Garbage Disposal And Septic

A garbage disposal grinds food waste to easily flow through a home s plumbing and into a septic tank.

Garbage disposal and septic.

If you have bought a house with a septic system and it doesn t already have a disposal don t add one. The thing that garbage disposal manufacturers don t tell you is that you have to pump your tank at least twice as often if you use their product. Do pump out the septic tank more frequently if garbage disposal is being used heavily. Regular use of a garbage disposal can drastically increase the amount of waste you are pumping into the septic tank.

When you use a garbage disposal with a septic tank the ground up food particles contribute to the layer of solids that is deposited on the bottom of your septic tank. When you use a garbage disposal for your septic system you are overloading the waste that is being put into the tank. Don t put food macaroni veggie peels grease egg shells etc. The do s and don ts for using a garbage disposal with septic systems.

This excess waste will never get a chance to break down in the wet environment. Down that garbage disposal. Just as you should avoid sending other solids down the septic system the garbage disposal poses a problem when homeowners try to process and dispose of non biodegradable food items like food packaging items or even hard to break down foods like bones fruit pits coffee grounds or oil and grease. When you have a septic system the pieces of food are flushed down the drain into your system.

The best advice you can get is to just not use a garbage disposal with a septic system. Garbage disposals are septic safe. Do consider building a compost pile for all those leftover peelings coffee grounds and egg shells. The second best advice you can get is to use it minimally and responsibly.