Help me prove an old man wrong!

[dan-182]

Hello all, hope everyone had a very merry Christmas! Like most of the posts on here I have a question about snow foam, but I bet my bottom dollar that its one that's never been asked before. I was luky enough to have received a snow foam lance for Christmas along with the Valet Pro neutral snow foam. Over the moon I was!!! Until I came to use it today and my next door neighbour was walking past my drive way and came over and took an interest in the lance and foam in action and told me I had to stop as we share a septic tank dranage system and the chemical is not suitable for the tank... As most people would do I didn't take much notice and waited until he walked round the corner and proceeded with the foaming! But he felt obliged to come back over and tell me to stop! (just to note it is his septic tank) so I thought there's no point in raised voices and swinging fists around over some foam! But I thought perhaps some online research would be a good way of shutting this old man up!


Does anyone know if snow foam is safe to be desposed of down a drain that leads to a septic tank? My guess was yes, until I looked online and apparently cleaning chemicals should not be desposed of down a drain leading to a septic tank. But it stated that diluted chemicals are ok (e.g - a mop bucket with soapy water) .... After all, I'm diluting the soultion 1: part chemical 25: parts water. Surely thats ok?


I'm mearly looking for conformation here so I can walk across the road and wave the proof that snow foam is safe to be disposed of down a septic tank drain in this old blokes face. That's unless someone can prove I shouldn't do it, I'll just sit at home and do sweet nothing otherwise! Lol.

cheers guys!!

 

[Addicted]

If his septic tank takes in water from the main drain system - anyone washing their car with any form of soap will have chemicals in - so personally I'd tell him to do one!

That is one random story though, kudos!

 

[dan-182]

Haha mate, it's defiantly is reading it over again.

 

[DrR]

We have a septic tank, anything that's water coming from he house goes in it. Dishwasher, washing machine, shower etc. so can't see snow foam being an issues, my snow foam when I used it went into a local stream, shhhh.

 

[SBV116]

How do you share it exactly?? If you share it you have as much right as him, so tell him to piss off, if it's diluted it won't matter in the slightest.

Imagine the stuff that has been flushed / flooded into watercourses recently, like your teeny weeny diluted snow foam will make any difference to the watercourses!!!

 

[SBV116]

Septic tanks are a strange idea, don't forget they only hold solids, so any water eventually drains off the top! Piss included, lol and goes off down the ditches etc etc to soak away.

 

[DrR]

Septic tanks are a strange idea, don't forget they only hold solids, so any water eventually drains off the top! Piss included, lol and goes off down the ditches etc etc to soak away.

Yeah, my piss really makes the grass grow!

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

Aparently All-Purpose Cleaners,
Mild detergents, like laundry detergents and any others that can be used without gloves, are safe for use in septic systems. Other all-purpose surface cleaners are also safe. These cleaners do not contain the harsh chemicals that can damage septic lines or the bacteria inside of the tank.

 

[dan-182]

Over the tension of a fist fight breaking out I didn't have time to exchange details on how we share it unfortunately haha, although I think your right, if the solution is diluted then it shouldn't matter one bit (Y)

 

[dan-182]

Sunglasses - Top man! Cheers!!

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

Sunglasses - Top man! Cheers!!

No worries dude. And if the old c**t questions it, this is where I read it.

http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_6752662_products-cleaning-homes-septic-systems.html

 

[-J-]

Ask Valet Pro for the MSDS Sheet, should tell you all you need to know to convince him

 

[Tony Hunter]

Lol at some of the attitude of you lot on here, telling him to do one.

Just explain to him, that you have double checked, and because the chemical is diluted, it should be alright to use.

Without knowing the legal implications to all this, it's his tank etc, etc.

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

He's probably like most old c***s. He probably heard something years ago about chemicals damaging tanks so just ignorantly assumes that includes every chemical known to man. And he probably loves trying to tell people what to do.

 

[dan-182]

Yeah Tony your right, a simple explanation should sort it out.

 

[Laura]

if its his tank id probably hold off using it until you have some sort of written confirmation from the supplier that it is safe, Im sure a quick email to the people that make it would do the trick.

 

[dan-182]

Yeah I've emailed the people who make the tank and I've also emailed Valet Pro for conformation that their product is safe to be disposed of when diluted down an open drain. Good minds think a like you see

 

[Laura]

good work bat man

 

[Rob]

Well that's a funny Christmas story for you to remember anyway! Hope you get it all sorted, lol!!!

 

[JD]

A; it's ph neutral.

B; septic tanks are for house hold waste... We have one and its full of waste from the toilet. Surely your outside drains go to either mains drainage/sewerage or a soak away?

The acid rain that falls in this country is likely to do more harm than your snow foam.

 

[Yellow Dave]

the problem with chemicals going into a take is the affect it may have on the natural bacteria within the tank and weaken / reduce by way of cleaning them almost. A normal household can affect this bacteria by simply using a little too much bleach when cleaning for example. As mentioned they will withstand a decent amount of cleaning products that get put down the sink on a daily basis.

With regards to you washing your car, do the drives lead to a road drain or similar? As it would be VERY odd that this drainage would lead back to a tank. Typically they work back to another storm water system or ditch. The excess storm water that would enter into the tank if it was taking rain water from drives would water down the bacteria of the tank which is why road, rain water and ground drains are not piped into sceptic tanks.

 

[Tony Hunter]

I can only imagine it's down a little lane or thee end of a track or farm house or something like that.

 

[Cerrone]

If it would do harm to a tank full of s**t i wouldnt use it on my car! If your using snow foam stuff it should be ph neutral!

 

[Tony Hunter]

Yes, but doesn't understand that does he. All he can see is a sh1t load of foam, hence him thinking it's going to fcuk his tank up.

 

[Fred@BTM]

Ph neutral yo

 

[slob]

Pics of the area would be a help to get a better idea.

Strange that a drive way runs into a septic tank. Surely oil spills petrol ect would fcuk your tank up. These factors would have to be taken seriously even though the chances or amount of contamination would be minimal.

 

[Dan@SJM]

Drive way drainage will be on a different line/soak away. Otherwise with all the rain you've bad recently you'd be emptying it.

Septic tanks are for toilets only. Grey water(sinks/showers/baths/external drainage) will all go to a soak away. (I've done some time as a drainage surveyor)

 

[klem]

The pH of the washing solution would have little effect on the growth/stability of the bacterial colonies within the tank (unless you're talking litres and litres of very high or low) pH 5-9 should be OK.

Certain synthetic detergents however are known to have very effective bacteriostatic/bactericidal properties so would significantly inhibit the anaerobic digestion in the septic tank by virtue of reducing colony viability.

The most common (bactericidal) detergents are things like a ionic surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulphate and nonionic surfactants.

If the foam contains these then chances are its not suitable for the septic tank.

What capacity is the tank?