Many houses come with have a septic system. If you have a septic tank in your house too and considering maintenance or repairs, you will first need to schedule an inspection by a septic tank service. What does a septic system inspection involve? Here are the things to know.

What Is A Septic System?

Have you ever wondered where all the water goes, when you flush it or drain it down the sink? Well, it is mostly collected in an underground tank, called a septic tank. Most houses have septic tanks that are a part of a septic system, and they’re usually underground with an indication as to where they might be. Septic tanks were first introduced in the 1800s, but they didn’t get popular until the 1960s and 1970s when cesspools and cesspits became obsolete. Now, almost all houses have a septic system that includes a septic tank and according to the members in the house, it can be big or small, depending on how much water is drained from the house daily.

A septic tank is really important for houses because imagine if the toilet water, drained water, and dirty water from taps had nowhere to go. It would turn your house into a smelly pit and it’s not pleasant at all.

This is why a septic tank is crucial for houses. They usually drain to municipal water companies where the water is either treated for use elsewhere or manure is made out of the waste because it is extremely fertilizing and increases the growth capacity of crops. This is a great way to use all of the water, without wasting it and putting it to use for something productive.

So, a septic tank is a great addition to the house and if yours doesn’t have one already, then it’s highly recommended that you get one built because it will make your life a lot easier. It is expensive to get built, yes, and if you already have a system allowing the water to be drained straight to municipal water companies then you don’t need it.

Why Is A Septic System Inspection Important?

Having a septic tank isn’t enough. You also need to maintain the entire septic system from time to time. This is where a septic system inspection comes in handy. Septic system inspection is a process of overlooking the septic tank and ensuring that there aren’t any problems in the tank and that there isn’t any crack, leak, or a major problem in the septic tank body or foundation.

Since septic tanks are usually underground, problems like leaks, cracks, and foundation damage can be easily overlooked and it’s too late until you find the problem. This can cause your family to get sick, your house will be surrounded by puddles of wastewater and there will also be a very bad stench that will be overbearing for you to smell. This is why septic system inspection is really important.

It’s usually done every 3 to 5 years, but you can get it done every year too, nothing more than that because usually, septic tanks don’t get severe problems until a lot of time has passed.

So, if you want to ensure that your septic tank works efficiently for years to come, then septic system inspection should be a priority for you.

You can easily get a septic system inspection done by your septic tank maintenance company and it’s crucial to get it done when you’re buying or selling a house because you or the buyer for that matter, shouldn’t have to deal with a problematic septic tank that doesn’t work properly.

Aside from getting sick and having to deal with bad smells, septic tanks can cost you a lot if they’re faulty and if you haven’t maintained them for a long time. This is why it’s really important to save yourself from this financial turmoil as well.

Types Of Septic System Inspections

Septic system inspection is of two major types and all good septic companies MD offer them. However, their charges may vary depending on the service, the experience of the team, and other factors.

Visual Inspection

A visual septic system inspection is an inspection that is done from the surface level, as the name suggests. When you call in a septic system inspection team, they will go through the house and even evaluate and assess the septic tank’s age and overall condition.

Next, the septic system inspection team will also go through each bathroom, flush the toilets, inspect the drains, making sure that there aren’t any problems or delays in the water draining and all that.

Visual checks will also be done on the drain and what the septic system inspection team is looking for is stagnant water. If that’s the case, then the drain field can be replaced. As good as visual checks are, they can never pinpoint the problem for sure, so this is why the next type of septic system inspection is necessary.

Full Inspection

A full septic system inspection, as the name suggests, will cover all 9 yards. This is important and it is the type of inspection that’s done after the 3-to-5-year mark. The septic system inspection team will look at the water level inside the tank and they will also check for any backflow of the water.

Also, if there is any problem in the leach field or the distribution box, then the septic tank needs to be pumped, so that further problems can be examined without any problem. This is all that’s covered in a full septic system inspection and it can save your septic tank from leaking from the side or base, because if that happens, then there will be a lot of problems.

What Is Checked In An Inspection

Here is what you can expect from a septic system inspection and what is checked in the inspection.

Septic Tank

First things first, the septic tank cover will be removed and the water level will be checked. This is crucial because the septic system inspection team is looking for still water that is not being drained.

Sometimes, a dye will also be added to the water to check the direction of the flow. If there is no direction or the dye is stagnant, then there might be a problem with either the leach field or the drain.

Distribution Box

The distribution box, as the name suggests, is a box that divides wastewater into two sections to be absorbed by the soil. Sometimes, there might be an obstruction in the distribution box, which can cause it to not work properly and it can lead to problems in the septic system. So, this is also checked in the septic system inspection.

Leach Field

The leach field separates the organic compounds from the effluent water and what’s checked in this is filter, if it has any clogging, and if it needs to be changed for the septic system to work properly and efficiently for longer.

Conclusion

A septic tank needs to be inspected from time to time, even when you’re buying or selling your house. Moreover, be sure to schedule septic tank cleaning Loudoun County once every 3-5 years for keeping it overflowing. However, to determine the condition of your septic tank, an inspection every 3 years is a good idea.