As a homeowner, you should be careful what you dump down your drain if you have a septic tank. A septic tank comprises a complex system that breaks down organic household wastewater using healthy bacteria and releases treated water into the ground. Therefore, disposing of some things down your drain can offset the delicate balance within your septic tank, resulting in damage to the septic tank and releasing bad wastewater into the environment.
What You Shouldn’t Put Down Your Drain
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued guidelines on how homeowners can care for their septic systems. As a homeowner, you should take the time and check out the policies. Some of the things the EPA advises not to dump down your drain include:
- Household chemicals, including gasoline, pesticides, oil, paint, paint thinners and antifreeze
- Pharmaceuticals
- Cat litter
- Paper towels
- Cigarette butts
- Diapers
- Dental floss
- Feminine hygiene products
- Condoms
- Photographic solutions
- Cooking oil and grease
- Non-flushable wipes like baby wipes
Is Drano Safe for Septic Tanks?
Drano is a drain cleaner that works similarly to other drain cleaners. Once you pour it down the drain, it creates a harsh chemical reaction that eats away whatever substances block the drain. This drain cleaner is powerful enough to eat away blockages caused by hair, grease and even bones from your leftovers. Drano has been proven to work in numerous cases, but there is much more to its story than meets the eye.
Once this drain cleaner eats away the things blocking the drain, it proceeds to the septic tank. Since it’s so powerful, the chemical will still be potent in the septic tank and will kill off the bacteria responsible for cleaning your household wastewater. As a result, your household will drain into the ground without treatment. This untreated water draining into the environment is also tainted with harsh chemicals. This can lead to the contamination of the groundwater around your home. The only drain cleaner that you should consider using on your septic tank is one that is certified as a septic safe drain cleaner. Drano recently introduced several drain cleaning products that are worth checking out with this certification.
Additional Harms of Letting Traditional Drain Cleaners Down Your Drain
As soon as a traditional drain cleaner starts going down your drain, its powerful chemical reaction starts. As it’s designed to dissolve almost everything that it comes into contact with, it can dissolve your drain pipes as it moves along. Additionally, it can eat away the glue holding the drain pipes together at the joints and even damage the toilets connected to the drains. If the damage to your drain system is too severe, you might have to replace it, which will be costly.
Welcome to Gullett Sanitation Services
Are you a homeowner in Bethel, Ohio, or the surrounding areas? When you require professional assistance relating to septic and dewatering services, you are welcome at Gullett Sanitation Services. We are a business that has been serving residents of this region for 80 years. We are open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Call us or visit us to access excellent wastewater services.