When a home has a septic system to manage waste and sewage, you must pay attention to the system and have regular septic system inspections to ensure it is in good shape. The septic system may be old and knowing what shortcomings it may have, is critical to keeping it online and working the way it should.
Septic System Age
Most homes that use a septic system instead of being tied to the city sewer have used that alternative since they were built. The city sewer line may not have been available during the home's construction, so there is a potential that the septic system is as old as the home.
Some systems get replaced along the way, but if the system is in good shape and is working correctly, there is no reason to spend money on a new septic system. However, the only way to know the septic system's condition is to have routine septic system inspections focusing on the plumbing, the septic tank, and the drainfield.
If any part of the system is not working, it is often necessary to replace the septic system as one unit. The schedule you use for septic system inspections can vary with the age of the system, the inspection service you use, and how the system is functioning.
Preparing For Inspection
Preparing for septic system inspections is not too challenging, but some things need to happen. You will need to locate the cover for the septic tank and clear any soil or grass off to ensure it opens easily.
It is also essential to have a local septic pumping service come and pump the sludge out of the tank. The inspector needs to be able to see the walls and floor of the tank, and if it is still full of waste, they can not properly assess it. If the tank is excessively dirty, you may need to have the septic pumping service clean it as well.
Schedule Your Inspection
Try and schedule septic system inspections as close to the tank pumping as possible. If you go a week or more without the inspection after the pumping, the tank could fill with a significant amount of water and sewage, especially in homes with high water usage.
When the inspector arrives, they do not want to try and see the inside of the tanks through a layer of water and sewage. Scheduling the inspection and the pumping for the same day can help avoid that. Most septic pumping services can accommodate that and come early to pump the tank, and finish before the septic tank inspector arrives at your home.
Share7 December 2022
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