How To Install A Septic Tank Yourself

A septic system contains an hush-hush septic tank made of plastic, concrete, fiberglass, or other material to treat and dispose of sewage. This system is designed to provide an individualized wastewater treatment pick for commercial and residential areas. Although you can install your own septic tank, nosotros recommend professional person installation due to the corporeality of expertise and specialized equipment needed.

In this commodity, we'll discuss the types of septic systems available to homeowners and the process and cost behind installation.

Who Needs a Septic Tank?

In densely populated parts of the country, a home'due south plumbing system commonly connects directly to the municipal sewer line. For more rural areas, municipal sewer lines aren't available so sewage is treated with a septic tank. If you lot're moving into a new construction home or onto land without a pre-existing tank, you'll exist responsible for installing a septic system.

How to Prepare for Your Septic Tank Installation

To ensure septic tank installation goes smoothly, hither are a few tips to proceed in mind.

Receive Multiple Estimates

Prior to any excavation or signed paperwork, receive estimates from licensed septic tank installers and read reviews about each company using trusted, third-political party consumer reviews. Ensure the contractor you select holds the proper insurance and licensing and includes necessary preparations similar excavation and drain field testing in their estimate.

Test the Soil and Obtain a Permit

Septic systems rely on permeable soil surrounding the tank to absorb and naturally treat liquid balance so that it doesn't contaminate runoff water or leak into the h2o tabular array. This area is known as the drain or leach field.

Before installing a septic tank, you're legally obligated to obtain a percolation or "perc" test. This test confirms the soil meets requirements set up by the urban center and local health department. Usually, the soil is required to have adequate amounts of permeable contents like sand or gravel. Once the state passes the percolation test, you'll exist able to obtain a permit and start the installation process.

Note: If you want to put a septic tank on a piece of land, it must laissez passer the percolation exam. Nosotros recommend ordering a exam earlier purchasing the land you want to employ for residential purposes.

Plan for Excavation

Heavy equipment is needed to excavate the big amount of state necessary for a septic tank. If you currently reside on the land, brand sure to budget landscaping costs to gear up any damage incurred during earthworks.

If you're building a new dwelling house, schedule the earthworks at a time when it'll have minimal bear on on the construction procedure. Typically, this is before paving the driveways and sidewalks, but later the main frame of the home is built.

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The Price of Installing a Septic Tank

From a percolation examination to emptying the septic tank, there are a few installation costs and other fees associated with installing your new septic organisation.

Percolation Exam

Depending on the size of the land and soil conditions, a percolation examination tin cost anywhere from $250–$1,000. Typically, professionals but dig a few holes in the proposed leach field expanse, only if a land survey is needed to determine where to excavate, your test'due south toll can increase.

Building Permit Application

To build a septic tank on your country, you'll need to obtain a permit. Let pricing varies from state to state, but they usually price around $200 and are typically renewed every few years.

Excavation and Installation

After passing a percolation test and receiving a edifice permit, your septic tank is ready to be properly installed. The cost of your new septic system is based on the size of your home, type of system selected, and your septic tank material. Below is a list of various handling systems and tanks available and the standard prices associated with each.

Types of Septic Tank Systems

Conventional septic organisation

A conventional septic organization uses gravity to move household sewage into the septic tank. From there, sewage is separated into layers, with solid waste settling at the bottom and liquid sewage rising to the top. When liquid sewage rises to the level of the outflow pipe, the liquid waste flows into the drain field where information technology's decomposed further. These conventional septic systems are usually the about affordable, with an average cost of effectually $3,000.

Alternative septic organisation

An alternative septic system collects sewage in the same way as a conventional organisation, simply it breaks down the sewage in the tank using oxygen instead of naturally occurring bacteria. Drain fields for alternative systems more often than not demand less land and release cleaner wastewater. However, this do good comes at an increase in cost, with systems usually priced effectually $12,000.

Engineered septic organization

Engineered septic systems are the about complex and are generally needed due to poor soil or the habitation being situated on an uphill slope. Just like alternative and conventional septic systems, engineered systems collect and separate waste material in a tank. Instead of relying on gravity to bleed, the liquid waste needs to be pumped into the leach field so that it's evenly distributed throughout the land. These systems generally cost around $8,000.

Types of Septic Tanks

• Concrete—Concrete septic tanks are durable and rust-proof only are hard to repair if damaged. Depending on the size, physical tanks tin can cost up to $2,000.
• Plastic—Plastic tanks are cost-effective only prone to damage. They cost around $ane,200.
• Fiberglass—Fiberglass septic tanks are stronger than their plastic counterpart but can exist shifted or displaced if the water table rises too high. These tanks tin can toll upwardly to $2,000.

Read More than: Septic Warranty Coverage and Costs

Using Your Septic Tank

When using your new septic tank, make sure to care for the country around the leach field and regularly inspect your tank using its lids. Never use a garbage disposal with your septic tank, every bit it can clog up the system. Additionally, avoid driving over the ground that houses the septic tank or placing heavy mechanism on your septic tank or drain field.

Typically, you'll need to schedule for the arrangement to be cleaned and pumped after v years of septic system use. This prevents solid waste matter from building upwards and leaking into the surrounding soil or groundwater.

To share feedback or inquire a question about this article, transport a note to our Reviews Squad at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com .

Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/plumbing/21303066/septic-tank-installation

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