Alternative to RidX

[uncleotis]

Does anyone know what can be used in the septic tank in place of RidX? It is so danged expensive and if there is something that works just as good I'd sure like to know.

Thank you.

[arabian knight]

If you are using the septic under normal usage etc., there should be NO need what so ever to use that Highly advertised and High Priced Product as RidX is. IMO.
Be interesting to what others have to say on this subject as well.

[Ozarkian]

A local company that pumps out septics says to put a pkg of yeast down the drain every month. If you never put chlorine or anti-bacterial products into your septic, that will go a long way in preventing problems.

[Harry Chickpea]

How to describe...

Adding RidX to add beneficial organisms to a septic tank is kinda like trying to increase the speed of New York City banks by adding two new commuters to the population of the city and fifty cents to the tax base.

Unless you have totally wiped out every living thing in the septic tank and leach field, flushed it to remove the causative agent, refilled with distilled water and been constipated for a month on a killer dose of antibiotics, you don't need RidX. Every poo you deposit has more bacteria.

If it makes you feel good, curdle some milk and pour it down the drain.

[MaineFarmMom]

There's more than enough bacteria in poop to keep a septic tank in good condition. If that's not enough there's probably a problem RidX isn't going to take care of.

[chickenslayer]

Originally Posted by Harry Chickpea

How to describe...

Adding RidX to add beneficial organisms to a septic tank is kinda like trying to increase the speed of New York City banks by adding two new commuters to the population of the city and fifty cents to the tax base.

Unless you have totally wiped out every living thing in the septic tank and leach field, flushed it to remove the causative agent, refilled with distilled water and been constipated for a month on a killer dose of antibiotics, you don't need RidX. Every poo you deposit has more bacteria.

If it makes you feel good, curdle some milk and pour it down the drain.

A friend of mine has a septic pumping service and he told me just about the same thing, I've had mine for 20 years and never added anything to it and have had no problems.

[7thswan]

I heard on the radio once,if you want to put something down the tank... a gallon of milk soured on the counter will work the same as Ridx. Tho I agree with everyone else, the tank and it's contents work their own magic.

[Shrek]

An occasional packet of bread yeast or first rack wine lees are all I add to my septic system.

[uncleotis]

Geeze...all this time we've been wasting our money buying RidX. Yeast, milk or nothing are much cheaper.

Thank you all for your answers.

[starjj]

I don't know what it is but I had my tank pumped at the end of May. The septic guy sold me packets that you put in the toliet and flush once a month. 12 packets pre measured cost $20.00. Much cheaper than rid X. This guy is know to be honest and above board so I do trust him.

[Farmerwilly2]

I'll sell you 24 packets for $10 plus shipping. I'll even give you your choice of color: lime, orange, raspberry, cherry, grape. Mine works so great you only need to add one packet every 6 months. Now how's that for a deal. It also works great on compost heaps----just sprinkle a packet between the layers. Not too much, this is powerful stuff. Wait six months, turning heap every two months and you'll have great compost. I use it when I need to bury a carcass also. Dig hole--drop in carcass---sprinkle a packet of my super powder---cover with dirt. Within a year about the only thing you'll find if you dig it up is some bone and maybe a few feathers or a little hair, depending on what kind of carcass you needed to dispose of. Willys Magic Powder is great stuff.

[arabian knight]

He is making money on that. Even after pumping there is still plenty of "good stuff" left in the tank. And then flushing wastes back into the tank will just keep it going.
Unless the tank was completely pumped dry next to impossible, but say it was, there is still plenty of stuff left on the sides, that will continue to do the job, without adding any enzymes in the tank..JMO

[akmyilee]

I am not trying to hijack this tread - it is very timely for me - we have a septic tank and toilet that barely flushes and the other doesn't do much better and I was wondering if it was the septic tank - it might just be the toilets or the water pressure? I was going to buy some ridX this weekend - guess that theory is debunked - huh? - I don't know what else to do but there are 5 people that need to do their business in those toilets and I am the one that is always plunging and plunging and plung......well you get the idea.

[arabian knight]

When was the last time you had it pumped?
Could be a number of things, from a vent pipe clogged, to a partial clog in the main line going into the tank. To maybe even roots getting in the way. Which if that is the case, putting RidX will not solve a thing, only a rotor rooter type clean out will help.

