Will Bleach Hurt My Leesburg VA Septic System?
Others have asked, and you may be wondering yourself, will bleach hurt my Leesburg VA septic system? It’s a fair question, and not at all unexpected. After all, everybody knows that bleach is death to bacteria, and your home’s septic system requires bacteria in order to do its job. The two just don’t seem to be a very good mix.
Would it surprise you to know that the answer to the question, “will bleach hurt my Leesburg VA septic system?” is no, not really, but there’s a catch.
Most of the time, bleach gets introduced into a septic system via routine cleaning. Most cleaning products are bleach-based. Often, people either use straight bleach, or bleach diluted with water. All of that winds up going down the drain and ultimately into the tank, but in the quantities we’re talking about here, the concentration isn’t high enough to cause any damage to speak of.
On the other hand, yes, if you pour two gallons of bleach straight down the drain, it’s going to kill the bacteria your system needs to function properly. Just don’t do that, and you’ll be fine.
The real danger then, lies in the question itself. If you’re focused on finding the answer to the question “will bleach hurt my Leesburg VA septic system?” then you’re taking your eye off of other potential threats that are much more harmful.
What are those other threats? Here are a few:
Grease: Pouring grease or cooking oil down the drain is incredibly harmful to your tank. Much more so than a bit of bleach here and there, yet few people think much about it. Unfortunately, once the grease is in your tank, the only way to get rid of it is to have the tank pumped out.
Don’t buy into the hype you may hear about wonder products that supposedly break the grease up so it can flow into the drain field. Most of these don’t do anything at all, and they may harm the bacterial agents your tank needs to function.
Excess Water: This is another potentially big problem. The two most common causes of excess water in your septic system are the down spouts connected to your rain gutters, which may be directing water into the drain field and running toilets or dripping faucets. Solving for both of these will go a long way toward improving the efficiency of your system.
Chemical Drain Cleaners: While it takes up to two gallons of bleach to harm the tank bacteria, it only takes up to a teaspoon of chemical drain cleaner. Avoid it at all costs!
The best way to ensure your septic system serves you well and reliably is proper maintenance. If you’re not sure how long it’s been since your septic system has been serviced, then it’s probably overdue. Give us a call to schedule an appointment today. We’re happy to help!