SEPTIC OWNERS

[FORCE FAB]

What does everyone do with their waste water from the clothes washer?

 

[SlyFerret]

Ours runs into the septic system.

We try not to do more than two loads of laundry on any given day. We also make sure that we don't use bleach.

Also, make sure you use a lint filter on the washer discharge to keep from running all the lint into the septic to clog up your leach bed.

-SF

 

[Nic36]

Mine doesn't go to the septic tank. It's on a separate line that runs down into the woods and drains onto the ground.

 

[Dr.Faustus]

mine runs into a drywell, not completely sure what that consists of, but it doesnt go into the septic tank. it was here before i was and has required 0 maintenance.

 

[wahoowad]

washer into septic. no filters. drain field has had no maintenance since 1987 when house was built.

 

[nate379]

Septic.

 

[jharkin]

Ours goes into the septic.

I don't even worry about bleach as I use it in the wash maybe once a month. Probably more cumulative chlorine gets into the tank over time from the treated city water.

 

[gzecc]

Some systems have two systems. Black water (bathrooms) and grey water (kitchens and laundry). My grey goes to a separate cistern. Its nice not to flood your black water system with grey water.

 

[WhitePine]

Ours goes into the septic. IMHO, a drywell is the best solution, but they are illegal here. Cesspools are still legal, though, under certain circumstances. Go figure.

 

[burntime]

My pumps out into a greywell. Basically runs 70 ft of pvc to daylight and runs into a 4ft deep gravel filled grey well. Originally ran top ground but the kids playset area was muddy. I ran the gutter there too. Once I grey welled it, it stays dry. All I did was dig a 4ft hole and about 3.5ft wide. Dropped a plastic barrel with holes in it and filled with stone. Covered most with tar paper and dirt. Mine goes into clay so not ideal but with the new front loader its something like 18 galons a load vs 60. Big difference!

 

[LLigetfa]

Everything but the iron filter and water softener goes into the septic tank. The iron filter and water softener backwash into the sump to keep it out of the septic system.

 

[firefighterjake]

Everything goes into the septic system . . . including bleeched white loads . . . I do however try to avoid using the sink's Insinkerator and we use a front loader which tends to reduce the amount of water going into the septic . . . plus there are only two of us living in the house.

 

[Later]

Septic tank. Tank has a filter on outlet that I hose off yearly.

 

[pyper]

Our goes into the tank. We do as many as 8 loads on laundry day. We don't use much bleach, but that's just because we don't. Haven't had any problems (knocking on wood).

 

[Highbeam]

In the olden days, the laundry dumped into a drywell. Modern systems take that sewage, yes it is sewage, and put it in the septic system. Since the front loaders have come out the impact is greatly diminished, mine only uses 7 gallons per large load. Our biggest impact on the septic is now showers at 2 gpm for 15 minutes we are dumping 30 gallons of water down the drain.

I don't have a lint filter, have never seen one. Seems like a great way to flood your laundry room with wash water when that thing clogs. Our old gravity sepitc tank is equipped with an outlet filter which I highly recommend for anyone.

 

[woodmeister]

septic, no issues.

 

[Flatbedford]

Septic system. Front loader.

 

[BucksCounty]

In the olden days, the laundry dumped into a drywell. Modern systems take that sewage, yes it is sewage, and put it in the septic system. Since the front loaders have come out the impact is greatly diminished, mine only uses 7 gallons per large load. Our biggest impact on the septic is now showers at 2 gpm for 15 minutes we are dumping 30 gallons of water down the drain.

I don't have a lint filter, have never seen one. Seems like a great way to flood your laundry room with wash water when that thing clogs. Our old gravity sepitc tank is equipped with an outlet filter which I highly recommend for anyone.

Ours dumps into the septic. Home inspector told us to get lint traps to prevent clogging leach field. We were home (luckily) when the drain began overflowing after only 2 months. Previous owners had a lot of work done on leach fields prior to us buying house, so I want to keep the lint out. Amazing how much lint is caught in the traps...we do average of 3 loads a week.

 

[WhitePine]

Ours dumps into the septic. Home inspector told us to get lint traps to prevent clogging leach field. We were home (luckily) when the drain began overflowing after only 2 months. Previous owners had a lot of work done on leach fields prior to us buying house, so I want to keep the lint out. Amazing how much lint is caught in the traps...we do average of 3 loads a week.

I have been thinking of installing a lint trap/filter on our washer drain. What kind of lint trap do you have? Are you satisfied with it?

 

[Highbeam]

Check out the filtrol 160. I haven't used it but it looks better than a silly sock clamped onto the end of your drain hose.

 

[ChipTam]

Laundry directly into the septic without any filters. No problems. But, only two of us using the system, it's only 5 years old, and it's only used 5 months a year. I don't use bleach. I was told bleach kills off the good bacteria necessary to break down the waste. However, I've heard others say that one poop and all the necessary bacteria is right back in the system. Does anyone know which theory is correct?
ChipTam

 

[firefighterjake]

Laundry directly into the septic without any filters. No problems. But, only two of us using the system, it's only 5 years old, and it's only used 5 months a year. I don't use bleach. I was told bleach kills off the good bacteria necessary to break down the waste. However, I've heard others say that one poop and all the necessary bacteria is right back in the system. Does anyone know which theory is correct?
ChipTam

Not sure . . . but just to be safe I'll keep pooping away to be sure the bacteria are happy.

 

[Flatbedford]

but just to be safe I'll keep pooping away to be sure the bacteria are happy.

That what I'm thinking.

 

[WhitePine]

Check out the filtrol 160. I haven't used it but it looks better than a silly sock clamped onto the end of your drain hose.

Thanks, I already found that one. It gets some pretty bad reviews.

Unfortunately, I can't find anything else, except a commercial version of the time honored sock.

 

[pyper]

Does anyone know which theory is correct?
ChipTam

I don't know if either theory is correct.

The dilution for bleach to sanitize home brewing equipment is a quarter cup in 5 gallons. That would be 75 cups for a 1500 gallon septic tank.

I also wonder if lint gets to a leech field. Does it float? It seems like it sinks. If that's the case, wouldn't it all just collect on the bottom of the tank?

I've been told that laundry detergent, dish detergent, and shampoo (all pretty much the same thing) will clog up a leech field too, but I don't really see how that would work, since detergent is a wetting agent.