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Bromine in septic tank?
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Dave, I can't do that
Apr 16, 2013, 11:25:51 AM4/16/13
to
Hi All,
The wife tried some chlorine based tablet things in the tank of the toilet and it kept the bowl nice and clean. The tablets were rated Septic Tank safe as the amount f Chlorine going in was quite small. But -- after about 3 months all the seals in the tank disintegrated. I replaced them all and now no more tablets. Momma has to use elbow grease. :)
Just heard about a bromine tablet system that feeds the treated water straight into the bowl water-flow and does not sit in the tank. Sounds good.
Question is, will small amounts of Bromine flushed to the Septic Tank (1000-gal) be an issue? We only flush the toilets every time with solids or other than that, about two or three times a day for accumulated pee *if* it starts to smell. Gotta stop eating Asparagus! :)
Thanks
The wife tried some chlorine based tablet things in the tank of the toilet and it kept the bowl nice and clean. The tablets were rated Septic Tank safe as the amount f Chlorine going in was quite small. But -- after about 3 months all the seals in the tank disintegrated. I replaced them all and now no more tablets. Momma has to use elbow grease. :)
Just heard about a bromine tablet system that feeds the treated water straight into the bowl water-flow and does not sit in the tank. Sounds good.
Question is, will small amounts of Bromine flushed to the Septic Tank (1000-gal) be an issue? We only flush the toilets every time with solids or other than that, about two or three times a day for accumulated pee *if* it starts to smell. Gotta stop eating Asparagus! :)
Thanks
tra...@optonline.net
Apr 16, 2013, 4:17:11 PM4/16/13
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On Apr 16, 11:25 am, "Dave, I can't do that" <davenp...@gmail.com>
wrote:
Unless you're dealing with extremely limited water for
some reason, why not just flush the toilets more and
skip the tablets? The addional water has to cost an
order of magnitude less than those tablets. I don't
use any tablets and have no problems.
As for the bromine screwing up the septic system, larger
quantities of any disinfectant isn't a good thing. But if the
chlorine
tablets didin't screw it up, I don't see why bromine would as
long as they are at similar small concentrations.
wrote:
some reason, why not just flush the toilets more and
skip the tablets? The addional water has to cost an
order of magnitude less than those tablets. I don't
use any tablets and have no problems.
As for the bromine screwing up the septic system, larger
quantities of any disinfectant isn't a good thing. But if the
chlorine
tablets didin't screw it up, I don't see why bromine would as
long as they are at similar small concentrations.
Robert Macy
Apr 17, 2013, 10:31:07 AM4/17/13
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On Apr 16, 8:25 am, "Dave, I can't do that" <davenp...@gmail.com>
wrote:
did you read the other thread about experimenting to remove brown
stain?
From that I tried muriatic acid and voila! no elbow grease and shiney
newlike commodes!
Used to have to work and work everyday trying to maintain a poor level
of calcification. But now. one treatment lasts more than a month.
Forget the tablets. just muriatic acid at $5/gal from HD; reduce water
level to minimum poor in 1/4 cup or so, swish around, add baking sode
until fizzing stops, flush, and DONE! don't breath fumes. they sneak
up on you. After doing two bathrooms and barely smelling fumes; I had
a nose bleed. So run fan, open window, hold breath. But in exchange
for such precautions, no work.
wrote:
stain?
From that I tried muriatic acid and voila! no elbow grease and shiney
newlike commodes!
Used to have to work and work everyday trying to maintain a poor level
of calcification. But now. one treatment lasts more than a month.
Forget the tablets. just muriatic acid at $5/gal from HD; reduce water
level to minimum poor in 1/4 cup or so, swish around, add baking sode
until fizzing stops, flush, and DONE! don't breath fumes. they sneak
up on you. After doing two bathrooms and barely smelling fumes; I had
a nose bleed. So run fan, open window, hold breath. But in exchange
for such precautions, no work.
denni...@gmail.com
Apr 17, 2013, 12:39:24 PM4/17/13
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On Wednesday, April 17, 2013 10:31:07 AM UTC-4, Robert Macy wrote:
> After doing two bathrooms and barely smelling fumes; I had
> a nose bleed.
What are you people eating that it takes so much work to keep your toilets clean?
> After doing two bathrooms and barely smelling fumes; I had
> a nose bleed.
Frank
Apr 17, 2013, 1:16:28 PM4/17/13
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not think water is hard enough for a full treatment system.
Thread has been interesting to me.
The commercial cleaners with muriatic acid are about half the strength
of the concentrated acid which would be the cheapest thing to use.
Concentrated acid fumes are corrosive and quite penetrating so it would
probably be best to dilute acid for in house use.
Oren
Apr 17, 2013, 5:37:00 PM4/17/13
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On Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:39:24 -0700 (PDT), denni...@gmail.com wrote:
>What are you people eating that it takes so much work to keep your toilets clean?
Who are "you people"? But to answer: fried frog lips.
>What are you people eating that it takes so much work to keep your toilets clean?
The thread is about bromine vs chlorine in septic systems.
Try again.
Robert Macy
Apr 18, 2013, 11:35:23 AM4/18/13
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It's a combination of hard water from an Arizona well, humidity at 12%
drying the water right out of a bowl, and the water's reaction to
urine. Standard problem everywhere, just a bit more intense under
these circumstances.
Note CLR and all those advertissed products were exercises in
futility. After hours of cajoling the deposit off the bowl, still had
residual and still came back like a vengeance.
However, muriatic? 10 seconds and done for months.
Work smart, not hard.
