InspectAPedia ®

Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair, & Problem Prevention Advice
InspectAPedia
Home
| Air
Conditioning
| Electrical | Indoor
Environment
| Exteriors | Heating | Home
Inspection
| Insulate
Ventilate
| Interiors | Mold
Inspect/Test
| Plumbing
Water
Septic
| Roofing | Structure | Contact Us
Directory of Professionals to Inspect or Test a Building


SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
SEPTIC INFO ARTICLES
  Info for Home Buyers or Owners
  Septic System Design
  Septic Inspection Testing
  Septic Maintenance Repair
HOME BUYERSGUIDE
  1-INTRODUCTION
  2-YOU NEED TO KNOW AND DO
  3-SEPTIC SYSTEM COMPONENTS
  4-WHAT GOES WRONG
  5-HOW TO INSPECT & TEST
    5-1. ASK ABOUT THE SYSTEM
    5-2. VISUAL INSPECTION
    5-3. LOADING & DYE TEST
    5-4. PUMP THE TANK
    5-5. ADDED INVESTIGATIONS
    5-6. ASK OUTSIDERS
  6-FINAL OVERVIEW
  SEPTIC FAILURE LAWSUIT
SEPTIC SYSTEMS ONLINE BOOK
SEPTIC PUMPING REPAIR
SEPTIC TREATMENTS
SEPTIC CONSULTANTS
SEPTIC AUTHORITIES
SEPTIC SYSTEM BOOKS REFS CODES
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN MANUAL - Online
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN ALTERNATIVES
List Your Service/Product

More Information

InspectAPedia® Home & Site Map
Air Conditioning & Heat Pumps
Bookstore
Electrical
Environment
Exteriors
Heating
Home Inspection
Insulate Ventilate
Interiors
Mold Inspect/Test
Plumbing Water Septic
Roofing
Structure
Accuracy & Privacy Policies
Contact Us



Septic pumping truck beginning a septic tank pumpout

When to Pump the Septic Tank When Buying a Home
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • Chapter 5-How to Inspect and Test Septic Systems for Home Buyers - Step 4 - Pump the Septic Tank
  • Step-4: When & how to pump the septic tank if you are buying a home
  • Details of How to Inspect & Test Septic Systems When Buying A Home
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 provides advice for home buyers who are buying a property with a private septic system, that is, a septic tank and a leach field or drainfield or similar soil absorption system. Chapter 5 in this file describes detail: questions to ask about the septic system, how to perform the visual septic inspection, ordering the loading and septic dye test (the too-obvious results of a dye test at a problem site are in the photo at left), pumping the septic tank, and finding additional information about the septic system.

We explain how to be sure your septic inspection and septic test are conducted properly. We tell you where to get more septic system information about a given property, and we warn of unsanitary or dangerous site conditions.

© 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.

5-4. PUMP THE SEPTIC TANK When & How to Pump the Septic Tank When Buying a Home

Photograph of our septic tank pumping contractor pumping a tank.

After performing the septic loading and dye test and obtaining whatever historical maintenance and repair information you can obtain from the prior owner, you may want a septic contractor to located, open, pump, and inspect the septic tank.

The decision to include this next and more invasive step depends on what you have already learned about the age, history, and probable condition of the system. The pumping decision should be advised by the visual inspection, site history, and loading/dye test results.

Warning: [Repeated from the Dye Test discussion] Do not pump the septic tank before the loading and dye test. Depending on its size an empty septic tank could require 2-3 days' worth of water to re-fill the tank. An empty tank means that the "loading water" run into the system during the dye test procedure is simply filling the tank rather than testing the ability of the drain field to absorb effluent.

Pumping a septic tank prior to purchasing a home may or may not be necessary, depending on the age and service history of the system and the results of the visual inspection and loading and dye test. For example, if a tank is less than two years old or was pumped in the last year, and if there are no other signs of septic problems at the site, we might defer the pumpout. In this case we would strongly recommend calling the pumper to ask about the condition of the system at the time they last cleaned it.

