What type of septic inspection is right for you?
Septic System Inspections should be so much more than just a dye test. Approximately one-fourth of all the homes in the United States rely upon onsite disposal and treatment of wastewater. These homes and their attached septic systems are dependent upon the homeowner for maintenance. Now let’s say you are looking into purchasing one of these properties. You most likely would test drive a vehicle before purchasing; —the home and septic inspection is your opportunity to “test drive” your potential home. Now when it comes to your future home do you want to just “kick the tires” or will you have a qualified mechanic take a look under the hood, maybe put it on a lift and check out the frame and suspension. The choice is yours entirely! For those of you who opted for the latter approach, read on. Those of you who want to stick with the “kick the tires” option may if you so choose read on as well, however, be ye forewarned I may persuade you otherwise.
As I mentioned previously 25% of the homes utilize an on-site wastewater disposal system. There are a variety of designs these systems could have as well as many different components. A dye test basically involves an inspector adding some colored dye to a drain inside your house. A sink, shower, commode, etc. and then running the manufacture recommended amount of water to dilute the dye. Now the inspector will check around your property for signs of the dye. Check ditches, driveway drains, locations around the septic system, as well as drain systems inside the home. If the inspector has no visual signs of dye the test cannot be determined as a negative until the inspector then returns to visually check for dye on the day following the day after the dye was administered. So for our example let’s say the inspector had no visual signs of leakage during any of these visits. Now you get your clean bill of health and pack up and move in. Is everything really okay? How full is your tank? What type of system do you have; anerobic or aerobic? Does your system require quarterly maintenance from a certified contractor?
Recommended time intervals between septic system pumping is between 2-10 years based upon usage. The widely accepted indicator that your tank now needs pumped is sludge layer. When the sludge layer in the bottom of the tank is 1/3 the depth of the tank or more it is time to have the tank pumped by a Health Department Certified septic pumper.
With a more in depth inspection when you were considering purchasing your new home you would know approximate tank size. Suspected layout of the drain fields. How your system operates; anerobic or aerobic. The level of the sludge. How your inlet and outlet baffles are functioning. Do you have inlet and outlet baffles? Depth of the scum layer on top. Septic Systems here in the United States have been in use over 150 years. They are a relatively unchanged technology, sure there are some advancements and changes, but their function and overall design is relatively unchanged. The most important thing you can do is properly maintain your septic system and without a “qualified mechanic” checking under the hood you’ll just be left with a couple “tire kicks”.
Be sure to schedule your septic system inspection with a Licensed Septic Installer.
Some helpful links to look into to prepare yourself for owning a home with a septic system.
So now you own a Septic System
