Septic Genie - Have you tried it?
 

http://www.septicgenie.com/genie/

Hi All,

Our septic system is old and tired. We have to pump 3 or 4 times a year, which is way to expensive. Has anyone tried a product like the Septic Genie? (or any products like it).

We would be interested in your results.

Thanks.

Two things jump right out at me, the first is this paragragh on the home page.

"Septic Genie prevents the cause of septic system failure ... and just like any other problem, when you remove the cause the problem the problem won't reoccur in the future. Provided you properly look after your Genie, your septic system won't fail again in the future. "

This suggests to me that this product is actually intended to be used from the beginning, for best results.

The second I did not copy, but I question its process. The product eats waste that has clogged the soil surrounding your leach field. Where does the eaten waste then go? I would also think that it would take quite a bit of time to eat through all this clogged soil. Also IF it in fact does what they say, after opening one area it will not filter to the remaining areas of the leach field, the path of least resistence, which will then overload that one area of the leach field, thus starting the process over again.

At 3-4 pumpings a year, I would have a new system installed, it will pay for itself faster than this product will.

That is just my opinion, I will wait with you to hear about someones actual experience.

Why's your system tired, do you have issues when you don't keep it pumped so often? This product will not make an issue go away. I'm not in the biz but in my opinion (and talking with people that ARE in the biz) your chasing your tail using these products. Kind of like additives for your car oil, the best medicine for your cars is oil changes timed appropriatly (sp) with a good quality oil. Again just my .02 but try calling people (a few of them) that service systems and see what they have to say. They may have a slight agenda giving their opinions but what about the claims from the people that sell the products. :confused:
Sorry to say but I'd probably start saving up for the new system.

The way most septic systems work is maintaining a balance of bacteria that eats the waste. Too much bacteria then they run out of waste and die creating that black goop you see when pumping out. Too little bacteria and you get undissolved waste. I believe RidX and products like that kill the bacteria. Yeast based products activate bacteria and give it more to eat. It is not always good to pump your septic out often since you are removing the helpful bacteria and it takes awhile to build it back up.

Just my 2 cents

I like the part in the sales pitch about the Jacuzzi...:D NB

Follow up
 

Thanks for the replies.

Unfortunately, the pumping is necessary because of how slowly the system leaches. Unfortunately, we do end up with gurgling, and "Stuff" on top of the tank when it is too full. We have used DJ Septic out of Wolfeboro for years and years, and I have reached out to Dave for his opinion (Dave is a great guy, and always helpful).

As pointed out in another thread, there are two types of septic systems. The older anaerobic and the newer aerobic, the newer systems are characterized by the inverted 'candy cane' in the leach field.

It seems this genie might help an aerobic system, but just stir the muck up in an anaerobic system and possibly let undigested material out into and plug up the field.

If I remember right, in the old days, on a plugged up field they treated it with acid to clean out the perforations in the pipes :eek:

The "gurgling" part sounds familiar. I had this problem a few years back. A visiting friend with some experience with these things grabbed a shovel, opened up the septic tank and found that the outlet from the tank to the distribution box that feeds the leach field was blocked by dirt so the liquid portion was not moving properly out of the tank. Not sure how that might have happened but once we cleared out the blockage the problem was solved. It might be that, like in our case, nothing (or very little) is actually getting to your leach field. Blockage could be caused by dirt, roots, or maybe even a damaged pipe.

Next time you schedule a pumpout, ask if they can inspect the "baffles." If I inderstand it right, this is the piece that is supposed to reduce the amount of particles enterring the leaching portion of the system. It can get clogged or, depending on what it's made of, crumble. If you are lucky and this is the problem it is a relatively simple fix compared to a new leach field.

The inspection process is simple. The septic tank needs to be drained or at least not close to full. The inspector may need to have access toa hose so the baffle can be washed. It is usually vied by a mirror on a stick, a fiber optic lens or a micro-camera.

Good luck!

The Baffle is at the end (or beginning) of the pipe running to the leaching field. If it's broken off or not working and waste has been getting out to the leach field for a long time (years) that can be serious and a major fix. You are correct, the Baffle only allows liquids to the field which it's meant to handle. A pump-out will expose this opening/pipe.

Our experience with a new house in 1990. The leach field was built in a burm format on a relatively wet lot. After about a year, we were a bit freaked out by lower grass areas that would remain soggy and smelly. We used one of those products that has bacteria and was claimed that it would help open the drainage in the leach field.

I was pleased to see that it actually appeared to work quite well. We used the product for the next 5 years once a month. We also used it on an older system at RG's grandfathers house and it worked there as well. The muddy back yard dried up for the first time in a few years.

For what it's worth.

RG now uses the following formula every 6 months: 10 packets of yeast and 2 cups of sugar in a pail around 115 degrees. When it starts blooming in the bucket, she flushes it down the toilet. We pump about every 3 years and the tech reports that the tank is very healthy.

Lenny's Drain service in Ossipee did a Terralift on a system for us years ago and it worked out great. As it was explained at the time, it basically was inflating the leach bed with styrofoam pellets (more or less) which creates tons of surface area and new aggregate for the bacteria to grow upon and do their magic.
His number is 603-539-2048

Update
 

We opted to give the RidX a try. Inexpensive, and easy to do.
The results? Well, for the first time in 10 years, we did NOT have to have the septic pumped this summer. We started using RidX in May, and do 1 treatment a month. As it is a summer cottage, it only gets used in May, Jun, July, Aug (maybe september in some years).

Chris

Chris, Great news on the system.

One more option for you that I was completely unaware of until a few months ago, but if your septic system fails due to a mechanical issue, ie, pipe gets crushed, baffle breaks off, etc. You can claim the repair on your homeowners insurance policy to cover the costs of the repair or replacement. Maybe not all insurance companies will do this, but a family member went this route earlier this year and it blew me away that it was an option.

Rid-X
 

Chris - It sounds like the problem with your system was a clogged pipe or baffle. Rid-X is a very active bacteria strain that actually increases the temperature of the waste system and will liquify grease clogs. The down side is that as the waste reaches the leach field it cools and will sometimes re-solidify blocking the field pipes. It doesn't happen all the time but, you may have just moved the problem and bought time until you are forced to rebuild the system.