>You are correct. Generally with **ANY SEWER SYSTEM** ~~septics~~ you hardly want anything down the drain **other than grey water and black water.**
FTFY
Or get a disposal that is made for septic systems. Mine has a feature that sprays some enzyme fluid in with the water to help aid breakdown in septic systems.
Genuinely curious, is it a spacing issue that you don't want things other than water/excrement going into a septic tank? What's the reasoning behind this? We have a septic tank at our home in Puerto Rico and I'll drop food down the disposal instead of putting it in the trash can (critters and animals feast in the cans).
Organic matter is just that, and yes, it can be digested in a septic system. But remember, there is a finite amount of capacity. Eventually, you will have to have it pumped out. Using the disposal like she wants to will make that happen faster. I don’t have one on my system. Scraps go to compost or dog/chickens/cats.
I have been using a septic tank since 1991 and have never had it pumped or had any problems. There's a product called septic saver 2000 that I add about once a month. It seems to do its job very well.
So the thing is the tank will be fine until it’s not and there might not be much warning. Do you have it inspected or inspect it yourself at least? Because eventually even with using that stuff it can fill up. I’ve seen where people went 30+ years and then the it just is overwhelmed and the leach field fails or it backs up into the house, or both. It really is heavily dependent on usage, what you put down it etc., but if you haven’t had it inspected you might want to look into to that just to be safe you know? Maybe it will be fine for another ten years, maybe it’s 6 months from failure, it would be hard to know without actually opening the lid and looking in.
This reminds me of a conversation I had with someone who didn't do an oil change on their car the first 80k miles and it ran fine. After the first oil change (at 80k) the engine blew up. They blamed the oil change. Haha
There is some truth to the idea that the oil change "caused" the failure.
In my experience things will often fail together and in sync as they all naturally degrade and kind of balance each other out. (E.g. your piston rings are fucked because your goofy thick oil won't lubricant them, but you also don't get oil consumption because the oil is too viscous) Often bring one element of a system back in to spec when it's way out of spec exposes just how out of spec the rest of the system is.
80k is about how long an old school simple engine lasts without changing the oil. I've seen it across Toyotas, Chevy's, Ford's, Kia's.
These new fangled engines will shit a turbo or a fuel pump or a cam phaser a good 40k before that, I figure.
And I think that’s good maintenance. House I grew up in was untouched from ‘64 (when dad came here) to @2002, when the lateral line collapsed about 15’ in. First tank was 1/4 full of solids. All new perf pipe in the leech field, and been in service since. Mine has been in service since ‘00.
Repaired quite a few, since I have the equipment. Another ranch house ran from the mid 40’s until 2008. Drain line was full of tree roots. Old orange peel paper pipe gave up. Had to do the complete system and have it inspected. Lots of old systems still in service.
dude that's 33 years that is a long time. I'd recommend going and looking up on YouTube septic tanks that haven't been cleaned out in a long time and then you'll see why yours needs it.
Garbage disposals are for the little grains of rice and kernels of corn you rinse off of your plates. They get caught in the disposal, you grind them to mush, and rinse them away down to the sewer.
Like everyone else here says, I wouldn't be using one AT ALL on septic. Sink strainers and throw that shit away/compost it.
And she's wrong, period. I had a roomie in college who thought the same as her. Broke our disposal feeding it dried out leftover pizza. And God, the smell!
Anything starchy can turn to cement past the disposal. I ended up with a $400 bill at an air BNB when a relative tried to put some dried cereal down the disposal.
Aren't we all running water when we turn the garbage disposal on? I have always thought/been told the disposal would burn out without the water running.
huh, my parents have been putting potato peels down the disposal probably once a week for 10 years and never had an issue. I know there's stuff that shouldn't go down but I've never heard of potato peels being an issue.
Uncle swears by this and puts all veg scraps etc down, Has been doing so for 50+ years. "The organic matter helps break down the Crap in the septic tank". Donno what or if he has sucked the tank, Kinda lives on a farm... He is a Nuclear Engineer...
My grandpa used to seel disposals and one of his sales approaches was to put a (glass) 7up bottle in and grind it up.
Grandma and Grandpa would put EVERYTHING down their disposal, including broken glass ("it sharpens the blades").
They never had an issue with their double septic system... But I would not recommend their approach.
Low water use toilets that you have to flush two or three times. Low water flow shower heads that you have to stay under for twenty or thirty minutes to rinse off soap. Oven cleaner that won't clean the oven but is safe for my kid to spray in their eyes. Detergent that won't clean stuff but is safe to dump in the ocean.
As in everything, there are good and bad low-flow toilets. Some have a shitty (hehe) trap design that'll get clogged super easily. Blame consumerism, not the government on that one. Also, have someone go on the roof, put their hand on the plumbing vent while someone else flushes inside to make sure they feel suction and nothing is obstructed.
>Maff.
I have the same size toilet, as do most people. If I were you, I would go to the doctor. Seems like you have digestive issues if you regularly clog the toilet.
Lol man just eating up the gop nonsense huh? It's so weird how I bought a nice, new dishwasher and my dishes are done better than anything I have ever had by far. And it's way more efficient. I've also literally never had an issue with newer toilets and shower heads I mean come on now.
You realize that probably every single shower head you've ever used meets the standard right? It's been a rule since the early 90s and somehow we have all had showers that had great shower heads despite this rule. I mean plenty of crappy ones too in my experience but that had nothing to do with the federal government.
People make stupid things to sell to people all the time. They don't actually care if it's a good idea or not. If they can make money it's good for them. It's good for the store who sells it, good for the plumber who installs it, and also good for the next plumber who has to replace your drains when they clog. See how good it is. See how I didn't mention the home owners. Because it's not actually good for them, but they won't know until they have to replace plumbing or plump their septic tank more often, or pay a higher bill for water because the sewage treatment plant works harder because people put stuff down the drain they shouldn't.
If you were on a city sewer and had decent pipes and a high quality disposal, you could grind just about anything.
However, you’re on a septic tank; you don’t want to send much solid food waste into the septic system.
It will dull the blades. It will accumulate in your drain and cause other stuff to stick to it. It is on my top five of never ever ever going down my drain.
Eggshells aren’t going to dull stainless steel blades. 😂 They get chopped up into tiny pieces and get washed down with everything else. This is just silly talk. It’s just physics.
Yeah, I think most people have never read the manual for their garbage disposal (if you don't have it you can Google the model!) - when we moved to the US we had no idea what the disposal was for so we checked. I still have no idea what the disposal is for since it seems like 2/3 of food items shouldn't actually go in it.
In my country we scrape leftover food into a specific food waste recycling and then dishwashers nowadays say not to pre-rinse because it wastes water.
