Hi all-
A salesman from Septic Savior called me this morning trying to sell septic tank additive to combat the effects of petroleum found in shampoo, toilet paper, etc. He said that over 470,00 systems had failed in the past year due to government mandated changes in manufacturing which removed animal fat from the items and replaced with petroleum products. The Septic Savior product is supposed to have GRT (grease removal technology) to prevent hardening in the main line and in the leach lines. I have looked on line and not found much info about this.

Do I need to buy this stuff?

We have a 35-year old septic system that has been inspected, pumped, and certified (an eastern Kansas requirement) within the past 5 years.

Thank you so much for any advice/insight!
Robin

Have your septic ever failed during the last 35 years due to petroleum found in shampoo and / or toilet paper ?

No, the system has not failed--the salesman said this was a recent change in products in an attempt to combat mad cow disease.. Sceptical?

You be the Judge... Ask your friends and neighbors if they are having problems with their septics. See what they have to say... Act accordingly

My personal opinion: if my septic was trouble free for 35 years than I would not worry too much about it.

Thanks for the advice! That's what my gut was telling me, too--nice to have some agreement.

I agree with Milo! Your "snake oil salesman" was attempting to scare you into purchasing a unneeded product. If another salesman shows up it's nice to have some septic tank information.
Let me give you a few pointers. Here are some points to remember about the "care and feeding" of that part of the onsite sewage treatment system.
A "starter" is not needed for bacterial action to begin in a septic tank. Many bacteria are present in the materials deposited into the tank and will thrive under the growth conditions present.
If you feel that an additive is needed, be aware that some may do great harm. Additives that advertise to "eliminate" tank cleaning may cause the sludge layer to fluff up and be washed out into the drainfield, plugging soil pores. Some additives, particularly degreasers, may contain carcinogens (cancer-causing) or suspected carcinogens that will flow into the ground water along with the water from the soil treatment unit.
Send all sewage into the septic tank. Don't run laundry wastes directly into the drainfield, since soap or detergent scum will plug the soil pores, causing failure.
Normal amounts of household detergents, bleaches, drain cleaners, and other household chemicals can be used and won't stop the bacterial action in the septic tank. But don't use excessive amounts of any household chemicals. Do not dump cleaning water for latex paint brushes and cans into the house sewer.
Don't deposit coffee grounds, cooking fats, wet-strength towels, disposable diapers, facial tissues, cigarette butts, and other non-decomposable materials into the house sewer. These materials won't decompose and will fill the septic tank and plug the system. To use a 5-gallon toilet flush to get rid of a cigarette butt is also very wasteful of water. Keep an ash tray in the bathroom, if necessary.
Avoid dumping grease down the drain. It may plug sewer pipes or build up in the septic tank and plug the inlet. Keep a separate container for waste grease and throw it out with the garbage.
If you must use a garbage disposal, you will likely need to remove septic tank solids every year or more often. Ground garbage will likely find its way out of the septic tank and plug up the drainfield. It is better to compost, incinerate, or deposit the materials in the garbage that will be hauled away. As one ad says, "You can pay me now, or pay me later."
Clean your septic tank every 1 to 3 years. How often depends on the size of the tank and how many solids go into it. A rule of thumb is once every 3 years for a 1,000 gallon tank serving a 3-bedroom home with 4 occupants (and with no garbage disposal).
Using too much soap or detergent can cause problems with the septic system. It is difficult to estimate how dirty a load of laundry is, and most people use far more cleaning power than is needed. If there are lots of suds in your laundry tub when the washer discharges, cut back on the amount of detergent for the next similar load. It's generally best not to use inexpensive detergents which may contain excessive amounts of filler or carrier. Some of these fillers are montmorillonite clay, which- is used to seal soils! The best solution may be to use a liquid laundry detergent, since they are less likely to have carriers or fillers that may harm the septic system.
Each septic system has a certain capacity. When this capacity is reached or exceeded, there will likely be problems because the system won't take as much sewage as you want to discharge into it. When the onsite sewage treatment system reaches its daily capacity, be conservative with your use of water. Each gallon of water that flows into the drain must go through the septic tank and into the soil absorption unit. Following are some ways to conserve water that should cause little hardship in anyone's standard of living:
Be sure that there are no leaking faucets or other plumbing fixtures. Routinely check the float valve on all toilets to be sure it isn't sticking and the water isn't running continuously. It doesn't take long for the water from a leaking toilet or a faucet to add up. A cup of water leaking out of a toilet every minute doesn't seem like much but that's 90 gallons a day! So be sure that there is no water flowing into the sewer when all water-using appliances are supposed to be off.
The most effective way to reduce the sewage flow from a house is to reduce the toilet wastes, which usually account for about 40 percent of the sewage flow. Many toilets use 5 to 6 gallons per flush. Some of the so-called low water use toilets are advertised to use only 3.5 gallons per flush. Usually the design of the bowl hasn't been changed, however, and often two flushes are needed to remove all solids. That's 7 gallons! Toilets are available which have been redesigned and will do a good job with one gallon or less per flush. Using a 1-gallon toilet rather than a 5 gallon toilet will reduce sewage flows from a home by about a third. This reduction may be more than enough to make the sewage system function again. While prices may vary, 1.6 gallon toilets can usually be purchased in the $200 range, far less than the cost of a new sewer system. Baths and showers can use lots of water. "Setting up camp" in the shower with a shower head flow of 5 gallons per minute will require 100 gallons in 20 minutes. Shower heads that limit the flow to 1.5 or 2 gallons per minute are available and should be used. Filling the tub not quite so full and limiting the length of showers will result in appreciable water savings.


