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Our family cottage has a septic system which is pretty much unused from November to May, when winter moves in. Temperatures go down to -30 to -40C. The system seems to respond well, though: we've never had a problem with it since it was installed in 1974. During the summer, it processes waste and water for up to ten people on a weekend. The water supply for the cottage is untreated lake water.
I'm wondering if I can delay that fateful day when things go horribly wrong... by ensuring that the tank is happily colonized by the bacteria and other stuff that do their job. Would it help to 'feed' the tank with anything other than the usual kitchen/bathroom waste that finds its way there? Sugar? Rotting vegetable/fruit matter whirled in the blender? A commercial product?
And what happens to fats? We use very little in cooking and never pour fat or oil down the sink.
I would imagine you should probably use a product like Rid-X when you go to visit the cottage. It couldn't hurt to pour a box into the system once a summer.
Andy,
You will have plenty of bacteria in the system. The water will be standing with plenty of sludge to feed on, the bacteria will flourish. I'd think adding extra bacteria or yeast would be like adding a drop of water into a 55gl barrel compared to what is already in there.
Fats/oil will eventually make it to the leech field, this is what shortens the sytem life by clogging the leech field drain pipe holes. Avoiding fats/oils into the system and pumping the sludge out of the tank every few years (depending upon your usage) will keep the leech field as good as new.
There is a product called "Miracle Cure" that should be available to you which will work much better than bakers yeast, because dave is correct. A relatively tiny bit of yeast once a season won't cut the mustard. A septic tank in theory should never have to be pumped, because the natural life cycle of the bacteria present in rotting organic waste should break down the waste and turn it into something easily absorbed back into the environment by the grass, trees etc.. present in the leach field. Most septic problems are either because of poorly designed or inadequate leach fields, or tanks that are too small for the usage, and the bacteria have no time to colonize and do their thing, or broken or collapsed piping. Sounds like your's has the time to do that, and is not broken or collapsed, so you should be okay. However, if the tank does become full for whatever reason, this would not be a pleasant thing to find out upon arrival at your summer retreat, So it would definately not hurt to HELP the system along as a preventive maintenance to treat it with ANY product for septics such as Rid-X, yeast or Miracle Cure.
Hope this helps.
