What is a septic system? Is a septic system good or bad? I’ve lived with septic systems for most of my life and I’ve sold a TON of homes with septic tanks as they are very prevalent here in Central Florida where I live and work. Today, I’ll be explaining what a septic system is, and then I’ll be addressing whether they are good, or bad, so be sure to stick around because this is a subject that is often misunderstood by many homeowners.

What is a septic system?

First, let’s address exactly what a septic system IS. Well, a septic tank is an underground tank used to move waste and wastewater through the process of decomposition and drainage. In less fancy words, it’s a holding tank where our household waste, including poop, naturally breaks down. Then the water is sent off to the drain field, which is another component of the overall septic system. I’ll have more on the drain field here in a bit.

Septic tanks are typically made of all sorts of materials including fiberglass, plastic, or concrete, which is what I see most often here in Central Florida. When drainage is good, they’re usually buried underground, almost unnoticeable. When drainage isn’t great, septic tanks are buried underground, but they may have a slight hump in the ground. In this situation, there is sometimes a pump that helps to move the waste along the process, whereas when the tank is completely underground, gravity does the work.

Typically, at least here in the Central Florida area, septic systems tend to be more commonplace in rural areas, whereas sewers tend to be more common closer to town.

How does it work?

So, let’s address the process of how a septic system works in plain English. Household waste leaves our drains or toilets and heads out of our homes and into the septic tank, where they begin to break down through a natural process that includes mostly naturally occurring, living bacteria. As this waste is breaking down, water leaves the septic tank and flows into the drain field, which is a large section of baffles with holes in them that is just underground in most yards that have septic systems.

As this water is disbursed into these baffles, it flows into the ground, where it, over time, is naturally filtered and cleaned, ending up in our aquifers as part of the hydrological cycle like we learned back in 3^rd grade. I’m a local Realtor®, and just the other day I met with a homebuyer that called me after watching one of my videos that was moving down from Chicago, and he was staunchly opposed to a septic tank. When I asked why this was the case, he didn’t really have a reason, he just knew that he didn’t like them. I briefly explained how they worked, but it didn’t matter…and that is okay.

Here on the outskirts of Orlando, I’m guessing that about half of our homes are on septic systems, so his choice of homes was limited by his decision, but he still had plenty of options and today he’s a happy new homeowner WITHOUT a septic system. So now we have a general idea of what a septic tank is, let’s take a broad look at whether septic tanks, and septic systems are good or bad for YOU.

Advantages

Let’s start with the advantages of septic tanks. First, you don’t have to be connected to some municipality, paying monthly wastewater bills. Some say there’s a positive environmental impact, too. They say that because of the way the wastewater seeps through the groundwater, there’s a natural benefit as pollutants are broken down naturally.

Cost

Although there IS an upfront cost to installing a septic system, that can pay for itself in light of the wastewater bills you ARE NOT paying as I spoke of earlier.  Septic systems can last forever, too, maybe 40 or 50 years if properly maintained.

Maintenance

Speaking of maintaining your septic system, it’s important to note that you should never put certain things into septic systems that will inhibit decomposition, or obstruct the drain field from doing its work. Just a few items include grease or oil, some chemicals, coffee grounds, pharmaceuticals, bones, hygiene products and anything else that would not naturally break down.

There are commercial products out there to promote biological breakdown of waste in septic tanks, but I don’t know how necessary these products are once a septic system has naturally occurring bacteria, most of which is produced from our guts.

Disadvantages

So, what are some disadvantages of septic tanks? Septic companies recommend pumping out septic systems every few years, which could be a few hundred bucks a pop. Now, I don’t know if that’s really necessary if a septic system is properly cared for, but I’m not an expert in this area, so you should do your own research here. Whenever we help a new homebuyer, we do ALWAYS encourage them to have the septic system inspected and pumped out as a precautionary measure.

As I noted earlier, you NEED to pay attention to what is going down that tank. By allowing one of those items I spoke of a minute ago into your septic system, you could end up spending thousands of dollars replacing part, or all of your system. As I record this today, I believe a new septic system could run between $4,000 and $8,000 for an average home here in the Orlando area. However, there are some municipalities that are placing restrictions on new septic systems, and these systems could cost significantly more than this.

Yards

Septic systems with that “hump”, like I spoke of earlier are unsightly, practically wrecking that section of your yard. Even if it is not raised, you should NEVER drive anything heavy on it or you may crush the drain field. Tree roots can ruin a septic system, too. Speaking of your yard, if you ever plan to put in a swimming pool, remember that a swimming pool won’t just sit on top of that septic tank, and the local government will likely have setbacks that could alter your plans, too.

Trees

Trees, especially large trees, have the ability to seek out septic systems, and if they get their roots into your system, it could be a real problem. If a septic pipe or the drain field is obstructed or ruptured, it could create a “stinky” problem in your house, so pay attention here.

Published on July 01. 2024 / no comments.