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Oh thats funny. I had to once use one of those "finders" to find the well here at our new home. Seems the husband died with that "secret" Two people tried all day...with no luck. We then were just about to return it. I happened to remember that someone mentioned it was maybe in the garden/stairs area. So...............there I went off to try myself. I found it in like 2 minutes. It started beeping away.
That made us all feel better. Gosh, one should know where their well is too!
Oh thats funny. I had to once use one of those "finders" to find the well here at our new home. Seems the husband died with that "secret" Two people tried all day...with no luck. We then were just about to return it. I happened to remember that someone mentioned it was maybe in the garden/stairs area. So...............there I went off to try myself. I found it in like 2 minutes. It started beeping away.
That made us all feel better. Gosh, one should know where their well is too!
Yes, you should. Code now is for the casing to be at least one foot about grade. A few states more.
Just an idea but try the septic pumper guys that are local, can't be that many, then ask if they have a record or possibly recall pumping out the tank were you now live, might hit it lucky and hit the right one that pumped it last.
I can always see mine because in a dry spell the grass always dies on top of it. The whole yard will be green and I will have this one brown square. I guess the concrete must suck the water from the soil on top of it?
Just an idea but try the septic pumper guys that are local, can't be that many, then ask if they have a record or possibly recall pumping out the tank were you now live, might hit it lucky and hit the right one that pumped it last.
Is a very good method, these guys normally have it on file, many of them actually remember where it is. The better guys have it all in a computer. In my area it costs in the $150-200 range to have your typical 600 gallon tank pumped. Hopefully the installer also considered good access for the truck. The better ones the fellow can drive up real close but not have any impact on the tank.
Probing with a thin steel rod does work. A garden spade with tines or pitchfork also works well. Look where the main drain line leaves the house for a clue to the direction. Usually it will be in a grassy area. Don't want the tank or leach field in an area where there are roots.
Dont try to open the cover if you don't know how, especially the cement ones. Leave it for the pumping guys. They actually tap it in a bit to get it loose but use very lil force in doing so. Never try to use excessive force on the handle if it is cement tank.
Usually the tank top(s) are only a few inches deep. They usually include a handle, be careful removing the sod. Can be a huge variations in types of tanks but there probably is at least two covers, many will have three, one is an inspection port on the outlet chamber, if you have one.
Some places might have two tanks. The toilets go into one, most of the rest of the stuff goes into the other. Many folks do not like to put soap, washers, etc into a septic tank, they try to build some sort of other method to handle it. Lots of soap is hard on the nomal leach field handling toilets, it shortens the working life. The two systems are probably built a little different. The toilet tank is the one that needs pumped more often.
If there are two working tanks, you can tell by an inspection of the drains as they leave the house. The toilet drain line is usually 4", the other is probably 3". The aux tank and its field is usually smaller, might have a grease trap ahead of it. Usually the sinks, washer and the like go into the aux system if there is one.
Some good advice was given by southernnaturelover. That's how I found mine. Dead grass in the summer is a dead give away as to where the tanks may be located. Another thing to look for is a clean out (4" pipe with a cap), which should be located somewhere near the foundation. The clean out should stick a few inches above the ground. If you find that, the tanks should not be far from that point.
I have two 500 gal concrete tanks and they are located about 20-25 feet from the foundation. The lids are concrete (with metal handle) as well and are just under the top soil (3-4" down). My master bath is located on an exteroir wall and the clean out is located just outside that exterior wall.
If the system was installed in '75 you would have a leach field with lateral lines running away from the tanks. The grass above these lines should be much greener and thicker than the surrounding area (unless you water your lawn alot). Another method is to follow the thicker and greener grass back toward the house and when that comes to an end look for an area that would have thinner and maybe a bit drier grass. If you locate a spot like that, probe with a metal bar (you could use a long screw driver, lug nut wrench, rebar, etc) and hopefully you'll find something solid a few inches under the soil.
I had both of my tanks cleaned last year and it cost $200. The guy that cleans my tanks wants me to remove the soil above he lids. That keeps him from wasting his time on tryng to locate them.
Another thing to consider is that if you have a water well, most codes will require septic systems to be intalled at a minimum 100 feet from the well.
Some good advice was given by southernnaturelover. That's how I found mine. Dead grass in the summer is a dead give away as to where the tanks may be located. Another thing to look for is a clean out (4" pipe with a cap), which should be located somewhere near the foundation. The clean out should stick a few inches above the ground. If you find that, the tanks should not be far from that point.
I have two 500 gal concrete tanks and they are located about 20-25 feet from the foundation. The lids are concrete (with metal handle) as well and are just under the top soil (3-4" down). My master bath is located on an exteroir wall and the clean out is located just outside that exterior wall.
If the system was installed in '75 you would have a leach field with lateral lines running away from the tanks. The grass above these lines should be much greener and thicker than the surrounding area (unless you water your lawn alot). Another method is to follow the thicker and greener grass back toward the house and when that comes to an end look for an area that would have thinner and maybe a bit drier grass. If you locate a spot like that, probe with a metal bar (you could use a long screw driver, lug nut wrench, rebar, etc) and hopefully you'll find something solid a few inches under the soil.
I had both of my tanks cleaned last year and it cost $200. The guy that cleans my tanks wants me to remove the soil above he lids. That keeps him from wasting his time on tryng to locate them.
Another thing to consider is that if you have a water well, most codes will require septic systems to be intalled at a minimum 100 feet from the well.
Good luck....
50 foot from the well in Michigan. Some places we can not do it and the heath department will write a variance. Most around lakes where the house are very close.
Im worried on my place that they built the add on to the house on mine. Would someone do that
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find a septic tank
