Life of a Leachfield


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Old 10-25-06, 07:36 AM
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Life of a Leachfield

I am looking to purchase a house that was built in 1978 which was the same date the field was put in. I know the people that live there and they dont cut corners. I also know the people who installed the field and they do excellent work. Should I be worried that the field is pushing 30 years old? And what is the average life of a leach field?
 
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Old 10-25-06, 08:44 PM
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With proper design, installation, and maintenance, a septic drain field's life expectancy is 20-30 years. Most states require an inspection of the system before a sale is made. Life expectancy can be extended by water conservation and what you put into the system. Avoid driving over drainfield or allowing tree roots to invade it. Stagger laundry throughout the week in order to avoid overloading the system.
 
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Old 10-25-06, 10:17 PM
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Wink

Might see if you can find out if they have been haveing The tank pumped every now and then. Could check the tank now see how bad the sludge is in it and if the tank cooks ok.
 
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Old 10-26-06, 08:14 AM
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As far as I know, short of digging up part of the field and inspecting the inside of the pipe, there is no way to know if the drainfield has been well cared for or not. I have seen "inspectors" inspect by walking around looking for damp spots in the yard. I'll let you decide if that is adequate.

Although somebody was doing something right if it has lasted this long. Most drainfields get replaced with new ones long before 30.

By 1978, they might have been using PVC as well as a larger field. Both of these things would help it's longevity. These days, they call for even larger fields than they did then.

Looking into my crystal ball, I think you can get some more mileage out of it, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Get it pumped out right before or after you buy. Use single-ply toilet paper, NO Bleach (Pine oil disinfects) and, unless washing fecal matter, I prefer routing the wash machine water into the flower beds, moving the hose to water different plants and flower beds every few weeks.

Just keep a little money aside (which you should always have anyway) in case the thing quits in a few years.
 
 

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