InspectAPedia ^TM

How Septic Systems Work - Homeowners Guide to Septic System Maintenance & Septic Care SepticAPedia © Enter your search terms Submit search form   Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com

• Septic System Basics - this page: septic maintenance, septic care instructions for home owners and home buyers; steps to take when buying a home with a septic tank and septic fields
• Septic System Design & Installation, and alternative septic designs, drawings, product sources
• Septic System Inspection and Testing, how to find and diagnose septic system problems
• Septic System Maintenance and Repair, septic system care, septic products, septic repair or replacement procedures

This website answers just about any question about buying or owning a house with a septic system. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at page left to navigate THIS DOCUMENT or our Website. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

Septic Tank & Drainfield Inspection & Maintenance for Home Buyers or Owners

• If you own or are buying a home with a septic system, look through the list of articles below.
• If you are in a rush read A Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems inspection & testing - what to do, step by step to inspect and test a septic system when buying a home and then What is a Septic System? An Engineer's View & Septic System FAQ's.
• If you are having a problem with your septic system, start with the easy articles below but also see our step by step guides at Septic Maintenance and Repair
• If you want to avoid septic system backups, see Septic Backup Prevention when you're having a big party or
• If your drains are backing up, see Septic Backup Repair
• Use links 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.
• If you do not quickly find the information you need ask by email.
• Abandonment Guide for Septic Tanks - how to safely find & abandoned unused septic tanks, cesspools, drywells
• Additives & Chemicals products for septic system maintenance. Are septic products needed? Are septic treatments legal?
• Alternative Designs for septic systems with problem sites, poor soil percolation, limited space: aerobic, dosing, evaporation, gravelless, greywater, lagoon, media filter, septic filters, mounds, raised beds, waterless toilets
• Backups and Clogged Drains diagnosing septic backups and septic system failures versus clogged drains - key step in septic repair
• Backup Prevention: extra steps to avoid a septic backup such as during a party or when you anticipate heavy use of the septic system
• Backup Repair: what to do when the toilets or drains are backing up
• Basic Designs for septic systems, tank size, field size, design notes
• Buy Septic Books Online at Amazon.com - books for septic system design. septic system education materials
• Buyer's Guide Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems inspection & testing - what to do, step by step to inspect and test a septic system when buying a home
• Biomat Formation in the Septic System Drainfield Absorption System - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Cesspools home buyer's or Owner's cesspool maintenance advice
• Cesspool Safety warnings about cesspool, drywell, seepage pit collapse dangers
• Contaminants in Sewage which may be released from sewage spills from residential septic systems and wastewater disposal systems
• Design Guide for Septic Systems complete list of detailed "how to" articles
• Designs for Septic Systems - Master List of Septic System Designs & Types, named and described
• Don't Flush these things into a septic system: a list of what's ok and what's not ok to put into septic tanks and building drains
• Don't Pump Before Testing Septic Systems: warnings for home buyers about septic tank pumping
• Drain Clogs, Slow Drainage: how to diagnose & repair slow or clogged drains; find out if the problem is in a drain or in the septic system, a key step in septic repair
• Drain Noises: may indicate defective or clogged plumbing: how to diagnose and cure drain sounds
• Drain Line Replacement diagnosing a clogged drain leads to drain line replacement - step by step photo-illustrated guide to drain replacement
• Drainfield Layout: septic drainfield or leaching bed shape and placement considerations
• Drainfield Location: how to find the septic drain field or leaching bed
• Drywells home buyer's or owner's advice for drywell installation, testing, and maintenance
• Definitions of septic system terms, an online septic system dictionary
• Drawing Library © drawings of septic system components, fields, layouts. These are educational, not engineering drawings and are © protected. Sample engineering drawings and plans wanted for the website.
• Filters for Septic Tanks & Graywater to protect septic drainfields and reduce drainfield clogging
• Flood Response what to do after a septic system has been exposed to flooding, key septic maintenance and repair tips
• Garbage Grinders and garbage disposal units - effects on septic systems and septic maintenance requirements
• Grazing, Animals Over Septic Fields, is it a problem?
• Inspection & Testing of Septic Systems complete list of detailed "how to" articles
• Life Expectancy of Septic Systems and septic system components
• Maintenance & Repair of Septic Systems complete list of detailed "how to" articles
• Neighboring Septic System Problems - advice for dealing with a neighboring septic system producing odors or seepage
• Planting Over Septic Systems: trees, shrubs, gardens, groundcover over or near the septic system: what can you plant over or near septic system components without causing a problem?
• Planting Gardens Near Septics, vegetables, fruits, other types of gardens
• Pumps Septic pumps, sewage ejector pumps, grinder pumps, effluent pumps, sump pumps, & septic pumping stations compared; pump alarms. Advice.
• Reference Books, Codes, Design Guides for septic system maintenance, repair, design, installation
• Septic & Cesspool Safety - septic system, septic tank, & cesspool safety warnings for septic inspectors, septic pumpers, and homeowners.
• Septic System Basics, Basic Information Articles for Homeowners on septic maintenance and septic care instructions for home owners and home buyers; steps to take when buying a home with a septic tank and septic fields
• Septic Tank Inspection Procedure - how to inspect septic tanks and evaluate the septic tank condition, baffles, sludge levels, damage, evidence of septic failure, etc.
• Septic Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Septic Tank Pumping Frequency Guide for septic tanks: when, how, what to watch for when pumping or cleaning septic tanks
• Septic Tank Pumping Reasons why relying on the septic tank pumping schedule table or advice from pumping contractors isn't enough
• Septic Tank Pumping Procedure step by step photo guideline of how to pump and clean a septic tank - septic tank care
• Septic Tank Size: septic tank size and capacity vs. usage determine the required septic tank size, calculate size of an existing septic tank
• Sewage Odors in Wet or Cold Weather - Septic Odors or Sewage Odor Diagnosis & Repair Guide for diagnosing and eliminating cold weather sewer gas odors
• Sewer Gas Odors diagnosing, finding, and curing septic tank and sewer line smells
• Sewer Gas - Methane and other septic system gas explosion or asphyxiation hazards such as hydrogen sulfide
• Sewer Line Replacement diagnosing a clogged drain leads to drain line replacement - step by step photo-illustrated guide to drain replacement
• Swimming Pool Clearance distance to septic components
• Ten Steps to Keeping a Septic System Working, septic maintenance suggestions from the U.S. EPA, edits with additions by DJF
• Toilet Emergencies: how to stop a toilet from overflowing
• What is a Septic System? An Engineer's View & Septic System FAQ's
• When Not to Pump a Septic Tank to avoid damage, unsafe conditions, or wasting money. Don't pump the tank right before a septic test.

