How to Find and Work with a Good Septic Contractor

When to Use a Septic Contractor Don’t wait for the toilet to back or some other major problem- find a septic contractor as soon as you buy your home and/or install your septic system. We also strongly recommend using a septic contractor to inspect the septic system when buying a home- before you buy the home. How to Find a Good Septic Contractor 1. Get a full service contractor, one that does designs, installations and pumping. They will be familiar with code requirements whereas pumpers may or may not be (the importance of code requirements is explained below). Also, pumpers generally don't fix problems which means you will have to call in a second contractor and spend more money if any are discovered. A full service contractor can not only do the pumping and septic system inspection, but they can also perform any needed repairs on the spot.  2. To find a good contractor, call the health/zoning department and ask for a list of certified contractors. Then ask them who they would use if they wanted a system inspected, they will usually steer you in the right direction.  Septic System Inspection Secrets: It is absolutely imperative that you hire a good, full service septic contractor for septic system inspections.  Are Codes Being Met? The obvious question is whether or not the system is functioning, but an even more important question is, does the system meets current code requirements? Most new home buyers completely overlook this issue. The codes regulating septic systems have become much stricter than in past years. As a result, systems that met code requirements in the past no longer do and you will have to pay for the upgrade. For example, in the past a system with 250 square feet of drainfield buried 6 feet deep may have passed, whereas today regulations might require one with shallower drainfields and 450 square feet of drainfield. In some cases the health department will inform these people that they need to bring their system up to current code a few months later (even if they said it was fine at the time of the original inspection!). Of course, if you are hiring a septic contractor to build a new system, you want to make sure they can build it to current code requirements.  Caveat Emptor! It is extremely important to have a proper, thorough septic system inspection if you are buying a home with a septic system. If you run into problems with the system after the sale, unless you can prove they knew there was something wrong with the system when they sold you the house, you are stuck with it. If you still want the house, it's much easier to factor the septic system upgrade costs into the sale than to get money back from the sellers after they've spent it on their new home. When they call the sellers, you are likely to hear, "It worked fine when we were there...you must have done something to break it." Who You Gonna Call? To get a proper septic system inspection done call a full service septic contractor, not a home inspector or company which only performs septic tank pumping services. Home inspectors inspect homes, not septic systems. If you don't know any good contractors in the area call the local health/zoning office, they may be able to give you a list.  A proper property sale septic system inspection is actually a fairly involved process: 1. The contractor will first do a visual inspection looking for signs of surfacing effluent around the drainfield. 2. They will then dig up the manhole cover to check the liquid level in the tank. If it is low then the tank either has a leak or was recently pumped...watch out.  3. They will look at the contents of the tank. If there are non-biodegradable products in the tank this will indicate the system has been abused. If the toilet paper products are not breaking down this often indicates an overuse of chemicals hindering the bacterial process in the tank. 4. Assuming the tank is full, they will then run 100-200 gallons of water into the system, then start pumping the tank. If water begins coming back into the tank from the drainfield it will mean the drainfield is slow or failing. 5. When the tank is empty, they will estimate the size of the tank in gallons and visually check to see if the inlet and outlet baffles are in place and of the proper size.  6. They will then dig up the distribution box to check for a high content of sludge and the number of drainfield lines.  7. From there they will check the length of the drain field runs by running a line into each pipe and using a probe to measure the depth of the trench es. With this information they can estimate the square footage of the drainfield. In some cases they may have to dig into a trench to get this infor mation. 8. They should then take a soil boring to ascertain the depth of the seasonal water tables. At this point the contractor will have enough information to give you an opinion on the system. The obvious question is if the system is functioning, but a more important question is, does the system meets current code requirements.  The contractor should then give you his report in writing with estimates for any suggested up-grades. If the system does need any work, you take this estimate to the sellers and factor it into the selling price of the home. If the system gets the OK, then you know you are starting out with a good system. This inspection process will cost you $150-$500 but is well worth it.   P.S. As long as you have them out there, and the system checks out, have them jet the lines in the drainfield to remove any built up sludge and have them install an effluent filter in the tank. These filters stop the larger solids from reaching the drainfield and most system failures occur when the drainfield gets plugged with solids. You are going to want these things done sooner or later so you may as well have it done now.  Septic Tank Pumping Secrets: The tank should be pumped/inspected every 1-3 years... 1-2 people in the house=every 3 years 3-5 people in the house=every 2 years 6+ people=every year You may want to talk to your local contractor regarding your individual situation.  It will usually cost from $75 to $200 to have the tank pumped/inspected (however in some parts of the northwest it can run up to $300+). Now lets say it costs you $150 and you are having it done every 3 years, that is $50 per year of sewage treatment. If you are having it every 2 years it is $75. On the other hand you would pay the city $300 to $800+ for that same year of treatment. Thinking about it like that, pumping the tank is pretty cheap. A good pumping/inspection will be: ·        The septic contractor will look over the drainfield to look for tire tracks or signs of heavy foot traffic. ·        They will then dig-up and expose the manhole cover and look at the contents of the tank. They will be looking for bad items like kotex, tampex, wet-wipes, condoms, etc, that will not break down in the system. They will also look for low bacterial activity indicating an over-use of chemicals. ·        They will then pump the tank while looking for a large amount of water draining back from the drainfield which can indicate a slow or failing drainfield. ·        They will then check to make sure the in-let and out-let baffles are in place and of the proper size. At this point the septic contractor should give you an assessment of the system and suggest any changes in your usage patterns, i.e. keep the kids off the drainfield with their 4 wheelers, stop flushing the kotex, tampex, wet-wipes, condoms down the drain and cut back on your chemical usage. Also at this time they could suggest a few other things like: ·        If they see potential problems, they could jet (clean) the lines in the drainfield. ·        An effluent filter could/should be installed that will take the place of the exit baffle. ·        If the tank is more than 2 feet deep, they could install riser bring the lid closer to the surface for easier access next time. This is what a proper pumping/inspection is, however not many contractors go into this detail. To contractors, time is money so many simply stick the hose down the pipe, suck it out, grab the check and head out of town. This is why you want to ask the contractor (up front on the phone) if they will do these things. You may pay a little extra for this service, but it is well worth it because if it catches something in the beginning before it becomes a major problem, it could save you thousands of dollars down the road. On the other hand, if your exit baffle falls off and you don't catch it, solids will plug your drainfield and you won't find out until the sewage is pooling in your yard and/or backing up into your house. Now you may be paying for a whole new drainfield and the damage to your yard that goes with it. Once you have the riser and effluent filter installed, these are one time costs so you don't have to pay for this again and the pumping/inspection is easy and simple. Finally, please be aware that there are no substitutes for pumping or miracle products which "eliminate pump outs forever."  Try to Understand the Septic Contractor's Point of View It can cost several hundred dollars a day to keep a technician on the road, when you figure in wages, health insurance, vehicle costs, workers compensation and many other taxes, administration costs etc. So please be friendly and certainly don't be afraid to ask any legitimate questions/concerns you may have, but don't waste the technician's time. Come prepared with specific questions. Try not to cancel appointments and be there at the scheduled time if you have an appointment. We recommend getting a more thorough pumping/inspection than usual, but to be fair to the septic contractor, be prepared to pay a little more. Do your due diligence beforehand, calling, checking references etc...but once you hire someone, do not treat the septic contractor as if he does not know what he's doing or is trying to rip you off. They may still do a professional job, but don't be surprised if they don't go the extra mile for you. It can be especially offensive to a service technician who is doing a great job. We have service industry experience and have also worked with many other service technicians, carpenters etc. and find this is often their number one complaint. Also, many septic contractors are extremely busy, they get plenty of legitimate business and have no need to "create" business.  As you may know from researching this topic, failing septic systems are a major financial and environmental problem in this country. Expensive septic repairs can often run from $5,000 to $20,000 or more and a large number of systems are failing throughout the country. For news stories related to failing septic systems and tightening regulations you can go to: http://www.laundry-alternative.com/failingseptic.htm You also can't sell your home if it has a failing system. For more information on how to properly maintain your septic system, go to: http://www.laundry-alternative.com/septic_system_maintenance.htm