Drain Cleaners For Septic Systems That Will Cause No Harm.

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What will clear my clog and not harm my septic system?

Even a small amount of chemical drain cleaner can destroy the biome in your septic tank. The bacteria and enzymes in your septic tank need to be there to dissolve the solids. What can you do when clogs happen, and they will. What is the best drain cleaner for septic systems?

Comparison Chart

Green Gobbler Ultimate Main Drain Opener + Drain Cleaner + Hair Clog Remover – 64 oz. It won’t harm your drains, pipes or septic system, as its made only from non-corrosive & non caustic materials.
Green Gobbler Liquid Hair and Grease Clog Remover – 2 Pack & 5 Pack of Hair Grabber Drain Tools | Drain Cleaner | Toilet Clog Remover | Drain Opener
Green Gobbler BIO-Flow Strips-12 (Drain Cleaner & Deodorizer), 12 Pac Perfect for monthly maintainance and continuing odor control
Bio-Clean Drain Septic Bacteria. Clears slow drains in 5 days of applications then keeps drains clear with a monthly application

Green Gobbler Drain Cleaner for Septic Systems

Ultimate Main Line Opener’s thick, high-density formula sinks through water and clings to pipes to liquify tough drain obstructions, clearing the main line to and from your home.

This Green Gobbler product dissolves grease, hair, oils, soap scum, baby wipes, and paper products easily without using caustic chemicals. The revolutionary formula is great for both addressing clogs and preventive maintenance. While it takes care of the toughest clogs, it remains gentle on pipes and septic systems. It’s odorless, non-flammable, and non-irritating to the skin.

Read the Saftey Data Sheet Here

Green Gobbler Liquid Hair and Grease Clog Remover

This green gobbler drain cleaner for septic systems comes with a 5 pack of 24″ snakes. Use this when you have a big hair clog, or the sink has standing water, the snake will be your first line of attack to physically pull out the clog. Standing water clogs are good for this type of drain cleaner, the product sinks through the water to get into the clog to dissolve the hair and grease.

Then simply pour one chamber at a time depending on the type of clog and drain. For sinks and tubs, use only one chamber of liquid. For toilets, use both chambers and pour in slowly. It’s so easy! Has a hair dissolving formula and is totally safe for your septic system.

Read Clog Dissolver Saftey Data Sheet Here

Green Gobbler Green Gobbler Drain Cleaner & Deodorizer BIO-Flow Strips-12 pac

Maintainance of your drains with septic safe sticks

Monthly maintenance is easy with these drop-in drain sticks. Sticking with the green gobbler brand as it is 100% safe for septics. Even naturally occurring chemicals like Lye and Sodium Hydroxide can be used in septic systems, but should they? It is better to choose a product that is beneficial to your septic system. By adding more grease and hair eating bacteria these sticks help keep your drains clear. Not made for the toilet, just sinks and shower drains.

Read the Stick Saftey Data Sheet Here

Bio-Clean Septic Bacteria

Bio Clean bacteria may be a slow fix but a good one for your septic system

Bio-Clean may not be a quick fix to a blockage but is a way to get your drains clear and keep them that way. Totally safe for your septic, Bio-Clean will add beneficial bacteria to your whole system starting from the drains to the leach field. You need to treat drains for 5 days in a row, then you can use it on a monthly basis. Being a powder it is better for storage and has no harmful chemical whatsoever. Read Bio-Clean Saftey Sheet Here

So if your drains are only slow now, and you have a septic system, this is the greenest choice! Bio-Clean will not digest or have any effect on inorganic materials such as plastic pipes. Bio-Clean will not produce heat, fumes, or boiling as dangerous chemicals do.

Clogged Drains

Drains get clogged with hair, grease, toilet paper, food, soap, or mostly a combination of all that disgust. If you have a septic system you need to be careful of what goes down the drain, but even with keeping an eye on what goes in the drain, clogs can still happen.

The chemicals in most drain cleaners will kill the biome that you have in your septic. In your septic tank you have bacteria, algae, protozoa, fungi, rotifers, and nematodes, all working at dissolving your solid waste.  The optimum conditions will keep sludge to a minimum, you still need to have your tank checked or pumped every three to five years.

Anything that may kill off the system’s bacteria should be strictly limited, if not avoided altogether. Looking at the ingredients on a bottle of chemical de-clogger, reveals it to be a lye-based cleaner containing high levels of bleach, aluminum, and salt, which all work together to create an intense chemical reaction that will literally burn away the clogs in your plumbing.