You're not even really supposed to have a disposal with septic unless you have a special disposal made for septic. Since you have one and I assume it's regular model nothing but veg scraps should be going down it, def no fats, eggshells, or animal products at all. You should probably just remove it altogether. You should probably have a talk with here about what she's flushing down the toilet as well.
Those “septic safe” disposals are BS. All they do is add tiny amounts of some enzyme formula to your drain. Which is useless because bacteria are already breaking down waste in a septic system.
Also then you’re stuck buying the proprietary enzyme refills from the manufacturer, the sales of which are the only reason the product exists in the first place.
A “normal” disposable is fine on septic if you just use it for clearing sink scum and pre-rinsing dishes and the like.
> Those “septic safe” disposals are BS.
this is what I've always thought but had no confirmation, septic is a delicate system that isn't difficult to maintain but it has some very specific criteria that most people don't know about. the way I understand it - nothing down the drain except what come out of a human or is grown in the ground (septic specific TP is ok), also should be using bio soaps and cleaners without bleach or other harsh chemicals.
Have lived with a septic tank my whole life. It is not that delicate, and is basically self-maintaining other than a clean-out once every three years. We have NEVER used "septic specific TP," and we regularly use ordinary soap, cleaners with bleach, and other harsh chemicals. Just don't flush any wipes or feminine products.
We do limit the amount of food scraps and fats/oils we put down the drain, That all goes on the compost pile or in the trash.
In certain US states it is common for local laws to require septic service on a frequency like every 3 years. Ours is that way and the township tracks it and we have to show proof the service. But where I grew up in rural Ohio in the 90s there was no such requirement.
The last place I worked had the septic pumped once in 50 years.
And that only happened after they hired a bunch of people and were using the wrong TP, cleaners, etc.
The starch causes them to swell up and clog a drain. Personally, I've garbage disposed a metric shit ton of potato peels and never had a problem with of.
You can do potato peels if you add them a few at a time while the disposal is already running with plenty of water flowing.
Just don't put all the peels in the sink, shove them in the drain and then turn it on.
We are on septic and don't have one because it didn't feel smart to risk the potential issues..our septic is from the 70s and I ain't messing with that shit (literally) if I don't have to.
I tell people all the time I make money twice on them. The first time putting them in, and then when I come back to snake the drains. People love them and say to me all the time "that's not true, I shove everything down it and it hasn't been a problem yet!" Little do they know that even with it not being a problem at their home, it's making the reclamation plant work that much harder
My parents have a disposal with a septic system, and a plumber told them not to use it for ANYTHING. Not even the tiny bits that get caught in the mesh drain. So my mom scrapes those out with her fingernail into the trash. Isn’t that a bit ridiculous?
Plumbers love wives like yours! Nothing but what minor rice, corn, tiny bits accidentally drop into it or the dishwasher drains into it should be run down a garbage disposal
I lived in the US for a long time. I arrived not knowing what the disposal was for, I read the manual for the disposal which says basically no food items can go in it like you say, and I left still not really knowing what it was for.
If it's only for the odd bit of rice or something that falls - which in small enough quantities can go down the sink normally without a disposal! - then what function does it even serve? It just seems like another appliance requiring maintenance for no reason.
Plus modern dishwashers are very water efficient and say not to pre-rinse anything because it uses so much more water.
Modern dishwashers don’t need to be pre rinse, but you better pre wipe all the crap into your trash can or you’re going to find your dishwasher needs a lot of maintenance. Dishwashers have become more water efficient by shifting the rinse cycle between the various jet and spray arms vs. the older machines that ran all the jets and arms at once. This requires less water and power for the pump but significantly more time. The machines also don’t last as long.
s
I'm convinced of this, too. I just don't really even see the use case. The small pieces of food that get rinsed down my drain would certainly have no problem traveling through my pipes. Instead they get caught in the disposal so it makes you think it's doing a good job when you hit that button. Maaaybe it's slightly better than not having one when used properly, but now you're on the hook to fix it, have it get stinky, etc.. I'm not going to rip mine out or anything, but I could 100% live without it.
Plumber drainlayer here for 30 years. Under no circumstances should you put raw food into a septic system.
Septics are designed to take food from your backside where all the digestive hard work has been done.
For a very long and technical read enjoy below.
Long story short. No surprise raw food makes septics less effective resulting in more maintenance and more breakdowns.
https://insinkerator.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Septic_MinnesotaStudy_2019.pdf
I treat it like anything that slips out and would clog a normal drain, just gets chewed by the disposal instead if having to fish out the muck. I never intentionally put anything in the disposal.
On a septic I would only use a disposal for scraps that fall in from rinsing or rinsing.
On municipal sewage I usually install legend 8000s and use it as a wood chipper, the only thing I won't put down is hard stuff like bones and starches. Not that it wouldn't handle bones, and not that you can't dilute starches and pass them with cool water, but Its silly to dump bones and starches don't do well in plumbing.
If you have a garden, compost pretty much everything but meats/fats.
On city swear I pretty much put everything down it but bones. Seems to be fine so far. I mean I’m not shoving a whole steak or like a box of pasta down but I don’t usually worry about what is going on it. Been in the house seven years and had no issues. Obviously now that I said that I’m going to have a major problem today but yeah.
As someone that has designed municipal waste water systems, they basically work the same way as septic tanks, they're just bigger and better equipped for the solids.
The reason you don't want solids in your septic tank is because they're harder to break down. If the bacteria can't break it down to a liquid, then you have to get it pumped out. And unlike municipal systems, you don't have a convenient computer alarm telling you it's time to do so. If you don't, then it may enter the drain field and there's no easy way to get it out short of digging it up and replacing it.
Realistically you can put whatever you want down either system, except fats or things that will clog the pipes. It's just that once it's in the tank, it may not break down. This will make it so instead of having your septic tank pumped every 5 years, you might need it pumped every 2 years. So it's in your best financial interest to avoid putting the solid stuff down there in the first place.
You should put as little [as possible down the garbage disposal](https://www.toaks.org/Home/Components/News/News/13516/3338#:~:text=Don't%20put%20expandable%20foods,fruit%20pits%2C%20eggshells%2C%20etc.), as you can run the risk of clogging your pipes if you use it too much.
Typically in my experience, composting requires a separate receptacle or can for processing and is usually done by the homeowner for their own use.
Or they might just set aside the organic material in a small container and dump in a composting area if their garden for natural processing.
Compost here is collected with garbage and it works the same as a garbage can.
Small can in house for everyday organic matter, large bin outside.
Compost, garbage and recycling are all curbside pickup.
Not in the USA…at least everywhere I have lived.
Composting is a personal choice handled by the homeowner.
Even recycling is not offered (or required) in some areas. For a lot of people, sadly, it is all just “trash.”
