HELP adding a disposal to a septic system

Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Support your community
Advertise with us
Plumbing Forums

Help Support Plumbing Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
R

rual_farmer

Active Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2016
Messages
26
Reaction score
11
Location
,
HELLO every one
i am new here so bare with me :rolleyes:.
i just had a custom home built out in the sticks there's no city water and or sewer meaning the house is on a septic system.. i opted in for a professional grade kitchen for wich i got. but i noticed that there's no garbage disposal in the kitchen:(. is there any reason for this?? as i am wanting to ad one in. i know that in sink erator makes the septic assist unit and the evolution unit. i would more than likely opt for the evolution unit since it grinds things up 3 times vs 2 times like the septic assist model does. i am also wondering seeings i want to add a disposal is there anything that i can pour down any one of the drains to help break the food down. i hear of people having disposals on a septic system and never having any problems then i hear the nightmares of someones septic system making someones life a living hell. yes i know that if i add a disposal to my system i know that i will have to have it pumped more often no problems on that!!! now someone told me not to use it to clean out the fridge:rolleyes:.

the size of the septic is 1500+ gallon leach field septic.. and it will only be serving one person and not a whole family if that helps.
 
Last edited:
I remember ... :rolleyes: ... back when they didn't want a dishwasher on a septic system.

The use of a GD on a septic system is OK (IMO) if it is not used for cleaning out the refrigerator or grinding bones. I have one and its' only use is to clean the sink after scraping plates thoroughly (and rinsed thoroughly before putting in DW).

It will (over time) add to the sludge but you are allowing for that by more frequent pumping.

ADDENDUM (Fr) -

i am also wondering seeings i want to add a disposal is there anything that i can pour down any one of the drains to help break the food down
Click to expand...

Again, (IMO)... The bacteria in the tank will (should) take care of it. If you are truly concerned, eat more yogurt... :D
 
Last edited:
I have a garbage disposal on a septic system. We've had one for over 20 years. Now, they do make a garbage disposal unit that is supposedly more friendly for septic systems-- Insinkerator one.. can't remember the name, but I was told that you don't really need to bother with that. It doesn't really make a difference.

Tomato skins will get stuck inside your garbage disposal, so don't throw them down (I had to clean some out of my grandmother's disposal with my hand when she couldn't figure out why her disposal was clogged). Do NOT pour grease/fat down your sink or disposal. Dump it in to a trash can or something instead.

Clean your disposal with COLD water, not hot. You can put ice cubes in every once in awhile to grind up.

I've found that a garbage disposal on septic system is very similar to using one on a regular system.

One thing though: Those "flushable" wipes are NOT flushable. Do not flush tissues, wipes, or anything other than waste and toilet paper. You can use RidX from time to time if you want.
 
KULTULZ said:
I remember ... :rolleyes: ... back when they didn't want a dishwasher on a septic system.

The use of a GD on a septic system is OK (IMO) if it is not used for cleaning out the refrigerator or grinding bones. I have one and its' only use is to clean the sink after scraping plates thoroughly (and rinsed thoroughly before putting in DW).

It will (over time) add to the sludge but you are allowing for that by more frequent pumping.

ADDENDUM (Fr) -



Again, (IMO)... The bacteria in the tank will (should) take care of it. If you are truly concerned, eat more yogurt... :D
Click to expand...
that must have been some time ago when they didn't was a DW on septic:rolleyes: the funny thing was is they all had big ole top loading washers on there septics:D wich uses way more water than a DW:eek:. id'e use it like you would use the disposal for cleaning the sink after pre rinsing the plates before putting em in the DW. though i suppose i could use it for cleaning out the fridge but id'e had to have my system pumped once a year:eek:
 
Last edited:
Zanne said:
I have a garbage disposal on a septic system. We've had one for over 20 years. Now, they do make a garbage disposal unit that is supposedly more friendly for septic systems-- Insinkerator one.. can't remember the name, but I was told that you don't really need to bother with that. It doesn't really make a difference.

Tomato skins will get stuck inside your garbage disposal, so don't throw them down (I had to clean some out of my grandmother's disposal with my hand when she couldn't figure out why her disposal was clogged). Do NOT pour grease/fat down your sink or disposal. Dump it in to a trash can or something instead.

Clean your disposal with COLD water, not hot. You can put ice cubes in every once in awhile to grind up.

I've found that a garbage disposal on septic system is very similar to using one on a regular system.

One thing though: Those "flushable" wipes are NOT flushable. Do not flush tissues, wipes, or anything other than waste and toilet paper. You can use RidX from time to time if you want.
Click to expand...
yes in sink erator makes a septic safe disposer now it's called the septic assist
http://shop.insinkerator.com/p/insinkerator-evolution-septic-assist-garbage-disposal

i bought the evolution excel 1HP unit the tim allen disposal:D. i'm just waiting to have my friend run a line for power and install a switch. i always ran cold water with my disposals to clean them as well as it keeps the motor cooler to!! i never pour grease down the drain that's asking for a nightmare to happen. i had a model 17 ise and i put tomato peels down it and potato peelings and onion peelings and never had any problems. the only problems i ever has was going to a badger 1 unit wich is complete crap. it's funny that you mentioned about the tomato peelings and putting em down a disposal i never had any problems. hell i put everything down my old model 17 unit from whole pumpkin rinds to pork chop bones:eek:.. though after all of that abuse i'll be dammed i got 10 years out of the unit!!!
 
rual_farmer said:
that must have been some time ago when they didn't was a DW on septic:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I resemble that remark... :D

the funny thing was is they all had big ole top loading washers on there septics:D wich uses way more water than a DW:eek:. id'e use it like you would use the disposal for cleaning the sink after pre rinsing the plates before putting em in the DW. though i suppose i could use it for cleaning out the fridge but id'e had to have my system pumped once a year:eek:
Click to expand...

It wasn't so much the amount of water (actually a DW uses less than hand washing) but the food particulates/grease (most people do not scrape plates or remove grease) causing more sludge/scum and more frequent pumping.

A GD can also cause (and this is true with either septic or sewer)-

Pipe Blockage _1 DWV.jpg

Pipe Blockage _2 DWV.jpg

Pipe Blockage _6 Galvanized Pipe.jpg
 
Zanne said:
One thing though: Those "flushable" wipes are NOT flushable. Do not flush tissues, wipes, or anything other than waste and toilet paper. You can use RidX from time to time if you want.
Click to expand...

!!!!!!!!!!!

HOW TRUE!

They are flush-able, but will not biodegrade as does toilet tissue. You want to mess up a septic system, use them.

Ask me how I know... :(

Luckily, they plugged the distribution box and did not enter the leach field.
 
Most modern septic systems have all drainage go to the septic tank, but in older homes and in some modern homes you may find that only the soil water (black water)from toilets goes into the septic tank and waste water (gray water) goes into a separate drain to the leach field or a gray water dispersal pit. Food waste from a disposal would booger up a gray water system causing premature failure or constant servicing. If you install a disposal, be sure that you don't have a separate gray water system.
 
I don't know what sort of disposal my grandmother had, but I'm guessing it was just weak (or extremely old with dull blades) because it was all gummed up. I had a Black & Decker garbage disposal that lasted over 20 years before it finally went kaput. Installed an Insinkerator Evolution (without septic assist-- I read about the septic assist ones and apparently the fluid stuff would leak and it was expensive).

Speaking of garbage disposals, I cringed when someone told me she was going to get some Draino to pour down hers bc it was clogged. I told her it was a very very very bad idea.
 
KULTULZ said:
!!!!!!!!!!!

HOW TRUE!

They are flush-able, but will not biodegrade as does toilet tissue. You want to mess up a septic system, use them.

Ask me how I know... :(

Luckily, they plugged the distribution box and did not enter the leach field.
Click to expand...
you tried that at home:confused::eek:
 
rual_farmer said:
HELLO every one
i am new here so bare with me :rolleyes:.
i just had a custom home built out in the sticks there's no city water and or sewer meaning the house is on a septic system.. i opted in for a professional grade kitchen for wich i got. but i noticed that there's no garbage disposal in the kitchen:(. is there any reason for this?? as i am wanting to ad one in. i know that in sink erator makes the septic assist unit and the evolution unit. i would more than likely opt for the evolution unit since it grinds things up 3 times vs 2 times like the septic assist model does. i am also wondering seeings i want to add a disposal is there anything that i can pour down any one of the drains to help break the food down. i hear of people having disposals on a septic system and never having any problems then i hear the nightmares of someones septic system making someones life a living hell. yes i know that if i add a disposal to my system i know that i will have to have it pumped more often no problems on that!!! now someone told me not to use it to clean out the fridge:rolleyes:.

the size of the septic is 1500+ gallon leach field septic.. and it will only be serving one person and not a whole family if that helps.
Click to expand...


if you live in the country,
run a 2'' line out from the house over 20'
from the sink, let it drain on the ground
plants love it
 
frodo said:
look up graywater as opposed to sewage
Click to expand...

No, you're correct.

The water should be used in such a fashion. I have read of systems that even recycle the gray water for non-potable use in the home such as toilet flush.

But, that means you need to separate them (black-grey) in a code-compliant manner and that requires an entire parallel wastewater system alongside your existing main sewer line doesn't it?

When I moved up here, I asked the builder about just a french drain for laundry discharge (on septic tank) and they muttered something about not being code compliant.

The house I left in MD had a black and grey waste water system (grey in copper and black in CI). A retro-fit would be expensive IMO.
 
I wonder if I could setup a graywater system just for my washing machine and dishwasher or something. That way not as much soapy water would be going into my septic tank.
 
frodo said:
you live in the country, do what i did, run that sucker over to the garden, makes big juicy tomatoes
Click to expand...

Almost my entire yard is the garden! LOL. Actually, I think the washing machine currently just dumps directly under the house rather than connecting to the sewage system. I know for outdoor utility sinks, my father set up french drains and the water just ran out of the pipes to the french drains. We had 2 down at the workshop and one in the car port. Only the one in the workshop is still functional.

And sorry for digressing. LOL.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top