Homes with propane and septic (Houston, Austin: how much, houses, water heater)

[urnotfromaroundhereru]

Anyone here live in a home with propane and/or septic system?
Are there higher maintenance cost to these type homes?

Thanks,
PJ

[Trainwreck20]

You will almost definitely pay more per year for propane than piped natural gas. Not sure how large a difference, though, and it will depend on how much of your house is gas-fuels vs. electric as much as base cost per Btu. Personally, I dislike the idea of propane not for the cost but due to the fact that it can run out .

Septic probably will cost you a big bill every 5-10 years, depending on how close you are to the design capacity. If you are two people living in a 4/2.5 house on septic, it was probably designed for 5 and you will likely rarely if every need to spend maintenance cash on it.

Houses on septic are often (although not always, by any means) on wells, too.

[urnotfromaroundhereru]

I forgot about wells. If something goes wrong with any of the systems (propane, well, septic) it's obviously going to be my job to remedy it. I am looking at homes west and southwest of Austin and the further out ones in the country will have septic and propane. Just not sure how easy it is to keep up.

[FalconheadWest]

I have propane, but it's community propane. If something goes wrong, the propane company fixes it. It's not an individual tank per house. Most "master planned communities" in the W and SW area are community propane tanks, not individual ones. Yes, the cost is higher than gas but that's because it's not regulated by the state. There are people out there fighting for propane regulation.

Septic tanks need to be pumped every 4-7 years. That's a large range. It depends on the size and the kind, and how many people live there. Some septic tanks have an automatic "sprinkler" that rids everything. A pump is only about $300-400, so that's not much expense every few years. If it breaks, it's just like if a pipe bursts in your house, you get it fixed.

[thedogatemyhomework]

i have both septic and propane (a well too).

i know propane can be pricey, but it depends on what you actually have running on it. i have a small house which only uses the propane for heating. the air conditioning is electric so my propane costs are pretty small. i have a contract with Sharp and pay a set amount each month and they periodically check it to make sure i don't run out.

as for septic, i have yet to incur costs yet, but i know they are a possibility. from what i have heard, the maintenance costs of the newer aerobic ones are higher.

as with most things, you adjust and it really depends on how you use things and crucially, how big your house is.

the septic, propane, well thing is common to texas and as such people have ways of making them work so don't let it put you off.

[HappyTexan]

I lived with septic and propane for over 10 years.

Septic..you learn to conserve water early on (good thing IMHO). Since I was on heavy clay I got it pumped every 3 years. Had a gravity system (no electrical parts). The pumping cost about $250. (1000 gal tank). They would also give it an inspection and look over as well.

Propane..I prefer gas heat/cooking and didn't have any other choice besides electric.
On average the tank got filled with a good amount twice per year..end of summer and again end of winter (the heat used alot). Last year cost me approx $900 total with propane (2000 sq ft home..heat set at 68).

Hope this helps.

[TexasHorseLady]

We've lived with septic and propane for a little over 15 years.

With a septic system, depending on type, there's very little to worry about. They say get it pumped every three years - ours has been pumped twice (we're on Houston black - black gumbo clay) when I think, "Oops! It's been way more than three years!" Ours was most likely installed when the house was moved out here in 1970.

Our propane in the country has not been significantly more expensive than our natural gas was in Austin. We're not on community propane, though, have our own 200 gallon tank and are on a "keep full" program which means they come by about once a month and top it off if it needs it. When we weren't doing that, we'd usually have it filled once in September or October, then again perhaps in February or March, and in May have it topped off to last until September or October again. House is about 1600 sq. ft., but built in the early part of the last century, so not a ton of insulation. We use propane for heat, water heater, and cooking. Not being on community propane, we get to choose our own supplier, which means we can check prices and go with another one, our choice, if the one we're using gets too out of line with the others.

As far as practical, day to day, stuff, you wouldn't know the difference using it if you didn't now the difference. Except there are some things you won't want to put down a septic system - but they are usually things you really shouldn't be putting down your city sewer, either.

[Vector28]

I think your question has been pretty well answered with the exception of the septic leach field. I've heard they have lifespans of between 15 to 20 years for the conventional gravity systems. With respect to it, you're looking at replacement rather than maintenance and the hit there will be several thousand dollars. To that end it would be a good idea to learn how old your system is.

One of the things I would suggest you do is to find out who has serviced the property in the past (make your realtor earn their pay). Who has pumped the tank, filled and serviced the propane tank, and serviced the well if you end up with one? When these things stop working it won't be at your convenience and it can be a little comforting to talk to a tradesman who has been there before. Maybe you won't continue with these same people but for starters it beats sifting through the yellow pages and internet ads. FWIW, we live in a rural area and a lot of the best tradesman don't advertise in either one.

I suggest you attempt to do the same with electricians, plumbers, and HVAC folks too, for the same reason.

If you end up with a well, find out if you are in an area that requires registration, and if so, is it registered. We live in an area with a newly formed groundwater conservation district and many people have not complied with mandatory registration.

I have also heard that there are a few areas where a septic systems must be permitted and regularly inspected. You want to know if you are in one of them. I think they are mostly around lake properties.

All in all, even if you end up with all three - propane, septic, and well - it isn't a big deal. Meeting and getting to know the tradesman who service them will give you a better feel for what you should be doing and is a pretty good way of getting to know - and get known in - your new community too.
Best of luck.

[urnotfromaroundhereru]

Sounds like no big concerns. I remember living in Amarillo as a kid we had a well for our water.
Thanks for the replys PJ