Does SavingStars work if I have a septic system?

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In: Home & Living

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Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)
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  • #10680
    Nina Rogers
    Member

    I keep seeing SavingStars mentioned for drain clogs and I’m tempted, but I have a septic tank and I’m always paranoid about what I pour down the drains. The product page says it’s septic-safe but I wanted to hear from actual people using it at home. Does it mess with the bacteria in the tank at all? I know it’s a powder so maybe it’s different from the liquid stuff, but I’m not sure. Just don’t want to trade one clog for a bigger problem, you know?

    #10683
    Maya Singh
    Member

    We’ve got a septic setup too and I’ve used it a handful of times on the bathroom sink without any issues. Tank guy pumped us last spring and said everything looked normal, so I don’t think it’s wrecking anything. I still only use it when something’s actually draining slow though, not as a weekly thing.

    #10686
    Liam Cross
    Member

    I’ve used it a few times and haven’t noticed any change in how our tank behaves. The thing I’d actually pay attention to is how often you’re reaching for it. If you’re dumping powder down the same slow drain every couple weeks, that’s usually a sign something else is going on, not that the product is wrecking your septic.

    #10688

    Septic safe on the label and septic safe in reality are two different things. I’d be more worried about what happens when you use it every week instead of once when something’s actually clogged. Once in a while probably fine. Constant use is where people get into trouble with tanks.

    #10690
    EthanFreeEthanFree
    Member

    I’d push back on the whole “septic safe” label meaning anything. Had a tank guy out two years ago and he told me the powder drain cleaners are actually harder on the system than people think. Not because they kill the bacteria outright, but because they push a slug of dead gunk into the tank all at once. The bacteria have to chew through that extra load, and if you do it on a regular basis you’re basically feeding the tank a bigger meal than it can handle. I switched to just using a drain snake on the tub when it slows down. Takes five minutes and doesn’t put anything in the tank at all. Not saying the stuff will wreck your system, but for me it wasn’t worth adding anything else to the mix.

    #10692
    Emma Locke
    Member

    We have a septic tank here too and I’ve used this stuff on and off for about a year, mostly when the tub starts draining slow. I never noticed anything weird with the tank afterward. No smells, no backup, nothing. The one thing I do is follow it with a lot of hot water because I figure the more water pushing through, the better it moves along to the tank instead of just sitting in the pipe. I haven’t had to call anyone out since we started using it either, so that’s a plus. I’m not a plumber and I don’t know the science behind it but from my actual experience it hasn’t caused any issues with our system. My husband was the paranoid one about it and even he’s stopped complaining about it now.

    #10694
    Sam West
    Member

    Powder vs liquid doesn’t really change much for the tank. What matters is how often it’s going down there. Once in a while for a slow drain is one thing, but using it as a monthly maintenance habit on a septic system is where I’d personally hold off.

    #10696
    Lisa HydrowLisa Hydrow
    Member

    We’ve had a septic tank for years and I’ve used SavingStars on our shower drain a couple times with no problems at all. The tank still does its thing and we haven’t had to call anyone out since. I just don’t dump it in every week, only when something’s actually draining slow.

    #10698
    Harper J
    Member

    Powder doesn’t make it gentler on a septic tank, that’s just how it’s sold. I used a similar powder for a couple months and my tank started smelling off, so I stopped. SavingStars might claim septic safe, but I wouldn’t put it down a system I rely on.

    #10701
    Lisa Muller
    Member

    I have a septic tank too and I’ve used it a few times when the kitchen sink got gross. Nothing weird happened with the tank after, and that was months ago. It’s the only drain cleaner I’ve felt okay using since we moved in.

    #10705
    Old Dave
    Member

    Septic-safe label is just marketing.

    #10708
    MarkD87MarkD87
    Member

    Been on a septic for six years and I’ve put it down our bathroom sink twice now. Tank guy pumped it this spring and said everything looked normal, so I’m not losing sleep over it. But I only reach for it when a drain is actually slow, not as a monthly thing.

    #10711

    I’ve been running SavingStars through our house for close to a year now, probably once a month on the tub drain, and our septic has been totally fine. Had it pumped in the fall and the guy didn’t say a word about it. The powder thing isn’t really the point, it’s more about not dumping a whole container every week.

    #10714
    PixelKevinPixelKevin
    Member

    I’ve got a septic too and I’ve used it maybe three times over a year, mostly when the tub drained slow. Tank got pumped a few months back and the guy didn’t say anything was off. Powder vs liquid never really crossed my mind, it just goes in and gets flushed out.

    #10717
    Alexa Connor
    Member

    I’ve used it on and off for about a year with a septic tank and never noticed any change in how the tank behaves. What I did notice is that it helped with a musty smell coming up from the basement floor drain, which I wasn’t even expecting. So it’s done more than just clear clogs for us.

    #10720
    MikeRobbins
    Member

    Septic-safe on the label doesn’t mean much to me. I dumped a powder drain cleaner down our laundry sink a couple years back and the tank smelled off for weeks after. Not saying SavingStars is the same thing, but I’d check what’s actually in it before trusting the box.

    #10723
    Eddie___K
    Member

    Powder formulas seem gentler on the tank than the liquid stuff.

    #10727
    AnnaKAnnaK
    Participant

    I asked my septic guy about powder drain stuff last year and he said the main thing is not to go crazy with it. I’ve used SavingStars a handful of times when the shower got gross and nothing weird happened with the tank. It’s not something I’d dump in every week though.

    #10730
    Zara W
    Member

    I haven’t noticed any difference in my septic since using it, but I also don’t use it nearly as often as some folks here. Maybe twice in the last six months when the bathroom sink got gross. Tank got pumped and the guy didn’t say anything about it.

    #10733
    Sophi86
    Member

    I actually called the company before using it since we’re on septic too, and they said the powder breaks down into stuff that won’t kill the tank bacteria. Been using it here and there for a few months now, no weird smells or issues.

    #10736
    Nina Rogers
    Member

    That pretty much covers it, thanks everyone.

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For SavingStars details and availability, you can visit the official website ↗