-Is the water from the faucet cold enough to drink? How long do you let it run to cool down? Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Then it won't be necessary to run water from your faucets in order to get a cool drink.
There may be other ways to conserve water that you can think of in your home. The main idea is to consider water as a valuable resource and not to waste it.
Following a few simple rules like not using too much water and not depositing materials in the septic tank that bacteria can't decompose should help to make a septic system trouble-free for m, too! Any years. But don't forget the septic tank does need to be cleaned out when too many solids builtreatment system.
With a water meter you can determine how much water your automatic washer uses per cycle. Many washers now have settings to reduce the amount of water used for small loads. Front loading washers and suds savers use less water than top loading machines. If your sewage treatment system is reaching its maximum capacity, try to spread the washing out during the week to avoid overloading the sewage system on a single day. Septic tanks need tender, loving care too. Good luck, Tom

I just got a phone call from someone calling himself Peter claiming to be a district manager for Septic Savior. He, too, was trying to get me to purchase a new product, GRT, to remove petroleum from the leech field pipes. Money is very tight for my husband and I, which I told Peter, and I would need to talk to my husband before making a major purchase. When I asked if he had a phone number I could call him back about the product, he hung up on me. Got to be a scam if you don't give people time to think about dishing out money! Beware!

Thanks for making my case.
A "starter" is not needed for bacterial action to begin in a septic tank. Many bacteria are present in the materials deposited into the tank and will thrive under the growth conditions present.
If you feel that an additive is needed, be aware that some may do great harm. Additives that advertise to "eliminate" tank cleaning may cause the sludge layer to fluff up and be washed out into the drainfield, plugging soil pores. Some additives, particularly degreasers, may contain carcinogens (cancer-causing) or suspected carcinogens that will flow into the ground water along with the water from the soil treatment unit.
Good uck, Tom

I was called last year by Septic Savior, and not having the time to do extensive research, purchased a multi year supply of one of their products, supposedly guaranteed to keep the septic system in top shape. About 6 months later, I received another call from them alleging that I needed another new product because within the last 18 months there had been numerous septic system failures (petroleum products in shampoos, etc.) I became sceptical and did extensive research. I have found numerous articles on the internet debunking all of the claims made by the scare tactic high pressure sales pitch of these sales reps. The simple fact, from what I have discovered, is that you must pump out the spetic tank on a regualr basis; put nothing in the seeptic system that is not biodegradable; do not use a garbage disposal; and measure the amount of sludge and scum buildup on an annual basis. Most of these articles were written by PHDs at major colleges --some were state or county publications. I just found this site and discovered that the same 18 month phraes was being used in 2008 -- 18 months before Septic Saviour allegedly developed there new "miracle product". I am immediately discontinuing the use of their product and, lesson learned, research before buying!

