These restoration methods cannot solve all problems associated with drainfield failure. They cannot solve a poor installation, high water table, poor percolation, or too small a field. If the septic tank has overflowed due to lack of pumping or broken baffles, then the drainlines should be jetted first to remove solid accumulation on the inside of the laterals.
There are basically three ways to restore a failing drainfield. The first is to use an additive, either biological or chemical. The second is a mechanical aeration process. The third is replacement. This is also the order of increasing cost.
There are times when drainfield replacement should be considered. If the drainfield is more that 25 or 30 years old, it may have reached its useful life. While a restoration treatment might help for a while, replacement may ultimately be the only practical solution.
A mechanical aeration process can help restore the flow to some drainfields by fracturing the soil to create new drainage paths. Many professionals have found that combining this type of treatment with Septic-Scrub improves this process.
Chemical treatments include biological products and Septic-Scrub. Biological treatments do not address the buildup of sulfides in the drainfield. These products also can take weeks or months before it is known if the treatment was successful. Septic-Scrub treatments offer several benefits including fast action, proven chemistry, and addressing the chemical imbalance in the drainfield..
The buildup of sulfides in the drainfield is a naturally occurring process. Excess buildup is one the main reasons for drainfield failure. These sulfides decrease the porosity of the biomat, clog the stone soil interface, and scavenge available oxygen in the drainfield. Septic-Scrub oxidizes these sulfides and releases oxygen at the same time. This helps increase the percolation rate of the system. The oxidization of these sulfides also helps convert the drainfield back into aerobic conditions so that the more efficient aerobic bacteria become the more important in the operation of the drainfield.
The addition of a good professional biological product after a Septic-Scrub treatment can increase the restoration rate of bacteria growth in the drainfield. This can improve the probability of a successful treatment.