After my visual inspection of the house plumbing system there are no defects, other than high flow toilets and sink faucets which I reccomend switching to low flow. The inspection was. Very limited do to lots of snow and frost. I reccomend further inspection when snow is gone.
While inspecting the septic tank first you must check for cracks or Brocken components and report on any deficiemcies . In the tank there should be a scum layer on top a clear water layer in the middle and a layer of sludge on the bottom. Also the clear water should be below the invert of inlet pipe and at the invert level of the outlet pipe.
Just completing this program, such a good course. I’m up in Canada where we have snow cover 4-6 months of the year. This really limits our ability to thoroughly inspect the absorption drainfield. In my area the population is sparse and on the farm or acreage the septic tank will usually pump out onto the ground surface in a stand of trees and bush.
This is a picture of how a septic pump out was terminated on an inspection I did recently. It is a low pressure system being open ended as it is and the pipe under the bucket has double 90 degree fittings which directs the flow to the ground surface. Once the pump shuts off the line drains back to the septic tank. This is common where I am at.
Septic System Research / Essay Project:
The subject property had a POWTS which was located on theWest side of the home roughly 10 feet from the home. Upon further inspection ofthe system, concrete deterioration and mineral salt staining was observed onthe lid. It was later determined that the home had a water softener which wasdischarging water to a 5 gallon bucket which was subsequently piped to thehome’s septic system. A recommendation was made to the potential buyer todischarge the brine solution from the water softener to a different location in order to avoid septic system component damage and possible premature failure of the system.
Research Project on Septic Systems
Research Project on Septic Systems
Article “Inspecting Systems” by Nick Gromicko and KentonShepard
In this article,I believe the most important thing I learnedwas the general items included during an inspection of a septic system. Theseinclude researching the location of the system, observing proper clearances(from a well for example), how to inspect the baffles and what job theyperform, inspecting for condition of the tank itself, proper water heights andlayers of sludge, waste water/effluent, and scum. Inspecting the leach fieldfor any soft areas or areas that could indicated an issue such as an area thathas extremely green grass. I noticed damage to a pvc vent on a recentinspection, likely due to damage from a lawn mower. Pumping practices, maintenance records, andgeneral do’s and don’ts are also very beneficial for your clients whenconducting the inspection.
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The attached image is of a toilet i looked at as part of a septic inspection. although it is not the tank itself the toilet is important to a septic system because much of the water used in a house comes from a toilet. If the toilet is inneficient or leaky it will use more water and in turn put more stress on your septic. This particular toilet is a low flush toilet which is something you want to see. An although not part of the inspection per say i did notice they had a garbage can beside the toilet for the kinds of things that shouldnt be put into a septic ie. hygene products.
The article I chose to research was on septic systems. This article is important for inspectors even those who don’t do a full septic inspection because it teaches about one of the most important systems in the house. It is important for the homeowners to know about this because it shows them how to treat their septic properly to avoid unnessesary problems.
The attached picture shows a broken viewing port pipe for a sand mound absorption system. When the effluent pump was running the effluent water was running out of the broken pipe onto the surface of the ground instead of into the sound mound. If the viewing port is not repaired, soil and other debris can enter and clog the sand mound pipe.
I did not take a picture of my septic system because it is covered with ten inches of snow. However I have a total of four tanks? The one directly outside the home which was 8.5 deep when we bought the home, the second tank is four feet away from the first, again it was buried 7.5 feet below grade. Tanks 1 and 2 are 1500 gallons each. The third tank ? Is 55 feet away from the second tank and is a 500ngallon tank with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. This tank was 3 feet underground. The fourth tank is 65 feet away from the third tank. This tank has the dosing pump in it and is directly beside the sand mound nicely built into the contour of the ground. When I purchased the home 9 years ago I paid for a septic inspection. This is a three bedroom house with only 2 people living in it. A month after living here I noticed slow flushes so I went outside to investigate. Having the actual drawing of the home with as built marked…I know I was surprised as well. I started digging to open the first tank. Of course it is August 97 in the shade and 90 percent humidity. After I got down to three feet and didn’t find anything, except the rock my probe was hitting, I brought my mini excavator in from a project it was on, long story short that is when we found it was 8.5 feet deep. I called the inspection company to confirm they did the septic inspection, for a mere $ 785.00. The lady said yes the did and it looked fine. Bastards. They pumped the first tank through the 4 inch vent. While doing so they broke the baffle allowing it to obstruct the inlet pipe. So the wife decided to take them to court. Imagine this two days before the hearing they filed bankruptcy, double bastards. Now here is what really pisses me off. Three months later they are back in business under the wife’s name. So I guess the saying is live and learn.
For this section I chose the old fashion what we call drain field. I learned from a well seasoned plumber that the drain field depends on the sun as much as the soil to be effective.
Sewer cleanout plug appears to have some kind of sealant applied, such as wax from a toilet ring. This could indicate a past leak from damaged threads or improper installation of plug. Recommend having licensed plumber inspect and repair or replace plug to current standards.
These two photos show the before and after photos of part of a septic system when the customer finished his landscaping. There is a distribution box in the foreground. It is common to see such areas of a septic system hidden or disguised with vegetation and flowers and quite often tall ornamental grasses. When searching for areas of any installed septic system be conscientious of these types of areas and be prepared to include them in your diagram.
I chose to research from the inspection library on mudjacking. This type of repair for cement driveways and sidewalks affords a low cost alternative to the replacement of damaged or settled areas. This type of repair offers a lower cost, less invasive way to repair these areas by introducing a slurry of cement or like materials under the affected area and allowing it to be raised back into it’s original position thus, eliminating unsightly areas of settlement or tripping hazards.
This pic is from a Home Inspection i did a few weeks ago; This is the County Health Department Information Sheet with a diagram of the Septic System location, which was very helpful since it was difficult to locate the tank.
Reading the article: “Septic Systems Inspection”
Reading this article i learned How and what to Inspect on a Septic System as well as How to locate it and Maintenance tips to the homeowners.
This is the cover to the settlement chamber of an aerobic system in an environment of heavy clay soil. The affluent is pumped to a sprinkler system for distribution. The tank was in good condition, the controls and pumps were functioning as intended, and there was no indication of a need for the tanks to be emptied (pumped).
The electrical wire to the affluent pump is exposed on the surface of the ground and the wiring connections are exposed within the tank cavity. The wire should be buried and the connections should be made in a sealed junction box.
The “Septic System Inspections” article was a brief review of the materials in the septic system class. The section for homeowners had beneficial information that should be submitted with each report or a link to the information should be made available to them.
“Septic Essay”
In researching the images in the InterNACHI library, I ran across this one referring to the stacking effect in septic systems. Oddly enough I found no related article or nothing on the internet that referred to septic stacking effect. But this image does bring up some issues I will run into in Colorado.
The main issue here, as it relates to limiting the effectiveness of an absorption field, is the restrictive layer and perched water. If the geography of the area includes a shallow layer that restricts percolation of effluent (like bedrock), the absorption field can become oversaturated and ineffective. If the field is on a slope, with distribution lines running parallel to the contours, you can have a stacking effect where the field will become more saturated and compromised at the lower portions of the field.
Taking this course has really given me more knowledge on inspecting private septic systems.