A "starter" is not needed for bacterial action to begin in a septic tank. Many bacteria are present in the materials deposited into the tank and will thrive under the growth conditions present.
If you feel that an additive is needed, be aware that some may do great harm. Additives that advertise to "eliminate" tank cleaning may cause the sludge layer to fluff up and be washed out into the drainfield, plugging soil pores. Some additives, particularly degreasers, may contain carcinogens (cancer-causing) or suspected carcinogens that will flow into the ground water along with the water from the soil treatment unit.

I am immediately discontinuing the use of their product and, lesson learned, research before buying!
Smart move! Good luck, tom

I also had a Septic Savior sales representative calling me. He also was telling me about GRT, which supposedly are lipase enzymes. Having some knowledge about enzymes, I knew that lipase enzymes are catalysts that facilitate the brake down of fats. Therefore it would make sense to me to that the presence of lipase enzymes would in fact be beneficial in a septic system that most likely will contain some fat, regardless of the claim that petrochemicals in soaps and toilet paper etc. have increased or not lately. However I could not find any information on the company website from Septic Savior that would confirm the lipase content in this product. The question remains if lipase enzymes would not occur naturally along with bacteria in a septic system if one would not add them.

One suggestion that the sales representative had given me as a "freebee" was to pour about a 8 oz. cup filled with copper sulfate (purchsed at a hardware store, Home Depot or Lowe's) into the toilet that is closest to the septic system and flush it down. This is supposed to clear the pipes in the drain field roots from trees and other plants. He suggested to start using the Septic Savior product only about 2 weeks after this treatment. Looking up copper sulfate on Wikipedia confirmed the use of copper sulfate "for control of invasive aquatic plants and the roots of plants near pipes containing water". I am now wondering if anyone could share some experience with copper sulfate in a septic system?

I am now wondering if anyone could share some experience with copper sulfate in a septic system?
If you mean what we have been advising for years here it is.
If you wish to control roots RootX or Robics Foaming Root Killer that contain Dichlobrnic are two products you could try.
A less expensive way would be to call around to garden supply stores and ask for fine grain Copper Sulphate. Put a 1/2 pound in your toilet and flush it down. Repeat in 6 months.
As for "Septic Savior" read the posts on this thread and make up your own mind. A "starter" is not needed for bacterial action to begin in a septic tank. Many bacteria are present in the materials deposited into the tank and will thrive under the growth conditions present.
If you feel that an additive is needed, be aware that some may do great harm. Additives that advertise to "eliminate" tank cleaning may cause the sludge layer to fluff up and be washed out into the drainfield, plugging soil pores. Some additives, particularly degreasers, may contain carcinogens (cancer-causing) or suspected carcinogens that will flow into the ground water along with the water from the soil treatment unit.
Good luck, Tom

Several years ago a builder friend told me that if I wanted to boost the bacteria in my septic system to flush down a pound of hamburger once a month. The "riper" the better. Does that seem true?

Make burgers out of the meat and flush a couple of yeast tablets down the toilet. Good luck, Tom

Just letting you know that this company is still telemarketing with the same story and having enough finesse to have the Caller ID show up with my local area code (in Maryland). They have called me twice within the last 6 months as 2 years after the initial post at the top of this discussion, they are still saying, gee, in the last year, over 475,000 septic systems have failed, and also talking about animal fat stopped due to mad cow disease. Their "hoax" continues unabated.


FYI -- 2 years after the initial post, Septic Savior rep are still making telemarketing calls with the same story. They called me twice in the last 6 months, with the same story -- 425K failures in last year due to petroleum instead of animal fat due to mad cow disease. Amazing that the same story and same quanitities never change no matter what year they are talking about. They never stop. Very sad!

