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Acidizing w/floor drain to septic tank

jacks2000

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Oct 9, 2012
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54
Location
Kansas
I need to acidize my floor before coating w/ Rust Bullett. My floor drain goes to my septic tank. Will the acid hurt the septic process?
Thanks Jack
 
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Wantsalotta

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Oct 23, 2017
Messages
10
I don't have a definitive answer, but if it were me, I'd plug the drain and treat it just like a garage that didn't have a floor drain-water down the acid and rinse it to the outdoors.
 

RPH

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Dec 17, 2006
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4,190
Location
Michigan Thumb
Pour some baking soda water mix in the trap and be prepared to add more. That should help neutralize the acid. Any left that gets into the tank will be highly diluted by the tank contents.
 

Shea

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Sep 19, 2012
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2,867
Location
California
You shouldn't have so much acid solution on the concrete that it is freely running into the drain. You need just enough to keep the concrete wet. Plug the drain before you begin the process as another poster recommended. After the etch has done it's work, neutralize the concrete with 1 cup baking soda to 1 gallon water. Use a watering can with the sprinkle end to cover every square inch of concrete. It's OK to get heavy with the neutralizing solution. Unplug your drain afterwards and what goes into your septic should all be neutralized and safe.
 

JohnnyK81

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Jul 6, 2016
Messages
142
Same boat as you, so I'm trying to avoid it. Yes, the acid would neutralize the septic process (depending on how much acid you use!)

I also don't like the idea of having a pretty much constant hose stream going down the drain since it needs a good rinse.
 

PWC Repair

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Dec 27, 2012
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3,187
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Arkansas
And when you're all done I would dump some fleischmans yeast down the drain a few times and maybe some buttermilk, to make sure you build the bacteria back up in the septic. A complete die off of bacteria would not be good.
 
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gungatim

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Jan 8, 2013
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8,101
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west mich
the bacteria will come back naturally if it is killed off. it is pretty difficult to kill off all the bacterial in a 1000 gallon septic system, all the goop **** and crud stuck in the nooks and crannys of every pipe hold bacteria. by the time the acid or bleach or whatever sanitizer you use regularly gets in there it is pretty diluted...forget yeast, you need bacteria which is not the same as yeast. flush some road kill if in doubt.
 

PWC Repair

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Dec 27, 2012
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Location
Arkansas
the bacteria will come back naturally if it is killed off. .forget yeast, you need bacteria which is not the same as yeast.

Yes, but the bacteria thrive on the yeast (which is actually a fungus) and will multiply quickly. We have been in our house 19 years and have only ever pumped the 500 gallon septic once, right after we bought the house. Flush a packet of yeast once a month down the toilet. Everybody i know does this and none of us have ever had septic problems. We do check the solids level every few years and it tends to stay about 12-15 inches deep in the bottom.
 

Radix2

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May 28, 2014
Messages
1,853
Location
the thumb!, MI
Is this garage drain to the septic a local requirement ? (is this a garage ?)

Bad ordinance IMO if true - since you are unlikely to put anything on the garage floor that would benefit from a trip in a septic tank...better to drain to a dedicated crock or to daylight if possible.

I know local places often frown on floor drains for fear of oil or gas spills into the sewer system or the ground- but dumping into a septic system seems worse.
 
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