Septic testing for home buyers - final review: this article provides a final overview of the critical steps a home buyer should take when purchasing a home with a septic tank and drainfield.

This septic system guide provides advice for home buyers who are buying a property with a private septic system, that is, a septic tank and a leach field or drainfield or similar soil absorption system.

This document is a guide of what to do if your' re buying a home with a septic tank including simple explanations, evaluation of various test methods, where to get information about a given property, and what can interfere with septic testing or might be unsanitary or even dangerous.

6-FINAL OVERVIEW of Septic System Inspections and Tests when Buying a Home - Home Buyers' Guide to Septic Systems

When buying a home, especially one that is old and may not have a sewage disposal system that meets today's standards, the questions that should be answered are:

1. Is the septic system currently working properly or is there evidence of a failure?
2. Even if it's working, are there signs suggesting short remaining life of the septic system?
3. When the existing system fails, how will we repair it and how much will repairs cost?
4. What tests and inspections are appropriate for the property being purchased? Were the septic tests properly performed?
5. Is there evidence of unsafe conditions at the property?

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.

Also see HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS - quick guide for buying a home with a septic tank

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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

Septic System Inspection, Loading & Dye Test Articles

• SEPTIC LOADING & DYE TEST PROCEDURE - home
• SEPTIC TEST PRE-CHECKS
• OUTSIDE SEPTIC PRE-TEST INSPECTION
• INSIDE SEPTIC DYE TEST STEPS
• OUTSIDE SEPTIC DYE TEST STEPS
• SEPTIC TEST VOLUMES & DYE AMOUNTS
• SEPTIC DYE TEST REPORT
• SEPTIC DYE TEST WARNINGS
• SEPTIC TEST FINAL OVERVIEW
• SEPTIC DYE SOURCES, SAFETY, TOXICITY, STAINING, MSDS

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SEPTIC TEST FINAL OVERVIEW 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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