Got any tips, trcks, secrets for finding the septic?

[radioman]

In my experience, horses don't like to walk over septic tanks, they can sense the hollow sound and feel. Same theory as a cattle guard.

Try walking a horse around your property and see if it reacts to a certain spot. We could ride the horses up to the edge of the septic tank and they would hesitate. If you spurred them, they would jump over the tank. Otherwise they would go around.

Interesting theory - but most people don't have horses. LOL.

TO op - everything is dead right now due it winter season right now. Either you noticed something with light coating of snow on ground or you noticed something in middle of summer with odd patch of poor square of grass. Thee other person advice on getting tank pumped is spot on. If it been 3 years or more since it was pumped last, I'd go out and get it pumped. They can do the dirty work of finding your tank. free --- well sorta, you still gotta pay for pumping. Have you called around a few septic tank pumpers for an "estimate"?

 

[turnkey4099]

Interesting theory - but most people don't have horses. LOL.

TO op - everything is dead right now due it winter season right now. Either you noticed something with light coating of snow on ground or you noticed something in middle of summer with odd patch of poor square of grass. Thee other person advice on getting tank pumped is spot on. If it been 3 years or more since it was pumped last, I'd go out and get it pumped. They can do the dirty work of finding your tank. free --- well sorta, you still gotta pay for pumping. Have you called around a few septic tank pumpers for an "estimate"?

My last one was over $300 plus extra if they have to dig it out. Extra agin if they have to cover it back up.

Harry K

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Interesting theory - but most people don't have horses. LOL.

TO op - everything is dead right now due it winter season right now. Either you noticed something with light coating of snow on ground or you noticed something in middle of summer with odd patch of poor square of grass. Thee other person advice on getting tank pumped is spot on. If it been 3 years or more since it was pumped last, I'd go out and get it pumped. They can do the dirty work of finding your tank. free --- well sorta, you still gotta pay for pumping. Have you called around a few septic tank pumpers for an "estimate"?

I do have horses BTW, they are just not as cooperative as I'd like, and this area is sloppy wet muddy, etc. The current nearest gate to the pasture is about 1/4 mile from the house...

We have not quite been here 2 years, and the little old lady who lived here alone for the last almost 6 had it pumped about a year before we moved in.

I'm going to have it pumped AFTER I find it... NOt paying extra unless I gotta...

David

 

[eddie48]

If you can get to the cleanout in the basement, you can run a snake down the drainpipe from the house to the tank. When it hits the tank baffle, you will know how far it is to the tank. Then you can bang it against the baffle and have someone outside listen to hear at that distance. That will give you the location.

 

[Cub 7274]

I just paid $225 for a pump out
My tank has 2 lids not just one the tank has baffles in it

 

[The kid]

The only advice I can give is find where the line exits the house and go to that area outside using a rod about 1/4 inch about 6 feet long with a handle welded tobit so it looks like a T start poking the ground till you hit it. That's the best way I can think of hope it helps! Just try not to poke through the pipe or tank!

This method will work. Take a gallon of water with you. Jab you rid in the ground and pour a little water in it. Now work in up and down. You can actually push a five foot rod in the ground using water as a lubricant. Find where your soil pipe exits the house and walk in a straight line from that point and probe every so many feet. Most lids have a iron rod hook on the lid that can be found with a metal detector as well.

 

[Depmandog]

My plumber has a video inspection tool that he uses to inspect sewer lines. The camera head emits a signal that can be located using another detector device. Once he sees views a pipe break with the in pipe camera, he goes outside and can pinpoint where the camera is using detector. It also tells him how deep the camera is. Pretty slick operation!

 

[kevin37b]

That camera only works from the house to the tank or house to city sewer . That camera will not negotiate the T's and 90's in aliechfield. Most of them won't even try for fear of doing damage . Septic systems are a mystery of some sort to most people . The raw sewage comes from the house to the tank . The solids are controlled by baffles in the tank . From the the tank there is a liqui d discharge , going to the field . After that the field has to be able to handle the discharge of effluent , black water . If you do not have a big enough field or soil that perc's well it is not going to work .You should see the leads to the field as in greener grass or browner if you use the same detergent my wife uses .

 

[Gunny]

That camera only works from the house to the tank or house to city sewer . That camera will not negotiate the T's and 90's in aliechfield. Most of them won't even try for fear of doing damage . Septic systems are a mystery of some sort to most people . The raw sewage comes from the house to the tank . The solids are controlled by baffles in the tank . From the the tank there is a liqui d discharge , going to the field . After that the field has to be able to handle the discharge of effluent , black water . If you do not have a big enough field or soil that perc's well it is not going to work .You should see the leads to the field as in greener grass or browner if you use the same detergent my wife uses .

All he wanted in his original post to help to locate the septic tank, so the camera idea work.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Health dept here has the info, including a sketch with distances.