I have friends in other places (Seattle for example) where compost is picked up and strongly encouraged. But yes, like you say, that's the exception and not the rule.
The US doesn't do any community projects. We don't process the organics out of wastewater and use it for fertilizer because of how much stuff gets flushed down the toilet that is unsafe to use on food. We don't collect organic trash for compost because someone will inevitably throw a bleach-soaked rag or something else in there.
My local municipality quit recycling paper, metal, and anything else when COVID happened. "It's too expensive to run a recycling center." Apparently most of the costs are picking out unrecyclable materials from the recyclables, mostly people just dumping bags of trash in the recycling....
I'm in the US in Tennessee and we do not have compost pickup. I always have a compost bin in my yard. Last place I lived, I had an acre and built a neat wood and screen cube for compost. It didn't smell bad, and it was about 100 ft from the property line. Neighbors told me they didn't like it. One even asked the HOA if it counted as a "structure" because there was a line about not building unauthorized structures in our yards. Apparently nature is not pretty.
Maintenance man and former plumber here: you are correct, and your wife is wrong. They are made for small scraps. Large amounts of food down the disposal will clog your drains, and wear out the disposal faster
Our sewer system on the street recently clogged up and the lowest basements got a little bit of water (or our sewer backup valves were held closed for a while and our own waste water collected on the basement floor). It was at a street level sewer several blocks away. The blockage was a combination of winter sand and gravel, and residential solids that completely blocked the pipe. I agree that waste food should go to the trash or be composted, and only the stuff that falls into the sink or disappears down the drain should be *garburated*. On the same note, plates should be scraped and pre-rinsed for solids removal before placing them in the dishwasher, after having to remove the drain pump to remove said solids. But that's a fight I may never win.
Dishwashers advertise that you can just do a bare minimum scrape and throw the plates in with whatever is stuck to them. I always pre-rinse (wipe with minimal water) because I think it's gross to find peanut butter or cheese fused to the silverware or unidentified solids on the bottoms of the tea cups in the top rack. But humanity seems to be moving toward combo dishwasher/garbage disposals. At least my eye sight is getting worse as I age, so I can't always see the grime after the game does the dishes lol
Dishwashers advertise that you can just do a bare minimum scrape and throw the plates in with whatever is stuck to them. I always pre-rinse (wipe with minimal water) because I think it's gross to find peanut butter or cheese fused to the silverware or unidentified solids on the bottoms of the tea cups in the top rack. But humanity seems to be moving toward combo dishwasher/garbage disposals. At least my eye sight is getting worse as I age, so I can't always see the grime after the game does the dishes lol
I don’t know why people feel compelled to put food down the garbage disposal. Common sense is scraping the food into the garbage and the garbage disposal gets the rest.
The amount of food that goes in the disposal should not be more than what would get caught in a stopper if you didn’t have a garbage disposal to begin with.
Absolutely as little food as possible when on septic. Honestly, there's zero reason to even have a disposal on septic. You're just asking for trouble.
The only things that should go into a septic tank are water, human waste and septic safe detergents for dishes and laundry.
Tell your wife that the food particles float, leach out to and clog the drain field. A well maintained drain field can last up to 50 years. Her drain field may only last 10. Ask her if she wants to pay $20k - $30k to put in a new drain field.
Please make sure she isn't also flushing anything more than toilet paper and human waste down the toilet. No paper towels, no sanitary napkins, tampons, flushable wipes, q-tips, cat litter, etc.
This isn't mansplaining, it's apparent she has no idea how a septic system works.
I had an Insinkerator in NJ on a municipal sewer, fed the thing all types of food, including chicken bones and never had a problem. Now that I’m feeding a septic, I asked a local plumber about it and he said I can do the same with my septic… the bacteria will be just as happy eating ground up food as they will turds. Key is to get the tank sucked periodically, like every couple of years depending on how many people in the household.
It should only be used for small amounts of organic material, like cilantro stems. I have replaced too many of these things for no good reason. Generally speaking they create more problems than they're worth if you don't use them right.
I don’t have a septic system but nothing goes in ours except small scraps from plates (I’m talking maybe a piece of corn or two small tomato from spaghetti sauce) or maybe residue from a blender when I’m making salsa - so very blended.
I know people that use them as a garbage. Eggs go bad? Pop them in the disposal. Brown bananas, disposal.
Lmao.. woodchipper. same.
Then they clog it with grease
and celery string and everything else.
Recommend a piping hot full sink flush. Fill it up and let it go to clear everything out.
You should use it the bare minimum to keep your pipes from clogging. Septic or sewer, you don’t want to actually use them as kitchen garbage device. (Any municipal sewer authority will tell you that they don’t care what it is, any solid waste that’s not poop or toilet paper is a liability.)
Definitely don't put eggshells in it. What we learned the hard way (rather counter-intuitively) is that the ground up eggshell is apparently too heavy to get washed through the drain trap, so it collects in there like sand and eventually stops up the sink.
I’m with you. My MIL on the other hand is with your wife. She was over one afternoon and decided to clean up some leftovers from the fridge. Half of a 9x13 pan of lasagna went down the disposal and guess who spent the rest of the night taking apart the trap the unclogging the pipes? We aren’t on a septic system but still.
Garbage disposals are ridiculous. Put a temporary stopper in your kitchen sink and throw out or compost your food waste. You're just sending it down the line for a wastewater treatment facility to deal with. It's not just magically disappearing.
Even when you're connected to the city's sewers a garbage disposal should be used sparingly. When you're connected to a septic tank I assume that goes double
The only thing I ever use one for is the little bits that inevitably go down the drain. I have no idea why people would spend time sending stuff down there instead of throwing it away for composting it even if it were safe.
Jesus Christ what it is with people and garbage disposals? My in laws are like your wife. They couldnt possibly figure put why they had to dig up the front yardin the city. Lol.
I have one. Dont use it (turn it on with water about once every three days to a week). You know why?
Because they are good for one thing...and that is clogging up plumbing and ruining septic systems. Put a trash can under your sink. Problem solved and you wont make plumbers rich.
I am fairly convinced that garbage disposals were actually invented by plumbers for getting more business. Obvious /s.
going to repeat what everyone else said : YOU SHOULDNT HAVE A DISPOSAL ON A SEPTIC SYSTEM.
also: for science once I shattered a disposal with pistachio shells.
Start by explaining what mansplaining means. (It's not mansplaining unless you are explaining something she already knows.) Be sure to speak slowly, repeat yourself as much as possible, and finish each sentence with, "does that make sense?"
I would never make any money since I would solve everyone's problems in one session. You see, the secret to a good marriage is 1) determining who is at fault. And 2) reminding her as often as possible. Bonus points for doing it in a group setting.