These scam artists work on fear. There's a TV ad out that shows a backhoe digging up an septic tank.
470,000 failures a year huh?
What they fail to mention if the failure took place out in the drain field and not in the tank because of any petroleum instead of animal fat due to mad cow disease going into the septic system.
MAD COW DISEASE?
Give me a break! Just more scar tactics. And the sadist thing is people still buy into it. Cheers, Tom

Septic savior worked for me.

septic savior worked for me.
Tell us more

Just received same phone call 5 minutes ago. The thing that raises my suspicion is the hard sell. He used every old trick in the slick salesmen's book: "no you can't call back and decide later. It's now or never but why would you possibly not want it. Here's what I'll do for you - I'll send you a starter kit now blah blah blah won't have to pay anything for 6 months. No we can't send the literature for you to look at and consider. I don't want to see you have to pay retail. I would hate to see your system fail..." the only reason I feel okay about keeping him on the line so long before firmly saying no (and this guy really didn't want to take no for an answer) is while he is wasting his time with me he can't be pestering anyone else.

There will always be scams and scammers out there in your phone or on the internet.
Septic tank savior, magnets on you gas line to conserve gasoline, using your house wires for a TV antenna, all scams designed to separate you from your money and nothing else. DON'T FALL FOR THEM! Cheers, Tom

I've used Septic Savior for about 13 years now. It's 16 years old and so far has never had to be pumped out. Don't know if it's the Septic Savior but I'm taking no chances.

I've been using Septic Savior for about 13 years now. The system is nearly 17 years old now and has never had to be pumped out. Don't know if it's the Septic Savior, but I'm taking no chances. Actually, I don't know how often septic tanks usually need pumping out so maybe it's just not time yet. Jackie

Hey Jackiepa,
My opinion is that you've been wasting your money all these years and here's why.
Let me give you a few pointers. Since the septic tank is such an essential part of a sewage system, here are some points to remember about the "care and feeding" of that part of the onsite sewage treatment system.
A "starter" is not needed for bacterial action to begin in a septic tank. Many bacteria are present in the materials deposited into the tank and will thrive under the growth conditions present.
If you feel that an additive is needed, be aware that some may do great harm. Additives that advertise to "eliminate" tank cleaning may cause the sludge layer to fluff up and be washed out into the drainfield, plugging soil pores. Some additives, particularly degreasers, may contain carcinogens (cancer-causing) or suspected carcinogens that will flow into the ground water along with the water from the soil treatment unit.
Send all sewage into the septic tank. Don't run laundry wastes directly into the drainfield, since soap or detergent scum will plug the soil pores, causing failure.
Normal amounts of household detergents, bleaches, drain cleaners, and other household chemicals can be used and won't stop the bacterial action in the septic tank. But don't use excessive amounts of any household chemicals. Do not dump cleaning water for latex paint brushes and cans into the house sewer.
Don't deposit coffee grounds, cooking fats, wet-strength towels, disposable diapers, facial tissues, cigarette butts, and other non-decomposable materials into the house sewer. These materials won't decompose and will fill the septic tank and plug the system. To use a 5-gallon toilet flush to get rid of a cigarette butt is also very wasteful of water. Keep an ash tray in the bathroom, if necessary.
Avoid dumping grease down the drain. It may plug sewer pipes or build up in the septic tank and plug the inlet. Keep a separate container for waste grease and throw it out with the garbage.
If you must use a garbage disposal, you will likely need to remove septic tank solids every year or more often. Ground garbage will likely find its way out of the septic tank and plug up the drainfield. It is better to compost, incinerate, or deposit the materials in the garbage that will be hauled away. As one ad says, "You can pay me now, or pay me later."
Clean your septic tank every 1 to 3 years. How often depends on the size of the tank and how many solids go into it. A rule of thumb is once every 3 years for a 1,000 gallon tank serving a 3-bedroom home with 4 occupants (and with no garbage disposal).
Using too much soap or detergent can cause problems with the septic system. It is difficult to estimate how dirty a load of laundry is, and most people use far more cleaning power than is needed. If there are lots of suds in your laundry tub when the washer discharges, cut back on the amount of detergent for the next similar load. It's generally best not to use inexpensive detergents which may contain excessive amounts of filler or carrier. Some of these fillers are montmorillonite clay, which- is used to seal soils! The best solution may be to use a liquid laundry detergent, since they are less likely to have carriers or fillers that may harm the septic system.
Each septic system has a certain capacity. When this capacity is reached or exceeded, there will likely be problems because the system won't take as much sewage as you want to discharge into it. When the onsite sewage treatment system reaches its daily capacity, be conservative with your use of water. Each gallon of water that flows into the drain must go through the septic tank and into the soil absorption unit. Following are some ways to conserve water that should cause little hardship in anyone's standard of living:
Be sure that there are no leaking faucets or other plumbing fixtures. Routinely check the float valve on all toilets to be sure it isn't sticking and the water isn't running continuously. It doesn't take long for the water from a leaking toilet or a faucet to add up. A cup of water leaking out of a toilet every minute doesn't seem like much but that's 90 gallons a day! So be sure that there is no water flowing into the sewer when all water-using appliances are supposed to be off.
The most effective way to reduce the sewage flow from a house is to reduce the toilet wastes, which usually account for about 40 percent of the sewage flow. Many toilets use 5 to 6 gallons per flush. Some of the so-called low water use toilets are advertised to use only 3.5 gallons per flush. Usually the design of the bowl hasn't been changed, however, and often two flushes are needed to remove all solids. That's 7 gallons! Toilets are available which have been redesigned and will do a good job with one gallon or less per flush. Using a 1-gallon toilet rather than a 5 gallon toilet will reduce sewage flows from a home by about a third. This reduction may be more than enough to make the sewage system function again. While prices may vary, 1.6 gallon toilets can usually be purchased in the $200 range, far less than the cost of a new sewer system. Baths and showers can use lots of water. "Setting up camp" in the shower with a shower head flow of 5 gallons per minute will require 100 gallons in 20 minutes. Shower heads that limit the flow to 1.5 or 2 gallons per minute are available and should be used. Filling the tub not quite so full and limiting the length of showers will result in appreciable water savings.


