Could sour milk be beneficial to a septic system?
By BUb from WA
We had our first house built and it had a septic tank since our town at the time didn't have city sewers.
Septic systems are not totally maintenance free as some would think. My husband was at work the one day and I had noticed black sludge was backing into our bathtub. Being a young bride at the time I started to panic, so I called my husband at work. We had to hire a septic cleaning company to suck out the tank.
At the price of baking yeast you'd be a lot further ahead to purchase a box of Rid-X and flush down your toilet once a month. Rid-X contains a lot more bacteria than several packages of yeast.
Whether you are on a septic system or city sewers, NEVER! NEVER! POUR GREASE DOWN A DRAIN. It will eventually harden and will plug up a septic system or city sewers.
Your septic tank is really a big compost pile. Dont put anything into it that you couldnt add to a compost pile. The object of the tank is a storage facility for its contents to sit in until they rot. Anything you add to it has to decompose just like the natural stuff thats already in there.
I wouldn't add yeast or sour milk as they will only need to be digested by the natural bacteria that has to digest the other matter in the tank. dont add any bleach or chemicals that will kill your bacteria. If you do, you'll need to add Rid X or other brand product to reintroduce the good bacteria to your tank. Be careful about what kind of toilet paper you use. Don't forget that you want one that will rot easily and decompose easily in water.
also, toilet bowl cleaners are made for commodes where there are no septic systems. Manufacturers will sell anything to people who will buy their product. They will even make you feel as if you actually NEED to have that product even when its harmful to your septic system. I use a very little Comet cleanser to clean my toilet bowl. Flylady, the cleaning guru, says to use shampoo. Either of those products will not be as harmful to the bacteria in your tank as cleaner made for the toilet bowl.
Don't think about what to add. Think more about what NOT to put in your septic system and you'll be better off. Nature makes things rot naturally. Try not to interfere with the natural bacterial action and you will be better off. Best of luck.
All my internet research indicates that YES, the yeast in the septic system works well for digesting Sugars and starches that you might find there. However the more interesting quality of the yeast is that it WOULD work well with the sour milk. The bacteria in the sour milk creates a symbiotic relationship with the yeast in the septic system.
Well I have 37 septic systems. The word from college studies suggest you do not use ant additives whatsoever. Schedule the tank to be pumped out every five years. At the second five see how much solids are in. You can then very the next time maybe 3 years or maybe 8. Wht not add bacteria? The studies show that the bacteria or enzymes eat up the solids to a degree....the liquefied goes into you leach fields.
I don't know about sour milk. But if you pour a packet or two of regular baking yeast into your toilet and flush, it will keep the good bacteria working in a septic tank. No need to buy RidX or other products.
Actually you don't need RidX or baking yeast or anything added to a septic ststem to have it keep working.
I totally disagree with foxrun41, because you haven't had problems yet with your septic tank.
My husband was a plumber and gave me the advice to use the yeast in those little packets. One a month or less is fine rather than purchasing RidX.
I just priced RidX and it's over seven dollars for 10.3 ounces, so a small pack of yeast would be less than RidX.
Well, I have had my septic system for 26 years and never had a problem. Never used any additives. The only thing I do is have it pumped every 5 or 6 years.
We've had our septic system for 17 years. And using yeast, we've never had to have it pumped.
Actually a yeast cocktail is better for your septic tank than Ridex. Ridex does not always dissolve and just becomes a brick in the tank. Mix yeast up with some sugar and pour it down the drain. Yeast is active bacteria and putting it in your septic tank will jump start the process since a lot of the bacteria in septic tanks gets killed off by bleach and other chemicals. I buy it by the pound at my local wholesale club and use the whole pound at a time.
Sour milk is the reason that we've never had any problems with our septic systems. Anytime it happens to be spoiled, we just set it on the counter for a few days to really let the milk curdle (leaving the cap on of course). Don't leave it out for too long (1-2 days is plenty). Then just hold your nose and flush it! ANY drains will be unclogged; the bacteria will take care of everything :-)
I was told by the people who pump my septic tank, and have been in the business for years, that brown sugar, or even a package of raw lean hamburger is good for the septic (every now and then). I have heard of people in remote areas where there are no sewers, pickup small road kill and put it in their septics now and then to keep it working ..
I have had my septic tank for 9 years. I have poured sour milk down the drain, but I usually don't. I have added nothing to it to help with the bacteria. I've used toilet bowl cleaners and other harsh chemicals. I have never had an issue or needed it to be pumped. I just make sure to limit what I pour into it. My parents have done the same and haven't had it pumped in the 40 years that they've had their tank. I'm not sure what we've done that's special, but it may just be a lot of luck.
40 years? Even when the bacteria are done, theres a sludge left that eventually fill the tank. Thats why it needs to be pumped. You dont want to replace the field and/or the tank. My 500 gal tank is $350 to pump. 1000 gal+ more. Anyway the poop etc douesnt all turn to liquid and drain to the field.
