How can I find my septic tank?

[flashback]

Seeing KRS's thread got me to thinkin. I need to find my tank as I am going to build a storage building and sure don't want to put it on top of the tank...Thanks flashd

 

[dakk1]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

In my youth I worked for a company that installed septic tanks and did clean outs. Those guys would generally look for the vent pipes on the roof. Then they took a heavy iron probe about 6 foot long and probed around till they hit the concrete lid. Seemed to work for them.

Dave

 

[SlowlySinking]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

Remember Erma Bombeck, she wrote a book titled,

"The Grass is Always Greener over the Septic Tank". d


Hummm, why is the instant reply page in German?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

Look in your basement for the direction of your waste pipe. That will give you a direction since waste pipes usally run straight.

I would hesitate to build near a septic tank since there should be a leach field with it.

 

[technostingray]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

Basement? What's a basement? 8) :=

 

[aspeck]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

You should have a clean-out at your tank. If it has been cut down to dirt level and grass has grown over it, that makes it a little more difficult. If you know the general area (like Bob said, follow the pipes), then you can take a metal probe (we usually use a peice of rebar) and start pounding it into the ground. Rocks have a different sound and feel than a septic tank. The lid will be a foot or 2 higher than the rest of the tank (usually). That makes it easier to find the riser. Keep moving about a foot at a time. It can be a long process, but you should eventually find it.

Or, if you can borrow the "electronic ears) from a local municipality - they use them to find leaks in water lines - then you just need to keep running water down the drain and follow the sound of the water from your house to the septic tank.

 

[lakelivin]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

You might try contacting the municipal department that issues septic system permits in your area. They had a sketch of my layout on file that they were glad to fax me.

BTW, my system has 2 tanks (solids & liquids). The clean out access to the solids tank is buried about 3 feet underground (they found it by using a rod to probe several feet behind the liquids tank). Several neighbors have the same setup. Anyone know why they wouldn't put the access cover of the solids tank ground level so you don't have to dig up the yard to access it?

Also, note Bob's comment about the septic/leach field. You wouldn't want to build over that either, and it isn't necessarily right next to your tank. I pump mine uphill to a field about 250 feet away. One neighbor had to pump his what must be between 1/3 - 1/4 mile because the field he had originally planned to use wouldn't perk!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

I just had a great idea......

Tell your wife or child to sing into the toilet bowl. Explain that singing is a sound that travels pipes best. Tell them you are going out into the yard to search for the source of the sound or have a kid do it. So while ones sings into the toilet the other should be crawling around listening for it...... now get the vieo camera it would be a memory worth taping. So, it may not work but consider the fun you can have.

Why am I feeling evil today?8)

 

[JRJ]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

8)8)Bob VT

 

[Jack Shellac]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

This isn't always the case, but the area right over the septic tank is usually just slightly higher than the rest of your yard. Use this and the clues the other guys gave and just start probing with a metal rod until you find it. You may have to water the lawn for a while to get the dirt soft enough for the rod to penetrate to the depth needed. I've seen septic tank service guys look for a long time before they found one, so don't get discouraged if you don't find it right away.

 

[flashback]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

Thanks for the info guys, Bob thats got to be about the best! I'll start singing right away and maybe even you will hear me! dd seriously tho, I guess the rod and shovel is the way I will go. as far as Erma, I don't have any grass, this place is a lake cabin out in the woods, all I have is weeds, and they grow just fine everywhere...Heck I might not even have a septic tank. d

 

[ED21]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

A metal detector should pick up the rebar in the tank.
A site plan should be filed with your local building department.

 

[roscoe]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

My tank was put in long before there was a local building department.

 

[Link]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

A metal detector should pick up the rebar in the tank.
A site plan should be filed with your local building department.

Rats I was going to say use a metal detector.
Esp if its old.. when they used metal pipes..
And a cheap 15 dollar MD would be good enough.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

Just think of the absolute ideal spot for that building you want to erect... that where it will be....

 

[flashback]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

Yep hystat, thats exactly what I was thinkin........:'(

 

[tomatolord]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

When I bought my house the owner said its over there somewhere....

The Honeydipper found it by going 10ft from the house and looking at where the drain for the house is.

There usually is a main drain in the house where everything goes to.

The he used his rebar probe and found the box.

Needless to say after 30 years it was fuller then AL gore....

I have a pump as well that pumps up hill to a "box system"

If you are getting a permit to build the shed you will might be able to get one to build it over the drain field of the system.

It just is not a good idea to build a shed over the drain field of your system.

....

Funny story in my neighborhood, a friend needed to find his tank, so he went down to the county and asked to see the permit. Well guess what - they did not even know there was a house built on that property. They had no permits or any other evidence that his house even existed. (the county was good at collecting the taxes)

Since he was like the 3rd owner they did not do anything.

But essentially he had a house that was never inspected!

Tlord

 

[nothreat]

Re: How can I find my septic tank?

This is kinda off topic but I thought I would share a story. I bought a house about 15 years ago and within a few months the toilets started acting up. I have lived on septic systems all my life so I recognize the symptoms of a tank that needed cleaned so I called a guy to clean it. He came and opened it up and cleaned it but said it appeared that the outlet was plugged downline somewhere and probably broken by tree roots. I went to the court house to get plans for the system and they told me that if they got involved, they would have to inspect the system. And that if it wasn't up to code (which it certainly wasn't)) I would have to install a new one. I wasn't ready to do that, but the lady recommended an old guy who could find it for me. I called him and he came out. He was about 70 years old. He showed up with a devining fork. Basically a stick with a fork in it. I almost laughed, but he got busy walking around the yard with that stick. After about 15 minutes he stopped, called me over and told me the break was right here. This was 80+ feet from the tank and not even in the direction of the outlet. Long story short, I dug where he marked and sure enough there was the pipe broken and full of tree roots. I spliced a new link in and never had another problem. I always thought devining rods were a myth, but he made it work.