Peter,
Does your State require you to dig inspection holes in the Field or do you do this as a part of your inspection?
Also, are you required by your State to uncover the tank, d-box as part of the inspection or do you charge for the seek and find routine?
Hi Steve,
New Hampshire does not require anything as far as licensing goes or a SOP. I have taken a certification course offered here by the Granite State Designers and Installers Association, which is the only septic training offered in NH.
New Hampshire septic inspections have increased due to a rule change back in April. NH Department of Environmental Services no longer allows septic systems to be repaired. Once a system is in failure a new system must be designed and approved by the state and in some cases the municipality. this can be very costly. Most systems on average cost app. 10K.
In my area approximately 60% of homes are on a septic and private well. I charge for septic inspections and that is why I received my evaluators license.
My septic inspection includes locating the tank, D-Box and identifying the field and size. Locating and opening the D-Box is crucial to the inspection. Many times the D-Box is damaged or if the field has backed up it will show as staining on the cover or in the laterals.
Just curious… How was InterNACHI’s online septic inspection course comparatively? Anything we could do better?
Peter,
How do you determine the length of your field lines, with witching or ?
Is it common in your area for inspectors to dig inspection holes or is that the added service you provide?
Ben, NACHIs course was very good and similar to what was taught here in NH.
Steve, Part of my fee includes a permit/approved design search which will indicated the filed size. Unfortunately most system are from a time period when record keeping was not that good. In these cases I go on experience and probing. I try to get an approximate size. What really matters is the condition of the components.
As far as digging goes, I’ll have to say that most inspectors do not go as far as I do. Most will uncover the tank and do a flow test and thats it. I find the most revealing part of the inspection is locating and uncovering the D-Box and digging at least two inspection holes in the field. I run a flow test as part of my inspection as well.
Peter,
I am State Certified in Missouri, and have been for a couple of years. I would like to check with out State Office to see about inspection holes. I check for permits as well, but alot are put in under the Radar. I use a couple of witches while testing the flow, but are not that accurate in many cases. Missouri requires us to determine the field and how many lines and draw a diagram of the plot.
Last Question: Do you get alot of negative feed back from the property owners on digging holes the yard?
I don’t usually have a problem. Most understand it’s part of the inspection process.
I also use a square shovel. I cut the grass and place each square and the dirt on a tarp. When done I put the pieces back so there is minimal disruption of the lawn.
Think you don’t need to inspect a new septic system? Here’s one from a three year old home.
What was installed was not what was designed. Only 7 laterals instead of 9.
Effluent filter missing from treatment tank.
Flow diverter missing from 1 lateral, resulting in this area of the EDA to be flooded.
Overall poor job on finish grade.
Here’s an interesting one.
Home was inspected for real estate transfer but the inspector missed the somewhat abandoned septic system. This is an old dry well that is currently servicing the backwash for the water treatment system.
Everything was in plain site.
Here is a good example of a 25 year old stone and pipe system. This system was rated as in good condition. Note that each inspection hole had clean sand and stone with no staining, indicating that this EDA has never backed up or flooded. Also noteworthy is the unrestricted flow in and out of the D-Box.
For more information please visit www.nhsepticinspection.com
Thanks Peter for the education. It’s been interesting reading through your inspections!
Your welcome, My intenet is to show all the different types of systems I see along with how they hold up.
Yes, good info…thanks.
Good info Pete, keep posting them. I’m learning. :)
Thanks for sharing such a useful article.Proper evaluation and planning of the components,and proper inspection will be really beneficial.
Another fine example of why it is so important that your septic inspection includes the homes plumbing system.
This homes plumbing drains for the bathroom sink and shower were plumbed directly into the ground instead of the main sewer line. Only 150 feet from a small lake.
Here’s pictures from a recent inspection. This system is made up of a plastic treatment tank, plastic D-Box and the EDA is a large diameter fabric based system build on a bed of sand. These systems have a history of pre-mature failure, usually due to the contractor not using the correct sand which in turn begins to saturate from day one. This system is 9 years old and failed.
Observation were:
Treatment tank was not pumped on a regular basis.
1 lateral leaving the D-Box was out of level causing more effluent to flow to this area of the EDA.
Possibility of incorrect sand used to build the system.
Staining and black septage was observed in the EDA inspection holes.
Standing effluent was present in each inspection hole.
Effluent rose above laterals in each inspection hole during the hydraulic load test, indicating failure.
My client, a young couple buying their first home, was able to negotiate with the sell for a new system. The rest of the home was in good condition.
One of the best threads on the board. Just good information. Wish they were all like this.
Keep it up!
When fabric wrapped laterals are used in Missouri, there is no sand around them, just soil. So what kind of sand should have been used?