Home Buyer's Detailed Guide to Septic Tank Failures InspectAPedia® -
Chapter 4 - What Goes Wrong With Septic Systems
Advice for buyers of a home with a septic system - what to do
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This chapter describes what goes wrong with septic tanks, drainfields, and other septic system components.
Septic backups, failures, breakouts, odors:
This document provides advice for home buyers who are buying a home with a private septic system:
homes using a septic tank and drainfield or similar soil absorption system.
Chapter 4 in this file outlines what goes wrong with septic systems and their various components.
Chapter 5-recommends and describes septic inspection
and test methods in more detail, explains how to be sure your septic inspection and septic test are conducted properly,
tells you where to get more septic system information about a given property,
and warns of unsanitary or dangerous site conditions.
4-WHAT GOES WRONG with septic systems, tanks, and leaching beds?
4-1 TANK FAILURES - Septic Tank Failures
Do not drive over the septic tank or septic piping.
Unless special provisions have been made such as protection of piping and septic tanks from damage, vehicle-rated septic tank covers, or similar steps, do not drive vehicles over the septic system.
Driving over septic tanks, septic piping, or drainfields risks costly damage to the septic system and may also be dangerous.
The bulldozer in our photo (left) was called to help remove a truck which drove over septic system components leading to a surprise collapse.
Home made or "site built" septic tanks, often using dry-stacked concrete blocks or even stone can collapse, a fatal hazard if someone falls in.
The septic tank shown in the photo at the top of this page had a concrete cover
but when the cover was removed we found that the tank
was under-sized, built of concrete blocks, and totally impacted with waste, as shown in this
open septic tank photo. The system was inadequate, not working, and required replacement.
A proper loading and dye test would probably have detected this failure since the new owners had effluent in their yard within 24 hours of moving into the home.
Home made septic tanks which are way too small, such as the 100-gallon home made septic tank shown in the upper left of this photo of a too-small septic tank will simply not be functional for normal use.
Steel septic tank baffles rust off, sending solids into the leach field, shortening its life. A steel tank baffle is visible in the lower left of
this photo.
Steel septic tanks rust out and collapse, often sending solids into the leach field and reducing its future life as well.
Tank covers themselves can also collapse, especially if made of steel as shown in the
same photo as mentioned above.
Other septic tank covers may be made of wood which eventually rots and collapses.
Collapsing septic tanks, steel, home made, or any type, are very dangerous. Falling into a tank is likely to be fatal.
Concrete septic tanks such as shown here are pretty durable but they can crack and leak or may have an unsafe cover.
The tank shown in this photo is being installed at a new home.
The distribution box has not been placed and is still
sitting atop the septic tank. This is a great time to measure and record the exact location of the septic tank and
its cleanout access covers.
Concrete tank baffles can deteriorate, crack, break, fall off. Baffles are checked when the septic
tank is opened for cleaning.
Fiberglass or plastic septic tanks such as shown here are also quite durable but may be cracked or damaged during
installation or if driven-over later.
Septic Tanks which are not pumped often enough can become filled with sludge and scum, becoming
totally impacted. Well before this condition is detected, such systems have sent solids into the leach field, shortening its life.
See "Septic Tank Pumping Frequency Guide for septic tanks: when, how, what to watch for when pumping or cleaning septic tanks"
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More Reading: (In order of increasing detailed explanation)
Diagnosing Clogged Drains: A First Step for Homeowners Don't Flush these things into a septic system
What Goes Wrong with Septic Systems? in the Home Buyer's Detailed Guide to Septic Systems - Buying a Home With a Septic Tank
SEPTIC FAILIURE CAUSES in our Online Septic Book - Details Address: How Does Each Septic System Component Fail? - What to Look For During a Septic Inspection - Step by Step Diagnosis
Sewer Line Replacement diagnosing a clogged drain leads to drain line replacement - step by step photo-illustrated guide to drain replacement
Original Source Credits
Portions of the original text were provided by the CT Department of Public Health and Addiction Services. Daniel Friedman (web author) has made
extensive edits and content additions to the original file.
Table of Required Septic Tank Sizes: Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow & How to Calculate the Size (in gallons) of a Septic Tank.
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The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems
Environmental Inspection, Testing, & Diagnosis On-Site IAQ, Gas, Air Testing, Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing removal of environmental and other hazards and prevention of their recurrence.