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Septic Tank Maintenance: What Can or Cannot Be Flushed into a Septic Tank - Septic Tank Maintenance and Cleaning Advice InspectAPedia®  -     Complete guide to what is OK or NOT-OK to flush down the toilet and into your septic tank

What items and chemicals are safe and what items are not safe to flush down the toilet and into a private septic system? What may damage the septic tank or leach fields? This document explains how to extend the life of the septic system by being careful about what goes into it.

Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. Technical review, content suggestions, critique are welcomed and are listed at "References."NO FLUSH SUMMARY LIST provides a free printer-friendly list of things to avoid flushing down the toilet.

This document is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Diapers, sanitary napkins, tampons, photo chemicals, cleaners, garbage and even toys which find their way into building toilets and drains risk clogging the drain piping, distribution piping, or the septic tank baffles. In the photo at left, the inspector pointed to the bottle of acid and wondered how much photo chemical had gone into the septic system and worried about what that might mean for the health of the leach field.

Even if the septic drainfield field appeared to be "working" it might not be properly treating the septic effluent. It's best to keep diapers, sanitary napkins, chemicals, and the like out of your building drains and toilets. Garbage disposers also increase the solid waste load on septic tanks and may require that the tank be pumped more often.

Diapers, toys, garbage which find their way into building toilets and drains clog drain piping, distribution piping, or septic tank baffles and fields. Keep diapers, tampons, sanitary napkins, household chemicals, and the like out of building drains and toilets. Garbage disposers also increase the solid waste load on septic tanks and may require that the tank be pumped more often. Detailed advice on what is ok or not ok to flush down your drains is given below.

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

WHAT CAN GO INTO TOILETS & DRAINS?
NEVER FLUSH INTO SEPTICS - a list of the absolute "no-no's of things not to put down a drain or into a toilet.
BETTER NOT TO FLUSH - things that you'd be better off not flushing down the drains
HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS - what household chemicals & cleaners are "ok" or "not OK" to put down drains
OTHER CHEMICALS - other chemicals to keep out of septic systems
CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER - is this a problem for the septic system?
CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER - where else does chlorine come from in a septic tank?
DISHWASHERS vs SEPTICS - what is the effect on a septic system when we use a dishwasher
DRUGS INTO the SEPTIC TANK? - what is the effect on the septic tank and drainfield if we dump unwanted drugs into the system?
GARBAGE GRINDERS vs SEPTICS - is it OK to use a garbage disposal system at a house with a septic tank?
REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATE WASTE DISPOSAL - what are the effects on the septic system of RO waste water concentrate
TOILET TISSUE? - is toilet paper a problem in septic tanks? Should we be using special bio-degradable toilet paper?
WASHING MACHINES - what is the effect on the septic tank and drainfield if we use a washing machine?
WATER SOFTENERS - do water softeners harm the septic tank or drainfield? Is water softener salt a problem for the septic system?
** NO FLUSH SUMMARY LIST ** - printer friendly list of things that should not be flushed down the toilet

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• "Save the Septic System - Do Not Flush These Items Down the Toilet", Daniel Friedman, InspectAPedia.com - PDF document, printable reference card
• Additives & Chemicals: Septic System Maintenance - Are they even needed? Are they even legal?
• Biomat Formation in the Septic System Drainfield Absorption System - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems - what to do when buying a home with a septic tank
• Cesspools Home Buyer's or Owner's Advice
• Cheating on Water Tests - (Chlorine in Wells and Septics) Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - Water Test Cheating Warnings for Home Buyers and Home Inspectors
• Clogged Drain Diagnosis - is the problem the septic system or the Building drain system?
• Drywells Home Buyer's or Owner's Advice
• Contamination in Buildings how to test buildings for bacterial contamination from Sewage and Septic backup, remediation, & references
• Leach Field Inspection Procedure Septic Leach Fields - how to inspect and diagnose septic drainfield failures - what causes septic field failure?
• Maintenance: Ten Steps to Keeping a Septic System Working, suggestions from the U.S. EPA, edits and additions by DJF
• "Save the Septic System - Do Not Flush These Items Down the Toilet", Daniel Friedman, InspectAPedia.com - PDF document, printable reference card
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance Book - online textbook: how to inspect, maintain, repair septics
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Septic Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Sewage & Septic Backups and what to do about sewage spillage in buildings
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Tank Pumping Frequency Guide for Septic Tanks: When, How, What to Watch For when pumping or cleaning septic tanks
• Water Usage: Capacity: Determining Needed Septic Capacity - Typical residential water usage for people, appliances, and activities.
• Watts Industries of North Andover, Mass., provides its ZRO-4 under counter system intended to target the independent water dealer market.
• What is a Septic System An Engineer's View & Septic System FAQ's
• ...

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic

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