Agent (really helpful) advises that Spenc could not find the FS and have no records of testing, therefore a new one must be fitted.
Ok, we can come to an agreement on price … but …
How can the installer do the job if nobody knows where the pipework exits the house ? … and if he follows the loo pipe and finds the exit point, why not dig and follow it to the FS ?
… or does he just put the FS in place, dig a trench, lay pipe, drill through the stone wall, install new pipes upstairs and down…
… and how does he make his estimate ? … or does he just present me with a huge bill ?
I’m sure I’m not the first with this problem … so any advice or comments will be greatly appreciated
Many thanks in advance
Peter
When I bought my current house the previous owners couldn’t find the fosse either… Usually they’re in a suitable spot. I went around with a spade, and when it struck concrete beneath the herb garden I managed to dig down until I revealed a concrete slab concealing it.
Most likely that the artisan makes their devis on the basis that all will be new and forget about the old stuff. They will find the outlet from the building for the wc and also the grey water and then install a system that conformes. The old pipework etc will just remain in place for future archaeological digs.
I had our labourer digging all over the place looking for any type of cover, all without success. I naturally followed the vent pipe back to it’s connection point to locate a sort of cylinder on its side and found the entry point for the foul water. We both dug striking the tank several times but still never found the cover. We switched to mains drainage after that.
So to the OP, look for a vent pipe. That should give a clue.
Personally I wouldn’t worry. Just make sure you have seven to ten K, (notionally deducted from the asking price or not) to put in a new fosse. If it can’t be found, it and/or its drainage is knackered anyway.
Assuming the house has internal sanitary fittings then the waste water/sewage will be going somewhere.
As others have said an old fosse is often hard to find even though it might have been working untouched for many years. It only becones a problem when the house is sold, as you have discovered.
We have owned 4 houses in France, the first we sold back in 2006 which had a fosse as I have just described. SPANC didnt exist as such back then so tge house was sold without such problems of inspection.
House 2 was on main drainage but when we sold in 2012 SPANC did a full inspection using dye in the water to satisfy themselves that all was connected to the public system.
House 3 had a fosse when we bought in 2006 but during our ownership the commune switched to main drainage so we were connected FOC.
House 4 we bought in 2010, I say house but it was no more than a shell.
During renovation I installed a new fosse and all associated dranage. I have been a builder all my working life so instalation was just another job but SPANC thought otherwise.My work was inspected at every stage!
We sold the house last December and of course had to have a certificate of health from SPANC.
The inspection took all of 5 minutes and given a clean bill of health.
Budget for a new fosse and you will have no future worries.
One word of warning. Make sure you use fosse friendly loo paper and no wet wipes down the pan.
@Prolec you raised a few queries and I hope my post answers some of them.
The last time I personally came across this situation was about 2 years ago. Friends bought a house with “no fosse/lost fosse” (yes, the house price took this into consideration).
They knew what they wanted to do with the house’ interior and asked SPANC to do a site-visit to discuss what would be necessary as far as SPANC were concerned with the outflow of water of whatever sort.
SPANC were very helpful, gave lots of details of what should be done outside, (eg depth of pipes, grease traps, inspection points etc etc… size of fosse etc etc…)
All of this was carefully noted by the householder and used as the basis for quotes when contacting contractors.
Incidentally, when talking with their Mairie about the proposed fosse, their Mairie offered the name of a “tried and trusted” contractor.
Our friends asked me if I’d heard of “blah blah blah” and I was glad to confirm that this was, indeed, a well-known and well-respected contractor, who did excellent work across the region. I suggested they might like to get one or more other quotes for comparison re the price.
The suggested contractor did a site visit, discussed thoroughly with the householder, checked with SPANC and subsequently provided the householder with a very detailed quote.
He got the job and co-ordinated with SPANC (and the householder) through every stage of the installation.
Might not be a soak away fosse septique but an old fashioned septic tank with no soakaway but that would have an opening somewhere as they do have to be emptied. My granddad had one for years in the middle of the veg patch and a friend who lived in a row of terraced cottages had one and the emptying pipes had to go through her house every few years.
Yes, Shiba.. the situation with our friends’ house. water left the house somehow (and in various places) and did whatever it liked “in the old-fashioned way”
Mine is the same, installed in 1979 but no one can find it, 3 times paid the inspection and got the list of things to fix, 3 time nothing has changed. Monsieur F. (now sadly no longer with us) who we bought from had it installed as part of a renovation and lived here with his wife and 5 daughters for 20 years and we have for 27. Mairie can’t help as the plans were changed part way through changing the "wet end of the project from South aspect to North and the updated plans can’t be found. Each time I get the entertainment of a man prodding about a metre deep with a pointed stick, then looking for and damp soil areas and lastly sniffing the air in various places to then declare “Le règlement stipule que je dois inspecter l’installation”. Should I really be overly concerned
It isn’t always any easier with mains drainage. When we sold our previous house, we had to provide proof of connection to the mains drainage system that ran past our house – something that seemed obvious to us, as we’d not been told about a septic tank when we bought it. However, the technician couldn’t find any tracer dye in the mains drainage system. We sold the house without ever finding an answer to the question. It’s likely that our waste water was flowing into… the old pipes dating back to the time of Louis XIV, as our house was in front of the Abreuvoir de Marly
Personally I would engage the services of a drain clearance firm - French equivalent of Dyno-rod - of which there are franchisees throughout France. They can offer a service to send a camera down the pipes and at least you should be able to find where things go at present - because they must be going somewhere! The fact SPANC don’t have a record of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Realistically the sellers should pay this but all is negotiable. Presumably the sellers were not resident in the building themselves (perhaps the previous resident has deceased) which is why they don’t know where it is either.
