When buying property, there are a few very important systems that you need to have checked that the average suburban or city home owner will never need to deal with. Specifically the water coming in to your house, aka the well system, and the water going out of your house, aka the septic system. These two systems are very expensive to both install and repair, so make sure you get a qualified professional to check over these systems very thoroughly.
In our case, we had our well flow tested, inspected and water quality tested. Luckily, only minor issues with the well existed, other than the fact that the water is high in acidity. This is not something you can taste and is pretty easily fixable with a water treatment correction system that costs between $1500 and $2000. The issue with highly acidic water is that it will eat away at any metal plumbing in your home. This is something that can be found throughout our old house, at the leaky laundry shut offs to the rusted out tub to shower diverter in the clawfoot tub. This acidity issue is on our list to fix, but a lower priority for now.
The septic system was inspected by a highly qualified, and in my opinion totally underpaid for the job they do, septic technician. The previous home owner had unearthed the access to the septic inspection lid. After being there all of about 5 minutes the technician said he wasn’t even going to bother inspecting anything, that the old, probably original to the house (which was built in 1926), rusted out metal septic tank had to be replaced with a new, up to code, concrete tank.
Luckily for all involved, we negotiated to split the cost of the new septic tank with the seller, which for removal, installation of a new tank, hooking up to existing lines and dealing with permits and the county came to a total of about $5000. In our minds, adding $2500 to the cost of the house to ensure we had a brand new, fully functional septic system wasn’t something we had to think twice about. Generally speaking, the seller would typically be asked to foot the entire cost of replacing a major system like that during a house sale, but we were so far along in the buying/selling process that it just didn’t make sense to have that be any kind of deal breaker.
We were also lucky to find out that what are called leach lines, the tubing that comes off the back of the septic tank that helps distribute the waste water into the drain field, were all in good shape according to the county. This could’ve been another big expense if they would’ve had to dig them all up and replace them with something new.
Instead of wondering when an older existing tank will fail, we can rest easy knowing that we have a tank that we should get many years of service out of as long as we keep it inspected and pumped regularly. Speaking of maintenance, we have a monthly routine of adding enzymes and bacteria to our septic tank once a month. The product we use is highly rated and is the Zep Septic Tank Treatment or this alternative Septic Tank Treatment. These bacteria packs dissolve in your toilet and then you simply flush them down and into the septic tank. They help to break down “solids” like toilet paper, grease and oils and other things that don’t naturally break down easily. Things that don’t break down in your septic end up backing it up and forcing you to have your tank pumped more often. Some people report while using these bacteria packets that they’ve never had to have their tanks pumped out, which would be awesome!
All in all, I feel like we got off pretty easy in the end. I think having a new septic tank and not having to worry about it was well worth the stress and worry of wondering if it would get installed before we moved in. I highly recommend having your potential (or even current) septic tank thoroughly inspected by a professional.
I’d love to hear about your septic issues you’ve had, or any products or tips you’ve found that help keep the whole system running smoothly. Drop me a comment below and let’s chat. Maybe we can help someone new to the world of septic systems in the process. I know I knew absolutely nothing about them before starting this adventure!
Enjoy some pictures of our septic tank going in.
WildFir Farm 