Dumping RV tanks into home syptic system

[SteveAE]

For the five or 6 years that I have been RV'ing, for convenience, I would sometimes dump my tanks into my home septic system upon returning home. While I have felt pretty comfortable doing this, I have also wondered if there was any potential for damage (to my home septic system) from this practice. So, when the tanks were especially full, I would sometimes throttle the flow so as to only allow part of the tank(s) to dump at a time. Give it a moment or two to settle, then dump some more.

Today, when I had my septic tank pumped (I do it every 5 years), I took the opportunity to raise this question with the pumper.

I learned that IF chemicals are used in the RV holding tank AND this dumping is done frequently (i.e.; > 12 times per year), then over time, these chemicals will build up in the septic tank enough that they start to liquefy its contents. If the contents of the tank liquefy (they are supposed to separate; with solids at the bottom, water in the middle, and a scum layer on top), then this "slurry" makes its way past the outlet sanitary tee (located in the center of the tank and designed for only water to pass) and into the drain field. On the other hand, if this dumping only happens a few times per year (6 to 8), then it was his opinion that it "isn't likely" to cause a problem.

When I told the pumper that I don't use chemicals at all, he responded that I "can dump as much, as fast, and as often as I want". The inlet tee will slow down the flow so as not to cause turbulence in the septic tank and the contents will be digested by the natural process in the tank (not liquefied as the RV chemicals "eventually" do).

This made sense to me so I wanted to share it with the RV community.

Happy dumping.

[pnichols]

I have no idea what Rid-x is.

We've used this in our home's septic tank for 37 years:
http://septonic.ca/

[Pirate1]

Lynnmor wrote:
Rid-X is just fine to use. A septic system depends on bacteria to work properly and Rid-X is just that. I add it after the tank is pumped to be sure that the bacteria has a good start. It can only do good and no harm.

Rid-X will break up the top scum layer, which should be sucked out by a service. Once it breaks up, it can move to your leach field and clog it. Do Not use Rid-X in a septic system.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

I must be lucky. I haven't pumped my tank in 40 years and the other one in about 30 years.

I've dumped my trailer holding tank in my septic for over 40 years. Only once or twice a year but no problems. And I use blue in my tanks.

I only have about 30 years of life left in me so I think I will carry on despite what some say on this forum. After that, it will be someone else's problem.............or lack there of.

[valhalla360]

ryoung wrote:

Properly functioning septic system does NOT need routine pumping.

Not true. What happens to the solids?

ryoung

Bacteria eat the solids and the result is liquids and gasses.

[travelnutz]

What makes septic tanks not digest/breakdown it's contents all the way is if a quantity of bleach is used that finds it's way into the septic tank. Bleach kills the bacteria and thus slows or stops the natural bacterial actions in the septic tank. Bleach is in so many cleaning products and many people use bleach to whiten clothes etc or disinfect or whatever.

It's the accumulative effect of bleaches/bacertia killers used that usually creates poorly broken down higher quantites of solids in the tank which means more frequent pump outs. However, there is always going to be some solids build up in a septic tank over a long time period. However, it's the occupants of the home that tank is connected to that can/are in control of how fast the solids levels build up in their septic tank by what they flush into it.

We are careful and have usually gone approx 25 years between pump outs. Own 2 other properties with septic systems and no problems either. Some people we know have gone 40+ years and then there's some who can't get past 2-3 years like one of our neighbors. Yes, they are very careless about what goes into their septic system. So many times I've seen him cleaning his fish catch as he's a diehard fisherman and hunter and flushing all the remains of his catch/hunt etc down his outside cleaning station electric sink disposal drain going right into his septic tank! He constantly claims the peopls who installed his septic system screwed up and that his septic tank must be very tiny. Same people who installed ours so many years ago and both were approved. DUH! Guess you can't fix stupid!

[Lynnmor]

Rid-X is just fine to use. A septic system depends on bacteria to work properly and Rid-X is just that. I add it after the tank is pumped to be sure that the bacteria has a good start. It can only do good and no harm.

[Pirate1]

SteveAE wrote:
Thank you.
Your many comments and personal experiences have encouraged me to do some research on the subject of pumping septic tanks. So over the past couple days, I have reviewed over a dozen government and university websites along with a handful of (what I felt were) valid private sites (not "Big Bubba's Handy Septic Tips"). Over the course of this research, I learned quite a bit on the subject and for those of you that might be interested, I encourage doing similar research. No need to reference specific sites here as Google will lend a hand in your quest.