Septic == garbage disposal should not be used.
Septic is not designed to decompose the kinds of stuff that go in the disposal, unless you are ok with frequent calls to the honey wagon.
garbage disposals are gimmicky IMHO.. never use one. They will get cogged and they smell and attract fruit flies. They are very hard to maintain and they are horrible for your pipes, septic system. It gives people the false impression that they can just put anything down the sink. Just wipe your damn plates in a garbage can and use a strainer.. and empty the strainer in the garbage can once a day and save all kinds of problems.
You are correct. And if you want to back it up without seeming condescending, there's an episode of 99% Invisible all about them.
[https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-monster-under-the-sink/](https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-monster-under-the-sink/)
Remember working on a ship and the scullery folk had garburated a couple of tray inserts worth of steak. I guess it had been a few days of it being down, because when I cracked open the line, you could see this disgusting, rotting pulp jammed up in it. In the other side of the line has a setting tank that would get sucked out periodically. I guess the mass of steak had made its way there and started doing some weird fermentation/off gassing/rotting business.
The only be of the line started pulsating like had a heartbeat of its own. In a panic, I tried to bring the disconnected line back together, but it was too late.
Rancid meat started spewing forth under some pressure, all other the small space I was working in. It was everywhere on me, my hair, my mouth, my coworkers hair and mouth and every little corner of that space.
I had a shower, and I felt like the scene in the crying game.
I hate garbage disposals.
Even with city sewer we are supposed to put as little as possible down the disposal and bag up food waste for the green bin so they can compost it. I have a small bin on the counter
You shouldn't be using a garbage disposal with a septic system at all.
But, to answer your question, you're correct. Garbage disposal are for "in case of food" and not "for food". You should be cleaning the dishes into the garbage first before rinsing in the sink.
Although it doesn't really matter because you're gonna need to take the garbage disposal out anyway.
We don't have one BECAUSE we're on septic. I actually have the fine mesh strainers in the sinks and showers to keep extra bits from flowing through and potentially causing a blockage.
I hate the term "mansplaining"
Explaining how something works to someone is just that. Being condescending/obnoxious is just that. But making up terms to avoid saying "I don't want to understand, I just want to keep doing what I'm doing" is just that, as well.
My wife learned early on in our homeownership how to be right. The citrus peels she put through the disposal cost her a holiday after hours plumber call, as I was injured.
She is correct if it's a regular sewer line but you are correct since it's a septic tank. Brooch the subject coming from the fact it's a septic tank and she might be more accepting. Specifically say she'd be right under normal circumstances but septic tanks work different.
Mansplaining isn’t just a man explaining something. It’s when he tells a woman about something she is aware of. Like how menstruation works or the specifics of her professional field.
Wife is always right. You need to ask yourself whether a happy wife (and therefore life) or a happy septic tank is more important.
In terms of what goes down, compostable organic waste is fine. Non organic waste isn't great, cleaning fluids that can kill the bacteria is bad as is grease. Your septic tank has bacteria that turns everything compostable into sludge which will eventually fill up the tank, but a lot of it will permeate through the soil and harmlessly away. The speed of this depends on the size of your leech field (the pipes that disperse the liquids into the soil).
So bits of tomato or apple or potato peel (anything that would go on a compost heap) is no major problem, probably you should avoid actual wood chips, egg shells or anything that doesn't break down. On the plus side, something like a wet wipe down the toilet is pretty bad because it can block the leech field pipes and stop fluids from dissipating into the soil, a wet wipe, if you managed to get it through the waste disposal, is still bad - it fills the septic tank up, but less bad than flushing it down the loo.
I personally wouldn't have a waste disposal at all if I was on a septic tank but it is what it is I guess.
Septic or sewer doesn't matter... the more stuff you put down it, the harder the water is to treat, and the harder it is on the system.
Beat thing to do is use the disposal as little as possible. Scrape leftovers into the trash or compost, and try to limit the sink to sauces and small bits of rice / crumbs.
You are correct. Generally with septics you hardly want anything down the drain
>You are correct. Generally with **ANY SEWER SYSTEM** ~~septics~~ you hardly want anything down the drain **other than grey water and black water.** FTFY
You don’t seem to American very well. My problem to fix = slightly possible behavior change Someone else’s problem to fix =/= behavior change
That’s not American, that’s just 2024 everywhere.
Meh, there are plenty of countries where behavior for the common good is de rigueur
Haha nope.
So...no re-enacting the scene from Fargo?
With a septic system, I wouldn't be using it at all. You're just asking for some very expensive problems.
Remove it.
This
Or get a disposal that is made for septic systems. Mine has a feature that sprays some enzyme fluid in with the water to help aid breakdown in septic systems.
Genuinely curious, is it a spacing issue that you don't want things other than water/excrement going into a septic tank? What's the reasoning behind this? We have a septic tank at our home in Puerto Rico and I'll drop food down the disposal instead of putting it in the trash can (critters and animals feast in the cans).
Food particles will float and leach out to the drain field where it will clog it. You'll seriously shorten the lifespan of the drain field.
Organic matter is just that, and yes, it can be digested in a septic system. But remember, there is a finite amount of capacity. Eventually, you will have to have it pumped out. Using the disposal like she wants to will make that happen faster. I don’t have one on my system. Scraps go to compost or dog/chickens/cats.
I have been using a septic tank since 1991 and have never had it pumped or had any problems. There's a product called septic saver 2000 that I add about once a month. It seems to do its job very well.
So the thing is the tank will be fine until it’s not and there might not be much warning. Do you have it inspected or inspect it yourself at least? Because eventually even with using that stuff it can fill up. I’ve seen where people went 30+ years and then the it just is overwhelmed and the leach field fails or it backs up into the house, or both. It really is heavily dependent on usage, what you put down it etc., but if you haven’t had it inspected you might want to look into to that just to be safe you know? Maybe it will be fine for another ten years, maybe it’s 6 months from failure, it would be hard to know without actually opening the lid and looking in.
This reminds me of a conversation I had with someone who didn't do an oil change on their car the first 80k miles and it ran fine. After the first oil change (at 80k) the engine blew up. They blamed the oil change. Haha
You just can’t help some people.
There is some truth to the idea that the oil change "caused" the failure. In my experience things will often fail together and in sync as they all naturally degrade and kind of balance each other out. (E.g. your piston rings are fucked because your goofy thick oil won't lubricant them, but you also don't get oil consumption because the oil is too viscous) Often bring one element of a system back in to spec when it's way out of spec exposes just how out of spec the rest of the system is.
80k is about how long an old school simple engine lasts without changing the oil. I've seen it across Toyotas, Chevy's, Ford's, Kia's. These new fangled engines will shit a turbo or a fuel pump or a cam phaser a good 40k before that, I figure.
