Hpw do you find a ceptic tank

[m151dave]

We purchased a house with a well and septic system.

I am not having any problems, but I do not know where the septic tank is. I figure I should know where it is if I do have a problem, sooner or later it will need service.

I am seeking advice on how to find it. We have had a very mild summer, so no green patches in the grass that stand out, the whole yard is green so no reveal of the drain field.

The front yard is about a half acre and I do not want to spend the rest of my life poking a rod into the ground looking for this thing. Anybody got a good idea how to pinpoint this thing?

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Did you have septic inspection before the purchase? A home inspection? Both of them should have been able to locate the septic tank.

Check with the county sanitarian, that office should have a plan for the tank and drain field.

You should be able to see the vents from drain field. The tank will be between the house and the drain field. You should be able to locate where the plumbing waste pipe exits the house, that will point you in the right direction.

We are required to have the septic tank pumped every three years. I don't know if that is a state, county, or township requirement.

 

[Rock knocker]

Check with the county sanitarian, that office should have a plan for the tank and drain field.

 

[wildbill23c]

Try contacting the previous owner if possible, they may know where it is. Also, like someone else mentioned the county may have plans of your site that shows where the septic system, drain field, etc are located.

Yes, its good to know where its at, if you have to have a company come out and pump the tank (usually every 10 years, or whenever the house is sold it should be and oftentimes is actually required when the house sells) you need to know where it is or the company you call will nicely charge you an arm and a leg to dig up your yard and find it for you .

One thing that may help, is look for low spots in your yard, sometimes the dirt on top of the tank will settle weird, and that's usually a good sign where the tank is located. The first time you dig it up you may have to do quite a bit of digging around to find the lids though.

 

[southalabama]

House on piers? If so you can see direction of drain line and probe in that direction.

 

[dittle fart around]

Check your local septic cleaner guy. I'm betting they've been by to clean it out.

 

[JimR1998]

Depending on the age of the house or locality the township may have little on record. Also, older systems may have a cesspool instead of a drainfield. You really should have gotten this looked into when you bought the house as repairs and replacement can be very expensive.

First I'd try to find where the plumbing exits the house and then take a close look in the yard along a straight line. Look for an area where the grass is really green or grows fast. I had to tap around with a steel rod for a while before I hit the lid.

It would not hurt to give a few companies a call either. They usually keep notes on the location.

 

[usa#1]

Go under your house and find where the sewer line exit. Go outside an start your search from this spot. Typically the septic tank is located around 10 ft from the house foundation. Probe the ground with a small piece of round steel ( rebar etc) . Most of the time the tanks are not buried very deep. YMMV.

 

[ColoradoToy91]

This might sound crazy, but i used the bent hanger method to locate and dig for our septic tank.

Source from the internet
"The circumstances under which it works varies with the person and the lay of the land but it is certain. Two straight wires with a 90 deg. bend about 4 inches from the end leaving about 12 inches on the other angle. One is held in each hand with the long ends pointed roughly straight ahead while the person walks over the route to be searched. Passing over water or other underground lines will "cause" the wires to swing toward each other."

 

[Tim Kennedy]

Did this sort of thing when I was young -- I used a 6' iron digging bar -- jam it into the ground & this is gonna sound strange but -- put your ear to the top of the bar & have someone flush the toilet -- you will be surprised how much you will hear -- sorta like a giant stethoscope! It will help pinpoint where the line is.

 

[KRB52]

Locate the lines to the tank like the others have described. Once you find the tank edge, work your locating rod along the edge until you find a corner. Mark that spot with something. Work back in the other direction until you find another corner. Mark that spot. Typically, the tanks will have three cleanout holes with plugs along the center. All you have to do is find and dig out one of them. If you have been in the house over winter, try to remember where there was a bare spot in the lawn after a light snow. Tanks generate heat and the ground stays a little warmer over them.

 

[larry4406]

Health department is the first choice to see if they have records of your installation.

