Bought a place outside Greer last year and I'm realizing I know nothing about septic systems. Previous owners left no records, no idea when it was last pumped or even exactly where the tank is. Nothing is wrong right now, drains are fine, no smells. Should I be doing something proactively or just wait until there's a problem? I've heard horror stories about drainfields failing and the numbers involved are scary. There's a well on the property too, which makes me a little more nervous about letting problems go unnoticed. Any advice on where to start would be appreciated, especially from people dealing with the same clay soil we've got out here.

Waiting for a problem is the expensive path with these. With no records I'd get it located, pumped, and inspected once so you have a baseline, then you'll know the interval that fits your household. Around here the clay soil is hard on drainfields, so catching solids carryover early genuinely matters. We used Rock Solid Septic for Septic Tank Cleaning in Greenville County and they mapped the tank and gave us a written report we could actually use later. Ask for the pumping documentation, it helps at resale. Also start keeping a simple log of dates, the next owner will thank you and so will future you.