Questions & answers on how to check out the septic system when buying a home.

These questions address some of the most common problems that come up when you are buying a home or other building served by a private or on-site septic system: typically a septic tank and soakbed or drainfield.

There are questions about valid and in-valid septic inspections and tests, the right order of inspecting and testing, and where you may get into or avoid both trouble and surprise expenses.

This article series answers just about any question you might have about buying or owning a house with a septic system.

We provide critical advice to people buying a home with a septic tank and drainfield or similar septic systems. The drawing of a conventional two-compartment septic tank at page top was provided courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection, education & report writing tool company [ carsondunlop.com ].

FAQs About Buying a Home with a Septic Tank & Soakbed or Leach Field

These questions and answers about private onsite septic systems were posted originally at HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS - be sure to see the advice given there.

On 2018-10-19 by (mod) - crack in septic tank and crushed effluent pipe: need more information

Jason:

You're showing what may be a crack in a septic tank baffle but I can't make out what I'm seeing - I'd need more photos showing more of the situation.

If that crack is entirely inside the tank and only is at the tank baffle I doubt that this is major damage.

On the other hand if sewage is leaking out of the septic tank it needs repair or replacement.

Usually repair is possible.

I agree that a more-expert inspection is needed to assess the tank or baffle damage, repair/replacement of crushed D-box pipe, and to inspect the conditions in the D box itself.

On 2018-10-19 by Jason

The house we are looking at had a crack in the septic tank and the out going pipe to the D box was crushed. So the water was not running completely into the leech fields.

They could not run the camera down the pipe because of the condition of the pipe. I have added a photo of the tank and pipe at the time of the inspection.

The inspector walked out to the leech fields and could not see and divots in the ground or bad smells.

Since then the Septic tank has been replaced along with the out going pipe to the D box.

My question is, should I have the septic system inspected again?

On 2018-10-16 by (mod) - ok to test septic system in wet weather

Sure it's advisable to test a septic system in wet weather IF you want to know if it works in wet weather; the implication of a demand to test an existing septic only in dry weather is a requirement that nobody flushes a toilet, runs a washer or takes a shower when it's wet outside.

You could consider it a stress-test, but a perfectly-fair one.

That does not necessarily mean it's time for a new drainfield. You need a better problem diagnosis.

Wet weather can

- flood a septic tank if surface runoff leaks into the septic tank

- flood a drainfield by surface runoff

both of those can often be cured by redirecting surface runoff away from the septic components

Beware however: a septic system can fail in wet weather because the drainfield is saturated and in failure or close to failure; consider it an early warning.

On 2018-10-16 by MJRJ

We've had record rain in our area this summer, and we are selling our house. Buyers had a septic inspection and it failed. Is it advisable to test a septic during such wet weather?

On 2018-06-05 by (mod) - if the septic tank was not inspected you can't know that it is not damaged

Well maybe super plumber with x-ray vision like Superman and see into the septic tank without opening it and report that there's no crack but that's pretty remarkable.

For the more you couldn't possibly see that there's no crack in the tank without emptying it first although you could if you knew that the sewage level was normal infer that the tank is not leaking. It does not, frankly, sound like a professional septic loading and dye test.

If we knew the water flow rate in the building we could guess at the volume that was used to make a test. It could be anywhere between 90 gallons and several hundred gallons. Hoping all the faucets doesn't necessarily give you greater total quantity over 30 minutes depending on the rate that the pump is able to deliver in the first place

. Also I would have liked to have heard that the inspection at least reported something about what could be seen at the site such as evidence of a fluid break out or not and what's known about the history of a system including is maintenance history. Please take a look at the buyer's guide. Remember that you are talking about a buried system for which we cannot know everything and we cannot eliminate risk.

But if you can find out something about the age & history of the system including its maintenance history that would be useful.

On 2018-06-05 by septicnovice

Thanks so much for the info. I wish i found this site at the beginning. I talked to the plumber who did the certification, he said that they turned on all cold water fixtures in the house (5-6 faucets) plus two garden hoses for 30mins.

He said he does not know how much water in gal. He said he did not dig up the tank but he said there was no crack.

