questions about septic systems
 

Buying a house with a septic system. Never dealt with one before. What are the issues and concerns. I've been told different things regarding pumping the tank and upkeep. I keep thinking about that movie Meet the Parents....

How old is it?

I'd have it inspected. Not by a typical home inspector(they will flood the system and see if it works), a real inspector/engineer will camera the lines and open the tank and distribution box and make sure it's working properly.

If it's more than 30-40 years old, it may have cast iron or clay tile pipes, which have other issues.

That is the key question. You need to know how old the system is. The life expectancy of septic systems varies based on a lot of factors, but they do have a limited lifespan.And, they are expensive to replace.

Here is a decent article with some background.

Septic System Life Expectancy Guide for Septic Systems, Septic Tanks, Septic Drainfields and other septic components - septic system care guide

The home was built in 1988. The home inspection is today, but i will get a specialist to come out and check the system out. Thanks for the info.

And check your zoning laws in the county the house is located in regarding repairs or upgrades. Some locals are very strict regarding repairs and may require you to bring the system into compliance with 2011 code if any repairs are done to the system.

I've had septic for 12 years now...

Biggest/only issues for me have been - the dumb-azz PO's who planted bamboo... right where the line exits the house. And my kids, who will take a wipie from the diaper table, use it as TP, and then throw it in the toilet as opposed to in the trash. Also, tampons/pads must go in trash, not down the tubes.

In other words, as long as you only put easily decomposable stuff in it, and it isn't so old and already abused to not function properly, you'll be fine.

Definitely get the tank inspected. You want the "shelf" that keeps solids from leaving the tank checked becase some were made of cement that disintegrated.

I've been living with well and septic for 6 years now and I love it. The water is better than city water (with the addition of a softener and polishing filter) and has been basicaly trouble free after we figured out softener settings and added the polishing filter. I doesn't really save money because there is more equipment with a limited lifespan, but so far we've been quite satisfied.

Well pumps are expensive FYI. When mine gave out, cost $1200 to replace.

+1 - the condition of the baffles is key.

Properly cleaned and used they can last many years.

Been on septic for 20 years with no issues and never needed a pump out. Have it inspected as others suggested and as preventative maintenance we add a box of Rid-X once a month to keep the happy bacteria working well. So far, so good.

We use Rid-X as well and when we have the required inspections the guy told us that whatever we are doing is working well. In Wisconsin if it is over 1/3 full it has to be pumped as required by law.

I literally lost a house because of a septic system failure. We had the old style septic system with two tanks and laterals. We had an unusual amount of rain shortly after we moved in. Well, the ground became saturated and the effluent came up out of the ground. The county inspector was out and noticed it and cited us.

Then, the nightmare began. Here in TX, if your system fails, you're no longer grandfathered in. You have to upgrade to the latest specs - ie aerobic system. Due to my proximity to the San Bernard river, the location of my well and my neighbor's wells, and the amount of land that I had, I lterally couldn't fit the new system on my land.

The county said find some more land or move. Well, the only land available was across the street which my neighbor owned. He was willing to sell me enough, but it was going to take a year to a couple of years to divide up his parcel, get the permits and install the new system. Plus I needed an easement from my other neighbor who was an a-hole and wanted money.

Anyway, make sure you have a certified septic system engineer look at the entire set up - your design, your land, your well, your neighbor's well, and ask what would happen if your system failed. I relied on the real estate agent, who lied to me about what would happen if it failed.

No garbage disposal. Get it pumped every 10 years or so to remove the solids.....well, depending on the number of people living in your house.

Get it pumped and inspected on the sellers dollar. It is good for them to have even if you don't buy the house. Make it a contingency.

1st house was a new build with brand new septic tank.

Nothing but trouble. The soil was clay and did not absorb well. Heavy rains and a lot of snow melt off played havoc with it.

Had to have it pumped several times over 12 years. New owner had to have it replaced a year after he bought it from me.

As noted by previous posters, no garbage disposal, regular Rid Ex treatments, do not put coffee grounds down the drain, avoid the use of anti bacterial soaps. Coffee grinds and anti bacterial soaps will kill the bacteria that keeps it functioning properly.

Here's a big one, does all the waste water from the house go into it? Ideally the septic tank is plumbed for toilets only. All other drains like sinks, dishwasher, washing machine, showers will go to a grey water tank which can be used for other purposes like watering your lawn.

I've read that Rid-x is a bunch of crock hype............you have more than enough bateria in your poo to break down the goo. Guess it comes down to how delicate of a drainfield system you have, and if you don't pump out the main tank but every 10 years.

