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SPOTTING SEPTIC EFFLUENT BREAKOUTS - Spotting Septic Dye Breakout Outside - Where Septic Dye is Likely to Show Up During a Septic Dye Test InspectAPedia®  -     Where to look for septic field failure, where to watch for the septic dye Where to look for septic effluent as evidence of septic drainfield or septic piping blockage

This document page describes where you will be most likely to find septic dye outside when conducting a septic loading and dye test - if the system is failing, here's where you're likely to see the dyed effluent appearing. A visual inspection of these locations before and after a septic dye test is performed can give key information about the condition of the septic system.

You should look everywhere on and around a site being tested but here are the most-likely locations of dyed effluent or un-dyed effluent appearance at a property with a failing septic system.

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 links 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.

SPOTTING SEPTIC DYE TEST BREAKOUTS - Where Will You Most Probably Find Dyed Septic Effluent Outside

A septic effluent "breakout" is the visible movement of septic effluent to the surface of a property. Effluent may appear as an area of wet soil or as an actual puddle of liquid on the ground surface. It may also appear as dyed effluent flowing into a stream, lake, or other waterway. Septic effluent appearing on the surface of a property or in nearby ponds or streams, is incontrovertible evidence of a failure in the septic system. Breakouts of septic effluent may occur during normal system usage when the absorption bed has failed, when the system has been overloaded, or during a septic loading and dye test.

Dyed Septic effluent breaking to the surface may be pale red or green depending on the dye color used. Whether a septic loading and dye test is performed with or without tracer dye, effluent may appear under various circumstances. For example, if the septic system has been pre-loaded with bleach, septic dye may not appear in the effluent.

This occurs if someone has shocked the well or perhaps attempted to sabotage a septic test. It would also occur if the inspector attempted to use septic dye on a septic treatment system which injects chlorine into discharged effluent.

Before a system is tested using a loading and dye procedure, the inspector should attempt to determine the type of septic system installed. In very dilute conditions septic dye can also be detected using a "black light" (UV) if you inspect in dark or low light conditions and use a portable light source. (I have never seen anyone take this step.

Look for Effluent or Dyed Effluent Breakout before, during, and after the septic loading and dye test. In the photo shown here, green septic dye is quite visible in this wet area among leaves.

This photo shows red septic dye appearing in a worn area of a grassy yard. More dramatic red dye appearance was shown in the

HREF="http://InspectAPedia.com/septic/Plmg020DF.jpg">basement walkout septic dye photo at the top of this page.

If there is snow cover, walk a test grid pattern around the inspection area, scuffing to the ground surface. If there is dyed effluent breakout your scuffing in the snow will kick up green or red snow from the underside of the snow layer. If there is frozen snow cover and the ground surface is not accessible the loading and dye test effectiveness is reduced but not eliminated. We have produced wet areas, sags in snow cover, and even stained snow and ice with this procedure. Here is another photo of septic dye showing up in snow-cover at a property, demonstrating that dye breakout and septic failure can often be demonstrated even in winter weather.

Non-dyed effluent may also appear during a septic loading and dye test so be alert for any increase in the size of previously-found wet areas or for the production of new wet areas or puddles or odors. Non-dyed septic effluent may appear due to dilution, to the presence of bleach in the system, or by extended soil filtration combined with dilution of pre-existing water in the leaching area.

Any probing of wet or suspect areas should be performed carefully to avoid any charge of damaging piping. Probing can be useful in a suspect area, but since the exact location, depth, design of buried components is unknown, this is not a reliable comprehensive inspection method. Avoid using heavy steel wrecking bars or similar probing tools which can damage septic tank top or other components.

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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 FIRST
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.

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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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