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Indoor Steps to Take During a Septic Loading & Dye Test InspectAPedia®  -

• How to perform a septic loading & dye test, step by step
• What to do before, during, and after the test
• How much septic dye to use
• How to report septic test results
• Septic Test warnings and pitfalls

This chapter provides details of the Septic Loading and Dye Test procedure for testing the function of septic systems, focused on condition of the effluent disposal section, also known as a leach field, seepage pits, drainfield or drainage field. Septic System Loading and Dye Tests often requested by certain lenders, involve flushing a special dye down a toilet or other drain combined with a known quantity of water sufficient to put a working load on the absorption system. If waste water leaks to the ground surface (an unsanitary condition indicating serious septic failure) one may find dye in that water provided the septic system is flowing at common rates.

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HOW TO PERFORM a SEPTIC DYE TEST - How to Properly Conduct a Septic Loading and Dye Test

Septic dye tests involve flushing a special florescent dye down a toilet or other drain. The dye itself does not make anything happen. It is simply a colored indicator that can identify water found outside as having come from the fixture where the dye was introduced.

It's the volume of water introduced into the system that forms the actual "test". If waste water is coming to the surface (an unsanitary condition indicating serious septic failure) one may see dye in that water, provided the septic system is flowing at common rates.

When suspect wet areas are observed, if the system has no maintenance history, if the area is known to have problem soils, or if other historic or site conditions raise question about the condition of the system we recommend that the inspector perform a dye test.

STEP BY STEP SEPTIC TEST GUIDE - Septic Loading & Dye Test Procedure

INSIDE STEPS - What to DO Inside the Building During a Septic Test

• Locate and inspect key inside septic system components:
• Location of the main house waste line exit point and cleanout.
• Location of any other drain lines leaving the building, possibly suggesting more than one septic tank or drywell
• Location, type, number of plumbing fixtures. Are there fixtures that are unlikely to be draining into the septic system because of their distance or elevation?
• Location and types of septic system pumps and alarms
• Report components that appear to be installed but which were not readily accessible for inspection.
  
  
• Run bathtub or sink water (cold faucet only) or similar fixture closest to where dye will be introduced (typically at a toilet in the next step).
  
  
• Confirm water flow into septic: Inspect DWV lines, particularly in the basement or crawl space, to assure that the water being run is entering the septic system (as opposed to sinks and tubs being routed to a drywell while the toilet (and dye source) is routed to a septic system. Check that the drains are in fact connected and not spilling into the building. (E.g. where traps were removed for winterizing.) Confirm that water flow from fixtures being run is going into the septic system or document that such confirmation was not possible. Often by running a test fixture the inspector can find and listen to the main waste line, confirming that the fixture is flowing into that drain. An access port at a septic tank may also permit this verification.
  
  
• Flush the toilet with clean water where dye will (later) be introduced, assure it flushes normally so that you won't spill dye from an overflowing toilet into the building. Do not put dye into a toilet or other fixture before you have confirmed that the fixture will drain rather than backup and overflow into the building!
  
  
• Introduce dye into the toilet.(MUST use enough dye to stain no less than the volume of the septic tank.
  
  Typically this is 10 pellets or more and 2-3 tablespoons of dye. See the specs on the dye you buy, see SEPTIC TEST VOLUMES & DYE AMOUNTS to determine how much septic dye powder or how many septic dye tablets to use, and what color septic dye to use.
  
  Some tablets are so weak you'd need 200 to stain the effluent in the septic tank!
  
  Also see SEPTIC DYE TEST WARNINGS.
  
  
  
• Record start time and estimated flow or measured GPM. Record all other pertinent descriptive factors as listed below.
  
  
• Run additional plumbing fixtures to obtain your total flow in GPM into the system and document which fixtures were run and the total GPM estimated or measured flow rate. Note that if the building is served by a private pump and well, the flow rate is not constant. The flow rate will vary as the pump on-off pressure cycle varies.
  
  
• Occupancy/Usage recording: note occupancy or time since last occupancy; note number of occupants, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms. Observe and record separate handling of gray water and assure it's being discharged to an approved location (not surface nor storm drains) if it's not flowing into the septic system.

  If the system has been recently pumped, or if a cesspool is installed, this test may be invalid: it may not be possible to run enough water during the test period to fill an empty or partly empty tank or cesspool.

A septic loading and dye test will by no means find every septic failure, but this methods finds many failures that otherwise are unnoticed by a home buyer until shortly after moving-in. Septic loading and dye tests are complimentary to and should precede any further inspection steps taken such as pumping the septic tank.

Dyed effluent usually appears in 20-30 minutes on a failed system but can take up to five days to show up. If at a building inspection suspect wet areas are observed I recommend a dye test even if one was not previously requested. When wet areas are not found (or created by running water into the septic system) on the property being inspected, dye tests may still be performed to meet requirements of some lenders.

Although this test can often find a costly failure it does not find all possible problems. So by itself a dye test is not indicative of complete condition of the system. On the other hand, I've found so many failed systems with this procedure that it's well worth performing.

Also see The Septic Information Website - and see Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance online book on inspecting and maintaining septic systems, of which the document is a chapter. Technical review by industry experts has been performed and is ongoing - reviewers are listed at "References." Comments and suggestions for content are welcome.

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

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.

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Return to the septic system textbook: Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems
• The Septic Information Website
  
  
• Safety Warnings to Septic System Inspectors
• Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - Water Test Cheating Warnings for Home Buyers and Home Inspectors.
• Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
• Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow calculating septic tank volume and septic tank size required
• How Big Should the Leach Field Be? - table of soil percolation rate vs. field size
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Material Safety Data Sheet MSDS for Red Septic Dye from Tramfloc.
• MSDS for Septic Dye Tablets from Tramfloc.
• MSDS for Septic Dye Liquid from Tramfloc.
• Septic Dye Technical Data Bulletin from Tramfloc.
• Tramfloc, Inc. source of septic system testing tracer dyes
• Bright Dyes Inc. source of septic system testing tracer dyes
• Pollard Water source of septic system testing tracer dyes

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