Repair / Maintain Your Septic Drain Field: Drain Field FAQ

Using Septic Drainer to maintain or repair your septic drain field can prevent, restore and maintain your drain field system! Check out our Septic Drainer septic drain field FAQ and get answers to how to use our product, and how it can work for you. It’s easy to order Septic Drainer and get started today, or contact us at (518) 812-0000 for more information, and check our client video testimonials here!

Septic System FAQ #1- CAN I POUR SEPTIC DRAINER DIRECTLY IN MY SEPTIC TANK?

Answer: No, it’s better to apply Septic Drainer directly in the drain lines by accessing the “Distribution Box”. The Distribution Box is usually about 10’ off the septic tank. If there is no Distribution Box simply use a hose about 15’-20’ long and insert the hose in the outgoing line (effluent line) from the tank to the drain field and pour the product using the hose with a funnel. It may be better to dig up the outgoing line to the drain field and install a clean out for future access. (All very easy and common practice.)

Septic System FAQ #2- CAN I APPLY SEPTIC DRAINER WITH A BACTERIA TREATMENT?

Answer: Yes you can. Septic Drainer is applied in the drain field while the bacterium is applied in the septic tank.

Septic System FAQ #3- HOW LONG DOES SEPTIC DRAINER TAKE TO WORK?

Answer: The normal time is about three weeks, but could take longer or shorter depending on the system failure. In some cases because of hydraulic loading of ground water, a system may never drain completely. But it will not back-up with regular maintenance and an application of Septic Drainer every six months.

Leach Field - Septic Drainer

What You Need to Know About Septic System Care

Posted on November 30, 2019February 13, 2023 by Brendan Manley

How your Septic System’s Cesspool, Dry Well, Conventional Septic System, Leach Field works and how to keep them working? In this post, we’re going to take a deeper dive into how your septic system functions so you’ll have a better idea of what you need to do to keep it working properly.

All systems work first by separating the solids from the liquids. This is accomplished by the use of a baffle in the center of the septic tank which has two chambers: one called the primary; and one called the secondary. This allows solids to settle in the primary side of the tank, by using a baffle separating the tank’s two chambers. The solids that remain in the tank are then consumed by aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

In the secondary side of the septic tank, there is a baffle that’s attached to the outgoing pipe. It further separates any remaining solids from entering the drain field, leach field or drainage structure.

Effluent is the liquid that leaves the tank flows to a Distribution Box and then into your drain pipes. This effluent contains both liquid and sodium; it’s the sodium that affect the performance of your drainage field, causing the system to fail.

The Problem

Hardpan soil is formed when sodium combines with soil causeing failures. Once a septic fails Bio-Mat forms in your system. The second cause of drain field failure is when organic (i.e. grease) overloading occurs.

While the amount of grease that goes in a drain field can be controlled, sodium is a little more difficult to control. Sodium comes from our diets, the soaps we use, our medications, our water supply and our water softeners. Directing water softeners elsewhere is difficult, because of other hazards associated with salt brine.

The Solution

Luckily, septic system care isn’t rocket science. The single biggest thing you can do to maintain your cesspool, drywell, leach field is to have it pumped and inspected every two years. Leave a small amount of solids in the tank to ensure you have an active colony of bacteria present. Some other things you can do include:

Making sure your baffles are intact, which will help prevent any solids from entering your drain field pipes.
Every five years it’s important to flush out your drainage pipes, or flush out your wet well, using a high-pressure sewer jet or a pressure washer.
To jet out your drain lines, open your distribution box or dry well to pressure wash the walls.
Look for signs of concrete erosion. This indicates the last stage of septic failure, when your system’s rotting sewage creates hydrogen sulfide gas, which erodes concrete.
Treating your soil and taking care of the biological heath of your system will help ensure your drain field performs for years to come.

Need Help Now?

If your system is showing signs of failure, have your system’s drain pipes jetted out, or your dry well walls pressure-washed, and then add four gallons of Septic Drainer evenly in your drain field pipes or directly in your dry well. The rule of thumb is to add a gallon of Septic Drainer for every 50 feet of 4-inch piping, or for every foot depth of dry well. Also add 1/2 quart (or 16 ounces) of Bio-Septic Boost for every 1,000-gallon septic tank, and then add 3.2 ounces per month for five months in your toilet.

