Getting to Know a Septic System

Most people understand that when they are buying a home it is crucial to have a home inspected for any potential problems. The home inspection is not only a time to find any flaws with a home but to be completely educated on all of the systems and how they function.

An excellent home inspector will take the time to go through all the essential systems in a home to make sure the buyer understands what they're purchasing. Buyers can learn a ton about their purchase by being with the home inspector. The same can be said about understanding what you are purchasing when a home is serviced by a private septic system.

When you have a public sewer there is very little concern about problems cropping up short of one of the pipes in the home leaking. A septic systems is a whole different ballgame.

Without a doubt, one of the most crucial things you can do is have a septic inspection. Skipping out on a septic system inspection could end up costing you thousands of dollars if not tens of thousands. A septic system is very costly to replace.

When you have a septic system inspection you will hire a licensed septic system inspector. Much like a home inspector, they will check out all the vital components of the system which are the septic tank, the distribution box, and the leach field. All three components need to be functioning as intended in order to pass.

Some times there are minor fixes with a septic system, such as a cracked tank over or even a cracked distribution box. While these will cost a bit of money to fix they are nothing in comparison to a non-functioning leach field. Once your leach field goes, you'll be looking at a significant amount of money to fix it. When leach fields go they need to be replaced.

The fact you could be stuck paying out of pocket tens of thousands of dollars makes having a septic inspection before purchase a crucial exercise. Not only will the inspector check the functionality but also look over the specifications of the system for you.

For example, septic systems are rated on size according to how many bedrooms they service. So when someone says your septic system is "rated for 3 bedrooms" they are referring to the capacity of the system.

When marketing a home for sale with a septic system it is only appropriate to market the home as having the number of bedrooms that matches the septic capacity. So if you have a 3 bedroom septic design but have 4 bedrooms in the home, it can only be marketed as a 3 bedroom. Real Estate agents and homeowners often find themselves in hot water by misleading buyers on bedroom counts with septic systems.

In the reference above at Maximum Real Estate Exposure, you will learn everything you need to know about septic inspections. It is loaded with helpful tips on what to expect and how to know you have problems. There are a number of frequently asked questions about septic systems and the answers are provided.

Take a look and if you enjoy the article pass it along to someone who doesn't know much about septic system inspections but should.