Q: When I bought my home, I was told the house’s septic system needs to be cleaned out every three to five years. I recently tried to locate my septic tank, but I can’t remember where the previous homeowner said it was buried. Is there a way to find my septic tank without knowing its general location?
A: A septic tank should be pumped regularly, or else it can cause your home ’ sulfur integral effluent system to back up. If you aren ’ thyroxine sure where your septic tank is buried, it can be difficult to spot and repair leaks or flooding before they become more expensive problems. tied if you don ’ metric ton know the estimate placement of your septic tank, you can find it using one or more of these potential solutions .
Inspect your yard for signs of the septic tank.
One of the easiest ways to locate a septic cooler is to plainly go for a walk around your family. septic tanks can normally be spotted by looking for signs of a large immerse aim in your yard. A probable index would be a large divot or mound, which frequently occurs when the initial hole jab for a septic tank car is besides big or small, respectively. besides look for parts of the lawn that are patchy and unmanageable to grow denounce or plants on. If there isn ’ t a significant sum of soil covering the tank, then it ’ s probably that the area will have very sparse plant growth. Should these methods fail, the smell from an untreated septic tank car will gradually build until you might narrow down its location by smell.
Reading: Solved! How to Find Your Septic Tank
There are a few spots where you don ’ t need to search. typically, a septic tank won ’ metric ton be installed under or near a well water system, and they ’ re rarely buried under paved surfaces, like patios, sidewalks, or driveways. You can besides rule out areas close to any major landscaping or yard features, such as a pool. ad
Look for the septic tank lid using a soil probe.
septic tanks have one or two lids, depending on whether they have a single compartment or double compartments for trickle and breaking down effluent material. These lids tend to stick up from the main tank, so they can often be found with a land probe ( which makes for a highly effective septic tank locator cock ). You can alternatively use a piece of rebar or any long, specialize object that ’ s hard enough to break the land without much effort. Regardless of what you use, your probe should ideally be at least 4 feet in duration. Make certain to not drive the probe besides hard into the anchor while probing ; otherwise, you could damage the septic tank eyelid. Though, how deep is a septic tank ? unfortunately, septic tank installers don ’ thymine bury every tank at the same depth, so your septic tank may be buried deoxyadenosine monophosphate little as a foot clandestine or it could be covered in greater than 4 feet of dirty. You ’ ll want to use a mallet to help drive your probe down into the dirt to find a deeply buried tank. A metal detector can besides be used to locate septic tanks, and it may even detect the metal handles of septic tank lids to narrow down your probe. When you locate your tank, mark the location with a lawn ornament, minor sign, or measure the outdistance from the two near corners of your family and keep a record of this information for future reference. Related: How Much Does a Septic Tank Cost?
Follow the main sewer line from your home to your septic tank.
septic tanks are connected to the main gutter line or waste pipe of a home, so you can follow the focus of this pipe to help pinpoint where your tank is buried. ad Look through the basement, cellar, or crawl space to find the independent sewer line running into your home. This pipe will broadly be about 4 inches in diameter and made out of project cast-iron or heavy PVC pipe. When you locate the pipe, note the spot where it exits your home. Find the corresponding area outside and walk directly away from the house. Drain pipes are normally laid in straight lines, so you can be convinced that the septic cooler is buried somewhere along where the main waste shriek exits the home plate.
Follow the estimate path of the drain channel and look for any signs that a septic tank has been buried in the area. A probe can help verify that you have found the cooler ’ sulfur location, and it ’ s besides a good idea to use a power shovel to uncover the lid. Mark the location with a lawn decorate, a little gestural, spray rouge, or measure the distance from the two closest corners of the home and keep a commemorate of this information somewhere safe so you can refer to it in the future .
Consult local county records for your home’s septic system permit.
A septic tank ’ south location can impact nearby water sources, so installers normally must apply for septic organization permits to mitigate the risk of environmental damage or drink water system contamination. Thanks to this practice, your local county should have a record of where your septic tank is buried. If this commemorate was provided with the leverage of your home, you can review the septic system diagram to determine the size of your tank and the number of lids it has to help narrow down its location. Some older homes may not have these records, however. Related: The Best Septic Tank Treatments ad
Check with local septic maintenance companies.
If your local politics doesn ’ t have records of your septic cooler, then it ’ s potential that it was installed without a let or is an older system predating license requirements. Either manner, any septic system would have needed to be pumped at least once every three to five years to stay in good working order. With this in mind, you could contact local plumb companies that offer septic care services to see if the tank was previously pumped by them and if they know the tank ’ mho placement .
Ask your neighbors or contact a professional.
While it differs between neighborhoods, it ’ s possible that your property ’ mho septic tank was buried in a like location as your neighbor ’ s tank car was on their property. You may be able to locate your septic tank plainly by asking them. tied if neighbor system systems weren ’ triiodothyronine laid in the like spots in relative to their houses, your neighbors may still have information about where your septic tank car is located. Contact the neighbors who have lived in the vicinity the longest. It ’ s feasible they could have seen your septic tank being serviced at some point in the last five years, in which case they may be able to point you in the right commission. If you run out of DIY options and still haven ’ triiodothyronine found your septic tank, hire a professional to locate your tank car to ensure it doesn ’ metric ton go unmaintained for excessively long.
Related: Solved! How Long Do Septic Tanks Last? ad
