Septic Inspections

[KY Ted]

Anyone give me some info on performing septic system inspections? I realize I am missing out by not doing them plus a local secondary mortgage company offered me 10 per month at $75.00 a pop. These would be totally independent of an HI. How do you perform these inspections, dye tests? What is the liability, how do you report them, where do you get the dye, etc?

TY for help

Ted

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by KY Ted

Anyone give me some info on performing septic system inspections? I realize I am missing out by not doing them plus a local secondary mortgage company offered me 10 per month at $75.00 a pop. These would be totally independent of an HI. How do you perform these inspections, dye tests? What is the liability, how do you report them, where do you get the dye, etc?

TY for help

Ted

There's nothing meaningful to be learned by doing a septic system inspection unless you open the lid and have the tank pumped first. If there are distribution boxes, you've got to open them as well.

You'll go broke fast at $75 per inspection. It costs me more than $75 to walk out my door.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[kurt]

All that Jim said, AND, it is impossible to perform septic inspections where anything meaningful is learned.

Dye tests tell you when a system has totally failed; the dye bubbles to the surface. Since the stench of raw sewage bubbling to the surface is hard to miss, you don't need dye.

There is no way to determine condition of a drain field w/out digging it up. That kind of blows the purpose of a septic inspection, as @ that point, you might as well install a new field.

[Jim Morrison]

There's a guy out my way who has a camera on the end of a snake connected to a TV monitor and he actually snakes and videos the leaching trenches out during a septic inspection. But that setup costs a couple grand and he's getting $500.00 for a septic inspection.

[kurt]

Originally posted by Jim Morrison

There's a guy out my way who has a camera on the end of a snake connected to a TV monitor and he actually snakes and videos the leaching trenches out during a septic inspection. But that setup costs a couple grand and he's getting $500.00 for a septic inspection.

I like that idea, as I use a camera all time to check out check out sewer tiles. The problem is that soil tends to "seal" over time w/ this gelatinous nasty bacteriological film; it clogs everything up. A camera won't tell you what is happening w/that. A camera would tell you that the tiles were full of roots or solids, but then, you still have to get $500.

I'm getting nauseous writing this; I think I'm going to puke..........

[Jerry Simon]

Kurt....you got one of those camera's?!....would you mind referrals?

[Paul MacLean]

Only 5% to 10% of my inspections have a septic system. So the best route for me is to keep the number of a person who specializes in septic tank inspections handy and give it out when the occaision arrises. I'm not aware of any lost inspections because I don't do septic tanks.

Works for me...

[Scottpat]

In the areas I work all septic systems must be certified by the state health department that they are OK. This takes me out of the loop and I am grateful for it. Yet we still have a few snake oil inspectors who charge an extra $100 to check the septic systems.

[Jim Morrison]

When the leaching trench is coated with the gelatinous film of nastiness, the pipes stay filled with effluent and the camera picks that up too. It's cool because if you have a 20' long trench and the camera splashes after 2 feet, you know the system is pretty far gone.

[Brian G]

Originally posted by Jim Morrison

When the leaching trench is coated with the gelatinous film of nastiness, the pipes stay filled with effluent and the camera picks that up too. It's cool because if you have a 20' long trench and the camera splashes after 2 feet, you know the system is pretty far gone.

I have to stop reading this thread. [:-yuck][:-yuck][:-yuck][:-yuck][:-yuck]

Brian G.

[hausdok]

Mmmmm,

I suddenly feel hungry. Must be 'cuz of all of these nasty crawls I've gotten used to negotiating. Maybe it's time for therapy.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[kurt]

Originally posted by Jerry Simon

Kurt....you got one of those camera's?!....would you mind referrals?

Naaah; I sub it out to one of several guys, depending on where I'm working that day.

Anything to get taken out of the loop of septic inspection; anything. Looking @ a videotape is the extent of what I will do.

And Mike, I think we need to work on your gustatorial inspirations; septic fields shouldn't be on the list.