I honestly doubt unless you have 18 kids who wash 5 times a day each that antibacterial hand soup is going to make a difference.

YMMV

you guys make me laugh...some info stated is some what correct but most info is so false that I cant believe what I'm reading

"never pumped my tank in 20 yrs".....are you kidding

"have it pumped every 10 yrs"...are you kidding

bottom line is this forum is of no help cause all areas of the country have different soil conditions which require different kind of systems.

rid-x is a gimmick

Any septic tank HAS to be pumped every 2 yrs for family of 4 Period....sure you can get away with never pumping it but when you call me to come fix it your not gonna like the out come

Hey why not just go 10 yrs without changing oil in your 911...or never replace filter in your home heating system

Its called owning a house you have to maintain it...no different then a car


the best advice given was to have it inspected (in my area a bank will not give a mortgage without inspection)

Justin has it right. I don't know about your area, but since it was built in 88 you have PVC pipes and probably a concrete tank, which is much better than cast iron or clay tiles and a steel tank....

Problems to look for would be proper pitches on tank & pipes, pump tank to make sure there are no cracks (I've seen cracked/leaky tanks that the water never makes it to the septic field, it goes down to the house drain!)

An engineer would(should) pump the tank, camera the lines, and check elevations to make sure the system was installed correctly. Then flood it with water and make sure the distribution field can accept the water at the right rate.

Again, I don't know about your area, but here in NJ the County Board of Health would have the septic designs on file. It would be good if you can get a copy of them. It would also list the designer (probably an engineering firm).

oh and by the way if you have the system inspected during dry season there is no guarantee that in wet conditions the system will not flood

i see it all the time customer buys a house in dry and come wet back ups happen

i tell my customers that typical life span of drain fields is in 25-30 yr range however iv seen them last 50 and fail in 5.

maintenance is key the purpose of pumping is to cut done on bio overload the bacteria can only break down so much waste after 2-4 yrs the slug builds up and can enter drainage system(even with good baffles)

this is the truth...i went to a customer on Monday (they called because of back up in basement toilet)
my first question was "where is septic tank so i can check that first" older lady looked at me like i had two heads

they have owned house since 1958 and never had tank pumped...so after digging up manhole i had it pumped which took the guy 3 hrs to do due to so much slug
I am returning fri morning for $9,900 septic tank replacement

this is a fascinating subject.
my friend pumps his out every two years. i bet his was built in 1940 something..maybe older. it is all redwood. planks running vertical, with horizontal whalers. amazing redwood is so durable.

simply amazing. this guy does Rid-X once a month.

I almost bought a waterfront "fixer-upper" a couple years ago that was an absolute bargain.

Then I learned that half of the septic system was on the neighbor's property, with no easement. The drain field was also way too close the the shoreline to meet current codes. For some silly reason, the county doesn't like drain fields right next to the Pacific Ocean. The neighbors were very friendly, and wanted us to buy the home, but I wasn't about to until I had it in writing that the neighbors across the street, away from the shoreline, would give us an easement for a new drain field.

Really nice piece of property, and a home with great potential, but I'm glad we walked away.

We bought a house a year ago with a septic system (a simple gravity system). The sale contract required an inspection and pump out. Might be required by state YMMV. I also called the county for the installation permit. Very good to have as it shows where the tanks are and where the drain field is. The county will also do inspections. Best you call the permitting agency of your area and get the records.

My folks house has a motorized system due to the size of the yard. The tank has a motor that churns it up 24/7 and a small drain field about 10 feet away. We have a maintenance contract on the system that includes yearly inspection and pump out. Over the years we've had to replace the pump twice, once undressed warranty.

I also thought some of your guys who go 10-20 years without pumping it out are nuts. Where do you think 10-20 years of solids/slug goes?

We never use any bacteria additive. We just didn't introduce grease, chemicals or acids. No trash just poop and TP.

BTW. I found some nice brochures online on septic system care when I did a Google search. I don't have a link but iirc the best one I found was from a state health department.

For reference: my parents raised 5 kids in that house and the motorize system kept up. We have 5 kids and we haven't had any problems with the system at the new house. Since we have been here a year I called the local company to come pump it and the guys said he'd take my money but he didn't think it needed it after just one year. He said if the toilet slows and drains start gurgling then its filling up. So there are warning signs but I still wouldn't go more than 2 years without pumping it out.

I'm getting a septic certification and pump out tomorrow. Hopefully no issues or I'm walking.

