Often homebuyers want to know why a standard home inspection does not include an inspection of the septic system. The truth is that the home inspector is not equipped to do a septic inspection. And, due to the nasty nature of the job, people would not want him or her doing it anyway. At least not if the inspector was then going to go inside and inspect the rest of the home anyway. This job needs to be done by specialists with equipment designed for working on septic systems. Here are some pretty basic reasons that the home inspector does not dig into the septic tank.

1. The tank is almost always buried in the earth, so no view of the system is available. The specialists who pump septic tanks require specific training and are equipped to inspect the tank once it is EMPTY. Obviously, they also have the equipment for pumping the tank. Home inspectors do not drive trucks designed for pumping septic tanks.

2. A home inspector is not set-up to locate, excavate the soil covering the lid, measure the scum mat or sludge depth, or pump the tank, which is required to do an internal inspection. A home inspector is also not prepared to dig up the distribution box, determine the groundwater level or research the system's installation and service history.

3. A home inspector is not equipped to deal with the biological processes taking place and the odors being created, once the cover is removed. The health issues are not to be taken lightly. A septic tank inspection is potentially dangerous, and certainly unhealthy and very unpleasant, unless one has the proper protective gear.

4. A home inspector, who is looking at hundreds of issues at each home, does not have the time to run hundreds of gallons of water and run dye tests, a complete process often done by specialists as they look for signs of leaks in the system or around the tank.

Thanks for taking a look.

Steven L. Smith

www.kingofthehouse.com