A septic system needs maintenance like anything else, including regular pumping and additives on a monthly basis.
If you are buying in Mass, the seller usually pays for the Title V inspection, as well as repairs should the system fail inspection. Here's the MA site:http://www.title-5.com/title-v.htm.

Most rural areas are on private septic, and are adopting Title V standards as they do here in MA. Title V systems is probably the biggest scam in the building industry. You need to spend a minimum of $10,000 for an engineer to furnish a set of 'canned' plans for a three bedroom home which consists of a pre-cast 1500 gallon tank, and a distribution box ($1100 delivered) and a leach field with carefully placed 3/4" stone no closer than 100' to a well. This combined with a 1/2 day of backhoe time, four people (two to work, and two to watch the other two). Big scam even bigger? ALL of the REO's have failed septics which means negotiating room at the table. The banks are using Title V inspectors who conveniently own excavating equipment, who could blame them for increasing business? I'm currently working an REO with a failed Title V, bank will negotiate my quote for 20K, a job which is worth $9500 to the right guy, the difference being a kitchen remodel.

IN NJ, there are MANY septics that have failed or are failing. The average lifespan is 25 years...anything older and you are on borrowed time.

Ask the seller all that you wish, but it is up to the buyer to obtain a through septic inspection,to make sure the systme is in good condition, which includes digging up the D-Box and using a camera to scope it out. This could run up to a couple of grand...but well worth the cost, when a new septic can cost in excess of 25K..at least that is the case here in NJ...and THAT is only if you can find a new leach field..otherwise, one may need to go to an alternative system which can cost even more...

BTW...here in NJ, the buyer foots the whole cost.

Septics do not need monthly treatments. Exercise reasonable caution and there shouldn't be an issue. No garbage disposal, don't flush anything but waste or TP, don't send an unreasonable amount of water into the system (use efficient appliances or install a dry well for washing machine if you do a ton of laundry), and get the tank pumped once in awhile (frequency depends on size of system, how much you use it, etc.). If you are buying a home with an existing system try to get copies of the system plan (homeowner or town may have this). Get the tank AND leach field inspected, don't cheap out and just do the tank.

My daughter recently bought rural property with a septic system. The inspection revealed some issues and the owner was required to pay to have the issues resolved before close. This was done.
HOwever, my daughter & husband were later advised by a plumber (who was doing other work for them) that the septic system was actually too close to the well and that the county inspector had most likely erroneously approved it (which later they found out that the inspector approved almost everything in that county)

Anyway, the consulted an attorney who had sessions with the inspector and the septic company, and the lawyer persuaded the company to redo the septic at no cost. (I'm guessing the inspector & septic company did not want the attorney to delve into these county affairs. Anyway, she did get the new septic (the attorney fees were steep)

Lesson learned, if there are issues at inspection & the buyer still wants the property -- negotiated a cash settlement, so that the work can be done in the best way possible.
Susan

I do think the article was useful. Especially the part about size vs. bedrooms - that could include a family moving in with a lot of kids who are planning on doubling up in bedrooms or putting bedrooms in the basement. Need to be careful there. (As well as buying a house like that) There is always more to say eh?
Looking at the property with an eye to whether there is room for a new leach field or some reasonable alternative in case of failure is a good one. And that takes some research to find out where gas and water lines etc. are.
I think its pretty hard to inspect a septic system with any accuracy. Not saying don't do it but I think you have to luck in finding the right person. One who knows the history of the different type of systems in the area, how the local installers tended to put them in, what the local soils tend to be like, what sorts of problems tend to be most common, ergo what to look for. Typically I find that guy about a year after I need em:)

A properly maintained septic system will last decades. A major cause of failure is not pumping on a regular basis. A family of four would have the tank pumped about every five years or so. This way no solids will get into the leach field which can be troublesome to fix.

No bleach should go down the drains either. Bleach kills the good bacteria in the tank which dissolves the solids.

How do you wash clothes without using bleach?

Use soap?

Obviously greg_2015 you don't wash many whites. Thanks for the response though. I might never thought of using soap otherwise.

I don't use bleach either, and my clothes get clean anyway :) We had a septic system at our old home (for 18 years) and I agree that people who move to a house with one need to understand how they work (along with wells).

I read some online information, it said you can use bleach in normal amounts for washing.

A little bleach once or twice a week is not enough to kill the bacteria. Same with those antibacterial soaps. I just pumped my tank for the first time. It was year six. It only had one foot of sludge on the bottom. I could have gone a lot longer before pumping. No need for those bacteria packets either.

A 'healthy' septic system can handle a little bleach now and then. The problem is ... what's a little and is your system healthy? Trying it and killing your system can be an expensive test.
There are all kinds of alternatives to bleach that you can use. Google it. Do they work as well as bleach? Probably not. Are they as cheap as bleach? Probably not. But they're safer for your septic system.

