This article will discuss how to increase bacteria in your septic tank.
Bacteria play a vital role in breaking down a wide variety of waste products. Their functions are more evident in septic systems as they combine with yeast and enzymes to digest solids settled at the tank’s bottom.
Without this process, the decomposition process won’t begin.
The absence or inadequate supply of bacteria in a septic tank will need to be rectified. To fix the problem, bacteria will need to be added or reintroduced into the tank.
How Does Bacteria Find its Way Into your Septic Tank?
For the lay reader, there’s little understanding of how bacteria get into the septic tank in the first place. Not being able to figure this out will likely create further confusion when discussing how to increase the bacteria population.
Bacteria get introduced into the septic tank through the natural process of flushing solid and liquid wastes—from feces to wastewater, among other things.
When this is done continually, bacteria result naturally and begin to break down such wastes.
What Affects Bacteria Concentration in a Septic Tank?
Before we go into details on how to increase bacteria in a septic tank, it will be fair first to find out what reduces them in the first place. It’s also important to note that clogging is one problem that arises due to harmful bacteria in a septic tank.
The following human activities are responsible for the reduction in the bacteria population;
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Use of Antibacterial Soap
Antibacterial soap, by its nature, is meant to kill off harmful and disease-causing bacteria.
However, its effect does not end on your body. It empties down the drain, finding its way into the septic tank. When it does, it destroys beneficial bacteria located within the tank.
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Flushing Down Medicines Down The Drain
Medicines, especially antibiotics, harm beneficial bacteria found in septic tanks. These medicines are designed to kill bacteria and will do just that when they encounter such bacteria.
The best thing is not to change the habit of flushing medications down the drain altogether.
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Bleach
Bleach is a popular household cleaning product that hurts beneficial bacteria within septic tanks. So, does that mean you’ll need to remove your bleach?
If so, is there an alternative? There are excellent alternatives to bleach that don’t kill off beneficial bacteria within septic tanks. These alternatives include vinegar and baking soda, among many others.
They are as effective as bleach but without adverse side effects.
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However…
The above products have discussed the adverse effects on septic tank bacteria. We must clarify that such cleaning products won’t immediately decimate beneficial bacteria.
Bacteria populations within septic tanks are only reduced when you and your household constantly use these products.
Do You Need to Add Bacteria to Your Septic Tank?
One of the questions you’ll need to ask yourself is whether more bacteria are necessary for your tank. This can be a tricky question to answer unless you’re an expert. If you aren’t, you can seek advice from a septic technician.
They come in to inspect your tank. Such inspection assesses the state of solids at the bottom of your tank. If the buildup is fast is unreasonably fast, there’s a likelihood that it’s due to harmful bacteria.
Also, a lousy bacterium in a septic tank is likely to clog.
In any case, calling for professional help will lead to easy identification of the state of bacteria and the provision of far-reaching solutions. Under such circumstances, you won’t need to worry about what bacterium to add or how to do it as the professionals handle it.
How to Boost Bacteria in Septic Tank
Adding or increasing bacteria in your septic tank isn’t rocket science. However, you’ll need some form of guidance. There are products designed to help introduce more bacteria into a septic tank.
One of the safest measures is to call the company that clears or empties your septic tank and asks for recommendations on the most effective products. There are lots of septic additives that help introduce bacteria into a tank.
You should be able to get the best advice from experts.
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Septic Tank Additives
Septic tank additives are treatments that help balance the bacterial content of tanks, thus eliminating the problem of a drop in the bacterial population. There are over a thousand different products.
Some of these include the following;
Cabin Obsession
Cabin obsession is a septic tank additive in easy flush dissolving packets.
It consists of scientifically selected bacterial cultures, each packed with billions of active bacteria. These produce, activate, and recharge the required enzymes that help decompose solids.
You can get this product wherever septic systems and supplies are sold. Cabin obsession comes with user instructions that you must adhere to for the best results.
Green Gobbler Septic Saver
This is another product that helps reintroduce bacteria into a septic tank.
This comes with six months worth of treatment with bags containing six water-soluble packs. You only need to drop a package and flush it down the drain once a month.
This does the magic and helps maintain the bacterial balance of your tank.
Rid-X
Rid-X not only helps introduce more bacteria into your septic tank, but it also helps break down grease and paper, among other things. This ensures that your tank is maintained and kept functioning in perfect condition.
You only need to drop and flush a pack down the drain once a month. This saves you the stress of dealing with a complex and more complicated situation.
For all of these products, it is essential to follow user instructions. Doing otherwise won’t get you the results you seek. These are effective ways to increase bacteria in your septic tank without spending tons of money on damages or complications.