When it comes to your septic system, this chemical combination is devastating for the bacterial environment. It takes as little as 0.4 ounces to destroy the bacteria in your septic tank. If such a minimal amount is enough to wreak havoc on your system’s bacteria, consider the effects of following the manufacturer’s recommendations of using 16 to 32 ounces per clog!

Watch what goes down the drain.

Even if you do not have a septic system, it is always a good practice to not put some things down the drain.

Fats

Cooking and cleaning up after cooking is responsible for bad fats going down the drain. Any fat that is solid at room temperature, like beef fat, butter, and, shortening is the worst.

Because you melt them down the drain with hot water, you may not be thinking about what happens when they cool back down and return to a solid-state! The best practice is to wipe out solid greases with paper towels and put them in the trash. In your septic tank, the top layer of scum includes FOG, which stands for Fats, Oils, and Grease

Two tank septic showing scum layer and sludge

Body grease also builds up in your drains, not much you can do about that either, but keep maintaining your drains with a drain cleaner for septic systems.

Soaps

We all need to use soap but, soap scum is one of the biggest causes of clogged drains. Bar soap is a little worse than liquid soap, but all soap builds up over time. This build up happens in PVC piping as it carries away the drain water from sinks and shower stalls.

You can continue to use soap, but just be proactive and use one of the septic-safe drain cleaners on a regular basis. Get ahead of a problem before it happens!

Hair

Hair is such a drain-clogging problem. It is composed of tough strands of proteins like those in your fingernails, and it’s not easily broken down by bacteria. If there is no filter, hair will travel throughout the septic system clogging pipes or making its way to the leach field.

Even if you block long hairs with the drain grates, some hair is still making it down the drain. Hair from shaving is also making its way to your tank. Hair is part of the sludge that may not be eaten up by bacteria. Clearing your drains regularly is not going to stop you from needing a regular tank pump.

To help with hair, clean your drain grates daily and brush your hair before a shower. Do not brush your hair over the bathroom sink! Find a hall mirror if you like to see what you are doing.

Lessening the amount of hair that can get into your pipes is a good start, then use a physical type of drain-snake cleaner to pull out the hair if it clogs.

Paper

Most toilet paper is made to break up in water. Some are better at breaking up, and these are the ones you want for your septic system. Read the packaging on your toilet paper to see if it says septic-safe. Toilet paper with lotion is not a good idea for the septic, and heavy extra comfort paper may ball up as well.

Types of paper that you should never flush include tissue paper, paper towels, table napkins, wet butt wipes, baby wipes, cotton balls, and female sanitary products (tampons). If it is not toilet paper don’t flush it!

Facial-Tissues and dinner napkins are woven together in different ways that do not dissolve in water the same as toilet paper. Just make sure to throw all of these non-toilet paper items in a trash can.

Even toilet paper will clog the drain, especially if it is already slow and you try and flush big wads.

Other drain-clogging culprits

Some other culprits to a clog you may not have thought much about are, makeup, toothpaste, dirt, and minerals. These items may not be the main cause of a clog, but they are adding to one forming.

Wipe up make-up spills, wipe up toothpaste spills, and knock the dirt off outside before rinsing it down the drain.

The minerals in your water are out of your control, water with substantial amounts of calcium and magnesium is referred to as “hard water.” This hard water causes more soap scum to form. And to make it worse, hard water makes it difficult for soap to do its job, so people with hard water tend to use even more soap.

The use of water softeners and septic systems is still an ongoing discussion. More research would be required if you are thinking about a water softener and a septic system.

Natural Chemicals and Septic Safe.

Naturally occurring chemicals like Lye and Sodium Hydroxide can be used in septic systems, but should they?

They react with the blockage and get the job done. Sodium hydroxide may cause serious damage to your septic tank if it exceeds the maximum daily dosage. Lye will also kill off the bacteria if used on a regular basis, again it is marked as septic-safe in specified amounts.

So they are marked as septic-safe because they have a daily limit. Just like your tank can survive other cleaners and bleach in normal use amounts. It is better to choose a product that is beneficial to your septic system, a product that is bio-degradable, green, and non-toxic.

Other natural chemicals that are readily available are baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda and vinegar are safe and effective cleaners for your household drains and they are 100% safe for your septic tank and drain field.

Conclusion to the best drain cleaner for septic systems

The best practice is to limit the bad things going down your drain, and regular drain maintenance is a must. Never use harsh chemical de-cloggers with your septic system. Even when using green cleaners, always wear gloves and eye protection is a must.

Get your tank inspected, and pumped when it is needed. Look after your bacteria, by using safe cleaning products as well as a safe drain cleaner for septic systems on a regular basis.

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