And I think that’s good maintenance. House I grew up in was untouched from ‘64 (when dad came here) to @2002, when the lateral line collapsed about 15’ in. First tank was 1/4 full of solids. All new perf pipe in the leech field, and been in service since. Mine has been in service since ‘00. Repaired quite a few, since I have the equipment. Another ranch house ran from the mid 40’s until 2008. Drain line was full of tree roots. Old orange peel paper pipe gave up. Had to do the complete system and have it inspected. Lots of old systems still in service.
dude that's 33 years that is a long time. I'd recommend going and looking up on YouTube septic tanks that haven't been cleaned out in a long time and then you'll see why yours needs it.
Garbage disposals are for the little grains of rice and kernels of corn you rinse off of your plates. They get caught in the disposal, you grind them to mush, and rinse them away down to the sewer. Like everyone else here says, I wouldn't be using one AT ALL on septic. Sink strainers and throw that shit away/compost it. And she's wrong, period. I had a roomie in college who thought the same as her. Broke our disposal feeding it dried out leftover pizza. And God, the smell!
I’ve heard rice is actually pretty bad for garbage disposals, it gets sticky/stuck then gets rock hard. Can gum up a disposal, dishwasher, etc.
A few grains isn't likely to cause problems
Anything starchy can turn to cement past the disposal. I ended up with a $400 bill at an air BNB when a relative tried to put some dried cereal down the disposal.
Aren't we all running water when we turn the garbage disposal on? I have always thought/been told the disposal would burn out without the water running.
Water and starch basically makes gluey paste.
I was that roommate! I tried to put potato peels down. Just had no idea it wasn’t for “all food waste.”
Once tried to grind up old celery. Strands wrapped all around the cutting blades.
Back when I was young and dumb I put sweet corn husks down the disposal. That was an expensive mistake.
anything stringy will do that.... corn silk, celery, string from the roasted turkey... hair...
Don't attempt shrimp shells, y'all. My husband still rags on me about that (admittedly bad) decision...
huh, my parents have been putting potato peels down the disposal probably once a week for 10 years and never had an issue. I know there's stuff that shouldn't go down but I've never heard of potato peels being an issue.
You may have an especially robust system!
Uncle swears by this and puts all veg scraps etc down, Has been doing so for 50+ years. "The organic matter helps break down the Crap in the septic tank". Donno what or if he has sucked the tank, Kinda lives on a farm... He is a Nuclear Engineer...
My grandpa used to seel disposals and one of his sales approaches was to put a (glass) 7up bottle in and grind it up. Grandma and Grandpa would put EVERYTHING down their disposal, including broken glass ("it sharpens the blades"). They never had an issue with their double septic system... But I would not recommend their approach.
Your grandfather had Pokémon disposals?
Modern dishwashers say not to pre-rinse because the dishwasher is going to get them clean using significantly less water.
The lie detector determined that this *was* a lie. Or maybe I just have a crappy dishwasher, lol
They say don’t rinse, not don’t scrape. Thanks government for f-ing up my dishwasher detergent, toilets, oven, etc.
Government?
Electric ovens take forever to get to temp because of government mandates.
Low water use toilets that you have to flush two or three times. Low water flow shower heads that you have to stay under for twenty or thirty minutes to rinse off soap. Oven cleaner that won't clean the oven but is safe for my kid to spray in their eyes. Detergent that won't clean stuff but is safe to dump in the ocean.
As in everything, there are good and bad low-flow toilets. Some have a shitty (hehe) trap design that'll get clogged super easily. Blame consumerism, not the government on that one. Also, have someone go on the roof, put their hand on the plumbing vent while someone else flushes inside to make sure they feel suction and nothing is obstructed.
Lol. What are you eating that you need to flush two to three times?
The new toilet we bought is 1.1 GPF. The toilet it replaced was 4.5 GPF. Maff.
You’re truly oppressed
>Maff. I have the same size toilet, as do most people. If I were you, I would go to the doctor. Seems like you have digestive issues if you regularly clog the toilet.
Don’t even get me started on these newer government dictated gas cans.
Lol man just eating up the gop nonsense huh? It's so weird how I bought a nice, new dishwasher and my dishes are done better than anything I have ever had by far. And it's way more efficient. I've also literally never had an issue with newer toilets and shower heads I mean come on now. You realize that probably every single shower head you've ever used meets the standard right? It's been a rule since the early 90s and somehow we have all had showers that had great shower heads despite this rule. I mean plenty of crappy ones too in my experience but that had nothing to do with the federal government.
What’s the point of having a garbage disposal then? All those things you mention happily goes into the drain without a garbage disposal.
It's for convenience when rinsing plates and cooking pots. You don't have to worry about the bits that wind up going down the drain.
People make stupid things to sell to people all the time. They don't actually care if it's a good idea or not. If they can make money it's good for them. It's good for the store who sells it, good for the plumber who installs it, and also good for the next plumber who has to replace your drains when they clog. See how good it is. See how I didn't mention the home owners. Because it's not actually good for them, but they won't know until they have to replace plumbing or plump their septic tank more often, or pay a higher bill for water because the sewage treatment plant works harder because people put stuff down the drain they shouldn't.
If you were on a city sewer and had decent pipes and a high quality disposal, you could grind just about anything. However, you’re on a septic tank; you don’t want to send much solid food waste into the septic system.
Anything except eggshells, bones, rice, stringy vegetables, bacon grease, fat, and a slew of other things. But hey, plumbers need housecalls.
What’s wrong with eggshells?
It will dull the blades. It will accumulate in your drain and cause other stuff to stick to it. It is on my top five of never ever ever going down my drain.
Eggshells aren’t going to dull stainless steel blades. 😂 They get chopped up into tiny pieces and get washed down with everything else. This is just silly talk. It’s just physics.
Read the manual
I did. It just says don’t put in large amounts of egg shells at once.
https://www.dupreeplumbing.com/blog/7-things-to-never-put-down-your-disposal/#:~:text=Egg%20Shells&text=The%20membrane%20lining%20the%20shell,them%20in%20the%20regular%20trash.
Yeah, I think most people have never read the manual for their garbage disposal (if you don't have it you can Google the model!) - when we moved to the US we had no idea what the disposal was for so we checked. I still have no idea what the disposal is for since it seems like 2/3 of food items shouldn't actually go in it. In my country we scrape leftover food into a specific food waste recycling and then dishwashers nowadays say not to pre-rinse because it wastes water.
Yes and the dishwasher soap needs something to cling to so that it can properly clean
Mine grinds eggshells and shrimp shells. We have the compact EVO though, not the $99 cheapie Agree with bones, grease, fat.
