Buyers Information
If you are thinking about buying a new house this is the information you need to read about septic systems.
As a buyer, where might you run into a problem even after a satisfactory septic inspection? All septic systems have a limited capacity to handle waste. Problems with septic systems that show no defects during an inspection most often occur when an increased load is put on a septic system by the new owner. For instance, an older person may occupy a large home for many years with no septic problems. A family of three or four may purchase the home and use three or four times the amount of water. The septic system may not be able to handle this increased load and subsequent failure of the system occurs.
The age of the system should also be considered. If the system has been in use for 20 years or more without major renovations, such renovations should be anticipated. Questions you might consider: Is public sewer available if I need to connect to it? Do I have sufficient, suitable land to put a replacement system if it is needed? Can you have a more thorough inspection beyond the standard non-invasive inspection? Yes, for an additional fee and with the permission of the property owner, we can do a video inspection. A state-of-the-art fiber-optic video camera is used to inspect the septic system and leach field piping. The camera can travel up to 200 feet of piping as small as 2 inches in diameter. A full video tape of the inspection can be provided. Contact us in regard to the fees involved.
Owning your own septic system has advantages and disadvantages. Public systems, of course, have fees associated with their use; private systems avoid these fees but are not without operating cost. When a public system needs renovation, the cost often is divided among a large number of people. When a private system fails, it's usually the owner's problem alone.
If you are buying or selling a home, a septic inspection is a good investment. While a favorable inspection does not guarantee that you will not have trouble with the septic system, it can often detect defects that would go unnoticed to the untrained eye. It could save the buyer a major expense.
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