SEPTIC INSPECTION
Septic Inspection Information
The only sure way to get an accurate status of a septic system is to uncover the system. Problems such as these cannot be seen any other way.
Inlet baffle 80% blocked with hard soap/grease crust. |
Inlet baffle completely blocked, water completely over inlet pipe and cascading over the top of the baffle. |
Septic Dye Test
The most common test procedure for Septic Certification is a Dye Test. This procedure has been the standard in the real-estate business for many years. It is generally accepted by most mortgage companies and it is all that is REQUIRED for nearly all real-estate transactions. The key word here is required, but not recommended by us for a realistic evaluation of a septic system.
Typically a florescein tracing dye is flushed down a toilet and then water is run in the sinks and tub etc. for an unspecified period of time, typically ten to twenty minutes. The Inspector will then look at the ground in the area of the drain field, (if in fact he or she knows exactly where it is located) and if no dye colored water is present on the surface, the system is deemed
functional.
There are so many reasons why this test is inadequate that it really makes you wonder why it is allowed. We have seen first hand where systems have already catastrophically failed, and after more than THIRTY MINUTES of water run-time, the dye has still not appeared at the point of failure! How can this be??
Well, there are quite a number of concerns in general, and several that have to be overcome before the dye will present itself at the failure point.
- What size septic tank is installed?
- Are there two tanks in tandem?
- Is there a lift pump? If so, did it just cycle or dose the system before you put the dye in?
- If the lift pump did cycle prior to the test, how much water will it require before it cycles again?
- Is the lift pump controlled by a timer that only allows dosing at twelve hour intervals?
- Is there a High water alarm in the lift station? Does it work?
- Is the tank inlet higher than the outlet? If the tank has settled or was poorly installed, it is NOT uncommon for us to find the tank has settled and the inlet is actually lower than the outlet. This condition will assuredly cause you problems.
- Are ground water and feeder roots entering your system and blocking or nearly blocking the inlet or outlet?
- How much water is actually entering the system? With modern water conserving faucets etc., it may be difficult to sufficiently stress the system to find any weakness. Placing mild stress on the system is necessary in order to properly evaluate it.
- Thermal stratification. Sounds pretty sinister doesnít it?? Actually all that it means is that if you run cold water (50 deg.) with dye, into a 1,000 gal. septic tank in the summer-time, the water in the tank will be warmer than the well water /dye that is entering the tank, and the cold dye will remain at the bottom of the tank. We have actually waited for more than thirty minutes for the water/dye to mix throughout the tank, and then finally literally stirred with our shovel in order to have the dye mix with the water in the tank.
The point is, there are many reasons why a dye test, in our opinion, is not always in our clients best interest. There are many more problems and conditions that can adversely affect your septic system, that a dye test will not disclose. At the same time, if we are trying to locate a laundry drain discharge, wash bay drain outlet etc., a simple shot of dye can certainly work wonders! It can really get your attention when you see an adjacent pond or drainage ditch light up with pretty yellow florescent colors!! Dye tests can be a valuable tool, but only when properly used.
There may be some folks out there that are thinking... oh yeah, you just want to charge us more. If you think that digging up septic tanks is fun and easy, especially in hot weather, we'd like to hire you!
By opening a septic tank, and lift station if so equipped, we can evaluate many of the above concerns and provide you with a much more realistic evaluation of the overall condition of the system on the date of the inspection. This is in no way a guarantee as to the adequacy of the system and all of its components. Unless the system is completely excavated and pumped out, there is no way we can inspect anything underground or hidden from sight, such as tank components, distribution box or drain fields. A homeowner must have the system cleaned and serviced routinely to ensure proper operation.
Bay Country Building Specs. works very hard to provide our clients with the information they need to make the correct decision in their real-estate purchase.
We appreciate your confidence, and we would appreciate your business. |