Had the home inspection today and got some bad news. Both furnaces had a recall and the original company is out of business. 5k to replace them:eek: Everything else was fine. The property is bank owned and a great house in a desirable neighborhood. All the homes are horse properties( or horsepower property in my case, when the shop is built) mountain views and great motorcycle riding right out my front door. I'm stealing this house so the bank won't pay for anything,any repairs are coming qout of my pocket.

I was figuring pumping the tank every couple of years. Better safe then sorry. Thanks for all info. It really is a ****ty subject..;)

you seem to love this property and seem to be getting good deal on it, I would not let the septic system worry you

another thing to look at is if there is septic reserve on the property (meaning enough virgin property to install more drainage down the road if need be)

This is a big issue in my area with much older houses that have had repairs made to the system and now there is no more room for addition fields
unfortunately this is not disclosed to new buyers and they get stuck when it fails

You made the right decision. Especially if there is no easement. I found out that everything is great until one thing goes wrong and you have to conform to a new code. I went all the way up the chain - city, county, finally to the state. I spoke with the Secretary of crap in Austin. Told him I would put in incinerating toilets and there wouldn't even be any sewage. No joy.

The ironic part of this whole sad tale is that the mayor of Brazoria lived right down the street from me and his laterals emptied out into his back yard right near the river bank.

Well....looks like the house will need a new septic tank. It has the original steel tank and was full of holes. We are at about $$7500 bucks just to replace the tank.....but it sure was nice being there today. Going to notify the bank of the issues and see what they can do.

When I bought our 16 acre "estate" (with a 6000 s.f. man barn) at a depressed market price I told myself that some repair and major cost surprise are acceptable. To find 16 acres in a similar setting then build with cost me 3x+ as much as the sale price. Fortunate we have only had small costs in a year. I plan to retire here so long term I can't lose. I'm sure you've considered such thoughts. Good luck. I'm sure you've also considered all the factors that cost the bank money to hold on to it over selling to you with the repair at their cost. Leverage.

Rid-X may be a gimmick but at $14 for a four month supply I can live with it.

We have two adults, a 9 year old and a two year old. The people that put the new system in when they added on had a family of eight.

I grew up in a home with a septic tank. and have owned 2 myself. The first one I bought had a sudden tank failure.The steel tank originally installed in 1946 had a baffle at the outlet to prevent solids from the sludge cap getting into the leaching field. The baffle rusted out and the sludge filled the bed. The whole system needed to be replaced. Here I needed to truck in several dump trucks of certified soil( sand to allow fast drainage0 to allow the new bed to fit on my residential lawn. The system could have been saved if we had replaced the tank before the baffle broke but finding it before failure would be just luck. The second home I bought with a little more care. The sleazy real estate agent offered to have the tank pumped out as a house warming gift. Ha Ha I insisted on being there when it was serviced. Despite it being a concrete tank the bed was also ruined, but because of infrequent maintenance not specific breakdown like my earlier steel tank. This time the pumping company knew there was a problem as soon as opening because the liquid level was too high, if I wasn't there I would have not discovered the ruined system until several weeks later when it refilled and wouldn't empty. The seller lowered the price equal to 75% of the lowest bid for a complete system replacement. ($18000). This time I had plenty of land 3 A. but had to move the bed to be over 100 ft from our well.
I wouldn,t be afraid of a septic system but they need to be pumped out about every 5 yrs around here .They also need to be inspected by someone who knows whats going on at time of purchase. I would even try to get a seller to warranty them after sale if possible.

Lived with a septic for 18 years in Washington State. House built in 87, I bought in 92. 2Concrete tanks and the drainfield. Septic certified for single family, I think 5 members. Our soil was very porous and our property did not flood. Had it pumped every 5 years and the system worked perfectly, never an issue. We were very careful to not put the wrong stuff in the toilets and kitchen sinks. Rid x is a gimmick.

Did they test the rest of the system or just pump the tank? How was the rest of the system?

I'm very surprised to see a steel tank on a house built in '88. Was it re-built on a lot where there was an older house? Could this septic system be older? Is the piping PVC?

Unfortunately all the houses in this neighborhood were built with steel tanks. The tank didnt get pumped because as soon as we saw all the holes in the top of it we stopped.

Just the tank replacement should not cost $7500, more like $2500. I pay less than $1000 for a 1000 gallon concrete tank.

Should still test the rest of the system, especially if there is a chance the baffles rusted and solids could have went out to the field.

I've gotten three quotes, all have been over 5k for just a tank replacement and risers. The rest of the system will be checked when the tank is replaced.