Aerator Septic System questions

[Conductor562]

Growing up I lived in the country for a few years, but we moved to town when I was 6 and I've had city water/sewer ever since. I'm buying a house about 3 miles outside of town that has city water, but it has an Aerator Septic System that was installed 2 years ago. As always, most answers I find are fairly basic and limited, so I figured I'd call upon the the GJ community for some real answers. My questions are as follows:

1. The lady currently living there says she has a company come and add chemicals to it once a month. What are they adding? I asked why she didn't do it herself and she said you have to have some sort of EPA certification to do it. Hogwash I say! What do I put in it, how often do I put it in, and how much do I put in it? I'm not an EPA kind of guy.

2. I ask 3 people and get 3 different answers. Can I install a garbage disposal with the new fangled thing? If so, what precautions must be taken? Most people seem to think its ok, but that it will increase the frequency of having it emptied. How much more frequent are we talking?

3. There is a plastic box next to the house that this ladies knowledge of consist of "If the red light on top of the box comes on, call someone".


It's a pretty big house with about 2 acres and this lady is recently divorced. She knows next to nothing about the house other than the approximate age of things. I'm good on most other things, but I'm clueless on Aerator Septic Systems.

 

[lsrx101]

My folks have had an aeration system for about 10 years.
Much like a regular septic tank, it needs the solids removed and the biomass filter cleaned every so often. How often depends on how many people are in the house. With 4 people in my folks house, that meant about every 2 years.
You need to check the aerator (the poop stirrer) every 3 months or so. Hair and other things get wound around the shaft and throw it off balance which can ruin the rather pricy motor.
Yes, you can use a garbage disposal, but it will shorten the maintenance interval somewhat.
The red light in the box is an alarm that will go off if the aerator starts drawing too much current (a clump of stuff on the shaft) or if it fails completely.
I've never heard of adding chemicals to the system. Either the septic company was getting over on her or there is some local regulation that requires it.

The EPA regs are nuts on these systems if you're having one installed these days. I just had a new aeration system installed at my house and, to paraphrase, "This isn't my fathers aeration system". $11.5K including the license and permits.
License you ask? Yep. I had to pay $400 to the Ohio EPA for a license to operate an "Offsite Discharge Sewage Treatment Plant" on my property because the outflow drains into a small creek at he back of my property. (Renewable every 5 years!)
It also has a re-aerator (big fish tank bubbler) and a UV light anti-bacterial system. (It's a friggin black light).
To top it off, it also has telephone telemetry. It is connected to a phone line and will call the EPA and rat me out if the system fails. (Subject to "call in" testing at random by the EPA)

That's a lot of hoops to jump through just to take a dump.

 

[DIC]

Mine uses chlorine tablets dropped in to a pvc sleeve before the last tank. If the red light and alarm comes on you can manually turn on the sprinklers before the timer turns them on.

 

[atfulldraw]

if it is an aerobic system.....

1. They are adding chlorine, but not the kind that goes in your pool. Usually, calcium hypochlorite tablets are used.

2. A disposal is fine. What you put in it is the problem
Add a grease trap, and don't go throwing meat down the drain....

3. The little light means that the pump (the aerator) is no worky or that the high water level alarm is being triggered.....

 

[DangerousDan55]

Our house was built in 2004, we purchased it in 2010, & had the tanks pumped out & cleaned in 2011, as per recomendation from septic inspector. So, 7 years isnt bad.

In TeXas, we're required to have it inspected I think every 3 months.

Our inspector says to just put in some "cheep dog food" to add/treat the digesting process.
But, my wife buys from the HEB store "doctor drain" made by Winston Company Inc.

A garbage disposer was installed when the home was built & passed inspection. But, I try to put the bulk of food scrap in the trash, just to not load up the septic. (my choice)

Yep, if the red light turns on, call for repair, if you cannot repair it yourself. That box has the air pump that works like a fish tank but for O2 for the bacteria(bugs). Also, operates the water pump that should run early in the morning.
When my red light turned on, I checked & found the air pump not working. I purchased the parts from a septic repair guy & fixed it myself. You dont want to leave the system down for a long time. If so, your renting a Port-a-can while the septic is being made good again.

GOOGLE septic systems to learn more. Also get the info off of your "plastic box" & research the net.

 

[mrodgers]

if it is an aerobic system.....

1. They are adding chlorine, but not the kind that goes in your pool. Usually, calcium hypochlorite tablets are used.

Calcium Hypochlorite tablets are precisely the chlorine tablets most people use in their pools.

 

[jdub63]

I think most of your answers will be determined by the type of system that is actually installed and your local regulations. In Texas we have air pumps to aerate the first tank and each county has different requirements for inspection (home owner verses certified company). If the air pump or spray pump fails, the alarm goes off. We have to add chlorine tablets periodically.

Check with your local health department for specific requirements in your area.

 

[hippie2cams]

I have a drip system which requires no chlorine tablets to be added and every thing is contained underground but Texas does require an inspection and filter clean every 3 months. I guess it depends on what state and metro area you live in, check your county for regulations.

 

[Conductor562]

Thanks for the info guys. That'll get me started anyway.

 

[atfulldraw]

Calcium Hypochlorite tablets are precisely the chlorine tablets most people use in their pools.

this is from the TCEQ (texas)

WARNING: DO NOT use swimming pool chlorine tablets in your disinfection system. The chlorine in these tablets are made from trichlorisocyanuric acid. Swimming pool tablets dissolve more slowly than calcium hypochlorite and do not thoroughly disinfect the effluent. Additionally, there is a danger of explosion using swimming pool tablets since the tablets will release an explosive gas called nitrogen chloride due to the fact that they are not totally immersed in water at all times while in use. They are not approved by EPA for wastewater effluent disinfection.

my understanding is that the pool tablets are stabilized for uv protection and dissolve slowly - you want just the opposite in you septic system.

that's the extent of my knowledge

 

[EOC_Jason]

Calcium Hypochlorite tablets are precisely the chlorine tablets most people use in their pools.

However the tablets for an aerobic plant are different. The chlorine tablets for pools are designed to dissolve slower because they are constantly submerged in water. The kind for an aerobic system will dissolve MUCH quicker if submerged in water. If you use pool tablets your Cl level will be a lot lower (and possibly under the required level if your county monitors it).

I've also seen some systems that instead of the tablets will use liquid bleach with a timed dispensing system.

I get the tablets at HD/Lowes, they don't dissolve *that* quickly and even if they dissolve completely our treated water coming out is so clean it really doesn't need it, but it's just a "requirement" from the county I guess so they are extra sure you aren't spraying contaminated water everywhere.... *shrug*

I think everyone else already answered all your questions.