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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
SEPTIC SYSTEMS ONLINE BOOK
SEPTIC DYE TEST PROCEDURE
WHAT TO DO FIRST
OUTSIDE SEPTIC INSPECTION
  IMMEDIATE SEPTIC FAILURE EVIDENCE
  LOOK FOR SEPTIC COMPONENTS
  DIFFICULT SEPTIC SITES
  RECENT SEPTIC WORK
  SEPTIC SAFETY
STEP BY STEP SEPTIC TEST
  INSIDE SEPTIC TEST STEPS
  WATCH FOR INSIDE
  OUTSIDE SEPTIC TEST STEPS
  SEPTIC FAILURE SPOTS
  SPOTTING SEPTIC DYE BREAKOUTS
SEPTIC TEST VOLUMES & DYE AMOUNTS
  SEPTIC TEST WATER & DYE TABLE
  SEPTIC TEST FIXTURE FLOW RATE
  HOW TO SET THE SEPTIC TEST VOLUME
REPORTING SEPTIC TEST RESULTS
PUMP THE SEPTIC TANK
SEPTIC DYE TEST WARNINGS

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Unsafe septic tank  cover Recent Septic System Repairs May Give Key Information About Septic System Condition
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • How evidence of certain septic system repairs, excavation, or disturbance can give clues about the condition of a septic system
  • Why some septic "repairs" indicate a lurking problem or failure of the system
  • Where to look outside for evidence of septic failure, difficult sites, or clues indicating a septic problem
  • How to perform a septic loading & dye test, step by step
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/appointment.htm.

This document describes how visual evidence of septic repairs such as recent excavation or dirt piles can indicate a septic system failure

These pages are part of our SEPTIC DYE TEST PROCEDURE for testing septic system function. Technical review by industry experts has been performed and is ongoing - reviewers are listed at "References." Comments and suggestions for content are welcome.

Use of this information at other websites is prohibited; reproduction in electronic or printed form is prohibited.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

The observations described here can be performed regardless of whether or not a septic test is planned at a property.

How to Inspect for Evidence of Recent Work on a Septic System

Anyone buying a property or owning a property and needing to assess the condition of the septic system should first perform a simple visual inspection of the site, as we are discussing in these articles. Simply paying attention to a building site's shape, slope, size, and evidence of recent work are clues about septic system condition.

LARGER VIEW of
evidence of recent work on the septic system - abandoned pipes on the ground. Evidence of recent work:Is there evidence of recent pump-out such as a maintenance record, information from the property owner, or evidence of recent excavation that could mark an access to a septic tank?

In the photo shown here, discarded waste pipes left on the property surface were a strong indication of recent septic work.

 

LARGER VIEW of
evidence of recent work on the septic system - new dirt pile pushed into woods. In this photo of freshly piled soil, dirt had been pushed over septic system components located at the top of a steep slope, suggesting possible system operating problems which the contractor hoped to "correct" by burying a wet area.

If he/she had gotten off of the backhoe to walk into the woods and look at the far end of this new dirt pile, s/he'd have seen that the dirt push was inadequate even to disguise a problem much less fix it.

These measures are disappointing in their ineffectiveness and on occasion are suggestive of malfeasance too. The straw bales in the last photo were an ineffective prior attempt to ameliorate the effluent flow out of this system.

Unsafe septic tank  cover
The septic "pumper" or homeowner had tried to "fix" this collapsing septic tank access by piling up concrete blocks helter-skelter over the septic tank, covering these with a round concrete septic tank access cover. This was a very dangerous condition, risking septic tank collapse. The area was immediately roped-off and covered pending repairs.

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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
SEPTIC SYSTEMS ONLINE BOOK
SEPTIC DYE TEST PROCEDURE
HOW TO PERFORM A SEPTIC DYE TEST
WHAT TO DO BEFORE
OUTSIDE SEPTIC INSPECTION
  IMMEDIATE FAILURE EVIDENCE
  LOOK FOR COMPONENTS
  DIFFICULT SEPTIC SITES
  RECENT SEPTIC WORK
  SEPTIC SAFETY
STEP BY STEP SEPTIC TEST
  INSIDE SEPTIC TEST STEPS
  WATCH FOR INSIDE
  OUTSIDE SEPTIC TEST STEPS
  SEPTIC FAILURE SPOTS
  SPOTTING SEPTIC BREAKOUTS
SEPTIC TEST VOLUMES & DYE AMOUNTS
  SEPTIC TEST WATER & DYE TABLE
  SEPTIC TEST FIXTURE FLOW RATE
  HOW TO SET THE SEPTIC TEST VOLUME
REPORTING SEPTIC TEST RESULTS
PUMP THE SEPTIC TANK
SEPTIC DYE TEST WARNINGS

  • Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME

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10/23/2009 - 07/03/95. -- InspectAPedia.com/septic/Recent_Septic_Repairs.htm - © 2009 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark