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Septic Tank Condition - How to Inspect Septic Tank Baffles InspectAPedia®  -     Inspection & Repair Guide to lost, rusted, or damaged septic tank baffles Causes of septic tank baffle damage Effects of septic tank baffle damage on the septic drainfield life Flooded septic tanks - how to detect leaks into the septic tank by examining the septic tank baffles How to detect a lost or damaged septic tank baffle - when to add a septic tank tee

This document describes how to inspect the condition of septic tank baffles at the septic tank inlet baffle and septic tank outlet baffle ports. Our page top photo shows a typical concrete septic tank baffle at the inlet pipe. Steel septic tanks have a similar barrier installed.

Septic tank baffles are a key component of septic tanks which prevent damage to the drainfield by reducing effluent agitation as sewage enters the septic tank, and by preventing solids from flowing out of the tank to the drainfield. If the septic tank baffles are damaged, missing, or were never provided in the first place, the life of the drain field or leach field will be seriously shortened. Inspecting concrete septic tanks is a key component in onsite wastewater disposal systems. See SEWAGE LEVELS in SEPTIC TANKS for details on normal and abnormal levels and what they mean.

If your septic tank baffles are damaged and need repair or replacement, see SEPTIC TANK TEES how to install septic tank tees when tank baffles are damaged or missing. It's an easy repair. We also recommend septic tank outlet filters installed at the tank outlet tee to extend the drainfield life. See Using Septic Filters.

This is a chapter of Septic Systems Inspection, Testing our online book about septic system inspection procedures, defects in onsite waste disposal systems, septic tank problems, septic drainfield problems, checklists of system components and things to ask. Readers of this page who discover that their septic tank baffles need repair should see Septic Tank Inlet and Outlet Tee Installation Details.

© 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 show where you are in our document & website.

SEPTIC TANK BAFFLES - Inspecting the Condition of Septic Tank Baffles

If at the septic tank outlet the baffles are damaged or missing, or if no replacement "tee" has been installed, you can be sure that sewage has been pushed into the drainfield or absorption system, reducing its future life by speeding soil clogging there.

How to Find & Repair Lost or Rusted Septic Tank Baffles

If septic tank baffles are lost or damaged (rusted off on a steel tank or broken off on a concrete tank), they can be repaired or replaced. For example at a steel tank the contractor may simply insert a plastic piping "Tee" into the tank inlet or outlet to create a new baffle system.

Baffles in a septic tank are provided to keep solids and floating scum and grease inside the tank. Baffles are provided at both the inlet to the tank (from the building) and the outlet from the tank (to the absorption system). The steel septic tank shown above at left has a baffle that is rusted away at its top. On pumping this old steel septic tank one expects to see the baffle bottom has rusted off too. The home made septic tank shown above at right had no inlet baffle and a broken outlet baffle, factors in the rapid destruction of the leach field for this septic system.

Broken septic tank baffles or high sludge levels can cause solids to flow out of the tank and into the absorption system. The result is reduced absorption into surrounding soil and eventual failure of the system. Floating scum thickness and settled solids thickness can be measured through access ports into the tank or cesspool.

Our photo (left) shows an old steel septic tank with the baffle at the right side of the photo. Just touching the baffle with a tool showed us that it was rusted and collapsing. This septic tank was pumped out, filled-in, and abandned. But had the owners intended to use it they'd have needed to excavate the tank to install a baffle. That procedure is described in detail at SEPTIC TANK TEES.

Finding solids at or covering the outlets or damaged baffles should result in report of a very questionable adsorption system and possible major repair cost.

Depending on how long the tank was used without good baffles, the volume of solids and grease that moved from the tank to the absorption system will have begun clogging soils there and will have reduced the future life expectancy of the absorption system.

Baffle damage and repair, or even a complete tank replacement when the absorption system has been left alone always lead the author to warn the building owner that the future life of the absorption system may be in doubt and that additional expense will be involved.

As we mentioned above, see SEPTIC TANK TEES for instructions on how to install septic tank tees when septic tank baffles are damaged or missing.

Concrete Septic Tank Baffle Inspection

Inspect for Damaged Septic Tank Baffles at Inlet & Outlet: The condition of the septic tank baffles tells you what has been happening in the septic system. Our photo at left, compliments of architect Jerry Waters, shows a badly deteriorated concrete septic tank baffle. Details of the septic tank baffle repair, involving installing a PVC tee in this septic tank, are shown at SEPTIC TANK TEES. Concrete septic tank baffles may erode from chemicals, detergents, poor concrete mix, water flowing over top of baffles, or may be broken by improper pumping procedures. Look for evidence that the floating scum layer is over or has ever been over the tank baffles - an indication of system failure that needs further investigation.

Inspecting for Septic Tank Baffle Overflow

Flooded Septic Tanks due to Leaks Into the Septic Tank

You cannot see the entire condition of the septic tank baffle before the tank is pumped, but inspect the baffle tops for evidence of corrosion, damage, total absence, or of sewage flowing over the baffle top (an indication of excessive in-tank sewage levels). Photos of the septic tank baffles in a concrete tank, as seen from inside the septic tank are provided at "Septic Tank Pumping Procedure" for which we provide a link at "More Reading" below.

The sewage level inside a septic tank should always be several inches below the baffle top but within a right at at or just below the bottom of the tank inlet pipe. If sewage level is low inside a septic tank which is in use, it is almost certain that the tank has been damaged and is leaking into surrounding soil.

Septic tank maximum scum and sludge buildup prior to pump out, and instructions for measuring the floating scum layer thickness and settled sludge layer thickness in a septic tank are available at SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE. Also see MEASURE SCUM & SLUDGE for details of how we make these measurements.

Readers who discover that their septic tank baffles need repair should see SEPTIC TANK TEES: "Septic Tank Inlet and Outlet Tee Installation Details".

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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.

INSPECTING SEPTIC TANKS
  SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION CHECLIST
  STEEL SEPTIC TANKS
  CONCRETE SEPTIC TANKS
  FIBERGLASS / PLASTIC SEPTIC TANKS
  HOME MADE SITE BUILT TANKS
SEPTIC TANK BAFFLES
  Lost or Rusted Baffles
  Concrete Baffles
  Flooded Septic Tanks
  Replacement Septic Tank Baffles/Tees
SEPTIC TANK TEES
    What Are Septic Tank Baffles or Tees?
    Septic Tank Inlet Tee
    Septic Tank Outlet Tee
    Septic Tank Outlet Filter
SEPTIC TANK SOLIDS & SCUM
MEASURE SCUM & SLUDGE
CLEANING SEPTIC TANKS
SEPTIC PUMPING CONCLUSIONS
SEPTIC LIFE EXPECTANCY
SEPTIC PUMPING REPAIR
SEPTIC TREATMENTS

The Septic Systems Online Book - Where Are We?

• This Chapter: INSPECTING SEPTIC TANKS
  Subchapters you may not have read include:
  MEASURE SCUM & SLUDGE
  CLEANING SEPTIC TANKS
• Next Chapter: SEPTIC DRAINFIELD FAILURES
• First Chapter: SEPTIC SYSTEMS ONLINE BOOK

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.
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank
• INSPECTING SEPTIC TANKS - how to inspect septic tanks, a checklist, and the proper sequence of inspection during septic tank pumping
• MEASURE SCUM & SLUDGE - How and Why to Measure Septic Tank Scum and Sludge in the Septic Tank
• EFFLUENT RETENTION TIME - Septic Effluent Retention time and Effective Septic Tank Volume - Why pump a septic tank before it is "full" of solids and grease?
• Septic Tank Tees how to install septic tank tees when tank baffles are damaged or missing
• Septic Tanks, Concrete defects and inspection suggestions for concrete septic tanks
• Septic Tanks, Fiberglass or Plastic defects and inspection suggestions for fiberglass or plastic septic tanks
• Septic Tanks, Steel defects and inspection suggestions for steel septic tanks
• Septic Tanks, Home Made defects and inspection suggestions for home made or site built septic tanks
• Septic Tank Pumping Frequency Guide for Septic Tanks: When, How, What to Watch For when pumping or cleaning septic tanks
• Septic Tank Pumping Procedure step by step photo guideline of how to pump and clean a septic tank - septic tank care
• ...

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Inspecting Septic Systems: Inspection, Test, Diagnosis, Repair, & Maintenance: Our Online Septic Book: Septic Testing, Loading & Dye Tests, Septic Tank Pumping, Clearances, details of onsite waste disposal system inspection, testing, repair procedures.
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Septic Tank Pumping Frequency Table
• The Septic System Information Website - Extensive, Detailed Consumer and Industry Information on Septic System Inspection, Testing, Maintenance, Alternatives for on-site waste disposal
• Alternative & Advanced Designs for Septic Systems for discussion and links to (on-site waste disposal) System Designs for Problem Sites & Soils. Books, Consultants, Engineers, Designers. Alternative septic system designs can substantially reduce the normal required distances between septic system components and wells, lakes, streams, and property boundaries.

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