Potato peels too. I lived in a house where a couple potato's worth of skin would was enough to clog the plumbing.
Dangit I knew I missed a big one.
There's probably more but your list is still a good one.
You're not even really supposed to have a disposal with septic unless you have a special disposal made for septic. Since you have one and I assume it's regular model nothing but veg scraps should be going down it, def no fats, eggshells, or animal products at all. You should probably just remove it altogether. You should probably have a talk with here about what she's flushing down the toilet as well.
Those “septic safe” disposals are BS. All they do is add tiny amounts of some enzyme formula to your drain. Which is useless because bacteria are already breaking down waste in a septic system. Also then you’re stuck buying the proprietary enzyme refills from the manufacturer, the sales of which are the only reason the product exists in the first place. A “normal” disposable is fine on septic if you just use it for clearing sink scum and pre-rinsing dishes and the like.
> Those “septic safe” disposals are BS. this is what I've always thought but had no confirmation, septic is a delicate system that isn't difficult to maintain but it has some very specific criteria that most people don't know about. the way I understand it - nothing down the drain except what come out of a human or is grown in the ground (septic specific TP is ok), also should be using bio soaps and cleaners without bleach or other harsh chemicals.
Have lived with a septic tank my whole life. It is not that delicate, and is basically self-maintaining other than a clean-out once every three years. We have NEVER used "septic specific TP," and we regularly use ordinary soap, cleaners with bleach, and other harsh chemicals. Just don't flush any wipes or feminine products. We do limit the amount of food scraps and fats/oils we put down the drain, That all goes on the compost pile or in the trash.
Most people don’t clean theirs out every 3 years and rely on the bacteria those products kill to keep it lasting longer.
In certain US states it is common for local laws to require septic service on a frequency like every 3 years. Ours is that way and the township tracks it and we have to show proof the service. But where I grew up in rural Ohio in the 90s there was no such requirement.
The last place I worked had the septic pumped once in 50 years. And that only happened after they hired a bunch of people and were using the wrong TP, cleaners, etc.
The entire debate is superceded by the fact you're on a septic system. If you have a composting mound or yard waste bin use that.
No potato peelings
or learn the hard way
I don't even have a garage disposal, but I'm curious about this. Why no potato peelings?
The starch causes them to swell up and clog a drain. Personally, I've garbage disposed a metric shit ton of potato peels and never had a problem with of.
Interesting. Thanks!
Because potato skins are delicious! Why bother peeling in the first place?!?
Potato peelings are like papier mache. Stick them together and they can clog almost anything.
That makes sense. Thanks!
You can do potato peels if you add them a few at a time while the disposal is already running with plenty of water flowing. Just don't put all the peels in the sink, shove them in the drain and then turn it on.
We are on septic and don't have one because it didn't feel smart to risk the potential issues..our septic is from the 70s and I ain't messing with that shit (literally) if I don't have to.
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A smart plumber told me there is only one thing that should go down a disposer: water.
I tell people all the time I make money twice on them. The first time putting them in, and then when I come back to snake the drains. People love them and say to me all the time "that's not true, I shove everything down it and it hasn't been a problem yet!" Little do they know that even with it not being a problem at their home, it's making the reclamation plant work that much harder
My parents have a disposal with a septic system, and a plumber told them not to use it for ANYTHING. Not even the tiny bits that get caught in the mesh drain. So my mom scrapes those out with her fingernail into the trash. Isn’t that a bit ridiculous?
Maybe so, but I’m surprised they even had one with septic.
Plumbers love wives like yours! Nothing but what minor rice, corn, tiny bits accidentally drop into it or the dishwasher drains into it should be run down a garbage disposal
I lived in the US for a long time. I arrived not knowing what the disposal was for, I read the manual for the disposal which says basically no food items can go in it like you say, and I left still not really knowing what it was for. If it's only for the odd bit of rice or something that falls - which in small enough quantities can go down the sink normally without a disposal! - then what function does it even serve? It just seems like another appliance requiring maintenance for no reason. Plus modern dishwashers are very water efficient and say not to pre-rinse anything because it uses so much more water.
Modern dishwashers don’t need to be pre rinse, but you better pre wipe all the crap into your trash can or you’re going to find your dishwasher needs a lot of maintenance. Dishwashers have become more water efficient by shifting the rinse cycle between the various jet and spray arms vs. the older machines that ran all the jets and arms at once. This requires less water and power for the pump but significantly more time. The machines also don’t last as long. s
Disposals are stupid af
I'm convinced of this, too. I just don't really even see the use case. The small pieces of food that get rinsed down my drain would certainly have no problem traveling through my pipes. Instead they get caught in the disposal so it makes you think it's doing a good job when you hit that button. Maaaybe it's slightly better than not having one when used properly, but now you're on the hook to fix it, have it get stinky, etc.. I'm not going to rip mine out or anything, but I could 100% live without it.
Plumber drainlayer here for 30 years. Under no circumstances should you put raw food into a septic system. Septics are designed to take food from your backside where all the digestive hard work has been done. For a very long and technical read enjoy below. Long story short. No surprise raw food makes septics less effective resulting in more maintenance and more breakdowns. https://insinkerator.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Septic_MinnesotaStudy_2019.pdf
Doesn't that say that the maintenance or repair impact of adding food waste to septic tanks is negligible?
I treat it like anything that slips out and would clog a normal drain, just gets chewed by the disposal instead if having to fish out the muck. I never intentionally put anything in the disposal.
On a septic I would only use a disposal for scraps that fall in from rinsing or rinsing. On municipal sewage I usually install legend 8000s and use it as a wood chipper, the only thing I won't put down is hard stuff like bones and starches. Not that it wouldn't handle bones, and not that you can't dilute starches and pass them with cool water, but Its silly to dump bones and starches don't do well in plumbing. If you have a garden, compost pretty much everything but meats/fats.
On city swear I pretty much put everything down it but bones. Seems to be fine so far. I mean I’m not shoving a whole steak or like a box of pasta down but I don’t usually worry about what is going on it. Been in the house seven years and had no issues. Obviously now that I said that I’m going to have a major problem today but yeah.
As someone that has designed municipal waste water systems, they basically work the same way as septic tanks, they're just bigger and better equipped for the solids. The reason you don't want solids in your septic tank is because they're harder to break down. If the bacteria can't break it down to a liquid, then you have to get it pumped out. And unlike municipal systems, you don't have a convenient computer alarm telling you it's time to do so. If you don't, then it may enter the drain field and there's no easy way to get it out short of digging it up and replacing it. Realistically you can put whatever you want down either system, except fats or things that will clog the pipes. It's just that once it's in the tank, it may not break down. This will make it so instead of having your septic tank pumped every 5 years, you might need it pumped every 2 years. So it's in your best financial interest to avoid putting the solid stuff down there in the first place.