"Septic tanks" are what home owners or home buyers think of when buying or maintaining a home with a private septic system. But we should be thinking about the whole septic system - since the drain field or leach field makes up half of a typical septic system cost. Septic tank care and septic tank cleaning need to be done on a regular frequency (we provide a septic tank pumping schedule table) in order to avoid ruining the drainfield. Septic tank maintenance is not enough. Proper septic system design for the level of usage and soil conditions is critical if the system is going to have a long useful life. We are also quite concerned with septic system health and safety since there are potential collapse hazards which can be fatal, and there are bacterial and pathogen hazards for both site occupants and for the environment if a septic system is not working properly. The articles listed at this website form an extensive guide to septic systems care, inspection, testing, and installation. We welcome questions and suggestions for content.[Back to Page Contents]

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

• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• Septic System Inspection Methods and Procedures, - online illustrated class for Building and septic inspectors
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank

InspectAPedia ^TM Home & Site Map - Building Inspection, Diagnosis, & Repair, Environmental Inspection & Testing - Research Website

The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems

Home Inspection Construction Consulting Services & advice for home buyers

Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

Environmental Inspection, Testing, & Diagnosis On-Site IAQ, Gas, Air Testing, Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing removal of environmental and other hazards and prevention of their recurrence.

Contact Daniel Friedman for website content suggestions or for fee-paid consulting

	Enter your search termsSubmit search form
	Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com