Septic Load and Dye Test Poll

[Ricky K. Kie]

How much water do you use to preform a septic Load and dye test?

1. 50 gallons per bedroom

2. 50-75 gallons per Bedroom

3. 75-100 gallons per bedroom

4. 150 gallons per bedroom

[Ricky K. Kie]

This is for an Occupied home and the tank hasn't been pumped.

[Joseph Hagarty]

http://psma.net/dye_tests

[Gerry Beaumont]

Originally Posted by jhagarty

http://psma.net/dye_tests

That's exactly why not to do load tests Joe, by themself they tell you nothing usefull

Regards

Gerry

[John Onofrey]

Like home inspections, they are visual in nature, except most of the time you can't see sh!t. Excuse the play on words.

[Mark Jones]

I was changing a lift pump in a septic tank last month, I smell a load and almost died, if that helps.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

In Missouri, it is 200 gallons for a two bedroom and an additional 50 gallons for each additional bedroom. Also you should double up the water volume if home is vacant more than 30 days.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Septic inspections are required on all septic systems involved in the sale of homes here in AZ. You need a license to preform such tests.

[Ricky K. Kie]

Here in NY dye testing is an ancillary service its not part of the home inspection. We do have Licensing for home Inspections but not dye testing.
The ASHI protocol written by some local inspectors is 50-75 per bedroom on a occupied house.
I have been using 150 Gallons per bedroom and my reference was from Dan Friedman's website www.inspect-ny.com/septbook.htm I am writing the poll to see what everyone else uses.
Personally I don't think 50-75 gallons per bedroom will tell you anything.

[Joe Farsetta]

Unless the tank is near level, and the leech field is defective, the test tells you nothing. First thing one should really do is make sure the water is running into the tank. This requires the pit top be opened.

The liability outweighs the monetary benefit for the inspector, IMO. I always recommend an open pit inspection and pumping, and the field probed. This is a minimum standard.

[Peter C. Russell]

I agree with Joe, back in the 90s I did many septic inspections and some did fail, but if the tank has been pumped the test will be ineffective and when the owners move in and start taking showers, doing laundry ETC that's when your problems starts.

I always recommend a septic company come out and open the tank, determine the size and condition, pump the tank and if it was full is there any liquid coming back from the field, this would indicated the field is saturated. From there the septic people should probe the field to find out how saturated it is. Finally, I never recommend a septic company and tell the client to ask the realtor for a local company.
Keep in mind that I live in NH and it's not uncommon to find a septic system that is 50 years old, in fact years ago I re-did my driveway and found an old brick tank that I had been parking on top off for ten years.

[Dave Bush]

In SW MO, I am licensed to do Septic Evaluations and Inspections both (Evaluations are walk over, inspections are open tank). Even in the open tank, I don't open the full lateral lines. The inspection is of the tank primarily. Normally if there are problems with the lateral line, they will be noted in other ways besides the dye test. The dye test primarily just tells you where the lateral lines discharge to; nice to use if you suspect the lines discharge into a ditch or something like that; otherwise useless.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Stress or hydraulic testing will also give you an idea if there are roots in or a heavy layer of biomat around the lateral lines.

[Ricky K. Kie]

I agree that the liability outways the monetary benefit, Although if you don't offer the complete package odds are they will call your competator thay will and you lose the whole inspection.

[Peter C. Russell]

Originally Posted by rkie

I agree that the liability outways the monetary benefit, Although if you don't offer the complete package odds are they will call your competator thay will and you lose the whole inspection.

Only if your phone skill suck. I have no problem explaining to my clients the benefits of hire a septic company to do this inspection. Not only do they get an expert but if they buy the house they already have a septic company who knows the system. I have never lost an inspection because I don't do septic.