Use google earth for your address. There is a time step function so you can go back in time to view various flyovers. You might see the striations (lines) in the grass for the septic trenches. The highest elevation line will be trench 1. The distribution box and tank will be in-line to slightly higher elevation of trench 1 and between the field and your house. Depending on the age of the house, you might even see installation images.

 

[Throbbin Rods]

Health department is the first choice to see if they have records of your installation.

Use google earth for your address. There is a time step function so you can go back in time to view various flyovers. You might see the striations (lines) in the grass for the septic trenches. The highest elevation line will be trench 1. The distribution box and tank will be in-line to slightly higher elevation of trench 1 and between the field and your house. Depending on the age of the house, you might even see installation images.

^
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This

 

[Notgrownup]

County office should have that info with the deed info.

 

[LB-1911]

We purchased a house with a well and septic system.

I am not having any problems, but I do not know where the septic tank is. I figure I should know where it is if I do have a problem, sooner or later it will need service.

I am seeking advice on how to find it. We have had a very mild summer, so no green patches in the grass that stand out, the whole yard is green so no reveal of the drain field.

The front yard is about a half acre and I do not want to spend the rest of my life poking a rod into the ground looking for this thing. Anybody got a good idea how to pinpoint this thing?

On Monday, Call the City, Township, County Bldg Dept / Health Dept and ask for the "As Built" of the septic system, you'll also want to check into the requirements of a "reserve area" being identified.

Until then you may want to check online and see if your City, Township or County Bldg Dept / Health Dept has any information available online that may prove of use.

 

[AnthonyJ124]

The town should have a record and/or a plan of where the septic tank is, unless you live in a very remote area, and the house was built 100 years ago...

Otherwise determining where your pipe exits the house and searching the immediate area (10-50') from the house should find your tank. When in doubt call a septic service company out to pump the tank, chances are good if you can't find the lid easily, and the ground doesn't look disturbed anywhere you suspect the tank to be- you're due for a pump out. A "pro" will be able to find the lid.

I guess I got "lucky" that my tank is 6' deep and has a manhole for access from grade. Ugh.

 

[Koken]

In my area, you can call a septic tank company. They have something the size of a golf ball that attaches to the end of a plumbers snake. They snake it through a line that dead ends into the septic tank. Guy walks around with something that looks like a metal detector. A few beeps later, and you are standing on top of it. No digging around to look for it.

 

[6768rogues]

I agree with USA. See what direction the pipe exits the house and probe the ground. Septic tanks are shallow because the heat of the sun helps them work. In dry weather, you might be able to see a prematurely brown rectangle in the yard.

 

[59 wagon man]

In my area, you can call a septic tank company. They have something the size of a golf ball that attaches to the end of a plumbers snake. They snake it through a line that dead ends into the septic tank. Guy walks around with something that looks like a metal detector. A few beeps later, and you are standing on top of it. No digging around to look for it.

this is the easiest way my locater can go hundreds of feet and i can still locate the pipe within inches and the depth also . you can also try a probe rod. this is basically a 1/4" smooth rod with a t handle. you poke it into the ground until you hit something and if it is the tank you can follow around the verify how the tank lays and the size before you dig

 

[sberry]

Why rush to call "somebody". You did the right thing, ask or search a forum. Decent observation skills are the backbone of any good mechanic.
BTW, the hanger trick works really well, for all kinds of lines. You cant rule them out but you can find them.
Make a probe, mark it out and if I had just bought a home would be opening it up, just to make sure I could and tale a look. Make sure it isn't full of solids, tree roots can come from a long ways etc. Old places used clay pipe.

 

[59 wagon man]

usually it is the drainfield which causes the grass to turn colors as this is where the water is returned into the ground. the septic tank is a big concrete box and basically should be water tight. the depth can vary from right at the surface to several feet below the grade. it al depends on the elevation of the pipe exiting the house

 

[ambenz]

I'm sooo curious, with all the great advice here on this thread, did you use any recommendations to find your system????
Was it in a weird place you never expected?
AND...now that you know where it is, is that property you are eyeing for a future garage available to build on???
Well, I am guessing another reason to find your field is knowing, where a good place would be, to build your dream garage....right?