- Oct 19, 2000
- 17,860
- 4
- 81
I purchased my first home last September. I've only just recently started with lawn care, and since I've started cutting this spring, I've noticed a large patch of grass in the backyard that is a much different shade of green than the surrounding grass. It's about a 3'x6' oval-type shape, just to give you a visual. About 2' up towards the house is the blue inspection pipe sticking up out of the ground, so this is roughly the area that the septic tank sits.
Just this morning while cutting the grass, I noticed that although the rest of the backyard had basically dried of morning dew in the sun, that patch of oddly colored green grass was still wet and mushy. There is no standing water, though, just soft earth that is very, very moist. It hasn't rained for a few days, with sunny mid-70 temperatures since Saturday, so weather isn't an issue. I called the wife to check it about an hour ago, and it's still wet and mushy in that area, so it's definitely not going away (not that I expected to).
There is no hint of smell in the backyard that the wife or I have noticed ever. My wife seems to have an acute sense of smell, so if there was an odor, she'd smell it. She's on the back porch all the time, a mere 10 feet from the grass in question. I have yet to actually put my nose to within an inch of the grass to try and detect any smell, but will do that tomorrow. Also, I've taken the cap off the inspection pipe, and while the water level that I can see comes up to around a few inches below the ground, it doesn't appear to be at any different of a level when I first looked while purchasing the home. I'm thinking that septic tanks function at an always full level anyway, but someone correct me if I'm wrong on this.
Here's what I know of the septic tank history. We purchased the house last September, and only 2 of us live there. I do not know the size of the septic tank. The house was empty approximately a year before we moved in. When we purchased the house, the previous owner told me it had been "a couple of years" since the tank had been pumped. The washing machine water does not interface with the normal house wastewater collection, so that takes even more load off the tank.
So, what am I looking at here? Normally, I would probably pony up the $140 to have the tank pumped, but here's the exception to the whole thing. My subdivision is currently being upgraded with sewer lines. They already have dug up the roads and laid the line, but the entire thing isn't expected to be completed until around this time next year when we'll have it hooked up to the house.
From a couple of family members I've spoke to, they've said the wetness is normal with any septic system, and not to worry about it. I don't trust them, though, so I've come to the all-knowing ATOT. I absolutely do not want a septic pool in my too-small backyard. Does it sound like I currently have a problem? If so, will getting the tank pumped most likely solve any potential problems until I leave the whole septic tank behind next year when we switch to sewer? Or am worried about nothing? I don't mind spending the money to have it pumped if need-be, but I don't want to jump the gun and there not really be a need to spend the money.
Just this morning while cutting the grass, I noticed that although the rest of the backyard had basically dried of morning dew in the sun, that patch of oddly colored green grass was still wet and mushy. There is no standing water, though, just soft earth that is very, very moist. It hasn't rained for a few days, with sunny mid-70 temperatures since Saturday, so weather isn't an issue. I called the wife to check it about an hour ago, and it's still wet and mushy in that area, so it's definitely not going away (not that I expected to).
There is no hint of smell in the backyard that the wife or I have noticed ever. My wife seems to have an acute sense of smell, so if there was an odor, she'd smell it. She's on the back porch all the time, a mere 10 feet from the grass in question. I have yet to actually put my nose to within an inch of the grass to try and detect any smell, but will do that tomorrow. Also, I've taken the cap off the inspection pipe, and while the water level that I can see comes up to around a few inches below the ground, it doesn't appear to be at any different of a level when I first looked while purchasing the home. I'm thinking that septic tanks function at an always full level anyway, but someone correct me if I'm wrong on this.
Here's what I know of the septic tank history. We purchased the house last September, and only 2 of us live there. I do not know the size of the septic tank. The house was empty approximately a year before we moved in. When we purchased the house, the previous owner told me it had been "a couple of years" since the tank had been pumped. The washing machine water does not interface with the normal house wastewater collection, so that takes even more load off the tank.
So, what am I looking at here? Normally, I would probably pony up the $140 to have the tank pumped, but here's the exception to the whole thing. My subdivision is currently being upgraded with sewer lines. They already have dug up the roads and laid the line, but the entire thing isn't expected to be completed until around this time next year when we'll have it hooked up to the house.
From a couple of family members I've spoke to, they've said the wetness is normal with any septic system, and not to worry about it. I don't trust them, though, so I've come to the all-knowing ATOT. I absolutely do not want a septic pool in my too-small backyard. Does it sound like I currently have a problem? If so, will getting the tank pumped most likely solve any potential problems until I leave the whole septic tank behind next year when we switch to sewer? Or am worried about nothing? I don't mind spending the money to have it pumped if need-be, but I don't want to jump the gun and there not really be a need to spend the money.
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