Is it possible to make such statement if you don't dig up the tank or surrounding to see if there are leaks ? They did pump the tank though. I think i am going to ask another plumber to have a look at the septic, i just don't know what tests he can do given the tank is already pumped. This plumber said he will dig up the tank.

On 2018-06-05 by (mod) - what is the right septic test volume

See. PRE-PURCHASE SEPTIC DYE TEST


Typical is 50 gal per bedroom as minimum but for a test to be valid and for you to have any confidence in it there are other steps necessary.

For example if the seller pumps the septic tank right before your inspection and it's sitting there empty you can't test it nor the drainfield.

Therefore be careful about looking for a specific number or detail and instead make sure you use someone who understands proper and valid septic system inspection and testing. Otherwise we are just kidding ourselves.

On 2018-06-05 by septicnovice

the house has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bath, the current owner is the only person there. In your experience, what is the volume of water that you think would be sufficient for a meaningful test ? Thanks

On 2018-06-05 by (mod) - what's a "septic certification" by HUD or others?

At a minimum I would insist on obtaining some details of exactly what was inspected and what was tested and what those results showed. For example hydraulic test or septic loading and dye test has no meaning if you don't know anything about the volume of water that was run.

If the septic hydraulic test involves flushing the toilet once and then seeing that no water came up in the yard that would be an example of a meaningless test because the volume of water was inadequate.

In general you will find a real estate case law that a buyer who relies on a seller's representation is making a mistake

On 2018-06-05 by septicnovice

Thanks for the link. It helps. It sounds like "hydraulic" test similar to "loading or flooding" test in the link

The certification that i mentioned is a form from Department of Housing and Urban Development Health Authority Approval - Individual Water-Supply and Sewage-Disposal System.

My lender needs the septic certification so maybe it's the form the plumber has to use ? In any event, it does not help me understand the condition of the system and its future usability.

I would have thought a certification would have more details from the septic inspector about the process of performing the test and observing the results. Do you know if there is a standard certification form in California ? What do you think i should do next given the limited information i got so far ? Should i look for another qualified inspector for second opinion?

On 2018-06-05 00:53:45.040009 by (mod) -

Take a look at HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Guide_for_Home_Buyers.php

For the things to check

AND see https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Home_Buyers_Septic_Test_Guide.php

The "report or certification" you describe is neither in any useful sense on those words.

On 2018-06-05 by septicnovice

Hi, we are in the process of buying a house that has septic and we never had septic before. The seller did the certification (we should have requested for it to be done by us) and it passed. In the certification , the only information it has is the septic tank size , the material of the tank (cement) and a line saying

"hydraulic test : okay". Does anyone have a different kind of certification report ? I would hope for more information on more details of the testing/certification process like the leach field does not have back-flow. Thanks

On 2018-05-16 by (mod) -

Robert

These sort of arm-waving "he said" "she said" arguments are not going to produce a clear guide to making a decision.

Your attorney will surely point out to you that an agent hired by a home seller to tell you that something is not an issue or is less of an issue than your agent found is not providing information upon which you can rely - it is hardly from a neutral party.

Facts, specific observations, explanations of the specific observations might be more credible.

Repair vs. replace decisions should consider not just "can I get it working again until my truck leaves the end of the driveway", but rather, "what is the anticipated life of the repaired system" and "what future costs are likely to be faced, and when will they be encountered?"

If I were buying the home you describe and if I knew absolutely nothing more than what you've told me, if I wanted to proceed with the purchase I would do so with the ASSUMPTION that I was going to face septic replacement cost, and I'd have two or more reliable estimates on what that figure was going to be. That should be in your plan regardless of what allowance the seller is or is not going to give.

On 2018-05-16 01:14:23.167067 by Robert

House we want to buy has a septic system. We had it tested from a reputable company. It failed! Recommended replacing 38 year old system. Buyer now has held us up, we are going to miss our lock in rate, and hired a company who septic installs isn't thier "specialty"! Long story short, the contractor feels it is repairable and the seller is going that way. Should I worry or what can I do?

On 2017-12-07 01:55:26.254238 by Bridget sweet

I purchased a home in Florida in april 2017. It's an older home so we went ahead and paid to get the septic inspected. It passed, so we purchased. Fast forward to November 2017 and we have septic issues. My husband spent hours trying to find the filter to clean out until a neighbor came over and told us they had to replace their drainfield years ago as did others around us, and there was no filter because it was installed before that was a requirement. Side note: he dug and found a 2nd door to the tank which was never uncovered during inspection. I misplaced the receipt to figure out which company i used, so i contacted a company to do a free estimate. Since it was already dug up from my husband, they were in and out. Knew immediately the drainfield needed to be replaced. The next day i found the receipt and turns out the same company did the initial inspection that "passed" and 8 months later said it needed to be replaced. Are there any laws or information i can use to protect myself since the inspection was for that purpose and i believe the inspector didnt want to be there so the job wasn't thoroughly completed. I am awaiting a response from the company but i feel like they will try to blow this off.

On 2017-12-06 14:02:02.692431 by CD

11/2017: Hello. I am a seller for a home in NJ. The buyer had the septic inspected and it failed. The issues mainly consisted of gray a water line problem. An escrow was placed in order to have the home close on and the work done later; the home did close, and the work was completed as agreed.
The buyer comes back two months later and notes she was conducting business at the city and was informed the septic is still listed as "failed". Who's responsibility would it have been to have the septic re-inspected? The work was completed and the area re-buried prior to being re-inspected. I completed my end of the agreement to have problems fixed by a licensed company. If she paid to have the work inspected, would she not be responsible to have it re-inspected? She was already living in the home at the time the work was being done.
Thank you for your help!

On 2017-11-25 01:28:21.677881 by (mod) -

L.

Please forgive me for beginning with a gripe, but due diligence on the part of a home buyer means hiring and paying for your own tests and inspections. Having the seller perform such a task is innately creating a conflict of interest.

On 2017-11-21 22:06:30.525672 by L. Evans

Hello,
My son just bought his 1st home 1 month ago last thing done was septic inspected sellers responsibility. It passed. One month later (currently) huge problems $1700 so far, no end in sight and no diagnose and I might add, this is the same septic co that did the original inspection

On 2017-11-18 16:42:26.375889 by Demitri

Thanks again - and I'm glad you helped us go into our search with our eyes wide open on this.

One more question on your first advice - can an inspector generally detect the things a homeowner might to do hide issues? Pumping the tank sounds like an easy one, the level would be too low.

The piping to a stream or drainage ditch is unconscionable to me, but you have a shot at finding that by walking the property. But bleaching the dye, any way to know they've done that?
Awesome web site and you have no idea how much your advice is appreciated!!!

On 2017-11-18 16:12:28.036491 by (mod) -

Demitri

Thank you for the feedback, we are in agreement. Keep in mind that a building inspector, home inspector, septic test person or a website all devoted to reducing the chances of an expensive surprise when you are buying or maintaining a home must be focused on what goes wrong and how to detect it avoided or repair it.

So in a sense it's a very one-sided presentation - I'm only talking about things that give you trouble. Another way to put it is a home inspection is there to reduce your chances of a surprised not to make a real estate sales pitch.

Nevertheless I agree that owning a home is a wonderful thing for most people both in quality of life and as an investment.

On 2017-11-18 16:01:56.159756 by Demitri

Wow - thanks for all this information. It doesn't make me more comfortable, but it definitely helps to know what to look out for! At the end of the day I think our approach needs to be to assume we will need to make the repairs and bake that into our offer

. The good thing where we are is that it's a buyer's market so its possible to negotiate price.
Thanks again!

On 2017-11-18 02:30:19.108310 by (mod) -

Sure, Demitri,

Above at Continue reading at HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Tank_Guide_for_Home_Buyers.php is just the article you should review.

Yeah a homeowner can hide issues in many ways - coming across those crimes has informed our writing as it should also have informed your septic inspector (the tank was pumped right before a septic test, brush was piled over an effluent breakout, bleach was poured into the septic tank to bleach out dye, and even one more: septic effluent piped across the road to a drainage ditch or into a nearby stream.


Also see SEPTIC DYE TEST WARNINGS at https://inspectapedia.com/septic/Septic_Test_Warnings.php

On 2017-11-17 21:57:11.862474 by Demitri

Looking for general advice on buying a home with a septic system, as all home is the town we are looking are septic/well.

