Advice for Home Buyers who are buying a property with a private septic system. In order to help buyers obtain Information that addresses these concerns. We have put together this guide to help in making informed decisions regarding the potential problems and costs associated with a property's septic system. This document gives a simple overview of the questions to ask and tests and inspections to order if you are buying a property with a septic system.
If you don't really want to know much about septic systems but you want to know how to inspect and test this costly and buried system when you're buying a property with a septic system, septic tank, septic fields, then read this document.
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Frequently prospective buyers of a single family home have many questions regarding the septic system serving the dwelling:
If you prefer a complete, detailed guide to how to determine the condition of a septic tank, drainfield, leach field, soakaway bed, piping, etc. before buying or selling a home, see our buyer's guide to septic systems beginning at HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS.
If you need to know still more about septic system components, septic system maintenance (such as tank pumping and septic additives), or details about septic system inspection, diagnosis, repair, and alternative septic designs, Our main septic website page provides in-depth articles about these topics.
In simplest terms, a septic system consists of a holding tank which retains solid waste and grease from household waste water, and an absorption system or "leach field" which disposes of liquid wastewater or "effluent" which leaves the septic tank for absorption below ground into soils at the property.
The septic system is a relatively expensive and buried system which does not have an infinite life. Eventually drain fields fail and sometimes septic tanks, especially steel ones, rust out and need replacement. Also, old septic tanks, cesspools, and drywells, especially site-built or "home made" systems and systems in certain soils, can collapse, forming a very dangerous site hazard.
While no septic inspection and test can guarantee 100% that all septic defects have been found, properly conducted, these procedures can reduce the chances of a dangerous or costly surprise at your new home.
You can do steps 1 and 2 yourself. If you hire an expert to inspect and test the system (some home inspectors can provide this service), the inspector will also perform step 2 and 3.
Additional steps which are not normally done but which may be performed if there is evidence of system damage or failure are listed next. These steps would ordinarily be performed by a septic contractor who installs or repairs septic systems. Some septic pumping companies also perform septic repairs and field investigations. A septic engineer may be needed if you are expanding a system or if you require design to repair a system on a difficult site.
More basic information about how septic systems work is in this document after this section. More in-depth information about the steps in the procedure outlined above can be read at the following online articles:
It is important to realize that, once a septic system has been installed, only one of the above factors can be controlled by the homeowner. The homeowner can control how much water is actually being discharged to the system. Since each system has a set maximum capacity, it behooves the homeowner not to exceed that amount.
If a system starts to experience difficulties, what are some of the common symptoms?
What can a prospective purchaser of a home do to gather as much information as possible relative to the present condition of a system and about possible future expenses associated with the septic system? Here are a few suggestions:
Three common septic tests performed during home inspections are:
[DJF note: This opinion of the Health Department is not entirely
accurate. National data collected among professional home inspectors between
1985 and 1995 indicated that a significant number of inspectors performing dye
tests discovered total failure of the septic system within 20 to 30 minutes of
beginning testing.
We agree that a dye test is by no means a complete test of a
system, that the other measures suggested here are extremely valuable, and that
the volume of water used is critical: too little or too much can both be
serious mistakes. If a wet area or soggy area is present, dye has been found to
appear in the short time indicated.
However beware: NYS DEC has found dye
appearing in nearby streams as late as five days following a septic dye test in
cases where effluent migrates through considerable ground area before entering
a stream.
See SEPTIC LOADING & DYE TEST PROCEDURE - home
- How to perform this test (separate document)]
[DJF notes: WARNING: probing can damage buried equipment such as fiberglass septic tanks or tank covers or plastic septic drain lines. Further, there is little assurance that the probing is done in the area where a problem is present.]
The inspector then examines the leaching area to observe any signs of an
"overflow condition." If none is noted, it is assumed the system is functioning
property. This type of test is most disturbing since it can actually do harm to
the system by "artificially" flooding the septic tank and fields. This could
lead to suspended solids escaping the tank, causing increased clogging to the
leaching fields.
Also, the results of such a test can be misleading in that the
prior use of the system (both over and under utilization) will have a direct
bearing on the outcome of the "test."
[DJF note: the opinion of CT DOH that an inspector injects 500 to 1,000
gallons of water contradicts the earlier DOH opinion that held that it is impossible to
inject significant volumes of water into a system during a typical 3 hour home
inspection. It is easy to place 200 to 500 gallons into a septic system
during a three to four hour home inspection. 1000 gallons would be a bit high.
Even if a high available water flow rate in a building makes it possible to place
very large volumes of water into a private septic system, we advise
against attempting flooding tests (very large volumes) as in cases where the type of septic system
is unknown it is possible to damage or even destroy the system leading to very
costly and previously unnecessary repairs.
A test which greatly exceeds the design
parameters of the system is a questionable procedure. The Septic Information
Website describes appropriate procedures for performing various septic
tests based on a national survey of inspection and engineering practices.]
It is our opinion that when buying a home, especially one that is old and does not have a sewage disposal system that meets today's standards, the fundamental questions that should be answered are:
If accurate soil test data is not available through the local health department the only sure way of answering the question is to actually perform all the deep hole testing and percolation tests required by code.
As you can understand, most sellers would take a dim view of prospective buyers wanting to tear up their property to perform then tests. Therefore the more information a buyer can obtain, the better able he or she will be able to judge the adequacy of the existing system and what will most likely be required to repair the system, when needed. In that way, the buyer will not be caught unaware when that day arrives, since it was part of the financial assessment establishing the value of the property at the time of purchase.
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