Can someone give me the basic 411 on the differences between septic and sewer? (Jersey: buying a house, buying)

[kayrob]

Don't know much about that subject.

[irvm]

Originally Posted by kayrob

Don't know much about that subject.

I'm not sure it matters, you won't often have any choice, either the city/county provides sewer service - in which case the er.. crud runs down pipes to some treatment center somewhere, gets cleaned up and sent to the next town downstream where they pump it out, clean it up some more, and drink it.... or...

you have septic, the stuff goes into a large, buried concrete (usually) tank in your own yard, where it eventually breaks down by bacterial action, liquifies, and leaches into the soil via a network of pipes called a drain field. You may, depending upon usage, have to get that tank pumped out every 10-20 years, when it fills with material which won't break down.

Of course it costs money to have a septic system installed, but after that there's little upkeep. Sewer service usually is billed monthly, probably as part of your water bill.

Hope that helps.

[Britishintown]

Septic usually refers to a tank that holds all your waste and needs to emptied every so often where as a sewer is an underground pipe that carries the waste away to be re-processed or something.

[atlantagreg30127]

Septic: Something you can't flush old toys or plastic junk into.

Sewer: Something that snakes and rats crawl up into your home via your toilet from.

[kayrob]

Originally Posted by irvm

I'm not sure it matters, you won't often have any choice, either the city/county provides sewer service - in which case the er.. crud runs down pipes to some treatment center somewhere, gets cleaned up and sent to the next town downstream where they pump it out, clean it up some more, and drink it.... or...

you have septic, the stuff goes into a large, buried concrete (usually) tank in your own yard, where it eventually breaks down by bacterial action, liquifies, and leaches into the soil via a network of pipes called a drain field. You may, depending upon usage, have to get that tank pumped out every 10-20 years, when it fills with material which won't break down.

Of course it costs money to have a septic system installed, but after that there's little upkeep. Sewer service usually is billed monthly, probably as part of your water bill.

Hope that helps.

Thnanks a lot. Appreciate it. I guess I pretty much knew about sewer systems because that's what I grew up with in New Jersey. It the septic thing that I'm not too up on. So if we were to buy a home with septic there's a chance we might not have to do anything unless it's due for a pumping. Also the home we're looking to buy soon will be a first one and we probably won't be staying in it for more than a few years.

[irvm]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Septic: Something you can't flush old toys or plastic junk into.

Sewer: Something that snakes and rats crawl up into your home via your toilet from.

Ha! That's right.

There are a couple of serious considerations, as well, if you're buying land or planning to build:

Septic requires a certain amount of land area, and tests to assure that the soil is 'right' for handling the waste. That means the minimum size lot can be measured in acres, usually. Sewer service usually means you can build on a smaller lot, often measured in feet.

[irvm]

Originally Posted by kayrob

So if we were to buy a home with septic there's a chance we might not have to do anything unless it's due for a pumping. Also the home we're looking to buy soon will be a first one and we probably won't be staying in it for more than a few years.

If there are problems, you can often detect them yourself - look for soggy areas where the grass looks unnaturally healthy - or a smell. The absolute worse thing that can happen is for the drain field to become clogged. BIG money to fix. If there's any doubt in your mind, get the tank pumped and inspected - it is not expensive. If you're in a small town/rural area, you can go look at the permit, find out who installed the system, and ask around about their reputation.

[kayrob]

Originally Posted by irvm

If there are problems, you can often detect them yourself - look for soggy areas where the grass looks unnaturally healthy - or a smell. The absolute worse thing that can happen is for the drain field to become clogged. BIG money to fix. If there's any doubt in your mind, get the tank pumped and inspected - it is not expensive. If you're in a small town/rural area, you can go look at the permit, find out who installed the system, and ask around about their reputation.

Thanks again IrvM. Could you have this checked out as part of your home inspection or would that have to be done by someone who hire separetely?

[irvm]

Originally Posted by kayrob

Thanks again IrvM. Could you have this checked out as part of your home inspection or would that have to be done by someone who hire separetely?

The inspectors I have seen don't pay much attention to things outside the house.
If you see anything to make you suspicious (don't forget to visit the john and flush a few times then I'd hire a service. Septic problems are pretty rare. Still, there's always the possibility of a botched installation or damage (such as from a cement truck driving over the pipes).

Don't let this be your biggest concern.

[NorthmeetsSouth]

I, like you, moved here from the north and had no prior knowledge of Septic systems. Fear of the unknown! But now that I have had several houses with septic systems I can tell you that they are no problem. I only had one house that I would have to get it pumped out every four years or so and that was because my tenant was putting things down the drain that he shouldn't have... like bacon grease.
Home Depot has this chemical stuff that you can flush down the toilet every month and it keeps the bacteria levels up so that all of the waste gets "processed".
You will find that septic tanks are pretty common down here. Don't let that stop you from buying a house that you like.