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My first house was on public utilities, but our next one will probably be on well and septic due to our new location (majority of homes here seem to be on well/septic unless you're in a subdivision, and HOAs can take a long walk off a short cliff after my last experience).
Should I expect to get a survey with the location of the septic field? The house is in the middle of an acre, so there's plenty of open space where I could possibly stick a shed or other structure.
What else should I know/research if I'm going to own a home on well/septic?
Yes you should know the location of the septic tank and drain field. I have septic but I'm lucky to have city water. I know from experience when I stayed at my cousins house after a hurricane that if the power goes out your pump wont work so you won't have water. It's my understanding that you need some good whole house filtration system for it too. As far as septic you need to make sure not to use bleach or ammonia that will go down the drain nor oil. Some use ridex I find it's mostly a self functioning system as long as you don't put anything in you shouldn't but normal toilet paper should be fine. I have a neighbor that drains his about once a year and there are 4 adults living there, but I have not had to and you don't need to do it but maybe once every three years.
Should I expect to get a survey with the location of the septic field? The house is in the middle of an acre, so there's plenty of open space where I could possibly stick a shed or other structure.
I don't see our septic field on our survey. I see the well head but nothing for the septic. When we purchased our home, however, the previous owners had a folder with all the septic location info. You should be able to go to the city/county (whoever issues the building permits in your area) and they should have a record of where the field lies. Ours is directly in front of our master bathroom at the front of our house and that seems to be pretty consistent with other homes we see still being built in SWFL. I'm guessing that in your situation, the septic field is probably located relatively close to the home itself. There may be some kind of raised cap and/or piping coming out of the ground from where the pumping would occur.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rayjustray
What else should I know/research if I'm going to own a home on well/septic?
How frequently your septic tank needs to be pumped is based on your usage. The more people you have in the home, the more frequently it would need to be pumped. If you use a garbage disposal, that will also increase the frequency in needing your tank to be emptied. Most times they don't like you to use a garbage disposal at all but rather than go without we decided to put in a newer garbage disposal that chopped things more finely and refrain from putting anything of substance in there, just to be safe.
As LifeIsGood pointed out, bleach is the enemy with septic tanks. Before you use any product in your sinks/toilets/drains, just make sure that the product is safe for septic systems.
It won't be on a typical survey. In my area the county health department approves septic systems. One has to submit a drawing of location before a permit is issued. I don't know how long they keep them on file. It might be an option.
Another option is to look around. Typically there is some sort of tank cover (or whatever it's called) for clean out purposes.
Inspectors can also help locate the tank and the likely location of the field. I recall one inspection I attended. The inspector used some sort of dye to test the system. Now maybe it was because there was a problem, but the dye showed us where parts of the field were located.
Yeah you need a special septic inspector with special equipment to find it, maybe some kind of radar that can see underground. It's not part of your land survey.
As LifeIsGood pointed out, bleach is the enemy with septic tanks. Before you use any product in your sinks/toilets/drains, just make sure that the product is safe for septic systems.
I'm on a well & septic and use bleach to clean the toilet and sometimes in the laundry (maybe once a month). As long as you don't get crazy with the chlorine, you will be OK.
In the ten years I've had the system, it's only had to be pumped once, and that was when I had to have the pump repaired. If you have a lot of people using the septic you will need to pump it more frequently.
OP, I'm assuming you've asked for a well inspection and a septic inspection prior to agreeing to the contract. You should ask the well inspector to check the flow rate and have the water tested for potability. You can ask the septic inspector to point out the location of the tank (usually obvious from the ports in the lawn) and the leach field (less obvious) and also tell you the age of the system. You should have the system pumped before you move in, just to get a clean start.
My first house was on public utilities, but our next one will probably be on well and septic due to our new location (majority of homes here seem to be on well/septic unless you're in a subdivision, and HOAs can take a long walk off a short cliff after my last experience).
Should I expect to get a survey with the location of the septic field? The house is in the middle of an acre, so there's plenty of open space where I could possibly stick a shed or other structure.
What else should I know/research if I'm going to own a home on well/septic?
A surveyor will not know where the drain field is, but the county might, and septic designs and "as-builts" may be on file and may even be online and public if it's a reasonably modern system. As you get serious about places, look up what the county knows about the property, they may have copies of permits and other records that are interesting.
If they don't have as-builts on file, just look at the lawn during the driest period of the year. The location of the drain field may come to you.
In this area, septic pumping and inspection is a part of the transaction process, and buyer has a right to go and see the septic pumping. I would encourage you to go to that, and talk to the technician about the system. They will be able to tell you a lot about it.
My first house was on public utilities, but our next one will probably be on well and septic due to our new location (majority of homes here seem to be on well/septic unless you're in a subdivision, and HOAs can take a long walk off a short cliff after my last experience).
Should I expect to get a survey with the location of the septic field? The house is in the middle of an acre, so there's plenty of open space where I could possibly stick a shed or other structure.
What else should I know/research if I'm going to own a home on well/septic?
How old it is. With my home the septic tank was original (50+ Years old) so I had a separate inspection of it done. If it is old you may want to do a leak test to make sure its not failing.
In many locations, you can pull the septic permits online to see what you're dealing with and where the tank and leach field is.
With many newer tanks, there are above ground risers mandated to make pumping easier, so therefore its a dead giveaway where the tank is.
If you can't find the original plan that said where the leach field is, you can look at the yard and "see," especially if its been dry lately. The grass grows greener over the septic field because its always being watered.
With a well you want to get an idea of the GPM its producing. To give you an idea of a minimum standard, the FHA requires a 3GPM minimum to lend on an existing house and a 5 GPM for new builds.
All you need to know is take care of the drain field. Replacing a drain field can be very expensive. The tank is there to catch solids before they go into the drainfield. Many solids can be digested by bacteria, like cellulose. The cellulose in toilet paper dissolves, but the lignin does not. Years ago the dyed toilet paper was a problem for septic systems. I don't know if it's even on the market any more. I live in a rural area, and all of the toilet paper on the shelves nowadays is white. Many vegetables have a high silica content that does not digest, AKA "insoluble fiber," so if you are vegetarian have your tank pumped a little more often.
Oils do not digest, and will form a scum on top of the septage. If it gets so thick it slips under the baffles, you can ruin your drainfield. Scrape oils and grease and put them in the trash, don't pour them down the drain.
The less water you run through the system the better, because it gives solids time to settle. Water conserving appliances and fixtures are a great idea on a septic system.
Laundry quantities of bleach are not a problem, but don't pour a gallon down the drain.
Your lender will require the septic system to be pumped and inspected before they turn loose of any money. You want that inspection too. read it carefully. They will inspect the tank and baffles. You want a modern 1000 gallon tank with PVC baffles. If it's an old steel tank, it needs to be replaced. Concrete or plastic tanks are OK. I replaced my old rusting steel tank with a 1500 gallon 2-chamber concrete tank. It cost about $2500. It has 1000 gallon primary and 500 gallon secondary settling chambers, so the chance of solids getting into the drainfield is pretty slim.
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