Here are 4 ways to find Your Septic Tank
Between three and five times per year, your septic tanks fill up with solids and require pumping to continue working as they should. Most of the time, the septic tank lid is located at ground level. They have usually buried anywhere between 4 inches and 4 feet underground. The tips provided below will inform you how to find your septic tank.
4 Ways to Find Your Septic Tank
1. Consult Municipal Records
The easiest way to find your septic tank is to consult the blueprints for your property. In addition, the company that installed the septic tank should have filed an application containing diagrams and dimensions that will allow you to find the exact spot where the septic tank is installed.
2. Search for Highs and Lows
Most septic tanks are installed in such a way that they are inconspicuous. After a few years, grass may grow over the area, but you may notice unexplained low or high spots indicative of a buried septic tank.
3. Toe the Line
Your septic tank will undoubtedly be installed along the main sewer line that runs out of your home. Look for the 4-inch sewer that exits the crawl space or basement, and locate the exact spot outside the home. Septic tanks are usually located between ten to 25 feet away from home. Insert a thin metal probe into the ground every few feet until you strike polyethylene, fiberglass, or flat concrete. When you do, that’s your septic tank
4. Find the Lid
An excellent way to find the lid is to probe around until you can find the perimeter of the rectangle. If your septic tank was installed after 1975, it would probably have two polyethylene or fiberglass lids centered at opposite sides of the border. Older tanks will typically have a 24-inch concrete cover right in the center of the tank. Excavate in those locations to reveal the lids.
Talk to a Professional Plumber
Only a Master Plumber should attempt to open the septic tank lid. Concrete lids will require special lifting tools. In addition, opening the tank will emit toxic fuels, which can be very dangerous. You also don’t want to accidentally fall into an open septic tank. This can be a fatal mistake.
To save trouble finding your septic tank in the future, consider marking the spot once the tank has been pumped out by a professional plumber. Create a diagram of your yard, which you can keep with your other house documents.
There you have it! If you’ve been wondering how to find your septic tank, you now have four options, which should make it easier. Contact Veteran Plumbing for all your Septic Tank needs.