Septic Tank Inspections in Clover & York County, SC
Home-sale inspections and problem diagnosis across York County, South CarolinaBuying or selling a house on septic? Keith Morehead, a state-licensed septic installer, inspects the system and records what he finds on a standard written inspection form. He also tracks down the cause when a system is already backing up, draining slowly, or smelling.
Septic Inspections for a Home Sale
Morehead Septic Services provides real-estate septic inspections by a state-licensed septic installer, using a standard written inspection form.
The inspection is the same whether you are the buyer or the seller. Keith looks at the tank and its baffles, checks the tank itself for cracks, and puts the drain field through a stress test. What he finds goes on the written form, so both sides of the sale are reading the same thing.
If you are selling, an inspection before you list gives you time to fix a failing part on your schedule. If you are buying, it tells you what is in the ground before you own it.
The 25-Minute Stress Test
A drain field can look fine on a quiet day and fail on a busy one. So Keith runs water straight to the drain field for 25 minutes and watches how it handles the load.
“That’s like a worst-case scenario. Everybody in the house is showering.”
Keith Morehead
A field that takes 25 minutes of steady water without backing up is doing its job. One that doesn’t is something you want to know about before closing, not after.
When Something Is Already Wrong
Recurring clogs, a smell that won’t go away, or a backup soon after a pump-out all mean something other than a full tank. Keith finds the cause with a snake and a camera, working through the tank inlet or a cleanout, across Clover, Lake Wylie, York, Rock Hill, and the rest of York County.
A Look at the Tank
Keith starts with the tank, the baffles, and the access points. He checks the outlet baffle on every tank he opens and looks for cracks in the tank.
Snaking the Line
A sewer snake clears a simple clog and shows whether the line is open. Keith diagnoses the pipe between the house and the tank. Repairing that pipe is a plumber’s job.
Camera Scoping
When the snake doesn’t settle it, a camera goes down the line to look for roots, cracks, a sunken pipe, or a blocked baffle.
A Straight Answer
Keith tells you what he found and what it takes to fix. If it is a repair he does, he quotes it. If it is a plumber’s job, he says so.
The Tank That Was Almost Empty
A Rock Hill homeowner called Keith for a pump-out. When he opened the tank, it was nearly empty. A tank that should be full and isn’t means the waste is going somewhere else.
Keith ran the camera up the line toward the house and found it. The pipe from the house had sunk and broken, and sewage was pooling underground before it ever reached the tank.
Pumping would not have fixed anything. Keith explained what the camera showed and referred the homeowner to a plumber, because the pipe between the house and the tank is plumbing work. Without the camera, the break would still be in the ground.
What a Septic Inspection Costs
Keith prices an inspection or a diagnosis by the job, not by the hour, and his quote has no hidden costs. The price depends on the system and on what it takes to reach it. Call (803) 902-1290 for a price on yours, or see septic pumping cost for how Keith prices his work.
If the inspection turns up a failing part, Keith handles most septic system repairs himself.
Common Questions About Septic Inspections and Diagnosis
What does a real-estate septic inspection include?
Keith looks at the tank and its baffles, checks the tank for cracks, and runs a 25-minute stress test on the drain field. He records what he finds on a standard written inspection form.
Who performs the inspection?
Keith Morehead does every inspection himself. He is a state-licensed septic installer, and he uses a standard written inspection form.
Is the inspection different for a buyer than for a seller?
No. It is the same inspection and the same form, whichever side of the sale you are on.
What is the drain field stress test?
Keith runs water straight to the drain field for 25 minutes. That copies the heaviest use a household puts on a system, with everyone showering at once, and shows whether the field can take it.
Should I get a septic inspection before I list my house?
It helps. An inspection before you list shows you a failing part while there is still time to repair it, so it doesn’t surface in the middle of a sale.
What happens if the inspection finds a problem?
Keith tells you what it is and what it takes to fix. He repairs baffles, floats, effluent pumps, and drain fields, and he installs replacement tanks, so in most cases he can quote the repair himself.
How much does a septic inspection or diagnosis cost?
Keith prices it by the job, not by the hour, and his quote has no hidden costs. Call (803) 902-1290 for a price on your system.
Why is my septic tank backing up?
These are the most common causes:
- The tank is full. If it has not been pumped in 3 to 5 years, it is likely overdue.
- The line is clogged. Wipes, grease, or heavy toilet paper use can block it.
- A baffle is broken. A collapsed or missing outlet baffle can block the flow.
- A float or pump has failed. In a two-tank system, liquid can back up into the first tank.
- The drain field is saturated. Rain or a failing field slows drainage and can leave water on the surface.
- The pipe from the house is broken. The tank stays low while sewage pools underground.
When should I call someone about my septic system?
Call when drains gurgle or run slowly through the whole house, when water comes up in one fixture while another drains, when you smell septic odor inside or out, or when a problem returns within weeks of a pump-out. The septic tank pumping page lists the signs of a full tank.
Does Keith use a camera every time?
No. If a look at the tank and a pass with the snake answer the question, the camera stays in the truck. When the cause is still unclear, the camera is the next step.
How does Keith find a buried tank or a broken pipe with a camera?
He feeds the camera in through a cleanout. The camera head sends out a signal, and Keith walks the yard with a wand until he is standing over it. That marks the spot without digging up the yard to look.
Can I schedule a diagnosis after a pump-out?
Yes, and that is a good time for it. If the tank was pumped and the trouble came back, the cause is something other than a full tank.
Will Keith fix the problem once he finds it?
In most cases, yes. There are two exceptions. The pipe between the house and the tank is a plumber’s job, and Keith pumps engineered (advanced treatment) systems but does not repair them.
Can problems be found without digging up my whole yard?
Yes. Between cleanouts, the camera, and digging only where it is needed, most of the yard stays untouched.
Why Buyers, Sellers, and Homeowners Call Keith
He Answers His Own Phone
Keith picks up or calls right back, and he is the one who shows up at your door.
One Price for the Job
He quotes by the job, not by the hour, and the quote has no hidden costs.
He Explains What He Finds
Keith walks you through how your system works and what he saw, if you want the explanation.
He Says When It Is Not His Job
The plumber works from the house to the tank. Keith works from the tank to the drain field.
Know What Is in the Ground Before You Buy or Sell
Closing Date Coming Up? Call Keith.
Call (803) 902-1290 and tell Keith the address and your timeline. The same goes if nothing is for sale and your system is simply acting up.
Keith is available 24 hours a day, six days a week. Sundays and holidays are sometimes available, so call to ask.