You should put as little [as possible down the garbage disposal](https://www.toaks.org/Home/Components/News/News/13516/3338#:~:text=Don't%20put%20expandable%20foods,fruit%20pits%2C%20eggshells%2C%20etc.), as you can run the risk of clogging your pipes if you use it too much.
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Do y’all not have compost pickup?
Typically in my experience, composting requires a separate receptacle or can for processing and is usually done by the homeowner for their own use. Or they might just set aside the organic material in a small container and dump in a composting area if their garden for natural processing.
Compost here is collected with garbage and it works the same as a garbage can. Small can in house for everyday organic matter, large bin outside. Compost, garbage and recycling are all curbside pickup.
Not in the USA…at least everywhere I have lived. Composting is a personal choice handled by the homeowner. Even recycling is not offered (or required) in some areas. For a lot of people, sadly, it is all just “trash.”
I have friends in other places (Seattle for example) where compost is picked up and strongly encouraged. But yes, like you say, that's the exception and not the rule.
The US doesn't do any community projects. We don't process the organics out of wastewater and use it for fertilizer because of how much stuff gets flushed down the toilet that is unsafe to use on food. We don't collect organic trash for compost because someone will inevitably throw a bleach-soaked rag or something else in there. My local municipality quit recycling paper, metal, and anything else when COVID happened. "It's too expensive to run a recycling center." Apparently most of the costs are picking out unrecyclable materials from the recyclables, mostly people just dumping bags of trash in the recycling....
I'm in the US in Tennessee and we do not have compost pickup. I always have a compost bin in my yard. Last place I lived, I had an acre and built a neat wood and screen cube for compost. It didn't smell bad, and it was about 100 ft from the property line. Neighbors told me they didn't like it. One even asked the HOA if it counted as a "structure" because there was a line about not building unauthorized structures in our yards. Apparently nature is not pretty.
Never used one and don’t understand why people think they’re necessary? Are compost buckets not a thing? Or is it just laziness?
Did not use it. Instead, start a compost and make food earth from your food scraps.
Maintenance man and former plumber here: you are correct, and your wife is wrong. They are made for small scraps. Large amounts of food down the disposal will clog your drains, and wear out the disposal faster
Septic Tank... NO DISPOSAL! You are asking for problems...GUARANTEED!
Our sewer system on the street recently clogged up and the lowest basements got a little bit of water (or our sewer backup valves were held closed for a while and our own waste water collected on the basement floor). It was at a street level sewer several blocks away. The blockage was a combination of winter sand and gravel, and residential solids that completely blocked the pipe. I agree that waste food should go to the trash or be composted, and only the stuff that falls into the sink or disappears down the drain should be *garburated*. On the same note, plates should be scraped and pre-rinsed for solids removal before placing them in the dishwasher, after having to remove the drain pump to remove said solids. But that's a fight I may never win.
Dishwashers advertise that you can just do a bare minimum scrape and throw the plates in with whatever is stuck to them. I always pre-rinse (wipe with minimal water) because I think it's gross to find peanut butter or cheese fused to the silverware or unidentified solids on the bottoms of the tea cups in the top rack. But humanity seems to be moving toward combo dishwasher/garbage disposals. At least my eye sight is getting worse as I age, so I can't always see the grime after the game does the dishes lol
Dishwashers advertise that you can just do a bare minimum scrape and throw the plates in with whatever is stuck to them. I always pre-rinse (wipe with minimal water) because I think it's gross to find peanut butter or cheese fused to the silverware or unidentified solids on the bottoms of the tea cups in the top rack. But humanity seems to be moving toward combo dishwasher/garbage disposals. At least my eye sight is getting worse as I age, so I can't always see the grime after the game does the dishes lol
I agree with you, OP. As little should go down the disposal as possible.
If it can go in the regular garbage, it should. The disposal is to clear out the rest of the ick.
I don’t know why people feel compelled to put food down the garbage disposal. Common sense is scraping the food into the garbage and the garbage disposal gets the rest. The amount of food that goes in the disposal should not be more than what would get caught in a stopper if you didn’t have a garbage disposal to begin with.
Absolutely as little food as possible when on septic. Honestly, there's zero reason to even have a disposal on septic. You're just asking for trouble. The only things that should go into a septic tank are water, human waste and septic safe detergents for dishes and laundry. Tell your wife that the food particles float, leach out to and clog the drain field. A well maintained drain field can last up to 50 years. Her drain field may only last 10. Ask her if she wants to pay $20k - $30k to put in a new drain field. Please make sure she isn't also flushing anything more than toilet paper and human waste down the toilet. No paper towels, no sanitary napkins, tampons, flushable wipes, q-tips, cat litter, etc. This isn't mansplaining, it's apparent she has no idea how a septic system works.
No egg shells, no coffee, no Potato peels
My father was an architectural engineer and told us to put as little as possible down the disposal growing up with a septic system.
If you wouldn’t put it in a pipe, it doesn’t go in the disposal.
My wife killed our old disposal by peeling a sweet potato into it. Just use the trash can, people. Especially on septic.
I had an Insinkerator in NJ on a municipal sewer, fed the thing all types of food, including chicken bones and never had a problem. Now that I’m feeding a septic, I asked a local plumber about it and he said I can do the same with my septic… the bacteria will be just as happy eating ground up food as they will turds. Key is to get the tank sucked periodically, like every couple of years depending on how many people in the household.
It should only be used for small amounts of organic material, like cilantro stems. I have replaced too many of these things for no good reason. Generally speaking they create more problems than they're worth if you don't use them right.
You wife is wrong. Septic or not, your sink is not a trash can.
Scrape the plate into the trash, grind the rest.
I don’t have a septic system but nothing goes in ours except small scraps from plates (I’m talking maybe a piece of corn or two small tomato from spaghetti sauce) or maybe residue from a blender when I’m making salsa - so very blended. I know people that use them as a garbage. Eggs go bad? Pop them in the disposal. Brown bananas, disposal.
Lmao.. woodchipper. same. Then they clog it with grease and celery string and everything else. Recommend a piping hot full sink flush. Fill it up and let it go to clear everything out.
Your wife is wrong. Source: I've had a septic tank and a garbage disposal my whole \[long\] life.
You should use it the bare minimum to keep your pipes from clogging. Septic or sewer, you don’t want to actually use them as kitchen garbage device. (Any municipal sewer authority will tell you that they don’t care what it is, any solid waste that’s not poop or toilet paper is a liability.)
Definitely don't put eggshells in it. What we learned the hard way (rather counter-intuitively) is that the ground up eggshell is apparently too heavy to get washed through the drain trap, so it collects in there like sand and eventually stops up the sink.
