tehaleks had written this in response to
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: Hi again, thank you everyone for your replies so far. I wish I could answer all your questions but some things I honestly don't know and would have to ask my fiance - unfortunately he is not all that concerned with the septic tank, I guess he says as far as he knows his parents have never pumped theirs but maybe once in the past 25 years they've lived there so ours is "probably" fine... but he's not home during the day to smell what I smell, and he hasn't stepped in the goopy puddles at the end of our yard.
Some of you asked about the home inspections - we did get an inspection done but it was just a general inspection, nothing specialized, so I don't think he checked the septic, but IF he did, I know he did not say anything bad about it on the inspection (our home was a flip, we bought it just after it had been finished).
Some of you mentioned "fingers" in the yard you'd see in the grass, I guess perhaps the drain field is a lot closer than I thought. I will take photos later, but as you walk into our back yard, you go out the back door, cross the gravel driveway and pass the garage, go down about 15ft from the edge of the garage and there is only ONE lift-off top for the septic tank, I don't see another one anywhere. Then about 8-10ft down the yard past that is a flat area of our yard where some of the grass is dying in little blotchy spots (I also think there used to be a pool there, the first time we saw the home there was a perfect circle spot of dying grass). But there is also a young tree planted on the far end of that flat spot, which I thought was a no-no?
Continuing the tour of our yard, if you go down from the end of blotchy grass (which is about 30ft wide and 15ft deep), go about 20ft from the young tree there is a large well established old tree, beyond that the yard is bare down to the forest about 60ft beyond that, and just past the old tree is where the yard starts getting squishy, the old tree also marks the start of the dramatic slope.
OH, here is a big black corrugated plastic pipe somewhere between where the septic tank is and the flat splotchy grass field, that is kind of peeking out of the ground. I feel like this was probably supposed to be buried at some point, it kind of poses a danger if you're mowing your yard.
I don't know if this tour was necessary, just trying to help you help me, I've lived in an apartment all my life! :P
I have spoken to the neighbors a little bit, I have not asked them any specific questions but none of them have ever had anything bad to say about the state of the home, just that another young couple lived here previously and had a hard time paying their bills.
I think that answers most of the questions in this post so far, I will have to reread to make sure. I really appreciate all the thoughts in this issue so far!