The Ultimate Guide to Treating Your Septic System with DOWN JOHN™
It's no secret that septic systems can be a challenge to maintain - and when you consider all the different issues that might crop up, then add in the confusing selection of treatment options on the market - it can be even more difficult to know what the right choice will be for your place.
Here's where DOWN JOHN™ steps in. This once-a-year treatment has been specially designed, tested and proven to give you incredible results with minimum fuss... Just how the ultimate septic system treatment should be.
In this guide, we'll run you through everything you need to know about treating your septic system with DOWN JOHN, plus the innovative technology you'll find in each kit:
what is DOWN JOHN™?
DOWN JOHN™ is a revolutionary 3-part treatment that takes all the hassle and guesswork out of maintaining a happy anaerobic septic system at your place.
When nature called, we answered - by combining scientific principles with the best septic tank allies nature has to offer.
The result? An earth-friendly yet powerful solution to all those pesky septic smells, clogs and backups that nobody likes to think about.
As much as we love talking about all things septic, the topic should really only come up once a year in your home!
With that in mind, we created a convenient once-yearly treatment that lets your septic system remain truly in the back of your mind - all year long.
Life’s too short to spend your weekends dealing with poop probs...
Here’s how to be proactive about it with DOWN JOHN™
How to use it
No need to call in the professionals... With DOWN JOHN, anyone can be the ruler of the throne in your castle.
The best news? Applying it takes less than a minute, and it's even less work than cleaning the toilet bowl - all you need to do is POUR and FLUSH!
Inside your kit, you’ll find 3 separate packs. Over the course of 3 consecutive days, just flush each day's corresponding pack down the toilet into your septic tank - no special skills or tools required!
When these 3 components are applied one day after another, the special ingredients in each pack kickstart a biochemical chain reaction that powerfully builds to achieve perfect harmony in your septic system.
The 3 Easy Steps
DAY 1:
Flush the Carbon Powder
Cut open the bag of carbon powder, pour the entire contents into your toilet bowl and flush. Dispose of the empty bag in the trash.
And that’s it for today… See you tomorrow for step 2!
DAY 2:
Flush the Live Bacteria Blend
Open the bottle containing the brown solution and flush the contents down the toilet.
It’s as easy as that - Just one more day of simple treatments to go!
DAY 3:
Flush the Enzyme Powder
Open the bottle containing the white powder and flush the contents down the toilet.
And that’s the final step! You'll notice incredible results in a few days & peak performance within 10-12 weeks.
Application FAQs
Q: After flushing each daily pack, should I avoid using that toilet for the rest of the day to let the treatment settle?
A: No, you can use your toilet again immediately! Unlike our competitors, DOWN JOHN™ goes to work instantly and doesn't require you to wait before you can flush or use your toilet again.
Q: Do I have to pour each treatment pack down the toilet at the exact same time on each of the 3 days?
A: No, any time is fine! For best results, wait approx 24hrs before applying the next pack, but the time doesn't have to be exact. Need a reminder? Click this link to receive a text on your 3 treatment days so you don't forget!
so, what's actually in each kit?
Each DOWN JOHN™ kit contains 3 safe and natural proprietary formulas, made from 100% naturally-occurring ingredients that are friendly to the environment and safe to use around your family and pets.
Here's what you'll find in each of the 3 individual packs, plus a rundown of what each component does in your septic system:
The activated charcoal you’ll be using on Day 1 is a naturally-occurring, safe-to-handle carbon powder. It removes household chemicals, bleach, detergents and soaps that normally kill off important septic tank bacteria.
This carbon mixture primes your tank, creating a healthy environment for the bacteria you’ll be adding tomorrow. It provides an excellent matrix for improved bacterial growth, resulting in long-lasting, improved septic system performance.
Here comes the good stuff! This liquid you’ll be adding on Day 2 is a safe, proprietary blend of good bacteria ready to work their magic in your system. Once flushed, this multi-strain living bacteria goes to work immediately, colonizing your tank and digesting waste for long-lasting septic system health.
Within a few days, your new bacteria friends will be right at home, and they’ll keep on flourishing for 12 months until it’s time to refresh their numbers with another annual application.
The powder you’ll be adding on Day 3 is a high-activity enzyme that dissolves any grease that’s built up in your tank from the cooking oils, soaps and body fats that are washed down your drains each day.
This powerful cleaner targets grease cap - a stubborn mass of solid oils that can form a 2" layer across the top of your tank. This enzyme dissolves grease caps, preventing them from breaking up, clogging your system and pipes, and causing serious blockages.
How down JOHN Keeps Your Septic System Healthy & Functioning
A properly working septic tank relies on one thing above all else: A healthy biomass of the right kind of bacteria.
DOWN JOHN™ works in mysterious but simple ways - one of which is increasing the biological activity in your septic tank.
Our combination of natural bacteria-friendly ingredients acts like a culture for your septic system - much the same as if you take a probiotic supplement to aid your digestion and keep your GI tract in balance.
By feeding the good bacteria in your septic system, you’ll counter the harmful effects of soaps, chemicals and cleaning products that get washed into your septic tank every day in your home.
This in turn dissolves grease, eliminates odor, cleans the whole system and unclogs your lateral lines, as well as reducing your need for pumping to remove sludge. Talk about letting the bacteria do all the hard work!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO START WORKING?
DOWN JOHN™ starts working immediately. Odor is gone in days, and stubborn grease cap is dissolved within a couple of weeks.
There's good news for backed-up or blocked systems too - they'll get back to proper working order again in 2-4 weeks.
Shortly after that, your leach field will return to full operation, with fluid runoff dispersing evenly underground so you won't notice any more soggy patches in your lawn.
After 4-8 weeks, any accumulated sludge will be digested, clearing the way for a blockage-free year ahead.
As with all things in life, do keep in mind that good things take time - especially when microorganisms are involved!
That being said, it's well worth the short wait: Your patience will be rewarded for the long haul, and the incredible benefits of your DOWN JOHN™ treatment will compound as the weeks roll on.
To give you a quick visual reference of how powerfully effective DOWN JOHN becomes as it works its magic, check out this graph taken over the course of 15 weeks - showing the dry matter reduction levels as time progresses:
The bottom line: You can expect its maximum benefits to be in effect within 10-12 weeks, with a hefty 1000-fold increase in biomass after using DOWN JOHN™ compared to before the application.
If you’re into the scientific nitty-gritty details like we are, check out the full lab reports showing exactly what happens inside your tank each week after using DOWN JOHN™, from studies conducted at the Iowa & Oklahoma State Universities.
So, how do you know it's working? In short, a properly-functioning system speaks for itself! Any presenting problems you previously noticed will usually be gone in 1-4 weeks... Then all that's left to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy an entire year of septic issues being a distant memory.
DOWN JOHN™ is the hassle-free, once-a-year treatment sure to become your number one for number twos… In just three easy flushes!
get yours here
what sort of issues can DOWN JOHN handle?
Common Septic Problems Don’t Stand a Chance with DOWN JOHN™
Living in a home with a septic system can be a smelly affair if you don’t handle things head-on, but a stinky odor wafting around your home or yard might just be the beginning of your problems…
Pesky smells, backups and blockages are a harsh reality nobody wants to deal with, not to mention the more serious issues that can bubble up. Fortunately, this three-step treatment powerhouse makes easy work of all the day-to-day hassles you may have experienced in the past.
After a quick and easy DOWN JOHN™ treatment once a year, your septic system will be free of sludge and grease blockages, any odor will be eliminated and your lateral lines will be cleared, improving your leach field absorption and preventing back ups.
Say goodbye to calling for a pump-out, an unwelcome necessity that can run your wallet well into the thousands.
It Even Handles MAJOR Septic SOS Situations!
Got some serious septic problems at your place? Whether it’s a full-blown blockage, your tank is backed up, or there's puddles on your lawn that point to leaching failure - We’ve got you covered. No matter the seriousness of your sanitation stresses, DOWN JOHN™ will come to the rescue.
This incredible product not only revives blocked and struggling septic systems, it also increases your capacity in overload situations. One pack will treat a septic system up to 1,000 gallons capacity for an entire year; so if your tank is on the larger side, just increase the number of kits you use to reflect the size of your tank.
Not sure if your tricky septic situation can be fixed with DOWN JOHN? Check out our FAQs page for fast answers on all sorts of issues, or just reach out to us and we'll be happy to assist!
WHY TREATING once-a-year IS BETTER THAN MONTHLY applications
Aside from the obvious convenience factor and cost benefit that comes with a once-a-year DOWN JOHN™ application, there’s proven results that annual treatment is far superior to monthly treatments in terms of efficacy.
Many of our competitors offer a less-potent product that must be applied once a month, which comes with a whole host of issues that can really impact your results.
Apart from having to remember to do it every few weeks (aren't we all busy enough?!), the main problem with monthly treatments is their instability.
With the sporadic and inconsistent application of monthly products, you’ll be getting a sawtooth graph of activity - in short, your septic system’s biomass will fluctuate up and down with each treatment. That might not sound like a deal-breaker, but if you accidentally miss a couple, all your hard work comes undone and everything starts to stink!
Forget the inconvenience of monthly treatments, you’ll get better results with DOWN JOHN™ - at less than half the annual cost of other treatments!
So, are you ready to flush your septic tank issues down the john? Bring home the most proactive treatment method to put your septic system in its place:
DOWN JOHN™ is the hassle-free, once-a-year treatment sure to become your number one for number twos… In just three easy flushes!
get yours here
Still have a few questions? No worries! After 18 years in the business, we know that septic system maintenance can be a bit tricky and frustrating at times - especially if you don't have the right stuff in your toolkit yet...
But here at DOWN JOHN, we're dedicated to helping you achieve the most pleasant and hassle-free home life with your septic system, so we're always here to help.
Whether you've got some questions about the treatment system, or need some expert advice about what to do at your place - We've got your back and we're here to support you.
Feel free to reach out to us at info@downjohn.com or give us a call during business hours on 888-529-9001. We’d love to hear from you.
Want to know more? For an in-depth view of all the benefits you'll enjoy, plus the environmental improvements you'll see at your place from using DOWN JOHN™, check out the full report here.
Still stumped by your septic probs? Find all the answers to what might be going wrong in your system with our help article 18 Common Septic System Problems & How to Fix Them.
Thanks for supporting our mission to make the world's septic systems more pleasant, peaceful and functional. The DOWN JOHN™ difference won't let you down.