Is there a homemade alternative to Ridx and is it necessary to use these products anyway?

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), February 17, 2002

Answers

I was told these products are very necessary. Of course that was by a salesman for one of the manufacturers. In fact on of the reps that supplies our store said that they guarantee that you will never have to pump your tank if you use their product as directed. They even guarantee it. Hahaha. Like they're going to replace your septic system if it fails. ya right. I like to have the tank pumped every few years just to know whats going on. The cost is less than using all the additives. The best thing you can do is not put things into the system that shouldn't be there. Like plastic bags, drain oil etc. We bought a house once and shortly thereafter we saw sewage bubbling up in the yard. Previous owners (boneheads) had flushed plastic bags,tampons, and prophylactics. Lucky for us a bag had lodged in the tank exit which was relatively easy to remove.

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), February 17, 2002.

Yes, there is an alternative - yeast.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 17, 2002.

I've used chopped liver. Just take 1/2 pound every three month's and it works as good as anything you can buy off the shelf.

-- Herb (hwmil@aol.com), February 17, 2002.

Brewers yeast. 1/4#, once a month into the tank directly, not flushed down the toilet. But, if it's a brand-new tank or relatively new (less than 2-yrs old), it's a HUGE WASTE of $$$.

For much older tanks, it's a remedy, in the interim of waiting for the spring thaw and the honey bucket truck to arrive. After they are pumped out, it's not necessary, unless you're dumping kitchen grease (a BIG no-no) down the sinks. Put grease and oils in #10 cans, freeze it. Either re-use, burn it in a pit or take it to the landfill.

If someone wants to waste good liver, let them. I prefer mine sauteed with onions, garlic and mushrooms.

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), February 17, 2002.

I am glad you ask this question. Husband seems to think that Rid X keeps the pipes clean. I say, No, it has nothing to do with that. It's just supposed to help the septic tank itself "digest" the waste and break it down. Is this correct? I was told also about the old "chop up cabbage and dump it in " thing. I am of the opinion (wrong? Right? )that the tank will do just fine once it is established if you just leave it alone and don't put anything stupid down there. ???????? LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), February 17, 2002.

Rid-X is simply a fancy formula for yeast. It smells like and pours like it. It does not clean the pipes. I've heard of the cabbage formula before and it just adds more heat and odor to the mix.

-- al (yr2012@hotmail.com), February 17, 2002.

A couple of years ago I helped a boss of mine dig up a septic line of his that collapsed. When we got to the tank and removed the lid, what a surprise! There was a great big huge ball floating around in there, must had been about 3' in diameter. It turned out to be a huge ball of laundry detergent that kept collecting and forming a big ball. My boss called out a drain service to drain the septice tank and while they were doing there job we asked what was the best septic treatment to use in the drains. His reply was to never use any powder substance for washing but always use a liquid if possible, and to forget all the fancy draino liquids but to use just plain-o fleishmans yeast. He said to pour about 3 of those little packages in each drain in the house and afterwards to pour at least one package in each drain every month. He said that as long as you do this on a regular basis you shouldn't have very much trouble in the future.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), February 17, 2002.

Years ago I read about mixing dry yeast into about a half gallon of very warm water with a pound of brown sugar and letting it proof a while before flushing it down the drain.

I don't know if it is neccessary to do this, but I figure that then it is already working and multiplying, and if you add sugar to yeast to feed it when you're making bread, it's probably a good idea to do the same here.

So far, no septic troubles.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), February 18, 2002.

A pretty good rule-of-thumb is: Don't put anything in a septic tank that you didn't put in your mouth.

-- Griff in OR (griff@hangnail.com), February 20, 2002.

Herb...chopped liver???? raw or cooked???

-- Ben (11022033@canada.com), February 20, 2002.