Complete Septic Inspection

Septic system repairs are not cheap and can cost from $5,000 to $20,000 or more, depending on where you live and the condition of your system. Unfortunately for many home buyers, the typical brief septic system inspection tells you very little about the real state of the septic system. The main problem is that it does not check for many potential signs of trouble. It is somewhat like assuming a used car is in fine shape just because it starts and seems to run ok during a drive around the block.

Don’t Wait for the Toilet to Back Up
Most homeowners have very little understanding of how to maintain a septic system. They don't know how to recognize warning signs of failure and only realize there is a problem when the system completely fails (i.e. the toilet won't flush). As a result, many homeowners are not aware that they are selling a house with a failing septic system. There are also some unethical people who, knowing there is a problem with their system, simply pump the tank before the sale so it appears to be functioning properly.

Are Codes Being Met?
The obvious question is whether or not the system is functioning, but an even more important question is, does the system meets current code requirements? Most new home buyers completely overlook this issue. The codes regulating septic systems have become much stricter than in past years. As a result, systems that met code requirements in the past no longer do and you will have to pay for the upgrade. For example, in the past a system with 250 square feet of drain field buried 6 feet deep may have passed, whereas today regulations might require one with shallower drain fields and 450 square feet of drain field. In some cases the health department will inform these people that they need to bring their system up to current code a few months later (even if they said it was fine at the time of the original inspection!).

How important is a thorough septic inspection when buying a new home?
It is extremely important to have a proper, thorough septic system inspection if you are buying a home with a septic system. If you run into problems with the system after the sale, unless you can prove they knew there was something wrong with the system when they sold you the house, you are stuck with it. If you still want the house, it's much easier to factor the septic system upgrade costs into the sale than to get money back from the sellers after they've spent it on their new home. When they call the sellers, you are likely to hear, "It worked fine when we were there...you must have done something to break it."

What is a Complete Septic System Inspection?
A proper property sale septic system inspection is actually a fairly involved process:
1. The inspector will first do a visual inspection looking for signs of surfacing effluent around the drain field.
2. They will then dig up the manhole cover to check the liquid level in the tank. If it is low then the tank either has a leak or was recently pumped...watch out.
3. They will look at the contents of the tank. If there are non-biodegradable products in the tank this will indicate the system has been abused. If the toilet paper products are not breaking down this often indicates an overuse of chemicals hindering the bacterial process in the tank.
4. Assuming the tank is full, they will then run 100-200 gallons of water into the system, then start pumping the tank. If water begins coming back into the tank from the drain field it will mean the drain field is slow or failing.
5. When the tank is empty, they will estimate the size of the tank in gallons and visually check to see if the inlet and outlet baffles are in place and of the proper size.
6. They will then dig up the distribution box to check for a high content of sludge and the number of drain field lines.
7. From there they will check the length of the drain field runs by running a line into each pipe and using a probe to measure the depth of the trenches. With this information they can estimate the square footage of the drain field. In some cases they may have to dig into a trench to get this information.
8. They should then take a soil boring to ascertain the depth of the seasonal water tables.At this point the inspector will have enough information to give you an opinion on the system.

After the Sale
The following are three of the most important things you can do to keep your septic system running smoothly:

1. Install a lint filter to prevent lint from plugging up your drain field (this is one of the most common causes of failure).
The typical family washing machines produces enough lint each year to carpet a living room floor and a good percentage
of it is not biodegradable. Lint screens and nylons socks are ineffective as they trap less than five percent of the lint particles.

2. Have a contractor install an effluent filter to prevent larger solids from leaving the tank.

3. Spread out your laundry loads to avoid overloading the system with more water than it can handle.

Residential Home Inspections ~ FHA Foundation Inspections ~ Pest Inspections ~ Septic Dye Test ~ Water Purity Test Lead/Nitrate/Nitrite Test ~ Well Yield Test ~ Radon Testing ~ Complete Septic Inspection ~ Oil Tank Investigation Percolation Test & Site Evaluation ~ Septic System Design ~ Phase I Environmental Assessment
Complete Septic Inspection Septic system repairs are not cheap and can cost from $5,000 to $20,000 or more, depending on where you live and the condition of your system. Unfortunately for many home buyers, the typical brief septic system inspection tells you very little about the real state of the septic system. The main problem is that it does not check for many potential signs of trouble. It is somewhat like assuming a used car is in fine shape just because it starts and seems to run ok during a drive around the block. Don’t Wait for the Toilet to Back Up Most homeowners have very little understanding of how to maintain a septic system. They don't know how to recognize warning signs of failure and only realize there is a problem when the system completely fails (i.e. the toilet won't flush). As a result, many homeowners are not aware that they are selling a house with a failing septic system. There are also some unethical people who, knowing there is a problem with their system, simply pump the tank before the sale so it appears to be functioning properly. Are Codes Being Met? The obvious question is whether or not the system is functioning, but an even more important question is, does the system meets current code requirements? Most new home buyers completely overlook this issue. The codes regulating septic systems have become much stricter than in past years. As a result, systems that met code requirements in the past no longer do and you will have to pay for the upgrade. For example, in the past a system with 250 square feet of drain field buried 6 feet deep may have passed, whereas today regulations might require one with shallower drain fields and 450 square feet of drain field. In some cases the health department will inform these people that they need to bring their system up to current code a few months later (even if they said it was fine at the time of the original inspection!). How important is a thorough septic inspection when buying a new home? It is extremely important to have a proper, thorough septic system inspection if you are buying a home with a septic system. If you run into problems with the system after the sale, unless you can prove they knew there was something wrong with the system when they sold you the house, you are stuck with it. If you still want the house, it's much easier to factor the septic system upgrade costs into the sale than to get money back from the sellers after they've spent it on their new home. When they call the sellers, you are likely to hear, "It worked fine when we were there...you must have done something to break it." What is a Complete Septic System Inspection? A proper property sale septic system inspection is actually a fairly involved process: 1. The inspector will first do a visual inspection looking for signs of surfacing effluent around the drain field. 2. They will then dig up the manhole cover to check the liquid level in the tank. If it is low then the tank either has a leak or was recently pumped...watch out. 3. They will look at the contents of the tank. If there are non-biodegradable products in the tank this will indicate the system has been abused. If the toilet paper products are not breaking down this often indicates an overuse of chemicals hindering the bacterial process in the tank. 4. Assuming the tank is full, they will then run 100-200 gallons of water into the system, then start pumping the tank. If water begins coming back into the tank from the drain field it will mean the drain field is slow or failing. 5. When the tank is empty, they will estimate the size of the tank in gallons and visually check to see if the inlet and outlet baffles are in place and of the proper size. 6. They will then dig up the distribution box to check for a high content of sludge and the number of drain field lines. 7. From there they will check the length of the drain field runs by running a line into each pipe and using a probe to measure the depth of the trenches. With this information they can estimate the square footage of the drain field. In some cases they may have to dig into a trench to get this information. 8. They should then take a soil boring to ascertain the depth of the seasonal water tables.At this point the inspector will have enough information to give you an opinion on the system. After the Sale The following are three of the most important things you can do to keep your septic system running smoothly: 1. Install a lint filter to prevent lint from plugging up your drain field (this is one of the most common causes of failure). The typical family washing machines produces enough lint each year to carpet a living room floor and a good percentage of it is not biodegradable. Lint screens and nylons socks are ineffective as they trap less than five percent of the lint particles. 2. Have a contractor install an effluent filter to prevent larger solids from leaving the tank. 3. Spread out your laundry loads to avoid overloading the system with more water than it can handle.