Ongoing Septic System Care

For maintenance, add a gallon of Septic Drainer in your toilet every three to six months, and add 2.5 ounces of Bio-Septic Boost in your toilet monthly. Every five years, add four gallons of Septic Drainer directly in your drain pipes or dry well, after jetting the drain lines or pressure-washing your dry well. Add 1/2 quart of Bio-Septic Boost in your tank and then 3.2 ounces in your toilet for the next five months.

For more information on Bio-Septic Boost, visit its dedicated product website.

How To Maintain Your Septic Drain Field

Posted on March 25, 2016February 16, 2023 by

The drain field is probably the most important part of any septic system. As the final destination during the wastewater treatment process, the drain field is responsible for treating effluent from the septic system and eventually absorbing it into the soil. In most cases, drain fields are designed to last from 25 to 30 years. That’s why it pays to maintain your septic drain field.

If you want to make sure your septic drain field lasts this long and you don’t run into any significant problems with it, you need to know what you should do to properly maintain it:

The key to keeping your drain field in good shape is to manage your home’s water consumption. If too much water floods your drain field all at once, it may have a hard time managing the treatment and absorption process effectively.
- When you do laundry, space out loads throughout the week, instead of running loads back to back to back.
In addition to proper wastewater management habits, there are other things you can do to preserve the lifespan and functionality of your drain field. For example, you should never try to flush something that doesn’t belong in your drain field down the toilet. If it can’t biodegrade, or is too large, it should be thrown out and not flushed.
Refrain from parking vehicles or other heavy equipment on top of your property’s drain field.

Need more help maintaining your septic drain field? Order Septic Drainer today! And check out another of our great products, Bio-Septic Boost!

Bad Smell In The Yard, Instead Of Roses

Posted on January 6, 2012February 16, 2023 by

The day started off like any other. As I took my morning garden tour to check my rose bushes, a curious smell in the air disrupted my slice of heaven. You didn’t have to be a detective to quickly ascertain that the bad smell in the yard was decidedly “sewer-like.” My septic drain field was in crisis. To put it mildly, the lawn surface over my septic drain field was awash in wastewater.

In retrospect, I had ignored the warning signs. Bright green strips over the septic drain field should have set off alarm bells. Then there was a plumbing backup about a month ago. I attributed it to a small toy that a helpful child flushed down the toilet. This was followed shortly thereafter by gurgling sounds in the plumbing and slow-draining sinks and toilets. A call to the septic maintenance company indicated that they had pumped out the septic tank only six months ago. So an inspector was dispatched.

If sewage water cannot trickle through the holes in the underground piping in a septic drain field, the cleaning organisms present in soil cannot do their job. Then the effluent will begin to collect. In this case, it was collecting on my lawn.

The Problem

Septic drain field problems develop over time. As the inspector pointed out, the sodium present in products used for laundry, in the kitchen and bathroom, and in our diets, bonds with the soil in a septic drain field. Over time, this bond creates an impenetrable barrier, which prevents the wastewater from percolating through the soil. Almost 90% of septic system failures are due to sodium buildup in the soil. If the soil is unable to perform its cleaning or absorptive functions, then the continuous wastewater flushed out from the septic tank into the septic drain field has to find an outlet.

The good news is that it is possible to restore soil structure and drainage by adding Septic Drainer to the septic system. An environmentally friendly product, Septic Drainer uses a groundbreaking soil-restorative formula to restore failed or failing septic drain fields. The product is based on a solution commonly used in agriculture to improve the absorption of plant foods and water.

The Answer

As directed, I added four gallons of Septic Drainer to my 1,000-gallon septic tank. Within a week, my septic system was rejuvenated and back on track, with no more bad smell in the yard. To ensure that the system stays in balance, I will follow the advice to add one gallon of Septic Drainer every six months, as well as regular treatment with its companion product, Bio-Septic Boost. The modest cost of Septic Drainer was a welcome alternative to repairing the piping, or replacing the septic tank.

Now I can relax and smell my roses.