-Is the water from the faucet cold enough to drink? How long do you let it run to cool down? Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Then it won't be necessary to run water from your faucets in order to get a cool drink.
There may be other ways to conserve water that you can think of in your home. The main idea is to consider water as a valuable resource and not to waste it.
Following a few simple rules like not using too much water and not depositing materials in the septic tank that bacteria can't decompose should help to make a septic system trouble-free for m, too! Any years. But don't forget the septic tank does need to be cleaned out when too many solids enter the system.
With a water meter you can determine how much water your automatic washer uses per cycle. Many washers now have settings to reduce the amount of water used for small loads. Front loading washers and suds savers use less water than top loading machines. If your sewage treatment system is reaching its maximum capacity, try to spread the washing out during the week to avoid overloading the sewage system on a single day. Septic tanks need tender, loving care too. Good luck and thank you for rating my answer, Tom

I, too, was contacted by Septic Savior and was asked if I had heard about or seen any of the five national reports on the 1.2 million septic systems that have failed in the last 18 months, 380,000 Septic Savor customers (of which I am one). He told me he was a Senior Vice President of Septic Savior and told me a very long story about how the government put an 8 year moritorium on harvesting trees for toilet paper in a conservation effort because of all of the wild fires in recent years.

He said that the way manufacturers are currently producing "synthetic" toilet paper causes a "white, grease-like" substance to coat the walls of all the pipes (from the lateral pipes inside the house all the way to the leach bed).

He sounded very well informed and professional and... since I am already a customer, he could save me $305 in government subsidy money.

It sounded legitimate to me so I bought it.

I am going to call them back right now and cancel my order.

Kris in Maine

Hey Kris,

I am going to call them back right now and cancel my order. Smart move! There will always be scammers out there, all you have to do is recognize them.
Good luck, Tom

Thank you all.. They called me this morning and I have some minor issues so was very interest. Then he kept asking for my credit card number. I asked for time to research and I just saved 200 dollars

I just received a call this morning with the same sales pitch. When he was finiish I asked him if he could direct me on the internet to the site that discloses the information he was giving me. I was online at the time and I tried searches as he directed and found nothing. I told him I would do nothing until I could read some info on the subject. He quoted my address and said he would send info and he hung up real fast

I just sold some timber, so I guarantee there is no moratorium on selling timber. It's amazing how these guys will lie.