Robert Macy
Apr 18, 2013, 11:44:02 AM4/18/13
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On Apr 17, 10:16 am, Frank <frankdotlogu...@comcast.net> wrote:
No water treatment? Being slightly 'green' I opted out on any
softener, or processing of the water. I live in one of two houses
built by the same contractor using the same EXPENSIVE septic system -
comes out of New England and double processes the affluent so the
runout is cleaner than most river water. My neighbor has water
softener. In less than one year of use, he has VISIBLE white salt
stains all over the surface of his field, plus some kind of blackish
looking coloration. This is desert, but still plants don't seem to
grow much over his field. Over my field now after two years of use -
no coloration whatsoever. The only indication that our field is even
there is that the plants look a bit more lush, slightly taller and
lots of them.
So, I'm convinced no water softener was a great idea.
Plus, our hot water heater company [White?] told me that their systems
don't like softened water, they're designed differently and soft water
will shorten their tank/mechanism life. The tank seems ok, but we
have to replace the bottom heating element about every six months
average - no THAT's hard water.
softener, or processing of the water. I live in one of two houses
built by the same contractor using the same EXPENSIVE septic system -
comes out of New England and double processes the affluent so the
runout is cleaner than most river water. My neighbor has water
softener. In less than one year of use, he has VISIBLE white salt
stains all over the surface of his field, plus some kind of blackish
looking coloration. This is desert, but still plants don't seem to
grow much over his field. Over my field now after two years of use -
no coloration whatsoever. The only indication that our field is even
there is that the plants look a bit more lush, slightly taller and
lots of them.
So, I'm convinced no water softener was a great idea.
Plus, our hot water heater company [White?] told me that their systems
don't like softened water, they're designed differently and soft water
will shorten their tank/mechanism life. The tank seems ok, but we
have to replace the bottom heating element about every six months
average - no THAT's hard water.
chaniarts
Apr 18, 2013, 12:52:02 PM4/18/13
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depot, to work well on the water stains from our hard water.
Robert Macy
Apr 19, 2013, 10:25:44 AM4/19/13
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avail. will be at HD today and get some!
Frank
Apr 19, 2013, 12:29:04 PM4/19/13
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The sediment filter gets most of the brown stuff out and I only need to
change a cartridge every 6 months.
The plumber I use tested the water for free with obvious intent of
selling a treatment system. I saw the results, I am a chemist, and know
when results are borderline and insignificant.
Same with pH. Water is slightly acidic ~6.5. Plumbers have talked
neighbors into replacing all their copper pines. Had a few pinhole
leaks in the past but it has been over 12 years since the last one.
My hot water heaters often don't last past the warranty period of 6
years but I don't replace heating rods and failure is always a leak.
I've got alternate drain fields and am currently on the original field,
maybe for the past 10 years, grass on top is not that lush but it is
completely dry. Water soluble chemicals get diluted in the septic and
for OP, I can't imagine any problem with bromine vs chlorine. Clean out
guy recommended liquid detergents and keeping fatty waste out of the
garbage disposal. He showed me a coating of wax like stuff on a clean out.
Older woman
Oct 12, 2019, 6:19:09 PM10/12/19
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replying to Frank, Older woman wrote:
Advice from a chemist is much appreciated! I’m retired (72) & primarily use
a very small guest bathroom with a quickly nasty looking toilet bowl. I
recently used spa brominating tables instead of chlorine tablets (in a Kaboom
system that bypasses the tank) for fear of inhaling chlorine gas. The bromine
tablet worked great but also has a strong odor. Is the off gassing from
bromine or chlorine tablets toxic? Many Thanks.
--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/bromine-in-septic-tank-744836-.htm
Advice from a chemist is much appreciated! I’m retired (72) & primarily use
a very small guest bathroom with a quickly nasty looking toilet bowl. I
recently used spa brominating tables instead of chlorine tablets (in a Kaboom
system that bypasses the tank) for fear of inhaling chlorine gas. The bromine
tablet worked great but also has a strong odor. Is the off gassing from
bromine or chlorine tablets toxic? Many Thanks.
--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/bromine-in-septic-tank-744836-.htm
Frank
Oct 13, 2019, 8:07:09 AM10/13/19
to
On 10/12/2019 6:14 PM, Older woman wrote:
> replying to Frank, Older woman wrote:
> Advice from a chemist is much appreciated! I’m retired (72) & primarily use
> a very small guest bathroom with a quickly nasty looking toilet bowl. I
> recently used spa brominating tables instead of chlorine tablets (in a
> Kaboom
> system that bypasses the tank) for fear of inhaling chlorine gas. The
> bromine
> tablet worked great but also has a strong odor. Is the off gassing from
> bromine or chlorine tablets toxic? Many Thanks.
Bromine is probably a little less toxic than chlorine. Both could
> replying to Frank, Older woman wrote:
> Advice from a chemist is much appreciated! I’m retired (72) & primarily use
> a very small guest bathroom with a quickly nasty looking toilet bowl. I
> recently used spa brominating tables instead of chlorine tablets (in a
> Kaboom
> system that bypasses the tank) for fear of inhaling chlorine gas. The
> bromine
> tablet worked great but also has a strong odor. Is the off gassing from
> bromine or chlorine tablets toxic? Many Thanks.
attack rubber seals and degrade other organic materials. I do not like
to use bowl cleaners that sit in the toilet tank at length. Small
quantities are safe in the septic as they get highly diluted and degraded.
Tony Muma
Aug 23, 2021, 1:39:51 PM8/23/21
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