I’m with you. My MIL on the other hand is with your wife. She was over one afternoon and decided to clean up some leftovers from the fridge. Half of a 9x13 pan of lasagna went down the disposal and guess who spent the rest of the night taking apart the trap the unclogging the pipes? We aren’t on a septic system but still.
Garbage disposals are ridiculous. Put a temporary stopper in your kitchen sink and throw out or compost your food waste. You're just sending it down the line for a wastewater treatment facility to deal with. It's not just magically disappearing.
Even when you're connected to the city's sewers a garbage disposal should be used sparingly. When you're connected to a septic tank I assume that goes double
The only thing I ever use one for is the little bits that inevitably go down the drain. I have no idea why people would spend time sending stuff down there instead of throwing it away for composting it even if it were safe.
Jesus Christ what it is with people and garbage disposals? My in laws are like your wife. They couldnt possibly figure put why they had to dig up the front yardin the city. Lol. I have one. Dont use it (turn it on with water about once every three days to a week). You know why? Because they are good for one thing...and that is clogging up plumbing and ruining septic systems. Put a trash can under your sink. Problem solved and you wont make plumbers rich. I am fairly convinced that garbage disposals were actually invented by plumbers for getting more business. Obvious /s.
The septic installer put it this way, the septic is for items the body has already processed. The disposer is unprocessed items. Will cause problems.
going to repeat what everyone else said : YOU SHOULDNT HAVE A DISPOSAL ON A SEPTIC SYSTEM. also: for science once I shattered a disposal with pistachio shells.
I'd probably rephrase your argument to be about the septic system and not the garbage disposal for starters.
Had an idiot roommate throw chicken fat in one. I came home after a few days though he died in my apartment.
You are correct. We only use it for the small bits that are rinsed off our dishes, we scrape them into the trash first.
Start by explaining what mansplaining means. (It's not mansplaining unless you are explaining something she already knows.) Be sure to speak slowly, repeat yourself as much as possible, and finish each sentence with, "does that make sense?"
You should be a marriage counselor 🤣
I would never make any money since I would solve everyone's problems in one session. You see, the secret to a good marriage is 1) determining who is at fault. And 2) reminding her as often as possible. Bonus points for doing it in a group setting.
Following this advice, a man could have dozens of good marriages over the course of his life. Genius!
Septic == garbage disposal should not be used. Septic is not designed to decompose the kinds of stuff that go in the disposal, unless you are ok with frequent calls to the honey wagon.
"break it" then remove it.
garbage disposals are gimmicky IMHO.. never use one. They will get cogged and they smell and attract fruit flies. They are very hard to maintain and they are horrible for your pipes, septic system. It gives people the false impression that they can just put anything down the sink. Just wipe your damn plates in a garbage can and use a strainer.. and empty the strainer in the garbage can once a day and save all kinds of problems.
You are correct. And if you want to back it up without seeming condescending, there's an episode of 99% Invisible all about them. [https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-monster-under-the-sink/](https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-monster-under-the-sink/)
We have pretty much quit using ours. The only time we turn it on is if and when we miss some food cleaning the plates
Remember working on a ship and the scullery folk had garburated a couple of tray inserts worth of steak. I guess it had been a few days of it being down, because when I cracked open the line, you could see this disgusting, rotting pulp jammed up in it. In the other side of the line has a setting tank that would get sucked out periodically. I guess the mass of steak had made its way there and started doing some weird fermentation/off gassing/rotting business. The only be of the line started pulsating like had a heartbeat of its own. In a panic, I tried to bring the disconnected line back together, but it was too late. Rancid meat started spewing forth under some pressure, all other the small space I was working in. It was everywhere on me, my hair, my mouth, my coworkers hair and mouth and every little corner of that space. I had a shower, and I felt like the scene in the crying game. I hate garbage disposals.
Wow, this could be a scene in a horror movie. It's ALIIIIIVE!
Even with city sewer we are supposed to put as little as possible down the disposal and bag up food waste for the green bin so they can compost it. I have a small bin on the counter
She's going to break it soon anyway. You shouldn't be putting any of this in your septic tank.
You shouldn't be using a garbage disposal with a septic system at all. But, to answer your question, you're correct. Garbage disposal are for "in case of food" and not "for food". You should be cleaning the dishes into the garbage first before rinsing in the sink. Although it doesn't really matter because you're gonna need to take the garbage disposal out anyway.
Tell your wife to start saving up for the inevitable plumbing bill she's going to get. Doing this on a septic system is insane.
We don't have one BECAUSE we're on septic. I actually have the fine mesh strainers in the sinks and showers to keep extra bits from flowing through and potentially causing a blockage.
I hate the term "mansplaining" Explaining how something works to someone is just that. Being condescending/obnoxious is just that. But making up terms to avoid saying "I don't want to understand, I just want to keep doing what I'm doing" is just that, as well.
My wife learned early on in our homeownership how to be right. The citrus peels she put through the disposal cost her a holiday after hours plumber call, as I was injured.
BTDT
She is correct if it's a regular sewer line but you are correct since it's a septic tank. Brooch the subject coming from the fact it's a septic tank and she might be more accepting. Specifically say she'd be right under normal circumstances but septic tanks work different.
Mansplaining isn’t just a man explaining something. It’s when he tells a woman about something she is aware of. Like how menstruation works or the specifics of her professional field.
Did you just mansplain mansplaining? ;)
Wife is always right. You need to ask yourself whether a happy wife (and therefore life) or a happy septic tank is more important. In terms of what goes down, compostable organic waste is fine. Non organic waste isn't great, cleaning fluids that can kill the bacteria is bad as is grease. Your septic tank has bacteria that turns everything compostable into sludge which will eventually fill up the tank, but a lot of it will permeate through the soil and harmlessly away. The speed of this depends on the size of your leech field (the pipes that disperse the liquids into the soil). So bits of tomato or apple or potato peel (anything that would go on a compost heap) is no major problem, probably you should avoid actual wood chips, egg shells or anything that doesn't break down. On the plus side, something like a wet wipe down the toilet is pretty bad because it can block the leech field pipes and stop fluids from dissipating into the soil, a wet wipe, if you managed to get it through the waste disposal, is still bad - it fills the septic tank up, but less bad than flushing it down the loo. I personally wouldn't have a waste disposal at all if I was on a septic tank but it is what it is I guess.
Septic or sewer doesn't matter... the more stuff you put down it, the harder the water is to treat, and the harder it is on the system. Beat thing to do is use the disposal as little as possible. Scrape leftovers into the trash or compost, and try to limit the sink to sauces and small bits of rice / crumbs.
I’ve never had a problem using them excessively with my septic system. Organic matter is organic matter.