Anyone know if Oxiclean is safe for septics? I haven't moved into my house yet, but I've been reading up on best practices, and making sure your TP is septic safe is important, too.

Oxyclean is fine, as is a little bleach or other cleaners. If you're dumping gallons and gallons of any cleaner into a septic system on a daily basis, then you will have a problem. A normal family, with normal housekeeping practices, will be fine with a septic system. I know people worry about it as I did when I first lived with a septic system instead of city sewer. Don't flush feminine products or paper towels. We've even used a very good quality garbage disposal for the 14 years we've been in our home. We use it judiciously and don't dump tons of veggie peels down it, but it's fine. Have the tank pumped every 3-6 years depending on family size and tank size.

Rrah, I should have explained my system is ancient, so I want to avoid anything which may tax it at all, things that a younger healthy system may not be phased by Could Oxiclean compromise a very old, vulnerable, as in probably fragile, system?

According to the Oxyclean website it is safe for septic systems when used normally. If you're planning on doing 30 loads of laundry every week or so then I wouldn't use it all of the loads. Actually I wouldn't do 30 loads of laundry in a week with a septic system though.

gramarows Have you done fairly regular maintenance on your system - pumping it out every 3 - 5 years? Had any prior problems with your drain field - water coming to the surface, etc. There's a lot of variables to consider.

Jbr - I haven't moved in yet. I'm hoping the extended rest the system has had for nearly a year by the time I actually get to move in will be beneficial for it. I plan to pump the following year as it had a title V a couple years ago. I was informed by my town's DPW NO garbage disposer, NEVER put any paints including washing brushes, and avoid bleach, and limit laundering to once a day unless a very dry day 2 x but not back-to-back. In my area, once the system fails, the grey water laundry fields become out of code and must be incorporated into the main septic system. Although the OP's original post was years ago, I missed that article linked which does mention septic owners will be forced to share in the cost if the town elects to extend sewer past their property. That is one thing I didn't think of and wished I could have checked with the town for their plans prior to deciding to purchase.

Having a system go unused for a period of time is actually not good for it. Not exactly sure why... I think the drain field can dry up and form a hydrophobic layer that will not absorb water too well.

There is a guy here that can take a field that has gone bad, and use high pressure air that is blasted into the drain field to "aerate" the ground and break up the soil a bit, to get it back to operating fine again.

How do you wash paint brushes if you have a septic system?

You can use oxygen Bleach to your septic system, it can help microorganisms to survive and do their work..

We have installed aerobic septic system in our house, it is easy to maintain and do better treatment process.

Vera, I don't think you have your science right. Bleach kills microorganisms. To quote an internet source: without the billions of naturally occurring microscopic critters living in a septic system, the septic system would not work properly. These organisms are responsible for a major part of the three-stage treatment that processes waste water in a septic system.

Vera said oxygen bleach. You're thinking of chlorine bleach. Two very different things.

Thanks greg, I didn't realize what "oxygen bleach" was, never heard of it before.

If you watch TV, you've likely seen many, many commercials for OxiClean and BioClean, etc, etc or similar...

We were "city people" before we bought our home (8 years old at the time) twenty five years ago. I was a little nervous about it having a septic system. In reality it is no problem. We don't use any additives and have it pumped every two years only because that's mandated by our municipality. Our lake home is even older and has a septic that we've pumped about twice in twenty years. They always pass inspection. I can't remember what my water and sewer bill was when I lived in the city. But if I conservatively estimate saving $50 on water and sewer times twelve months times 25 years I think I'm ahead of the game!

SaltiDawg, I don't watch TV, so I've missed all the commercials :)

We are on septic. We use septic friendly toilet paper. We had it cleaned out when we moved in two years ago, and yes it is over 25 years old. They told us it should be fine as long as we maintain it. Because it's a big house and there are only two of us, they said to call again in five years.

I have had septic systems at two difference houses for over 30 years. Automatic washing machines and bleach, garbage disposals. "Additives" are not required and are largely snake oil. The tank does need occasional pumping (our county mandates five years, but the frequency really depends on your use). Some of the more modern systems have a filter screen that needs to be periodically cleaned.

The only thing I had to do other than pumping is that the system on one house had the field up hill and the pumps seem to last about 15 years. Not a big thing to have them replaced.

I like this forum because we can always learn. Our septic is located under the deck that covers our lower driveway. A previous owner laid bricks over it, and all we have to do is pick them up, lift the lid, and the Septic boys can clean it out. It's nice down there in the summer under the deck with the bricks. We actually love it.

That was great planning!

Yes, if you tank is in the middle of a grassy area it's pretty easy to dig it up to get access (I'm always amazed watching my septic guy find the tank. It never takes him more than two jabs with the probe to locate it. If you have landscaping (or hardscape) you might consider a better access method. In fact, for my new house I installed these risers ("EZ Riser" is the brand) that essentially gives me a small cover at ground level (sits flush so the lawmower rolls right over them) that allows me to get to the output screen without having to dig at all.