The image is a septic tank cover at my current home. We just replaced riser and are currently trying to find o new cover. This is a material defect both the riser and cap were defective from manufacture. (bad concrete mix crumbling) The septic was installed in 2012 not very old for a problem like this. Dirt, debris and water has been making its way into tank. We found this problem because of are biannual pumping. I can not stress enough to have regular tank pumpings. Because of this regular scheduled maintenance the problem was found quickly and resolved before damage had occurred saving us lots of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Septic Systems. Septic systems are the responsibility of the home owner there for anyone who has one should have some basic Knowledge on things to get the most from your septic. 1 most importantly have you septic regularly pumped and inspected every 3 years. 2 Do not dump harsh chemicals or paints, thinners or other hazardous material this action kills bacteria in tank taking away from its ability to preform properly. Also garbage disposal and food solids should be avoided because they are hard to break down in will increase the solids in take requiring a need for more tank pumping. 3 Make sure to keep faucets and toilet operating properly, leaky fixtures are number 1 cause of saturated leach fields. Over all try to conserve water when ever possible and keep regular maintenance and inspections will give you extended life to your septic system for years to come.
This photo shows an example of a cellar drain connection into a storm water system. The vertical section of PVC pipe is a great example of an inspection stand pipe. The PVC in connected to the storm water pipe with a factory T.
There are many ways to save money and energy in your home. One major way to do this is to do an energy audit. This can show you where you are losing heat from your home. By having this done you can find many ways to make your home more energy efficient. Some examples on how to do this would be install new windows or improve insulation of your home.
Image of a septic pump tank riser. Inside a control float operates a submersible effluent pump that sends effluent to the drain-field. Their is also a float switch that activates a high water alarm should the drain-field become over saturated or a blockage.
I choose; Septic System Inspections
by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard
I found the article to be a light overview of this course. One key comment I found helpful after the mentioning of the danger of entering a septic tank was.
If a crack is present, it will likely be at the level of the effluent, which will have drained from the tank through the crack.
sbennett
(Steve Bennett, CMI OK License 1799)
1087
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an aerobic system located just behind a new home being constructed. A properly functioning aerobic system treats the waste more thoroughly than an anaerobic system, producing an effluent that is clearer and less odorous. These are the most common systems in my area.
sbennett
(Steve Bennett, CMI OK License 1799)
1088
Research & Writing Assignment:
Septic System Inspections
by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard:
Septic systems can be very dangerous. An inspector should never enter a tank. Gases such as methane can be fatal. Also, solid waste removal should be left to a professional tank pumping service.
When the toilet is slow to flush or wont flush, and a plunger doesnt fix the issue it could be something wrong with the septic system. It could be the tank is full, something thats easily solved with a pump-out. It may also be an indication of a clog in the pipes.
If the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower or bathtubs are draining slowly, it could point to a problem with the pipes in your home (a plumbing company issue) or the septic system (a septic company service).If water is backing up when you run the washing machine or worse yet sewage has backed up into the house. Sewage backups are one of the worse symptoms of a failing septic system. All you need to tell that something is wrong with the septic tank is a good sense of smell. The smell of rotten eggs you are likely smelling toxic sulfur. If you walk outside near where the septic tank is buried and the smell increases its possible raw sewage has escaped the tank.
When the toilet is slow to flush or wont flush, and a plunger doesnt fix the issue it could be something wrong with the septic system. It could be the tank is full, something thats easily solved with a pump-out. It may also be an indication of a clog in the pipes.
If the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower or bathtubs are draining slowly, it could point to a problem with the pipes in your home (a plumbing company issue) or the septic system (a septic company service).If water is backing up when you run the washing machine or worse yet sewage has backed up into the house. Sewage backups are one of the worse symptoms of a failing septic system. All you need to tell that something is wrong with the septic tank is a good sense of smell. The smell of rotten eggs you are likely smelling toxic sulfur. If you walk outside near where the septic tank is buried and the smell increases its possible raw sewage has escaped the tank.
Attics; The attics are the space found below the pitch roof of a house or building. Generally use for storage space, but also can help control temperatures in house by providing large mass of air moving slowly.As of late attics have been insulated more since it keeps heating cost down, uninsulated attics account for 15 percent of total energy loss in houses.
Soffits and Fascia; There architectural elements found along the eaves are more than just a finished look to your house. They help by keeping out pest like bats, squirrels and birds and disguise of how your attic gets ventilation. That’s why is very important to always keep on going maintenance to these structure elements they play a very significant role.
This picture is of an uncovered septic tank with lid off showing the water level being under the outlet pipe and in good functioning condition. Septic tank passed water test and was properly functioning. Scum level was good, and sludge level was also low. Passable inspection
Reading the article about septic system inspections and having a clear pointed checklist to go off of for completing a septic system inspection. Checking on last time septic was pumped, checking sludge levels, making sure septic tank is the proper size for the property. Other key points are making sure the baffles are properly connected and system including drain fields are proper distances from wells and streams in area.
This is a photo of a beautiful home I took last week and this was the roof in the rear of the home. There was almost nothing wrong with this home but we did find several locations where the was a lack of downspout extensions. In this photo we felt this portion of the roof could have probably used a kick out plate. Here the water runoff would have been flowing over the gutter right near the window where there was a real good chance of water finding it’s way in through the side of the window.
I actually just finished reading the course on “How to Inspect Septic Systems” so I wanted to find an article on sewer gases and how dangerous they are. Through the internachi articles there was a section titled “Sewer Gases in the Home”. This was a very informative article and it labels some of the usual suspects such as methane, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide to name a few.
It describes hydrogen sulfide as an extremely toxic gas that can impair several different systems in the body at the same time. Symptoms include nervousness, dizziness, nausea and drowsiness.
Higher levels of exposure can lead to the loss of consciousness and death.
The article explains the seriousness of sewer gases entering the home. Also worth mentioning are the dangers of methane and hydrogen sulfide which can actually cause and explosion. I found that the culprit is usually a dry plumbing trap. Mostly from fixtures that haven’t been used in awhile, especially in places like basement floor drains.
Other than hidden cracks not visible in vent stacks the article explains that a simple solution is to make sure the traps have water in them. So if you smell any foul odors in the home be proactive and check all the traps before being overwhelmed and lose consciousness or worst.
Proper home owner maintenance is a key component to many aspects of owning your own house. One of this biggest may be having your septic tank pumped out routinely. Factors like the size of your household and the water usage contribute to how often you should have your tank pumped. This is one of those things that when in doubt you might want to err on the side of caution rather than wait to long and have the waste built up in your tank leach out into your yard!
As a homeowner there are several things that can be done to ensure you have a well maintained septic system. Start by locating your tank and cover. Create a drawing of where to access the cover in the ground. This way in case of an emergency down the road there will be no time wasted in trying to locate and access the tank cover. Once you have the drawing, keep it in a safe place. Have a trained professional perform an inspection every three years to ensure there are no issues moving forward. Watch what you are putting into your septic systems. Try not to allow too much water go through in a short amount of time. Do not plant trees next to your septic system. Do not drive or park anything large over your system or drainage area as this excessive weight could cause fracturing and leaking of your system.
This is a picture of a garden planted over the leach field. I believe that the leach field preforms better with a garden rather than just grass as the vegges allow more water to evaporate off of their taller structures.
The absorption field that I helped install was not the conventional perforated pipe with permeable cloth and rock. Instead it was perforated pipe surrounded by Styrofoam packing material about 30" in diameter held to the pipe with a permeable white cloth. It was fast and easy to install.