Exactly. And what I found was to routinely pump your tank, don't use stuff like ridx.

[SteveAE]

Thank you.
Your many comments and personal experiences have encouraged me to do some research on the subject of pumping septic tanks. So over the past couple days, I have reviewed over a dozen government and university websites along with a handful of (what I felt were) valid private sites (not "Big Bubba's Handy Septic Tips"). Over the course of this research, I learned quite a bit on the subject and for those of you that might be interested, I encourage doing similar research. No need to reference specific sites here as Google will lend a hand in your quest.

[ryoung]

Properly functioning septic system does NOT need routine pumping.

Not true. What happens to the solids?

ryoung

[myredracer]

Absolutely no concerns with pumping RV holding tanks into your home system. Except be careful with what chemicals are in RV black tank treatments and what you put into a grey tank (cleaners, ex.) Some chemicals in high enough concentrations can permanently destroy an on-site disposal system. You WANT the bacteria in your holding tank to go into your tank at home. RV tank chemicals don't help with digestion and breakdown of the solids and are simply not required though. The organic/enzyme types won't be in your RV tank long enough anyway to do anything. In some jurisdictions, adding chemical treatments to a residential septic tank is not permitted. Good info. on chemicals here. Forget about chemicals in your RV tank, esp. if dumping into your tank at home and then you'll never have to worry.

All tanks eventually require pumping out. It's just how they work no matter where you are. The frequency depends on what goes into tanks, the volume of it and the size of tanks. Garburetors greatly increase pump-out frequency. Some of the incoming solids float on the surface and gets digested by bacteria and up to 50% drops to the bottom in the form of sludge and builds up. If you fail to pump out a tank, it will eventually plug up and in come cases cause a drain field to fail and then you are looking at thousands of $$ in repairs. Design requirements are significantly more complex today and you can even be forced to install a very expensive system costing many thousands of $$. I've seen older drain fields that were built from clay tile and Big O pipe that were plugged right up due to failure to do periodic pump-outs. Treatment chemicals in a home septic tank are unnecessary and in some cases can cause harm. Natural microbial action is all that is needed. If you think you need chemicals because the system isn't functioning right, then you may have problems with the system that need looking into.

Better to spend a couple hundred $$ every few years and get a pumper in.

Good info. on pumping septic tanks from U of Minnesota here. Also some from PennState here.

[pnichols]

We've been dumping our RV tanks into our home septic system for around 30 years. However, the dump station in our back yard where we dump the RV tanks has 4 inch plumbing all the way to the septic tank.

We've pumped our septic system once in 37 years - and that was just because the country required it for a remodeling permit. We put everything down our sink drains in the home - just as if we were on a city sewer system. We have a garbage disposal in the kitchen sink and grind up all kinds of stuff - even artichoke leaves ... and down the drain into the septic tank everything goes. We don't baby our septic system.

Once a month for 37 years I have added Septonic additive to our home's septic tank.

[pitch]

NYS law requires pumping and the dye test on sale of a home. I have mine pumped once a decade just in case!

[valhalla360]

Bird Freak wrote:
I hate to tell some of you that this is not a law in all states. It may be in your state but you should not assume it is everywhere.

Might be a law, might be the mortgage company but it's not being done because it's needed.

[Bird_Freak]

I hate to tell some of you that this is not a law in all states. It may be in your state but you should not assume it is everywhere.

[Cummins12V98]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

SteveAE wrote:
OP here.

The intent of my post was just to share what I learned, not to start a "discussion" on the merits of pumping septic tanks.

However, I can say that if I was looking to purchase a home with a tank that hadn't been pumped in over 20 years, I would budget into the negotiations several thousand dollars for replacement of the drain field. What other perspective buyers might do, I don't care.

Think about it this way. Municipal wastewater treatment plants spend thousands of dollars each year to haul away the solids that accumulate in their digesters, so why shouldn't the same be true for the home system?

Or, another way to think about it, is that it's cheap insurance ($280.00 here in Central Oregon for a 1000 gallon tank) in case those of you who don't believe in regular pumping are mistaken. Given this, how can you lose?

But again, I don't care what anyone here does. I am just trying to help save money on repair costs, or earn you more money when you sell your home.....oh yea, and to share what I learned about RV chemicals going into septic tanks.

Happy dumping...and for some I hope, pumping.

Upon selling a home with septic system...the tank has to be pumped and inspected. Including the leech field.
IF issues found...they will be disclose/noted....then one can 'negotiate'

Properly functioning septic system does NOT need routine pumping

ZACTLY!!!