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LARGER IMAGE: having a general idea of what septic components are helps you find where they may be located Septic Tank or Pipe Locating Equipment Guide

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about how to find the septic tank using simple tools or more sophisticated electronic equipment or cameras for locating septic tanks & piping.

Septic tank locating equipment:

This document suggests & describes some simple tools and devices used for finding a septic tank. This article tells assists in finding the septic tank when it's placement is not already known or when the location of the septic tank is not visually obvious.

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Tools & Equipmentto Find the Septic Tank

Septic tank marker © D Friedman at InspectApedia.com

Below we describe septic tank locating tools & equipment. If you have not read our more basic guide to finding your way to the septic tank by visual inspection,

see SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND .

Watch out: do not try to probe or excavate a septic tank, drywell, or cesspool if you are not certain that the installation has a save, secure cover. Probing or digging over a failing septic tank or cesspool or drywall can precipitate a fatal cave-in of the system.

Our photo, left, illustrates a secure concrete septic tank cover whose location is being measured to assist future location efforts.

Warning about using metal detectors or electronic pipe sensors to find Septic Tanks

Metal detectors or probes which mark the path of an underground pipe are excellent and rapid ways to locate buried drain and septic system components. But at an old property we've had an occasional glitch that was potentially dangerous. Older properties sometimes have multiple generations of buried wires and pipes which can lead to an error in the readings from buried pipe or buried septic tank sensors.

We called our local gas company to locate a buried gas line.

Clipping a sending unit to a pipe at the gas meter the technician proceeded to paint a yellow line across our (then frozen) soil. He said that his yellow mark was accurate to an inch in marking the exact pipe location.

Using a jackhammer to break frozen soil to locate a water pipe we began digging 18" away from the yellow line marking the gas line. As you might guess, we found the gas line itself right where we were digging! Further investigation found that an old steel water pipe running parallel to the current and parallel to the gas line had caused an 18" error in the readings from the buried pipe sensing equipment.

Watch out:  Do not use backhoes, wrecking bars, or jackhammers to excavate where dangerous utilities may be buried. If you call your local gas or electric utility company they will be glad to send an expert to your site to mark the location of buried electrical and gas lines that may be present.

Videos showing how to find the septic system, septic tank, & septic drainfield are included

at SEPTIC LOCATION VIDEOS .

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2019-10-02 - by (mod) -

Apologies but I don't know what is meant by dry tank

On 2019-10-02 by mike

i know where septic tank is but cannot find dry tank my house built in the 1960's. half to find for health department due to i want to put up car awning for camper

On 2019-07-17 - by (mod) -

CB

To know the *exact* location of inlet and outlet of a septic tank you have to

1. find the tank

2. uncover the risers or cleanout openings _ depending on tank type and size there may be 2 or even three or more

3. make accurate measurements from the center, edges, or other chosen point of the tank tank cover to a reference point or better, a pair of reference points so that in the future if the tank accesses are covered over and not obvious one can locate them exactly again.

I usually measure from the closest corners of the building and make a drawing for future reference.

Nobody can tell you the exact location of inlet and outlet of a tank that is buried until such measurements have been made.

The article above details those measurement procedures.

On 2019-07-17 by CB RAJAN

I want to know the exact location of inlet and outlet of safety tank

On 2017-08-29 - by (mod) -

If you can locate the site where in RV was parked, then you can figure that the septic hookup would be close to the edge of the actual RV rectangle. You might need to work backwards by locating the septic tank. At the septic tank a plumber can insert a buried drain tracing cable and use an above-ground detector to trace the route of the piping.

On 2017-08-29 by Keith

I am trying to locate septic system on bare ground. There were two rvs years ago but hookups cannot be found. Any suggestions. Ground is hard!

On 2017-02-15 by ed

i acquired property i do not know where the septic tank is...a septic line goes down into a cement pad how do i find the septic tank


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