We'll have an inspection, but is there anything the homeowner could actually do to hide an issue with either the tank or the drainfield? We understand that the drainfield can run upwards of $15,000 to replace, so we'd like to be able to identify any clues that the inspector might not notice.

On 2016-05-08 by (mod) - don't wait until the last second to try to sort out an expensive septic repair

Wow Jennifer. I saw your note two days after posting. It doesn't look good to wait until the last second to try to sort out what can be an expensive repair.

"Pass/Fail" ratings you describe sound a but unclear, incomplete, and dangerous. If I were buying a home such as you describe I would

1. be sure my financial plan permitted installation of a new septic system

2. confirm with local building authorities that the home is in compliance with laws about setback distances between the river and the septic fields

In a long history of building inspections I have found that the absolute WORST "deals" when home buyers are most upset later are when they choose to rush, or allow themselves to be rushed through a sale without due diligence.

Keep me posted.

Daniel

On 2016-05-06 by Jennifer Skarsten - I'm closing on home purchase tomorrow and need to know about the septic system

Help!!! We are closing in the morning on a home that initially did not pass septic inspection.

The area in need of repair is the drainfield due to its lack of depth between the soil and rock bed. It is a river front property.

We only found out on the final walk through last night that, in fact, the owner and persons he knows ultimately did the repair consisting abandoning the old field and rebuilding next to the old one. Supposedly the city inspector was out a few times to view and approve the process.

He did give it a pass on 5.5.16. We are concerned that if this was not done professionally and there is a failure somehow, (and I have done a lot of research to this point to see what is the best method), that we would be stuck with an enormous bill. We are despirate at this point.

We close at 9:30am central time. I'm still awake late having tried to get as much information as possible. Any advice and who is liable if this fails on us?

Signed, Stressed to a T

On 2016-01-11 09:30:56.146440 by Mike

I could put copper bands on the roof (clay tiles) to inhibit growth of moss and algae. My roof water runs into my septic tank. Would the copper impact on the operation of the septic tank?

Question: we are buying a home with a septic tank and know nothing about it. The home looks well maintained. Should we get the septic system inspected?

We are in process of buying a home with a septic system. Your information has been quite helpful.

We know NOTHING of septic systems. I'm trying to figure out what kind of system it is, we've been told it's not aerobic so by default does that mean it's anaerobic?

We know it was pumped 7 months ago and that the owner of 3 yrs has never had any problems.

The house, built in 1986, is VERY well maintained as attested to by our home inspector. Fortunately I have a lifelong friend that lives on the same street so she's told me about her system, etc., but I'm not sure ours is the same. What concerns should we have? Should we absolutely get it inspected? I'd appreciate any advice. - Stephani S. DFW -Texas

Reply: yes, absolutely.

Stephani S DFW Texas

Even at a well maintained home it would be a mistake to assume that a buried system such as" we link to some basic information you will want to read.

You should not buy a property with a septic system without some due diligence in discovering just what is installed and what clues or tests indicate that the system is or is not likely to be functional.

There are serious health and safety risks involved as well as possibly expensive repairs needed.

In the article above, at "Steps to Take When Buying a Home With a Septic Tank" we tell you what is recommended.

The basic approach includes asking questions, a visual inspection of the home and site, and then depending on what we learn, an escalating series of inspections or tests, depending on what is discovered at each step.

...

Continue reading  at HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• ABANDONED or NEW SEPTIC SYSTEM TESTS
• HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS - complete guide to buying a home with a septic tank
• SEPTIC SYSTEM TROUBLE: WHAT GOES WRONG
• HOME BUYER'S SEPTIC TEST
• PRE-PURCHASE SEPTIC DYE TEST
• SEPTIC TEST FINAL OVERVIEW
• SEPTIC FAILURE LAWSUIT
• HOME SELLERS GUIDE TO SEPTIC INSPECT
• SEPTIC SYSTEM TEST BASICS - quick guide for buying a home with a septic tank
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...

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HOME BUYERS SEPTIC SYSTEM FAQs-3 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to SEPTIC SYSTEMS

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