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I'm new to septic systems and love to do acid etching on glass. Will the acid cause problems with my septic system? Thanks y'all.

Dagney
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    Welcome to Arts & Crafts. What type of acid are you using for the etching, in what concentration, and would you be neutralizing it prior to flushing? Septic systems typically rely on microbes to break down at least the liquid portion of the waste. You generally need to be concerned with both toxicity to the microbes of what you flush, and changing the pH to an inhospitable environment for the little workers. – fixer1234 Oct 14 '22 at 18:54
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    I've been thinking about this problem for quite a while. Since my septic system is very new, I'm not going to risk upsetting the delicate pH that keeps it working as it should. I'll find another way to get my crafty fix. – Dagney Oct 16 '22 at 00:25
  • It won't just be the septic system at risk but also the drain pipes leading to it. But any acid would be ok if diluted enough. The thing is the chemical process in etching may also create other potentially toxic byproducts that you would be introducing into the environment.(maybe not a problem at smaller scales, I would be crushed if they eliminate Cadmium and Cobalt pigments for the same reason.) – rebusB Nov 08 '22 at 17:38

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This is doable if your heart is set on trying out acid etching, you'd just need to be careful about it.

I used to work as the site manager for a set of artists studios which were all on a septic system.

The main thing you want to be aware of with a septic system is that it's sensitive to what goes into it; that's not just for acids, that's for everything, but that's not your question. Given you can use small amounts of ordinary bleach etc. for cleaning toilets, you ought to be able to do home acid etching, you'll just need to be careful to either neutralise the acid when you're done, or heavily dilute it.

The goal is to make sure that the bacteria that populate your septic system and keep it running don't completely die off; that the amount of acid disposed won't be too much for the bacteria to overcome. It's what allows you to use bleach to clean a toilet, etc.

Some acids can't be used at all, but these aren't the ones you'd use to craft with, so you should be safe with hydrochloric, phosphoric or nitric, provided you dilute it at about 5:1 or higher.

Joachim
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howlieT
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  • You're right that occasionally putting tiny amounts of certain diluted or neutralized acids into the system isn't likely to kill off the bacteria. Just keep in mind that everything that goes in is cumulative over a substantial time period. A little acid may be OK, a little bleach may be OK, etc., but everything together could overwhelm the bacteria if you're not careful and cognizant of it. An alternative approach would be to just discard the neutralized acid in an appropriate place other than the septic system. – fixer1234 Oct 17 '22 at 18:01
  • So, if I dilute to say an 8:1 ratio the good bacteria might not need a funeral. Y'all are quite helpful. – Dagney Oct 18 '22 at 15:03
  • @Dagney Pretty much! Or if you're really worried dry it out with something like builders sand and pop it into the regular bin once it's neutralised! – howlieT Oct 18 '22 at 18:41
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howlieT's answer is technically correct in isolation, but could lead to problems. So this answer will supplement it with more context.

A septic system is not a drain that goes to a treatment plant. Waste sits in it for a long time being broken down to the extent it breaks down. The process relies on bacteria to do the work. If you make the contents inhospitable, you can kill off the bacteria or reduce their ability to multiply at an appropriate rate to break down the waste.

Because the contents sit for a long time, what you put in is cumulative over a long time. You can occasionally flush small amounts of bleach and that will be diluted enough to not be a problem. Or you could occasionally flush small amounts of some common acids, and they would be diluted enough to not be a problem. But that doesn't mean you can safely flush bleach every day, or bleach today, acid tomorrow, and something else the next day. It all builds up and has a cumulative effect that is greater than each one individually.

There are additional problems from allowing concoctions of chemicals to collect. For example, acid in combination with bleach will release chlorine gas, which will compound or accelerate disinfection of the needed bacteria. If you pour a little ammonia-based cleaner down the drain, that will combine with the bleach and create the toxic gas chloramine.

I won't try to list every possible harmful chemical reaction that could result from household (and non-household) chemicals being added to the septic system soup. The toxic gasses and other reaction byproducts will be in low concentration. But the problem isn't you breathing the fumes, it's the bacteria living in it and being continuously exposed to the toxins over a long period of time.

So yes, technically, you can occasionally put small, diluted amounts of this or that into the septic system. But you need to be very cognizant of everything you add, including how much and how often.

As a practical matter, some chemicals, like what you use to clean the toilets, really have no other place to go. So the system will collect a certain amount of that. But there's no good reason to put crafting acids into the septic system. They can be easily neutralized so they aren't a hazard, and absorbed into a little sand or dirt so it's no longer liquid. That can be dried out and then safely discarded in the trash. That costs you nothing, and then you don't need to be concerned with what it might do to your septic system.

fixer1234
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