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Recent Septic System Repairs May Give Key Information About Septic System Condition SepticAPedia ©   Enter your search terms Submit search form   Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com

• How evidence of certain septic system repairs, excavation, or disturbance can give clues about the condition of a septic system
• Why some septic "repairs" indicate a lurking problem or failure of the system
• Where to look outside for evidence of septic failure, difficult sites, or clues indicating a septic problem
• How to perform a septic loading & dye test, step by step

This document describes how visual evidence of septic repairs such as recent excavation or dirt piles can indicate a septic system failure

These pages are part of our SEPTIC DYE TEST PROCEDURE for testing septic system function. Technical review by industry experts has been performed and is ongoing - reviewers are listed at "References." Comments and suggestions for content are welcome.

Use of this information at other websites is prohibited; reproduction in electronic or printed form is prohibited. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

The observations described here can be performed regardless of whether or not a septic test is planned at a property.

How to Inspect for Evidence of Recent Work on a Septic System

Anyone buying a property or owning a property and needing to assess the condition of the septic system should first perform a simple visual inspection of the site, as we are discussing in these articles. Simply paying attention to a building site's shape, slope, size, and evidence of recent work are clues about septic sysetm condition.

Evidence of recent work:Is there evidence of recent pump-out such as a maintenance record, information from the property owner, or evidence of recent excavation that could mark an access to a septic tank?

In the photo shown here, discarded waste pipes left on the property surface were a strong indication of recent septic work.

In this photo of freshly piled soil, dirt had been pushed over septic system components located at the top of a steep slope, suggesting possible system operating problems which the contractor hoped to "correct" by burying a wet area.

If he/she had gotten off of the backhoe to walk into the woods and look at the far end of this new dirt pile, s/he'd have seen that the dirt push was inadequate even to disguise a problem much less fix it.

These measures are disappointing in their ineffectiveness and on occasion are suggestive of malfeasance too. The straw bales in the last photo were an ineffective prior attempt to ameliorate the effluent flow out of this system.

The septic "pumper" or homeowner had tried to "fix" this collapsing septic tank access by piling up concrete blocks helter-skelter over the septic tank, covering these with a round concrete septic tank access cover. This was a very dangerous condition, risking septic tank collapse. The area was immediately roped-off and covered pending repairs.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
SEPTIC SYSTEMS ONLINE BOOK
SEPTIC DYE TEST PROCEDURE
HOW TO PERFORM A SEPTIC DYE TEST
WHAT TO DO BEFORE
OUTSIDE SEPTIC INSPECTION
  IMMEDIATE FAILURE EVIDENCE
  LOOK FOR COMPONENTS
  DIFFICULT SEPTIC SITES
  RECENT SEPTIC WORK
  SEPTIC SAFETY
STEP BY STEP SEPTIC TEST
  INSIDE SEPTIC TEST STEPS
  WATCH FOR INSIDE
  OUTSIDE SEPTIC TEST STEPS
  SEPTIC FAILURE SPOTS
  SPOTTING SEPTIC BREAKOUTS
SEPTIC TEST VOLUMES & DYE AMOUNTS
  SEPTIC TEST WATER & DYE TABLE
  SEPTIC TEST FIXTURE FLOW RATE
  HOW TO SET THE SEPTIC TEST VOLUME
REPORTING SEPTIC TEST RESULTS
PUMP THE SEPTIC TANK
SEPTIC DYE TEST WARNINGS

Technical Reviewers & References

Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to the material. Content suggestions, technical corrections and content critique are invited for any of the content at our website.

• Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia ^© Website
• Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
• Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution

More Information About Septic Systems - Onsite Waste Disposal Design, Maintenance, Repair

• Return to the septic system textbook: Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems
• The Septic Information Website
  
  
• Safety Warnings to Septic System Inspectors
• Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - Water Test Cheating Warnings for Home Buyers and Home Inspectors.
• Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
• Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow calculating septic tank volume and septic tank size required
• How Big Should the Leach Field Be? - table of soil percolation rate vs. field size
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Material Safety Data Sheet MSDS for Red Septic Dye from Tramfloc.
• MSDS for Septic Dye Tablets from Tramfloc.
• MSDS for Septic Dye Liquid from Tramfloc.
• Septic Dye Technical Data Bulletin from Tramfloc.
• Tramfloc, Inc. source of septic system testing tracer dyes
• Bright Dyes Inc. source of septic system testing tracer dyes
• Pollard Water source of septic system testing tracer dyes

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