Household Septic System

[GPintheMitten]

Sometimes you can see a difference in the grass over the tank. Because they are often shallow, the soil sometimes contains less moisture and the grass over the tank is dryer or browner.

It could be deeper than 18" or maybe it is closer to the house. I would try using the probe in a line from where you believe it is based on the historical permit and move toward the house in a line perpendicular to the house. I would probe at about 20" intervals.

It seems to me that there should be a cleanout located in the house close to where it leaves.... or just outside. But it could have been covered over in the wall or by carpet if in the floor, or dirt if outside.

I would continue to probe for awhile before I dug with the fel. You may need to get a longer probe. But if you decide to dig with the fel, I would expect the tank and lid to hold up fairly well. You may end up hitting the lid or its handle which is probably a steel rod bent over. It is possible that you would break the lid, but that alone is not the end of the world.

 

[Paul Thornton]

The grass may be greener over the field.

 

[mark02tj]

Sometimes you can see a difference in the grass over the tank. Because they are often shallow, the soil sometimes contains less moisture and the grass over the tank is dryer or browner.

Ours is about a foot or so down. The lids are about 6" below the surface. I could tell where mine was because the snow always melts over it first. If we have 3" or less of snow, it will melt over the tank in a day or so regardless if the snow in the rest of the yard melts.

I could also make out the round tank lids in the grass. When I opened it up for the pumper (no problems - just thought it was a good idea to pump it) a couple of years ago, I had no trouble figuring out where to dig.

 

[Wagtail]

Yep, that's why I started looking already. I remember being a kid and dad paying through the nose for an emergency pump-out and it made a nasty mess in the house.

You've inspired me to search also and, after fossicking between the french field & the house, I found it!



It was tricky as the shadows from some trees were obscuring it.

 

[MossRoad]

If you ever get snow, usually the first place it melts is over the tank. You could also try an infrared camera and look at the lawn. Might work.

Here's an article that gives some pretty good advice on how to find them...
How to Find The Septic Tank - step by step

 

[Billrog]

Since the tank has been in the ground for a while don't start messing around with a loader you could go through the tank very easily. I just replaced one this winter that a skid steer caved in. Metal detector or probe 12' from house was good advice. The tank edge shouldn't be closer than 10'.

 

[PILOON]

You should be able to rent a detector.
I once got one at a garage sale and practiced with it a bit knowing where my tank actually was.
Mine is 7 ft down and that detector located it with ease to the point that I could trace the tank outline on the ground.
In my case the lids are flush with the surface for easy access as by law we need to pump every 2 years. (4 for seasonal usage)

The detector located the metal wire mesh in the concrete tank.
If you are friendly with your city public works they for sure have one and maybe they would help you.

 

[Mike_Kanzer]

Once you find it, add a riser to the opening. Your septic company will thank you as it will make it easy to pump out the tank. I pump mine every 2-3 years to try to prevent any possible problems in the future.

 

[dmccarty]

Once you find it, add a riser to the opening. Your septic company will thank you as it will make it easy to pump out the tank. I pump mine every 2-3 years to try to prevent any possible problems in the future.

THIS. What Mike said. But also check and make sure you do not have TWO openings. Our tank has two compartments, one for the liquids and one for the solids. The LIQUID compartment has the riser which is required by code. The solid compartment does NOT have to have a riser by our code.:confused3::shocked: I had one installed the first time we pumped the tank so that it would be easier to pump in the future.

The problem with the code, is that a homeowner might no know there are two tanks, and the tank you really want to pump is the solid. The code wants the riser on the liquid compartment to make it easy to clean the filter.

I try to pump our tank every Presidential election. Easy to remember that way.

Later,
Dan

 

[PILOON]

Once you find it, add a riser to the opening. Your septic company will thank you as it will make it easy to pump out the tank. I pump mine every 2-3 years to try to prevent any possible problems in the future.

As I earlier said 2 yrs is law here, 4 for seasonal.

I did have one system that I had personally hand dug, poured concrete, and manually made the drainage field.
It was inspected and approved as well.
I had it pumped for the first time after 22 years of usage and they stated that it was about equal to a a normal 2-3 year usage system.
I would venture to say that all in all I spent no more than $200. to build it at that time. The build would be about 45 years ago
and it still runs great today.

As I gather in some areas you have to add a couple of $00's to that cost for inflation.