Photograph of our septic tank pumping contractor pumping a tank. But pumping the tank for diagnostic reasons can be helpful in any case. Important additional information, available when the tank is pumped, can tell you if it was past-due for pumping (risking damaging the drain fields) and if it is damaged.

You'll also know exactly where the tank is, if it's concrete, steel, fiberglass or home made, if it has been damaged, if the baffles are broken, if the tank has been flooded (indicating a blocked drainfield), and if the tank has a safe cover.

Even if there are no signs of trouble from the inspection and dye test, if nothing is known about the system history, or if it is known that the system has not been opened and pumped in 3 years or longer, this step is strongly advised. If the septic tank has been pumped quite recently, you should call the pumping contractor to ask if, at the time of pumping, the contractor observed any indications of system problems or upcoming system repairs.

This is a subchapter of "5-HOW TO INSPECT & TEST When, Where, Why, and How to Inspect and Test a Septic System - for Home Buyers, Step-by-Step" which can be found at 5-HOW TO INSPECT & TEST

Share this Article      

...

Technical Reviewers & References

  • Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia® Website
  • InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also include a list of recommended books for the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
  • Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website, and if you wish, to receive online listing and credit as a contributor. Particular thanks are due to the many experts and also consumers who read and critique technical articles at InspectAPedia.com.
  • Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.

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.

HOME BUYERSGUIDE
1-INTRODUCTION
2-YOU NEED TO KNOW AND DO
3-SEPTIC SYSTEM COMPONENTS
4-WHAT GOES WRONG
5-HOW TO INSPECT & TEST
  5-1. ASK ABOUT THE SYSTEM
  5-2. VISUAL INSPECTION
  5-3. LOADING & DYE TEST
    WHAT'S A DYE TEST?
    TEST LIMITATIONS
    FLOODING TESTS
    PROBE TESTS
  5-4. PUMP THE TANK
  5-5. ADDED INVESTIGATIONS
  5-6. ASK OUTSIDERS
  6-FINAL OVERVIEW
  SEPTIC FAILURE LAWSUIT

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

  • Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
  • ...
SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME

More Information

InspectAPedia® Home & Site Map
Air Conditioning & Heat Pumps
Bookstore
Electrical
Environment
Exteriors
Heating
Home Inspection
Insulate Ventilate
Interiors
Mold Inspect/Test
Plumbing Water Septic
Roofing
Structure
Accuracy & Privacy Policies
Contact Us

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

InspectAPedia.comInspectAPedia® Home & Site Map - Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair, & Problem Prevention Advice: In-depth research & advice on diagnosing, testing, correcting, & preventing building defects & indoor environmental hazards. Unbiased information, no conflicts of interest.
GO TO the MOLD and INDOOR ENVIRONMENT INFORMATION CENTER for in-depth advice on avoiding testing for or cleaning up mold and other indoor environmental hazards, odors, gases, contaminants
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
GO TO MOLD TEST KITS: This expert-recommended mold test kit is cheap and yet top performing *IF* you use a competent analysis laboratory!
Use this simple, economical mold test kit
by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab
GO TO IAQ/MOLD-TEST LAB SERVICES: Mold, Pollen, indoor air quality, field and laboratory services by an expert.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.
GO TO our PRE PURCHASE BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES: Authoritative information for home buyers and home owners is included with your inspection.
Building Inspection, Problem Diagnosis
, Forensic Investigation & Testing, Repair Consulting

CONTACT Daniel Friedman - Dan is a senior ASHI home inspector, nationally recognized expert on building inspection, building failures, and sick building investigation
Contact Daniel Friedman for website content suggestions or for fee-paid consulting

10/23/2009 - 09/04/1997 - InspectAPedia.com/septic/buyguide5-4.htm - © 2009 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark