Your septic system is a miniature wastewater treatment plant that aims to help in converting the wastes of your household to usable water in the surrounding environment. As a homeowner, part of your responsibility is to make sure that your septic system works efficiently. Never use anti-bacterial products and never dump chemicals into your drains. This results to a beneficial bacteria deprived inefficient septic system that gives you headaches.
For years, septic system enzyme additives have been known to be effective in helping septic systems function better. Controversy has surrounded this concept and the effects of septic system enzyme additives in the industry. Enzyme septic system additives are still successfully used to stimulate and enhance the scum breakup, bio-mat solid digestion, the breakdown of sediments in septic systems and soil absorption rejuvenation.
Septic system enzyme additives are classified into chemical and biological. Chemical additives are the organic and the inorganic compounds and the biological additives are the enzymes, bacteria, and yeasts that you add into your septic system. As of now, there are about 1,200 varieties of additives that are being manufactured and sold by various companies. When purchasing a septic system enzyme additive, ensure that you are dealing with a reputable company.
Biological additives are beneficial to septic systems because they can reduce the solids, grease and the oil that is present in the septic tank and also lessen the amount of solids in the effluent. But when the scum is liquefied, this gives the solidified wastes the chance to be absorbed by the surrounding soil. This also brings about the formation of methane, which is a toxic and flammable septic system gas.
There are chemical additives such as sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, alum, baking soda, and formaldehyde that are known to remove the clogs and restore the smooth flow of the septic system. But there were reports that implicate hydrogen peroxide in destroying the enzyme and bacterial structure of the surrounding soil. Sulfuric acid is a very corrosive acid that is known to burn skin when inappropriately handled. Those additives that control odors such as zinc sulfate, quarternary ammonium, paraformaldehyde, and formaldehyde are said to be biodegradable when diluted but biocidal when used purely on their own at maximum strength.
However, there are organic bacterial and enzyme additives that have been conscientiously reformulated so as to be safe and healthy for you and for the environment and also effective in the treatment of septic systems.
Septic system enzyme additives really have the power to either help the septic system or harm it. It could either aid you in ensuring that the septic system remains efficient or potentially harmful to humans when improperly used. That is how powerful septic system enzyme additives are. Because of this, many homeowners are asking how important are septic system additives and is it important to use additives in their septic system to ensure a health septic system. It is said that just by normal septic use a septic system will activate the natural bacterial decomposition process. This is a very natural and safe way for you to maintain your septic system.
The problem occurs when anti-bacterial additives are added to the septic environment through hand soaps and dish washing liquids. These additives kill of the healthy beneficial bacteria found in the septic environment reducing the digestion process. Beneficial bacteria and enzyme additives are required to keep a septic system operating at a level of peak performance.
It is always a good idea to consult with septic system professionals who know how to deal with septic system maintenance without harming the operation o the system. Make sure that you also consult your local environmental department on regulations and the effects of systems that are not well maintained. It is better to really see the bigger picture if you are considering the use of enzyme additives in maintaining your septic system. So check everything out and think twice before using enzyme additives.