If you live in Massachusetts and you plan to sell or remodel your home in the near future, you'll need to schedule a Title 5 septic inspection before you can proceed with your plans. A failed Title 5 inspection can cause serious problems, which is why you need to take the proper steps to ensure a passing grade. If you've never dealt with a Title 5 septic inspection, you may not know what you need to do to prepare your system. Unfortunately, that lack of knowledge can spell disaster for your inspection. Here are four tips that will help you prepare for inspection.
Switch to Septic-Friendly Cleansers
During your Title 5 inspection, the inspector will be looking for any signs of problems inside your septic tank. One particular problem they'll be looking for is the use of harsh chemicals. Harsh chemicals such as bleach can cause serious damage to your septic tank and can interfere with the growth of beneficial bacteria. To make sure that your inspection isn't derailed by the presence of harsh chemicals, discontinue their use. For several weeks prior to inspection, use only septic-friendly cleaning products and watch what you send through to your septic tank.
Conserve Water
If you tend to use a lot of water in your home, be sure to cut back in the days and weeks leading up to your inspection. Excess water in the tank can make it difficult for your inspector to see inside your tank, which can lead to a failed inspection. If you have any leaky pipes in your home, you'll need to have those repaired as well. Leaky pipes can add to the water levels inside your septic tank. Also, if there's a big rainstorm in the forecast prior to your Title 5 septic inspection, go outside and make sure that all your clean-out drains are properly capped.
Toss Your Food Waste in the Trash
Now that you've scheduled a Title 5 septic inspection, give your garbage disposal a break. Excess food waste can undermine your septic inspection, especially if it hasn't had time to decompose before the big day. To reduce the amount of food waste that your septic inspector encounters, stop using your garbage disposal for several days prior to your inspection. Once you've had the inspection, you can go back to using your garbage disposal.
Schedule a Service Call
Finally, if you're concerned about the condition of your septic system, and it's been a while since you had the tank pumped, schedule a service call before your Title 5 inspection. Scheduling a service call will provide your inspector with a clean septic system to inspect, which will help ensure a passing grade.
Share18 January 2020
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