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How to Find Your Septic Tank

July 13, 2022
How to Find Your Septic Tank

The septic tank connected to your house should be located underground marked by its lid. Although there are also septic tanks situated above-ground, these aren’t common since they occupy a lot of space and appear bulky covered in grass.

Lidded underground septic tanks may be easy to locate—but not quite, as they can be hidden under the turf. This is especially difficult if you own a large property with rolling farmland and trees.

Anyhow, the purpose of finding your septic tank is to make its regular cleanup and maintenance by a professional a bit easier.

So, here are some helpful tips for finding your property’s septic tank.

1) Check your property

Check your property

You probably know your property more than any other people. If you see any landscaping flaws like oddly shaped hills or dipping soil, chances are your septic tank is right underneath them.

Yours should be sitting between 5 to 25 feet from your house because these distances are required by law, which varies from one region to another.

But first, you’d have to buy a soil sampler probe, which is a long sharp metal tool, or a drain snake and probe the soil deep enough until it hits a hard surface like concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene—materials which septic tanks are made of.

2) Follow your main sewer line

Follow your main sewer line

Another thing you can do is to follow your main sewer line. Since septic tanks are linked to your sewer line in your basement or crawl space, it can lead you to it.

Use your soil probe in the same way described above every two feet as you follow the line toward your septic tank. Of course, the farther your septic tank is from your home, the more probing you’ll have to do.

3) Enquire about your property’s records

Enquire about your property’s records

An easy way to determine where your septic tank is buried without physical effort is to call your county’s health department.

They can give you insightful information regarding your septic tank’s location and size through its building permit, property map, and home inspection diagrams, to name a few.

However, if your building is of an older type, they may not have kept a record for it. But you can still try because the county might actually have reliable details about it.

4) Call a professional plumber

Call a professional plumber

If by doing the above things, you still can’t find your septic tank, it might be best to just leave it to a licensed and professional plumber.

For only a small slice of your time, they can locate your septic tank and drain field regardless of your property’s size. Plus, they can repair their issues or clean them entirely so they’ll function efficiently just like before.

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