What You Should Do, And Not Do, When Purchasing A Home With A Septic Tank

There are many homes across the United States that have septic tanks and they do not use the public waste disposal system. A septic tank is a private onsite system that collects the waste from your home including the sink, toilets and showers. The waste is accumulated in the septic tank which holds the solids back while the effluent is released into the soil on the property. If the system is properly designed it should easily give you complaint free service for 25 years. The system consists of a septic tank and drain fields which are hidden and expensive. Thus they need proper examining. Here is a list of do's and don'ts

What You Should Not Do When Purchasing A Home With A Septic Tank

There is no reason why a house with a septic tank should ring alarm bells. The system if properly designed can be extremely efficient, so don't let the presence of a septic tank on the property dissuade you from purchasing the home. However, speaking of alarm bells, there is nothing wrong with a system that has a septic tank alarm installed.

What You Should Do When Purchasing A Home With A Septic Tank

However it is important to follow a set chronology of steps to ensure that the septic system is checked properly to avoid trouble and expensive repair work in the future. These steps include:

1. Ask As A Home Buyer

It is imperative that you ask the seller certain questions about the septic tank. These should include the age of the property, was the property vacant or occupied, if it was occupied the occupants may be aware of potential problems. And if it was vacant for how long was it vacant, also you will have to ask the seller for how long he/she has owned the property.

Apart from these you will also need to get specific information about the septic system for instance ask about the location of the septic system. If the owner doesn't know where it is even after occupying the property for years it simply means that the tank has never been pumped which may be bad for the leach field. On the other hand if it has an easily accessed open cover it may mean that the tank is being pumped too often which may be a sign of trouble.

You will also have to ask questions about the size of the tank, whether it is made of steel or concrete and if there are separate drywells and seepage pits. Also inquire about the service and/or repair history of the system. You should also ask about the last the time septic tank pumping was done.

2. Septic Tank Inspection

You don't have to believe everything that the seller tells you; visually inspect the site for trouble. For instance smelly areas, wet areas, rocky areas and recent excavations may all be tell tale signs of trouble. Look for sewage overflow conditions by walking through the entire area.

These two steps are vital if you are purchasing a home with a septic tank and not performing them could mean costly repair and maintenance work in the future.


------

Go to my website right now to learn about septic smell and how to stop them before they start. You will also want to read a little bit about septic tank alarms and how they can save you from a potentially disasterous situation.