I use it GReat product never have to pump system saved $$$ in repairs

I use septic savior never have to have system pumped out and saved $$$ great product

Robin GRT is nothing more than DAWN dishsoap septic savior is a SCAM DONOT EVER BUY THEIR PRODUCTS THEY ARE SCUMBAGS

Yup! With the economy weak like it is these sales people are coming out of the woodwork. Let me tell you of our experience with the Septic Savior people. A year ago we received a phone call asking us to purchase their product to prevent septic failure. Our daughter owns the house so we called her and she bought a 5 year supply of treatment. Monday. Aug 28,2011, we had another call from them. Seems that "18 months ago the government", blah blah. Same spiel about Mad Cow disease that others on this site have mentioned. This is the pitch that followed. "Hello mrs. -- my name is ... I'm the District Manager calling directly from the Septic Savior plant." He went on to tell me, "The cost of this new additive retails at $399.99 but the Govt is allowing a $35 rebate. We feel thats not enough so we are knocking off another $75 dollars. You have to act now however because next week we will be going public with our product and the product will only be available through the retail stores at $399.99.after this week."
When I told him our daughter owns the house and she is the one who purchased the 5 year supply of Septic Savior last year, he would have to talk to her. He said, "I'm only allowed one phone call per customer and this is my one phone call. Can you call her on a three way and I can talk with her that way?" I told him I didn't know how to do that with my phone he would have to call her himself. Once again he told me he was only allowed one call. Then he said if I would call her and give the information he would call me back. WHAT? HUH? Didn't he just say he couldn't do that? Okay just another million dollar scam! He did however give me an 800 number with an extension. I never tried it but I wonder... hmm.. was that also a scam?
Hang onto your money folks and listen the guys who know about Septic tanks and how to care for them.

Thanks JJ,
You just backed up what I've been telling people for years. This scam works on fear and hype. Fear that your septic system will fail costing you big$ unless you purchase our product and hype that if you don't buy it right now it will cost you more in the future. ALL SCAMS! I'm sorry you learned too late. Tom

Well said, JJWilcox... Thanks for your post... Milo

Did the "Septic Savior" company send a tech out to check your situation or was it all done over the phone? Wet spots usually indicate a drain field that's not percolating the liquid back into the soil.
I think that you're the only one that shelled out cash to these people tat came away happy and we thank you for your input. Tom PS.
My! But you've a busy little bee haven't you. I see you're using the same post to advertise this product under a different handle, (Charles ) http://www.trustlink.org/Reviews/Septic-Savior-LLC-206026522
While you're heaping praises on this product most of the others complain about the high powered phone tactics selling years of treatment to elderly folks, one who was in a rest home when she purchased this stuff.
Come on Charley, fess up! You've been busted! You really work for this company don't you and this is simply another scam like all the rest? And that makes you a troll

In my opinion, it is a total SCAM!! I was originally contacted with this same "pitch" over 3 years ago, bought a supply of the "great product" and began using it. Less than 6 months later, I was again contacted by salespersons from Septic Savior informaing me that hterte had recently been changes in the Federal Regulations restricting the use of animal fats in soaps, etc. The bottom line was that they had a new and improved product that would replace the one that I still had in abundance. Would they give me credit for the unused product? NO WAY! I have received a call from them about every 6 months for the last three years with the same B.S. trying to sell me their new and improved product.
For those who believe this to be a necessary and great product, how long have you worked for Septic Savior? I have done research on this issue and have gfound that the natural micro-organisms that thrive in the normal waste water are ususually all that is needed for the maintenance of a healthy septic system. If you are putting a lot of solids into the septic tank, then it will have to be pumped on a regualr basis. It should be pumped anyway.
Oh, one of the individuals whom I contacted is the individual who invented several biodegradeable products for commercial use (I used several of them in my occupation before I retired), and he felt that there was no need for septic tank additives if a system was properly maintained -- as he said, If there was this great problem, he would certainly have spent the time and money to develop a product to correct the problem.
Have a nice day. Joe

Septic Savior is the worst kind of scam because it targets the elderly.
Once you've bought their product they're like a Pit Bull. They never let you go. Septic Savior is a scam that employs telemarketeers If you get a call, hang up fast. Regards, Tom