Cinder

I am setting up a small t-shirt printing shop on a property with a septic tank and I'm worried about damaging the system with emulsion and other t-shirt processing chemicals like degreaser. Does anyone have any experience with using a filter to remove contaminants? Should I worry about damaging the tank?
Thanks,
Cinder

 

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gareyd

Unless you plan on making lots of screens a week I wouldn't worry about it too much.

I do recommend putting Rid-X down the toilet on a weekly basis for every septic tank, I've never lived in the city and always been on septic...never had to have a tank pumped in my life...

 

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sbiman5@aol.com

I use a septic system out here in the country. All the literature says plastisol is non-biodegradable. I had to have my system pumped off last year BUT palstisol was not the problem. I have been using the system since 1998.

Additionally, I use a recirculating wash out booth to get 95% of the ink (palstisol) off. I use ICC ink Degradent #8270 to break the ink down and plain water to wash the ink off. Once a month I open the washer ,pull the two filters out, let them air dry and toss in the trash. I then put in fresh water and am ready to go again...... no ink in septic system.

The other chemicals going into the septic system are all bio-degradable.

 

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Cinder

The plastisol isn't a problem because I just wipe that up and throw it away - trying to save as much as possible and throw as little away as I can. What I'm worried about is three fold - 1) The emulsion, degreaser, etc. . that does get washed down the drain will either clog up my septic system or damage it. 2) the chemicals will find their way into the leech field and cause a toxic waste dump. Maybe even getting back into the ground water supply. 3) The chemicals will inhibit the growth of bacteria which you NEED in your septic tank in order to break down your crap. I don't want to be the kind of person that leaves a toxic problem for the next occupants and I don't want to spend thousands to replace a screwed up septic system. Thanks for your replies. They are helping me figure it out.

 

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RichardGreaves

Your non-human waste products will not break down in the septic tank, so you have to pump more often.

When you pour other liquids down the drain, that liquid will end up in your septic field.

Filtering will get most of the solids as nicely described above.

You will leave liquid chemicals and small solids residue of stencil and plastisol behind in the field.

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