Finding my septic tank

Nevada Ragnar · Jun 20, 2013

I recently purchased a property with a buried septic tank. I was able to determine the rough location of the tank, but it wasn't clear how deep it was located. I tried hand digging down to the tank, but quickly found that frustrating as I was running into a lot of rock and hard pan. Therefore, I very gingerly dug down with my back hoe (with some hand digging) until I determined the tank level. It was a big time saver to use the BX-25D back hoe to gently uncover the majority of the dirt and debris, leaving the final distance to hand digging.

Tonight I feel great because I had my tractor do most of the work

creekbend · Jun 21, 2013

Definitely easier and faster with a tractor-Backhoe than using a Shovel.

cletus99 · Jun 21, 2013

Just curious. Why did you have to dig up your septic tank?

Gator6x4 · Jun 21, 2013

Most people dig down to the tank to allow the lids to be removed for fluid extraction.

Mike_Kanzer · Jun 21, 2013

You can have a riser installed on the top of the tank which will bring the lid to just above finished grade. Makes it a lot easier to pump the tank in the future. Mine was made of a heavy ABS like plastic with a plastic lid on it.

ShaneG · Jun 21, 2013

Gator6x4 said:
Most people dig down to the tank to allow the lids to be removed for fluid extraction.

You probably know this and even meant to say it, but it's the solids and sludge that are the focus.

Recoveryhill · Jun 22, 2013

I was going to suggest ordering 10 yards of concrete and let the redi-mix truck find the tank. This method has worked for many many people.....

pjbci · Jun 22, 2013

Recoveryhill said:
I was going to suggest ordering 10 yards of concrete and let the redi-mix truck find the tank. This method has worked for many many people.....

Lol! The lumber delivery truck found mine. Even though i had already showed him where it was and had it marked with flags at each corner.

plowindeeper · Jun 22, 2013

I know were mine is under the above ground pool.

crash325 · Jun 22, 2013

Law requires that a septic be pumped when property changes hands.
When they came to pump mine, he ask where the tank was. I had no idea.
He went into the house & flushed a radio transmitter down the toilet. Walked around outside with a receiver & soon had it located.
Sure beats digging & hoping.

cletus99 · Jun 22, 2013

What do companies usually charge to have a septic tank pumped?

Fossil Farm · Jun 22, 2013

Depends on size of tank, access, local health department, disposal fees of nearest city, etc. Minimum fee around here is usually close to $100 for a few homes that have very small tanks. We have about a 1500 gallon tank and I believe it was about $225.00 last time I had it pumped, about a year ago. Health department threw away the records from when Mom & Dad had it upgraded in the '80's, so the hauler and I just estimated the size. He can get within 40 feet of the tank in the summer. Gives the system a rest for a short time every few years.

Powerhorse · Jun 22, 2013

cletus99 said:
What do companies usually charge to have a septic tank pumped?

I just had mine pumped Friday. I have a 1250 gallon double tank and a 1500 pump tank. We only pumped the 1250 out. I was qouted $225 up to 1000 gallons and $ 24.oo per 100 gallons after the first 1000. They only charged me the 225 + tax. Driver said it was a 1000 gallon tank my prints for the house say 1250 gallon. I didn't argue it with him.

cletus99 · Jun 23, 2013

How often do you all have it pumped? I had always heard if it was maintained properly it may never need to be pumped.

stevem5215 · Jun 23, 2013

We have a rental that the township requires to be pumped every two years.
Septic guys told me that the solids don't dissolve ever. (tampons etc)
We didn't pump out the septic ever when we lived at my parents house. Let me tell you that it was a solid mess when it finally backed up into the house. We had to clear the two tanks out and the whole drain field lines. All plugged solid with wastes due to not ever pumping it in 30 years. I'll never do that again. Pumping is cheap compared to that mess.

Steve

Recoveryhill · Jun 25, 2013

No matter how you treat sewage, sludge is a solid material that remains after the sewage has been digested. It is absolutely necessary, as Steve M. points out, to have the sludge removed every couple of years. Even if your system doesn't back up, once the tank is full of sludge, it no longer is doing its job and you have raw sewage entering the drain field, contaminating both ground water and the surface of the drain field with very dangerous toxins.

Individuals coming in contact with contaminated water can contract illnesses such as typhoid, tuberculosis, dysentery, cholera, tetanus, hepatitis and several types of gastroenteritis.

In many areas, the soil is not able to properly leech the output from a septic tank but permits are granted anyway. In these areas it is especially important that the septic tank (s) are able to properly digest the sewage before the liquid stream enters the septic drain field.

BeeferMan · Jun 25, 2013

The septic tank acts as a filter. An active filter rather than a passive one in that the majority of the solids that enter the tank are "digested" by the bacteria and only liquids pass out of the tank. However there are some solids that will never digest, so like any filter it needs to be cleaned periodically. Every two years is a typical period, but it varies based on usage and size. More people using the system, lots of cooking, garbage disposal, etc. will reduce the time between pumping. If you don't clean it and it fills, then those undigested solids start flowing out of the tank and into the leach field - the best thing that could happen when the tank fills with solids is you get a back up into the house before too much damage has been done to the leach field - it's much cheaper to snake a line than replace a leach field...

Redbug · Jun 25, 2013

If you have a septic tank, you should not be using a garbage disposal. We put all the disposal stuff in our compost pile out back. And from what I have read, RidEx and those kinds of things are really not needed.

Turbys_1700 · Jun 25, 2013

I moved into my grandfathers house in 1985...
My dad and I had to put leech lines in the septic system in 1987...
The tank was pumped out then and has not been touched and is working fine...
Here is the big caveat...
The house was built in 1953 and the only thing going into the septic system is 1 toilet and 1 sink...
Houses back then typically ran grey water out the back and I still do...
New septic systems that have all water going into them will need more service...

For your laughs...
Last week I was grading in the back yard...
I knew where my water line was but still got into my power line going into the house from my spring...
After wiring I then proceeded to dig with the FEL and then got the water line...
After 4 hours of repair and the proverbial thunderstorm from Hades everything was in order...
I told my dad that the only thing left for me to do was to get the backhoe out and run it over and bust the septic tank and call it a day...
It was one of those days...