Myth Buster Archive
Do septic system additives work? (Spring 2008)
Q: Do septic system additives advertised as cleaners, activators, uncloggers, or restorers really work?
A: The short answer is NO.
At least 1.3 million households in New York State have septic systems. When they are working properly, septic systems keep harmful organisms out of our waters and protect our health.
We've all seen ads that claim adding commercial powders, liquids or granules to septic systems will increase their efficiency, extend their lives, eliminate the need for pumping, or restore failing systems. According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these types of products have not been proven effective. Some can actually interfere with the treatment process and contribute to septic system failure.
The life of a properly installed and maintained septic system and drainage field is about 20-30 years. A home septic system is a significant investment, and a failed one is expensive to replace. To get the most out of your investment and extend its life:
- Have the tank pumped and inspected regularly (every five years is recommended)
- Put only biodegradable wastes into the system
- Restrict garbage disposal use
- Conserve water in the home and repair any leaking faucets and toilets
- Don't plan trees or build over the drainage field
Driving faster saves a lot of time (August 2008)
Q: I'd like to drive slower and get money and gas savings but I can't spare the extra time it'll take.
A: Reducing your speed adds only minutes to your travel time and will save you money on gas.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, reducing your highway driving speed is the biggest factor in improving fuel efficiency. Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gas.
But busy schedules and time pressures make us feel we must drive at top speed. What most people don't realize is that time added by driving a little slower is minimal. For example, reducing your speed for a 20-minute drive from 75 mph to 65 mph only adds 3 minutes to the trip-and that's on the highway. In the city or in congested traffic, tiny time differences like that tend to evaporate.
Programmable thermostats (Fall 2008)
Q: If I turn the thermostat way down when I'm out, doesn't the furnace use more energy to heat up the house when I return?
A: No-the energy saved by letting the house cool down and remain at a lower temperature is much greater than the energy used to warm up the house.
It is a popular misconception that it is better to keep your home at a constant temperature because the boiler or furnace will "work harder" to bring the inside temperature back up from a ten degree set-back.
Not so. Your heating system always runs at the same rate when it is on. The main variable is how long it remains on. Studies have proven that turning the thermostat back 10 degrees for an eight-hour period will save you 10% on your heating bill, on average. If you can't turn your thermostat down 10 degrees, try 5 degrees-there will still be energy savings. The longer your home remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you'll save. Programmable thermostats typically pay for themselves in energy savings in the first winter.
Programmable thermostats are not recommended for homes with heat pumps or electric baseboard systems. Steam boilers and radiant systems may take longer to heat the house back up, but a programmable thermostat will 'learn' in a few days when to start heating the house up to reach your desired temperature setting.
The Paper vs. Plastic Bag Debate (Winter 2008)
Q: A paper bag is a more environmentally conscious choice than a plastic bag, right?
A: Neither paper nor plastic is your best choice.
To accurately compare paper and plastic bags requires a look at the life-cycle environmental costs of each. Life-cycle costing considers a product's use of resources and energy and environmental impact during the extraction of the raw materials, transport, manufacture, use and disposal.
Paper bags are made from trees (a renewable resource) and are biodegradable. However, they take four times as much energy to produce as does a plastic bag. Making pulp for paper requires the use of toxic chemicals and large quantities of water. Paper bags are heavier and bulkier, requiring more trucks to transport than plastic bags.
Plastic bags are a non-renewable, petroleum-based product and never degrade. We use one million plastic bags a minute! Very few are recycled and thousands end up in the ocean - killing marine wildlife. On the plus side, they take 91% less energy to recycle.
Your best option is to get some sturdy, reusable bags and keep a supply handy.
Organic Lawn Care (Spring 2009)
Q: A beautiful lawn requires synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides
A: No, no and no.
The beauty of any lawn is more than "turf deep." Lawns maintained with repeated fertilizer and pesticide applications may look perfect but this perfection is achieved at the high cost of soil vitality, environmental quality and human health and will vanish without continual chemical fixes.
Studies have shown that the chemically dependent lawn is more prone to disease and less able to handle stresses from drought, heat and insects. In addition, lawn chemicals and toxins build up in soils, leach into our water supplies, kill non-target species such as bees and birds and can be absorbed by children and pets.
To get a lush, green lawn that is not dependant on chemicals, start by building healthy soil. Healthy soil is alive, containing fungi, insects, earthworms and many living organisms too small to see such as bacteria, microbes and protozoa. Synthetic fertilizers kill these invisible but essential organisms.
Get the soil's nitrogen and pH tested. Growing lawns need nitrogen, half of which can be supplied just by leaving grass clippings on the lawn. The rest can be added by top dressing with compost or the addition of slow-release, organic forms of nitrogen. Slow release fertilizer does not "burn" the grass as it must be broken down by soil bacteria before it becomes available. Good sources are blood meal, cotton seed meal and fish meal.
What to a baby bird that has fallen from its nest (Summer 2009)
Myth: If you find a baby bird that has fallen out of a nest, you can't put it back because the mother will smell the human touch on it and will reject it.
While in most cases, it's best to leave young wildlife alone, baby songbirds are an exception. A nestling that has fallen from its nest (or a nest that has fallen from a tree) should be returned, if you can do it safely. The parents will continue to look after their young. Most birds have a very poorly developed sense of smell (vultures are the exception) and will not detect your scent. If one parent is killed, the other will generally take over all parental duties.
Fully feathered fledglings will frequently be found on the ground even when they have not totally mastered the skill of flying. Putting a fledgling back into the nest is an exercise in futility-it will continue to jump out. The parents are usually close by, still caring for it. Keep pets inside until the young birds are adept at flying.
