What to put in septic tank to break down solids & grease

If you operate a septic tank or septic system then you are saving a lot of money vs connecting to the municipal sewer and paying monthly charges. When septic tanks get expensive is when there are septic problems such as an overflowing or clogged septic tank. Then you need to call a septic tank company to pump your septic tank, or worse unblock your septic system, pipes or drain field and owning a septic tank starts to get expensive!

In this article, we look at a simple and cost-effective maintenance treatment that breaks down solids, sludge and grease and some home remedies for backed-up septic tanks.

How to break down solids in a septic tank

Your septic tank is designed to use bacteria to break down solids by what is called the anaerobic digestion process. Unfortunately, this happens slowly even in a healthy septic system, mainly because of the lack of oxygen. That's why one of the top colleges in the US developed one of the most effective natural ways to break up solids in a septic tank, a tablet that is flushed down the toilet each month and costs less than $9 per month to treat a septic tank. Once the tablet reaches the septic system according to the company that manufactures the tablets in the US they:

reduce, then eliminate noxious odors (the smell) extremely fast - in just three to five days!
break down and eliminate all organic sludge from septic tanks, including natural oils, grease and organic hydrocarbons.
prevent back-ups, and clogs, and all other associated problems in septic tank systems, including corrosion.
reduce, and in many cases, eliminate the need to have your septic tank pumped!

5 home remedies for a backed up septic tank

If you don't want to pay for a monthly septic tank treatment to keep your septic system healthy, the other option is to get your hands dirty (literally) with a mix of home remedies and manual labor. Be wary of many myths or home remedies to keep a septic tank clean as many of them are wives tales.

Adding yeast to your septic tank - you have probably heard a friend or family member telling you about the yeast trick. That is you should put bakers yeast, baking yeast, active dry yeast or brewers yeast down your drain or toilet for a healthy bacterial ecosystem. The problem with this is you are not adding the right bacteria for your septic system. Human waste or solid waste that enters your tank system already has the good bacteria needed for the anaerobic digestion process. Adding a different bacteria will not speed up the process, in fact it could harm the healthy bacterial ecosystem as the yeast and good bacteria in the septic system will fight it out. Alternatively, you could have an over population of the wrong bacteria leading to excess gas and a bad smell coming from your septic system.
Stirring your septic system - It may sound unpleasant (and it is), but "septic stirring" just means using a stick or other long object to break up solids. Stirring your septic tank or breaking up the solid layer on top and the sludge at the bottom is a good solution for small buildups. This is a home remedy you need to do often to stop the septic sludge or solids from setting hard in your tank. Be warned, this is something you will need to commit to very regularly to have any success.
Stop using bleach and chemicals - This is not so much a home remedy but a home precaution that will reduce the number of times you will need to call a septic professional or septic service. Adding harmful chemicals to your tank via your shower, sink, toilet bowl etc will harm the good bacteria and stop your septic systems from functioning properly.
Backflushing - Backflushing is a technique where you such the wastewater (not solids or grease/ scum) out of your septic system with a wet vacuum and spray it back at the top layer of your septic system at high force. This technique does rely on you having the specialised equipment and it can be very smelly and often results in a lot of human waste spraying out of the tank.
Pumping tanks - If you don't want to invest in a septic tank maintenance treatment or proper maintenance then having periodic pumping of you septic tank system is the only other way to break up solids in your septic system and remove them for good.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I clean my septic tank naturally?

Besides you owning a septic company or having your tank pumped periodically, you will need to look at a natural treatment like a monthly maintenance tablet to do this for you. If you don't find a solution to clean your tank you can start to get bad smells in the house and yard.

How do you dissolve grease in a septic tank?

Most houses have a grease trap in the drain line from the house to the septic system. Make sure that this is cleaned regularly to ensure as little grease is getting into your septic system and settling on the scum layers. Once the grease is in the scum layers of your septic system the bacteria will not break this down easily. You will need the same septic treatment mentioned above.

What enzymes break down grease?

To the best of our knowledge, there are no enzymes that break down grease.

What's your advice on how to break up solids in septic tank?

You can follow the steps above to break up solids by stirring your septic system or backflushing your septic systems. The most effective way is to have your tank pumped. For information on what to do after you have had your tank pumped, read this article - "What to do after septic tank is pumped"

How do I increase bacteria in my septic tank naturally?

You can increase aerobic bacteria or good bacteria in your septic system by avoiding harmful chemicals and not putting things like feminine hygiene products and the wrong toilet paper into your toilet with the solid wastes from your household. Apart from that you can add a bacteria treatment to your septic tank each month.

What is the best thing to put in your septic tank?

The correct question you should be asking is what should I avoid putting into septic systems to avoid serious problems. Avoid:

Too much baking soda and white vinegar
Too much yeast (the yeast trick) including instant yeast, baking yeast, brewers yeast
Too much solid wastes from a garbage disposal or kitchen garbage disposals
Bleach, hydrogen peroxide, inorganic acids or other bad chemicals

How do I clean my septic tank naturally?

Having a periodic pumping of your septic tank will clean your septic tank but it won't clean your drain field which can get clogged if the sludge layer gets too high in your septic tank. The best way to clean a septic tank naturally is by using a natural septic tank maintenance treatment to keep on top of serious problems before they arise.

How do I get rid of sludge in my septic tank?

The septic sludge or the sludge layer are names for the solid wastes the layer in your tank. The most effective way to get rid of septic sludge is by having them pumped out by a septic company that will remove the septic sludge from your tank. The next best option is using a septic tank treatment.

Can you clean a septic tank yourself?

This will vary depending on your state or county law but unless you have a septic tank pumping truck you will not be able to transport the septic sludge and waste to an appropriate treatment plant to dispose of the harmful waste.

What happens if you don't pump your septic tank?

We have a good article that covers What Happens If You Don't Clean Your Septic Tank.

How can septic sludge affect the drain field?

In a healthy septic system that is working correctly, only wastewater should be draining via your drain field, not septic sludge or solid waste. If your septic system is getting backed up or your septic tank is overflowing then this is a big sign that either your outlet pipe or your drain field is blocked. This is why appropriate maintenance and periodic tank pumped periodically will avoid costly expenses like having to have your drain field replaced or your drain field relocated because of solid waste blockages.

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