Hello,
I would like to clean out my sump pump pit since there is who-
knows-what down there (mold, bacteria, whatever). Some folks
recommend pouring a gallon of bleach in there, but I'm not sure about
that. Neglecting any safety concerns for humans, what would this do
to my septic tank? Would this kill the bacteria in my septic
system?
Thanks.

wrote in message
...
Hello,
I would like to clean out my sump pump pit since there is who-
knows-what down there (mold, bacteria, whatever). Some folks
recommend pouring a gallon of bleach in there, but I'm not sure about
that. Neglecting any safety concerns for humans, what would this do
to my septic tank? Would this kill the bacteria in my septic
system?
Thanks.

All you need is about a 1/4 cup in a gallon of water and that won't harm the
septic.

Bleach is nothing more than a solution of sodium hyperchlorite. It
frees up oxygen, which destroys the bacteria. Since sodium
hyperchlorite is pretty unstable, it eventually ends up as sodium
chloride, common table salt. In the quantities you use, it is not
going to do any harm at all. Go to it...

On Nov 18, 8:59 am, professorpaul wrote:
Bleach is nothing more than a solution of sodium hyperchlorite. It
frees up oxygen, which destroys the bacteria. Since sodium
hyperchlorite is pretty unstable, it eventually ends up as sodium
chloride, common table salt. In the quantities you use, it is not
going to do any harm at all. Go to it...

A related question is why is your sump pump hooked into your septic
system instead of just discharging somewhere above ground? Putting
excess ground water into a septic system isn't a good idea.

Agreed. No foundation drainage sump should be pumped into a septic tank. All
it will do is flood the tank.

Is what the OP talking about a sewage pit with a pump to overhead lines to
the septic tank? This would be for sinks, tub, shower and/or toilet that
cannot drain normally to the septic tank. In this case don't waste your time
opening it up and adding bleach.

wrote in message
...
On Nov 18, 8:59 am, professorpaul wrote:
Bleach is nothing more than a solution of sodium hyperchlorite. It
frees up oxygen, which destroys the bacteria. Since sodium
hyperchlorite is pretty unstable, it eventually ends up as sodium
chloride, common table salt. In the quantities you use, it is not
going to do any harm at all. Go to it...

A related question is why is your sump pump hooked into your septic
system instead of just discharging somewhere above ground? Putting
excess ground water into a septic system isn't a good idea.

Ah, now I feel just a bit foolish. I really don't have any reason to
think that the sump pump is tied into the septic system. It probably
is not. I was not thinking too hard on that one. Thanks for the
advice and the information.


On Nov 18, 11:22 am, "EXT" wrote:
Agreed. No foundation drainagesumpshould be pumped into a septic tank. All
it will do is flood the tank.

Is what the OP talking about a sewage pit with apumpto overhead lines to
the septic tank? This would be for sinks, tub, shower and/or toilet that
cannot drain normally to the septic tank. In this case don't waste your time
opening it up and adding bleach.

wrote in message

...

On Nov 18, 8:59 am, professorpaul wrote:
Bleach is nothing more than a solution of sodium hyperchlorite. It
frees up oxygen, which destroys the bacteria. Since sodium
hyperchlorite is pretty unstable, it eventually ends up as sodium
chloride, common table salt. In the quantities you use, it is not
going to do any harm at all. Go to it...

A related question is why is yoursumppumphooked into your septic
system instead of just discharging somewhere above ground? Putting
excess ground water into a septic system isn't a good idea.

Your sump should not be going into your septic.

s


wrote in message
...
Hello,
I would like to clean out my sump pump pit since there is who-
knows-what down there (mold, bacteria, whatever). Some folks
recommend pouring a gallon of bleach in there, but I'm not sure about
that. Neglecting any safety concerns for humans, what would this do
to my septic tank? Would this kill the bacteria in my septic
system?
Thanks.

Do you know where it discharges to?


wrote in message
...
Ah, now I feel just a bit foolish. I really don't have any reason to
think that the sump pump is tied into the septic system. It probably
is not. I was not thinking too hard on that one. Thanks for the
advice and the information.


On Nov 18, 11:22 am, "EXT" wrote:
Agreed. No foundation drainagesumpshould be pumped into a septic tank.
All
it will do is flood the tank.

Is what the OP talking about a sewage pit with apumpto overhead lines to
the septic tank? This would be for sinks, tub, shower and/or toilet that
cannot drain normally to the septic tank. In this case don't waste your
time
opening it up and adding bleach.

wrote in message

...

On Nov 18, 8:59 am, professorpaul wrote:
Bleach is nothing more than a solution of sodium hyperchlorite. It
frees up oxygen, which destroys the bacteria. Since sodium
hyperchlorite is pretty unstable, it eventually ends up as sodium
chloride, common table salt. In the quantities you use, it is not
going to do any harm at all. Go to it...

A related question is why is yoursumppumphooked into your septic
system instead of just discharging somewhere above ground? Putting
excess ground water into a septic system isn't a good idea.

I do not absolutely know for sure, but it probably goes out to the
field tile in the field behind my house.



On Nov 18, 6:56 pm, "EXT" wrote:
Do you know where it discharges to?

wrote in message

...

Ah, now I feel just a bit foolish. I really don't have any reason to
think that thesumppumpis tied into the septic system. It probably
is not. I was not thinking too hard on that one. Thanks for the
advice and the information.

On Nov 18, 11:22 am, "EXT" wrote:
Agreed. No foundation drainagesumpshould be pumped into a septic tank.
All
it will do is flood the tank.

Is what the OP talking about a sewage pit with apumpto overhead lines to
the septic tank? This would be for sinks, tub, shower and/or toilet that
cannot drain normally to the septic tank. In this case don't waste your
time
opening it up and adding bleach.

wrote in message

...

On Nov 18, 8:59 am, professorpaul wrote:
Bleach is nothing more than a solution of sodium hyperchlorite. It
frees up oxygen, which destroys the bacteria. Since sodium
hyperchlorite is pretty unstable, it eventually ends up as sodium
chloride, common table salt. In the quantities you use, it is not
going to do any harm at all. Go to it...

A related question is why is yoursumppumphooked into your septic
system instead of just discharging somewhere above ground? Putting
excess ground water into a septic system isn't a good idea.