There must be a better way

[ns_in_tex]

Today we went to my brothers to help him locate a septic system which he thinks needs pumping.

We spent the first half day probing 5' deep on a 3' grid. Then we spent the last half day going back over the same area with a 7' probe.

No luck so far. I am exhausted.

Is there a better way?

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Today we went to my brothers to help him locate a septic system which he thinks needs pumping.

We spent the first half day probing 5' deep on a 3' grid. Then we spent the last half day going back over the same area with a 7' probe.

No luck so far. I am exhausted.

Is there a better way? )</font>

========
Yep never cover the man hole up.

 

[Henro]

I hear there are little radio transmitters that can be flushed down and located after they reach the tank, using a radio receiver of some type.

My vote would be that this would be a "better way"... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

That being said, I could not find mine...saw my neighbor outside, went over and talked to him a while...cried about not being able to find my tank...

Told him he may bring me luck...then went back to pounding in a piece of rebar...and hit mine on the first try after taking that break!

So I guess you could try the "talk to the neighbor" trick...but my money would be on the radio transmitter... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

The only way I can suggest would be to dig up where the sewer pipe comes out of the house and see which direction it is going. Then focus your search that way. If no luck then keep digging along the line until you find it.

When you do find it, measure off the corners of the house the where the tank is. Write down the measurements and make a few copies. Put them in different places and you will keep bumping into them. Then when you need to find it again you will have an easier time finding the drawing with the measurements and thus finding the tank. It is much easier to measure the tank when you install them though /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Have fun.

 

[rlk]

You can also find them with a metal detector because the lids should have rebar in them.
Bob

 

[EddieWalker]

Have you tried a metal detector?

I work on homes in the Tyler area and in my experience, I've been able to find them by looking off the bathroom window. I've also found an odd brick at the bottom of the house just above the pipe. I don't know how many brick layers do this, but so far it's worked for me.

My probe is just three feet long.

Good luck,
Eddie



Once I know where the pipe is, I start probing out in that direction. I've never had a cover more than a few feet deep, but understand anything is possible. Five feet down seems way too deep though.

If the tank is that deep, how deep is the leech field???

 

[ns_in_tex]

We may have to try that, so far we havn't.
The house is U shaped with this bath in a upper U corner, so the pipe could come out either of 2 sides. Also this bath has a sunken tub, which means the plumbing has to be lower than normal and we might have to take up several shrubs to reach the line leaving the house.

 

[ns_in_tex]

Thanks,
I figured there had to be some kind of new technology, now-o-days. I might have a hard time finding such out here in the sticks, but I still like to know what is available.

I also understand about the talking to a neighbor. Sometimes we just need to take time to let our thinking caps work.

 

[ns_in_tex]

I have never used a metal detector, but called a friend who I thought might have one. He told me he didn't think it would work but maybe about one foot deep.

Maybe that is a cheap one, I don't know. At the time I was thinking about running a snake down the line to the tank & wondering if it would detect the snake.

 

[ns_in_tex]

Hi Eddie,

This is sort of an odd system. The plans he received when he bought the house shows 3 septic systems, but not with measurements. This system should be the most used system in the house, but has never shown any signs of green grass over field lines, etc as per normal. I suppose they could be deep, or maybe the soil is so porous that the water just goes straight down.

The other 2 system normally may have a period where the water surfaces near the end of the lines. This may be just too much fall on the line, I don't know.