Homeowner Horror Story: The $60,000 Septic Tank Lesson
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
- In this video, I discuss a costly mistake a homeowner made by not getting a proper inspection before purchasing their house. During the housing boom in 2020 and 2021, many buyers skipped crucial inspections, leading to expensive issues down the road. This particular homeowner installed a stamped concrete patio over their septic tank, only to discover a missing baffle, which could have been a simple fix if not for the patio. Learn about the importance of septic system inspections, the role of baffles in preventing clogs, and why it's crucial not to build over your septic tank. Make informed decisions and avoid unnecessary expenses with these essential tips. If you found this video helpful, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment with any topics you'd like me to cover in future videos.
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Good information, I told a new neighbor he might not want to install his above ground pool in a particular area in his yard due to the old cesspool and he told me he doesn't need help from the peanut gallery.
When the 24ft rectangle pool started making a sucking sound as the lid underneath his pool broke and I watched the walls cave in I thought I will mind my own business.
Lucky no one was hurt.
Buyers beware. Good warning for potential buyers and sellers. Thanks
My pleasure
Wow, where I live the County makes the home owner replace the entire septic system every time the property get a new owner. Doesn't matter if the system was just replaced a few years ago, new owner=new septic system. It's outrageous!
Wow that’s absolutely insane! I’m not sure the costs for your area but over here there vall park $20-50k. That rule would grind all real estate transactions to a stop here
@@MDwellandsepticguy Same ballpark price here. The County absolutely lowered the price of every parcel by at least that much.
There’s got to be a way to lobby the local gov to change that. That’s an absolutely insane way of managing real estate transactions. On top of that, eventually a property will run out of space for systems. Around here, we really only allocate room for 3 full systems
There's not enough room on a typical lot to put in that many septic systems. What county is it?
@@chrisfoxwell4128 5 acre minimum lot size. There are many smaller lots grandfathered in. In this case the county has you remove the old system and install the new one in the same spot.
I've lived in two houses with septic systems, and figuring out exactly what sort of system we have and where the drain field is has been a challenge every time. On the first system a pump went out and the repair guys discovered we had a two tank system, but only one tank had an access hatch, so we had them add a second one in case it was needed for future maintenance (since they had already dug it out to replace the pump). On the second house I have been doing landscaping, so I spent a lot of time digging through city records to find our septic map, so I think I know where the drain field is. I try to be very aware of the septic and take good care of it.
And no septic inspection either time?
I had no choice to where my new septic would be located. I live in Deschutes County in Oregon and they forced me to put the sand filter system in my backyard and literally have the most expensive system I can put in my yard. Its so obnoxious and now the sand filter looks like a massive weed mess. I tried to have them put it in the front yard (Live on an acre) but they said, absolutely no!!!!!!
I think septic tank location is also part of the problem when its right outside the front door or back door its more like why is the septic tank right where a deck would go
Another thing that could have been done with out touching the concrete would be to just add another tank. The first tank could be the first baffle
That’s true but there are a couple potential headaches going that route. Mainly it’s all about your depths and the slope of the conveyance lines. The other hiccup that’s more of a local issue here is that our state requires an outlet baffle for any septic tank. For example if you have a two chamber tank and the middle baffle is missing, that’s an issue that requires remediation here. Generally unless you’re selling your house no one will know or care
My thought exactly, but the first tank would just be a pass-through of sorts. If they had the room, that's what I would do.
Bought a house built in 1947 has a 1000 gallon cesspool and it's working absolutely great still. Of course if anything goes wrong a new system has to be installed because not allowed to repair cesspools or install cesspools anymore. Find it wild that the cesspool is working perfectly fine. The company said they still service a cesspool built in the 1800s that works perfect.
That’s fortunate. I’ve seen plenty work just fine but during the wet season get swamped out. The only time cesspools really become a major issue here is when selling the house. The oldest cesspool I had was an old farm house where theirs was made of stone and was installed in the 1920s
Why not drop in a new tank off to the side somewhere and reroute the output to the existing leech field? Then drain the existing one and fill it so it doesn't collapse.
Not a "cheap" fix, but it'd be a reasonable tradeoff.
What the guy should do is leave that septic tank in place, then dig a new septic tank further down the line, then the distribution box and then you will have no problems. That is, if he has the room to do this. He is going to ruin his drain field unless he does something.
