Septic good or bad (house, buy, maintenance)

[dadof2divas]

Well I am looking at a house that has a septic with it. So my question is how long does a septic last? Any drainage issues with it? I remember how it was having septic growing up and what a pain it was. Sometimes with a large rain it would not flush the toilets well. Any advice? The house is 34 years young!!

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by dadof2divas

Well I am looking at a house that has a septic with it. So my question is how long does a septic last? Any drainage issues with it? I remember how it was having septic growing up and what a pain it was. Sometimes with a large rain it would not flush the toilets well. Any advice? The house is 34 years young!!

Before you buy the house, hire a professional who really understands septic systems to look over the system from the house into the drainage area to make sure that its working.

At that time, meet with the guy to develop an understanding of what you need to do to keep the septic system maintained.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by dadof2divas

Well I am looking at a house that has a septic with it. So my question is how long does a septic last? Any drainage issues with it? I remember how it was having septic growing up and what a pain it was. Sometimes with a large rain it would not flush the toilets well. Any advice? The house is 34 years young!!

So much depends on how well the system was designed, installed, and maintained. A lot also depends on the soil in the area and how well it percolates (drains). If it has been working for 34 years it is probably pretty good, but I agree with jlawrence hire a professional to inspect it, advise you on the condition, and tell you what is required to maintain it. At todays labor costs having to dig up a septic system and replace it is an expensive proposition.

[kjbrill]

I have a friend who lives in Liberty Township and has a septic system. I don't believe he has ever had a problem with it, and it is also over 30 years old. But this is what I see. His house sits on about 2-1/2 acres of land fronting the road with a large setback. The home has a liberal drop-off on all four sides draining away from the house. These are undoubtedly where the leach beds are, nothing to impede them. The home sits on the top of a small hilltop. To the rear he has another additional 20 acres of land, all of which runs downhill. To me that is the ideal setup for a septic system and one which should operate forever.

To my knowledge the central component of the system is the septic tank, which periodically you will have to have pumped out to remove the solids which have collected in the bottom. If I am wrong in this assertation please correct me.

[Cleveland_Collector]

Septic is ok. If given the choice, sewers are better for several reasons. However, I wouldn't let that be a sole deciding factor as about 25-30% of homes still use them. And, yes, they do require periodic maintenance to remove solids/sediment that cannot be reduced by the bacteria within the system. But, a properly maintained system will last for decades. The last one I replaced was close to 70 years old. It was not modern by any stretch and it wound up collapsing (t'was made of block) and ruining the leach bed (the whole process probably took 10 years). A house built in the 80's probably has a primary tank made of PVC or some other plastic. A properly maintained system like that will last a long, long time. The key is to not allow the solids to clog the leach bed. If it does, you'll be digging it up (first hand experience).

[dadof2divas]

Thanks for the responses. I was wondering how it would be.