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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories App Finder: Top tax apps Ashland Calendar, Friday, March 20 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Should Ashland homeowners be able to rent rooms short-term? Beetles taking toll on Ashland pines Education Northwest Pizza to raise money for Ashland Schools Foundation Prisoners in their own home Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Ashland Kiwanis recognizes Samara Diab Environment Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Legislature might be divided on clean fuels bill, but these Ashlanders weren't Business Breaking ground on organic vineyard practices Southern Oregon University: Recent and pending projects at SOU total about $132 million Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback Limited Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Ride & Drive: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Mark L. Hopkins: Looking for a political straight shooter Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries James Ellis York Death Notices Death Notices Shiela R. Ettlich Karen June Shaw Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Sports Latest Stories Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Weber, Smith earn All-American honors Oregon's Altman used to rebuilding, reloading Wade scores 32, Heat rally to beat Blazers AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title High school Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Grizz alpine skiers finish strong at state Ashland High's Honsinger tops field in final nordic ski meet Southern Oregon University Weber, Smith earn All-American honors Oregon's Altman used to rebuilding, reloading AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Thompson, Weber to play in all-star game Beavers get No. 3 seed, host NCAA games Voices Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, March 20 Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Jeffrey Gillespie: The return of the neocons Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Editorial Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules Our View: Ashland is at risk as a bad fire season looms Letters Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Letters to the Editor, March 14 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report Columns Jeffrey Gillespie: The return of the neocons Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Council Corner: City considers the sharing economy Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Best bets for entertainment around Ashland, March 19 Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Community blog: Herzog scholarship for young writers Movie listings: March 13-18 Theater Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Music Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center The Farr Side: Madonna — ever the trendsetter Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 More wonderful wrinkles at 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' 8 must-see spring films Movie review: ‘Wrecking Crew’ is a look at the people who really put the bomp Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Looking Up: Looking for the zodiacal light Health Watch: 5 tips for seasonal allergy relief A better bedtime Studying stress Eat this, not that Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class ... Jeffrey Gillespie: The return of the neocons ... Ashland Calendar, Friday, March 20 ... Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class ... Jeffrey Gillespie: The return of the neocons ... Ashland Calendar, Friday, March 20 ... Dear Monty: Tips for checking out an existing septic system By Richard Montgomery More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Richard Montgomery More Content Now Posted Mar. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Richard Montgomery More Content Now Posted Mar. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Reader question: We are interested in a foreclosed country home with a septic tank. Our agent wants us to do the research “on our own” as she knows little about septic systems. There is no seller we can ask about the septic tank. We want to make an offer, but this concerns us because we do not know where to start. What would you do? Martha and Scott H. Monty’s answer: It is no secret that homes with wells and septic systems have different risk exposures when compared with municipal water and waste disposal systems. By following the path outlined below, you will be able to determine and evaluate potential risks and the current health of the home’s septic system. Your agent’s reticence to take on this learning experience is a bit puzzling. But there is solace with an agent understanding the limits of their practice knowledge, and admitting to it. It also could be a subtle signal that septic system issues in the area can be problematic. Here is what I would do: Septic system inspections 1. Identify septic tank pumpers that service the area. You are seeking a pumping record. Keep calling until you identify the service provider. Market forces usually limit the number of companies offering pumping services to a handful, so you should not have many calls. Proximity to the home will dictate the order of the calls. Drop by a close neighbor’s home and ask (or leave a note) if they observed the pumper truck next door. It is also possible the owner never pumped the tank. There is a variety of reasons owners will neglect a septic system. 2. Call the county health department to be directed to the department that handles private waste disposal systems. If the home is less than 60 years old, a permit may have been required and still be on file. Septic permits often state the size of the home and number of bedrooms. This information determines the size of the drain (leach) field and often includes a diagram locating the house, the tank, and the drain field. If builder is on the permit and can be found, they may remember the installer, who may also have a record. This office will also be the source of good information about the code, code violations or potential septic tank problems in the neighborhood. 1. Identify septic system inspectors through the two sources above. Some states require a separate license and most home inspectors do not inspect septic systems. Call several of these inspection companies to learn about their services and exactly what they do during a septic system inspection. Pumping the tank before the inspection takes place is critical. Two questions to ask are: Do you physically go inside the septic tank? And, If, during the course of the inspection they become suspicious about the remaining life of the drain field, do they physically inspect it? Critical information Even if the sewer system passes inspection and testing, there is still critical information to consider. The more information you can gather about a home’s system, the better your evaluation will be. Lifestyle example: It is discovered only two people lived there and system performed well. New owners have four teenagers and system fails within six months. A failing system was underutilized. Alternate sites: New homes constructed in some states require a primary and alternate drain fields site in order to be eligible for a septic tank. If the system fails at a used home site and no alternate site is suitable, you may be forced to install a mound or holding tank system. Make certain you know the county’s position on alternate sanitary waste disposal sites. The pumping plan How often a septic system is pumped out can vary widely depending on the type of an installed system. For example, a ground level septic tank with a drain field may be pumped every 2-4 years versus a holding tank with no drain field being pumped twice a month. In addition to the type of system here are other considerations that affect the pumping requirements of your system: - Number of occupants - Size of tank - General water use - A garbage disposal Before adding chemical products or solvents advertised as additives to maintain a healthy septic system, check with your local water conservation office or their website for confirmation. A system that doesn’t receive the proper attention and maintenance can suffer a shortened life and become a financial strain. Richard Montgomery gives no-nonsense real estate advice to readers’ most pressing questions. He is a real estate industry veteran who has championed industry reform for over a quarter century. Send him questions at DearMonty.com. By Richard Montgomery More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Richard Montgomery More Content Now Posted Mar. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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