Need advice on Ridex

We have a side septic field with what we think is a 1000 gallon septic tank, we had it put in about 18 yrs ago, it has never been pumped and we aren't having any problems. We use Ridex in it about every month now although there was quite a period of time several years ago that we didn't. Hubby has decided he wants to have it pumped before we do have trouble with it since it's gone so long without being pumped. We also don't know exactly where it is located so it would involve someone digging it out after they find it. I know we will be having this done soon since it has been there so long without it being pumped. My question is concerning Ridex. The man my husband talked to said "never use Ridex, it gums up the system and makes clogs" or something to that effect. Does anyone know if this is actually the case or is this guy just trying to get more business(which I think he would if people wouldn't use Ridex monthly). Thanks for reading, Sandy

Rid-X may or may not help but it does not and will not take the place of pumping a septic tank. The frequency of pumping depends on the size of your family but every 2 years is good for an average family. An averrage feild should last 40 years. Yours may be near it's end because you have never pumped it.

If its been there for 18 years and has never been pumped, get ready for a possible expensive replacement. The tanks should be pumped every 3 or 4 years, and depending on how many people in the family, maybe more often. Follow this rule and your system could last almost forever. There are many around here that are 60 years old and older. Heres what happens... The solids separate from the liquids as they enter the tank. The solids fall to the bottom of the tank, while grease and soap scum float to the top. The liquids are trapped between these layers, and exit the tank through the discharge baffle, where they go into your D-box and from there, into the drain field where they are absorbed into the ground. The solids, greases and sludge remains in the tank waiting for a pumper to suck it out and truck it away. By now, Im sure that the tank is full of sludge and Im also sure that many years worth of this buildup has already been pushed into the leach bed. If you havent noticed wet spots in your yard by now, very soon you will have sewage starting to come to the surface above your drain field lines. At first, you will probably notice an area in your yard where the grass seems to always grow wild and dark green even when the weather is dry and hot. You'll see this come a short while before you actually start to see wet spots or ponding sewage. Or it could just clog up completely and stop working. Have the tank pumped and inspected, and if your lucky you may be able to have the drain field lines pressure cleaned to remove some of the sludge deposits. The reason not to use some of these miracle products like Rid x is because many of them really do work at breaking down sludge and scum. They will break down the sludge deposits in to smaller particles, and these smaller particles can float to surface, and enter the drain field exit port on there way up, thus clogging the drain field.