How often should I get my septic tank pumped out? I have a new home with just myself and my wife. Thanks
General guidance is every 2-5 years. In practice 2 people are usually closer to 3-4 years. Pumping is important to have someone lay eyes on the system to alert you to any potential small issues developing. The small issues are usually fairly inexpensive but can build up pretty big if ignored long enough
You just showed up in my feed. What part of Maryland do you cover?
Looking at properties in the greater Berlin area.
I service western and central Md. unfortunately I don’t do anything that far east
@@MDwellandsepticguy thanks for getting back to me though. Good luck with everything and have a good holiday weekend, hopefully no emergency calls
@@MDwellandsepticguy I'm looking at property in rural Washington County. How strict is Washington County with the septic system? We had a rental unit in Hagerstown and they were awful with the simplest repairs, but that was in the city. Like they wouldn't let me install a GFI in the bathroom I had to have a licensed electrician - that cost me $275 with permit. For one plug.
As a professional contractor myself, I feel as my duty do not only take into account customers wishes, but also let them know potential pitfalls no different and if you want to Dr, the contractor is supposed to be the professional. I have walked away from several jobs due to the fact that the project might turn out good now a huge problem in the near future I don’t want my name associated with it.
I agree. I try to be very up front with people and lay all of the options on the table for them. Giving information for the homeowner to make an informed decision in my opinion is the best practice and a professional responsibility. Unfortunately there are plenty out there who just see the fat pay check and that’s all they want
@@MDwellandsepticguy I couldn’t agree more in fact I have customers who tell me they have other contractors that are willing to do the work. Why won’t I tell him? I have a conscience and I like to sleep at night.
So what have you seen septic systems corn,peanuts,peas
Imagine owning a house...
Lots of people own them. It’s not that hard to buy one. There are grant programs and special financing options. It all comes down to the choices someone is willing to make in order to get what they want. If money is the issue, it’s all about leveling up your skills or job. If an area is too expensive move to a different area or somewhere adjacent. Money management also will keep people from owning houses if they don’t spend correctly to make the savings they need
@@MDwellandsepticguy Ah yes, not being able to afford a house is my fault. Very based and true opinion. I completely agree, nothing else is a contributing factor whatsoever, there is simply no excuse for not owning a house. Thank you for changing my mind.
Lol a victim mentality will get you no where in life. The only person holding you back is yourself. If you feel it is other people holding you back, the answer is simple… go somewhere else. If you’re comfortable blaming others for your situation, more power to you. I have come across people from all walks of life who are very successful. Success doesn’t just show up on your doorstep. Baltimore is literally selling houses for owner occupants for less than $1000. Many city’s throughout the country have programs to get people in houses. If you haven’t found one, you may not be looking hard enough.
@@MDwellandsepticguy I hope your channel grows big enough that you start to realize that not every comment is worth replying to, and even the ones that are arent looking for tonedeaf pseudo dad advice.
You probably live in an area where you are correct.
I do not live there.
@estamnar6092 You made a post on my channel looking for attention. I gave you the attention you were looking for and I guess now you feel uncomfortable. Please tell me how what I said is tone deaf. If all you want is a acknowledgement that the world sucks, here it is. The world sucks. The channel is growing and maybe you're right, one day I will be too big to respond to every comment; however, I will always try my best to engage with the comments because this helps my channel metrics continue to grow. I am not passively waiting for the channel to have success, I'm actively contributing towards it piece by piece. Don't sit around passively hoping the world will change. The world does not care about any of us. No sympathy for laziness will be found on this channel.
What's alarming is that it cost 60k for a new unit. You can buy a house in middle America for that price.
The 60k was the stamped concrete and pergola. Septic systems here generally are 20-50k. I’ve seen some residential systems go up to $129k when they’re on the water
@@MDwellandsepticguy I hear you. I remember around 2010, my dad was looking to get a new septic tank for his business and they wanted around 25k. Can't believe the prices doubled in 15 years.
@@mattferrigno9750 oh yeah it’s been insane. In our area the biggest thing has been stone. Stone has gone through the roof
@@MDwellandsepticguy That's pretty funny when the entire earth is made of stone. I feel like the whole inflation thing is just a scam to make the middle and lower class poor, so we have to rely on the government thus having more power over us. While the wealthy bath in champagne and live in mansions the size of my neighborhood.
@@MDwellandsepticguy $20-50k ?? Yikes. In North TX in 2020 a new aerobic septic system was around $10k.