[Randy Rooster]

Originally Posted by uncleotis

Does anyone know what can be used in the septic tank in place of RidX? It is so danged expensive and if there is something that works just as good I'd sure like to know.

Thank you.

I asked a man who had been pumping septic tanks for over 20 years, this same question when my system failed after a hurricane many years ago. I found out through him that my septic system had failed due to the collapse of one of the drain lines, not because of anything wrong with the tank or otherwise with the system.

i asked him specifically about ridex.

He told me flat out that there are more bacteria that digest human waste in one bowel movement than there are in a whole box of rid x.

Save your money.

[starjj]

Let's put it this way if putting a packet of powder once a month in my toliet gives me peace of mind then to me it is well worth it. Now some people say that you need to pump your septic once a year, some 3 years, some say it has been 10 years and I have NEVER had it pumped. I knew the last owner had never had it done. The septic guy said he had pumped it but was not sure when maybe 5 or so years ago. My neighbor has NEVER had his pumped and he has 9 kids. I would rather get it done because once they fail it is too late. The ONLY one I would trust to answer this question about Rid X is Cabin Fever here on this board since he seems to have the knowledge from reading his past posts about the subject.

[starjj]

Originally Posted by Wind in Her Hair

he is a man who knows his poop.

he's off-line right now but I'm certain he would agree with the "RidX is a Waste of Money" bunch.

LOL well I didn't quite mean it THAT way but I agree he does. WIHH do you use anything in the tank in lieu of Rid X such as yeast or anything? I am sure after being married so long you have had some of the poop knowledge rub off so to speak.

[rambler]

Originally Posted by akmyilee

I am not trying to hijack this tread - it is very timely for me - we have a septic tank and toilet that barely flushes and the other doesn't do much better and I was wondering if it was the septic tank - it might just be the toilets or the water pressure? I was going to buy some ridX this weekend - guess that theory is debunked - huh? - I don't know what else to do but there are 5 people that need to do their business in those toilets and I am the one that is always plunging and plunging and plung......well you get the idea.

You have something full that is slowing your waste disposal lines down:

Your toilet(s) have something in the trap - pen, toy, etc.

Your waste pipes are plugging up with gunk, tree roots, rusted through underground.

Your spetic tank is full of solids or grease & ruining your leach lines.

A baffle or Tee in your septic has broken off & is affecting how the septic works - again wrecking your leach lines.

A Tee or pipe in your leach field has crushed or borken & slowing down the flow from the tank to the field.

Your spetic tank/leach field is overwhelmed with either ground water (too much rain or watering or snowmelt etc.) or more people/ waste water than it was designed for, and is just plain flooded.

In short, there is no magic powder that will fix your problem. You (or a proffesional) needs to figure out which of these is causing your problem, and need to fix the problem.

First course of action typically is to pump the tank; that will prove if your tank is working well, waterlogged, broken, etc. This is fairly cheap & eliminates or proves many of the possible causes, and gives you a baseline of where to start.

The rest is then just eliminating possiblities, troubleshooting.

If you hope some magic dust will help you, I'm sorry - it ain't going to help.

There is no magic powder, and Ridex or any other powder does nothing at all for the septic; only parts you from your money. Yeast is the opposite of what actually happens in your septic; so it is only an extra powder that your septic needs to digest - it does no help at all either.

We keep hoping we can get by easy, so we keep paying hucksters for their magic powders.

There are none.

--->Paul

[akmyilee]

thanks for the ideas Paul - I am under no delusion that my problems will be solved easily - I might try to be in denial for a while but that is for another thread I think Anyway - I am going to find out when the last time it was pumped -my in-laws used to live here and they should know- It could very well be an over fill with water thing, my garden beds are near that area and could be getting some of the run off when I water - This house has also had only two older people living in for the last 15 years or so and now there is a family of 6 - with several ornery children. Thanks again for the information

[fetch33]

I am not good with any kind of maintenance...our septic tank has only been pumped twice in 17 years. The septic man said never to put Ridx down the toilet. He also said our tank was 'healthy'... LOL.