My wife & I are considering buying a house with a septic tank. I have never lived in a property that had such a system, but have always heard they can be troublesome (most things can, I guess). System is described by MLS as "Two bedroom septic", which I gather indicates its capacity. If anyone can give me some feedback on just how problematic septic systems can be, any questions I might ask the realtor when we see the house for the 1st time (he probably won't KNOW, but at least I'LL look like I DO ;-), any other general comments on septics, etc. There would be just the 2 of us living in the house, which is located in the Seattle area.
If it;s not already screwed up, and you treat it properly, it shouldn't be a problem at all. People have trouble with septic systems when they abuse them.
Here are the rules: Have it pumped and inspected either immediately before or immediately after the sale.
One year later, have it pumped and inspected again. The results of that second inspection will tell you how often you need to pump it in the future. (assuming that's not dictated by law, where you are)
If the house has a garbage disposal, get rid of it. don't dump grease, food-waste or chemicals into it, any more than you can help.
If you can, dump the washing-machine (and RO-water-treatment system, if any) into a drywell separate from the septic.
Contact your county Health Dep't for info. Besides the usual, they may be aware of problems specific to the area you're buying into. Find out if there are sewers in the offing ($$$) or will the state mandate wholesale system replacements.
Line up a licensed septic co. to do an inspection should you place an offer. Make the offer contingent upon the inspection passing. The co. will be aware of local issues as well.
A well-maintained system may give you years more of trouble-free service. OTOH....
Thanks for the prompt + helpful reply. You gave me at least 2 points: Does the house have a drywell, & will they do a drainage/inspection/remediation as a term of sale. What does drainage/inspection generally cost, appromimately?
This property is in an area that is transitioning from "rural" to "suburban". In fact, there are developments going in right across the road, which I'm guessing will be on the city sewer. I'm wondering if in such circumstances, it is normal for the local municipality to offer (maybe even require) the older properties to connect to the sanitary sewer system?
A lot of times, the purchase price of a place can be reduced because of the seller knowing there is going to be a big cost in the future. You already know it.
Thanks for all the replies. I just called the county. They agreed about having the tank pumped prior to sale. Also said they don't require tank users to connect to adjacent sewers when they are put in to newly developed areas nearby. They said there is a law on the books regarding how often tanks are pumped, but it's not enforced. I asked about a drywell, they said drywells are illegal & that they DO enforce that one ;-) He said basically what I've heard here, that you have it pumped, then again at a set interval (suggested 3 years) & based on that, you know how often to do it. He said they have thousands of them in their service area, and the vast majority work fine if cared for, as has been said here. They were very helpful, actually.
One of the most important things about a septic system was already mentioned here. NO disposal in the kitchen, and NO laundry drain into it. (if you're using a water efficient front loader, this is less of a problem) And while your at it with the dry well, put the dishwasher and shower into it also. And big water user loads off the septic are better. BUT, with all that said, with just two people in the house, you probably won't have to worry about any of that unless you have a marginal system already.
Thanks Steve. I've always heard the "backhoe in the front yard every 2 years" horror stories about septics, obviously not true! On a new purchase, the key seems to be assuring a drained & inspected & fixed if required septic system is part of the sale.
It *IS* true, once you screw one up by letting it go too long unpumped. or if you add a 5 bedroom addition to a septic designed for a 1 bedroom cottage.
The true cost is typically cheaper than paying for utility sewer rates. You just have to pay for work on it now and then. Periodic pumping (per tables you can find on the Web). A drainfield should last decades, then costs $1000s to redo, but then you've saved all those sewerage fees, right? Think of it as do-it-yourself sewage treatment.
If you read up on septic systems and really understand them, it's real easy to "visualize" what's going on in there. The worst that can happen is damage to the lateral field. This can happen several ways. a. physical damage from crushing loads over it. b. tree roots c. soil that won't "perk" meaning the effluent doesn't have anywhere to go. This can happen from improper installation (not enough gravel) or just bad (clay) soil. d. letting the sludge build up in the tank to the point where it is force out into the field.
people who say they've gone "18 years" or any other long period of time without pumping are just asking for trouble. 3 to 5 year between pumpings should be considered a maximum. That way you never have to worry about the sludge getting up to the outlet. I'm no expert, but I've been on a septic system all my life (48 years) and have seen the ups and downs of them.
I built my house and septic about 18 years ago. I opened the tank last year concerned about sludge buildup and found only a minor amount in the bottom. There are two adults and laundry is done off site. Both adults work. Usage is light. I expect the next 18 years to be the same.
Not to throw anyone under the bus but my research concluded those "high efficency" front loading washers really do not use that much less water per load. I think the HE only refers to energy use, not sure though since I have not researched that aspect of it, only the water usage.
For a great resource on septic stuff check this book out:
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Also, I agree, get it pumped and inspected before closing on the property, but do it with a vendor that YOU chooose and pay for not the seller. That way the company will be responsible to you not the seller. Also, repump/inspect just under one year after purchase to check for any problems, don't wait the three. After the initial pump, and the one year 'anniversary' pump, the vendor would be able to advise a schedule. It all depends on size of tank, amount/type of usage, and certainly the amount of solids going into the tank.
2cents.
Very unlikely in most locales for a new addition on sewer to require an existing subdivision/addition to be added (as OP confirmed later on). Any requirement (even if if does actually exist) in one area should NOT be inferred to be generally applicable.
Actually, in rural county area, County Health Department will undoubtedly be the controlling body for septic systems.
Good answer. Visual inspection is the absolute key. Too many people fail to open it up and inspect it periodically and then complain when it quits working. Going 18 years without pumping is not that unusual.
It's not unlikely at all. Hallerb is right, it happens. The house I'm living in was initially septic, and within 10 years, when sewers were run down the street, homes were required to connect at the homeowner's expense. It;s not necessarily a bad thing, as it eliminates one big headache.
To the OP, I'd check on the age of the system. If it's only 5 years old, you're far less likely to have problems than if it's 40 years old. At that point, it's common to have problems with the leach field, as no matter what you do, eventually the area gets afftected to the point that it has trouble draining.
In pennsylvania new devlopment in a watershed, natural drainage area means not just the new buildings but ALL properties get sewage in that watershed, you pay a cost per foot for frontage, a tap in cost often 5 grand, and then if your still usiung a well they flat rate you for sewage or meter your well.
around here sewage is at least TWICE the cost of water per thousand used, and new requirements to prevent water infiltration during rain is making sewer companies replace all their lines, add storage tanks for peak flow averaging and theres talk of getting every homes line camera inspection at time of home sale, and mandatory replacement if theres breaks or tree roots. nearly every terracota line has tree roots in it, which means water is getting in too.. thus line bad.
the plumbers are just waiting to swoop in this will be a bonanza $$$ for them, sewer line, yard restoration, new sidewalks and driveways. Or getting lines cleaned and plastic liners installed, which reportedly cost nearly as much but save the tearing up of yard.
the trouble here is that during heavy rains floods the leaky lines see manhoile covers fly in air, sewage all over streets and into streams and rivers. its a real safety hazard, I saw a articlke statiung that the 10 year cost locally is in the billions, sewage rates are rising. MTSA my sewer company replaced the main line on our street, it was all roots
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