those that are highly recommended and even mandated in some areas. These products use non-pathogenic bacteria and enzymes to improve the system’s performance. They are naturally-occurring and do not have chemical discharges that pollute the environment. When you use biological leach field maintenance products, you get to eliminate the offensive odors as well.
Chemical leach field products have certain compounds that yield detrimental effects:
v The sulfuric acid in some products corrode the physical structures of the system including the leach field and even kill the resident bacteria.
v The layer of scum is broken off by the chemical components. As a result, the floatable grease and fats disperse into the leach field, disabling its functions.
v They activate more methane gas bubbles that lift the solid wastes over to the leach field. Clogging ensues.
v Formaldehyde, zinc sulfate, paraformaldehyde, and quarternary ammonium eliminate traces of life (biocidal) in the system when they’re used in large amounts.
v Alkenes, benzenes, and naphthalenes that the products contain pollute the surrounding environment.
If you really want to improve and protect your leach field, you have to work with your septic expert in using the biological leach field maintenance products. With these products, you will surely feel no guilt in treating your leach field and the rest of your system.