find septic tank

Often it's on plot plans for the property at the town hall.

Dave

I wonder if there might be enough metal in there (rebar or ?) to show up with a metal finder?

Peter Kaufman is the guy that developed the small transmitter that you drop in the toilet and flush it into the septic tank. The transmitters are cheap enough that they do not have to be recovered. Anyway the companies that pump septic tanks ought to have the transmitter and receiver. If no one in your area has these, then you have a business opportunity selling them. I have Peter's email address. He would know which company sell these.

=20 Dan

I just sent an email. Thanks in advance

Karl

I tried email. It bounced. could you email me this karltownsendembarqmail.com

replace the with @

Karl

By the simple process of elimination, a lot of the land can be eliminated. But then, it could be a 20 acre parcel. But still, it would not be very far from the house. By witching, the line from the house to the tank will be simple to find, follow out, and then find the branch leach lines. Wish I was there.

Steve

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It is mandatory on a FHA loan.

Steve

It's possible unless it's too deep, or the detector isn't sensitive enough. A lot depends on the operator of the detector, too. I found mine with a metal detector, but then, I got my first one in 1980.

Steve

Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Learn how to care for a friend. http://cabgbypasssurgery

I would think a good sized backhoe would accomplish the same thing.

A variation of what Ecnerwal suggested. Go down the cellar where the pipe leaves the house. There should be a cleanout there that you can screw out. Put a drain snake in and extend it until it hits an obstruction - probably the tank. Measure the distance on the snake - this will tell you how far from the house the tank is located. In the cellar, measure down from the top of the wall to where the pipe exits. This will tell you how deep below the top of your block foundation the pipe is located. Go outside and measure the distance indicated by the drain snake. Maybe go out another foot or two to be sure you're relatively centered on the tank. Drive a digging bar down and feel for obstructions. You may have to fan out a couple of feet either way with the digging bar if the pipe didn't come straight out of the house.

RWL

They ALWAYS have a metal handle in the lid, which is also re-enforced concrete - so a metal detector works pretty good to find the hatch.

In article , Karl Townsend wrote:

...

Other things I forgot to mention in in my previous response...

If the tank is in an unknown location, it probably hasn't been pumped for a _long_ time - which may well mean the drain field is plugged - one of the reasons replace will be first on the menu from "septic guys." Since old tanks are also much smaller than the tanks used these days, it's even more likely to have filled to the point that solids are heading out to the field. If the homeowners used Rid-X or the like, so much the worse (check with any university extension or state health board for their recommendations - the stuff does what it says - but the part they don't say is that the solids it "liquifies" (more correctly suspends) relocate into the drain field and plug it up - the last thing you want. You pump sludge because you don't want sludge to get into your drain field.) Here's the skinny from MN:

Finally, what year was the house built? During certain time periods, if the owner was not a fanatic (assuming the first owner was even involved in the building, rather than the house being built on spec) they used crap materials such as the tarpaper pipe (orangeburg) and steel septic tanks which are all rotten now. You find a 40 year old steel tank, the lid will be rotten 99 times out of 100, and you'll be looking for a spot to plunk a new concrete or plastic tank ASAP. Cast iron pipe in the house is no guarantee that you have more than 4-10 feet of cast iron before switching to tarpaper, if that junk was used. You might want to call around ahead of digging so you know who to call when you find that you need a new tank RIGHT NOW!

Around here, the town (not county) board of health would have a map on file if the installation was done correctly and less than 60 or so years ago when they started keeping track.

Well - maybe. Given it's old, and assuming it actually is brought up to near the surface (I've seen buried ones with no riser that were 2 feet down or more) that's likely true. My newer tank has plastic handles and I'd bet the the reinforcement is fiberglass. OTOH, it has (per the recent code here) a riser all the way above ground level.

That 2 foot deep tank had a map and measurements from the corners of the house foundation. Not very accurate measurements, as it happens. It was the start of my tradition of building circular flowerbeds with annual flowers (so you won't mind digging them up) to locate the manhole precisely the second and succeeding times.

Rod probing is effectively useless here - way too many rocks.

Camera with a locating head or ground penetrating radar. Find a company that does site surveys for architects or engineers.

Shove a metal snake down.

Light it up with 38 Khz

Use stock underground locating RX to find the snake.

Dowsing rods work pretty well for most people.

I found the original septic system before I put the house on my lot, along with the original water lines, with a couple pieces of brass brazing rod.

Got a couple pieces of brass brazing rod?

Bend em into a long ended 90' angle and holding them in each hand..go for a walk. Shrug.

Its been repeatedly claimed they are a fraud, not effective etc etc. Yet everytime Ive had a crossing of the rods, Ive dug down and found a pipe, old tank etc etc.

Doing this and spraying the ground at the indicated points with some spray paint will chart out the "stuff" pretty well.

Gunner

I am the Sword of my Family and the Shield of my Nation. If sent, I will crush everything you have built, burn everything you love, and kill every one of you. (Hebrew quote)

Since you're repeatedly nonsense, here's my advice to you - there's a million dollars waiting if you can prove that witching works. The test will require you to locate some underground pipes with water in them.

So why are you still here instead of claiming your million?

Here's why

BTW, of the dozen or so dowsers I've given the million dollar link to, not one has lifted a pinky finger to claim easy money for something they *guarantee* they can do. Everybody has some silly excuse, what's yours? See if you can top the one who claimed to have no use for the money.

Wayne

Hey gummer! Your financial problems are solved!

Since you're repeatedly offering nonsense advice, here's my advice to you - there's a million dollars waiting if you can prove that witching works. The test will require you to locate some underground pipes with water in them.

So why are you still here instead of claiming your million?

Here's why

BTW, of the dozen or so dowsers I've given the million dollar link to, not one has lifted a pinky finger to claim easy money for something they *guarantee* they can do. Everybody has some silly excuse, what's yours? See if you can top the one who claimed to have no use for the money.

What an idiot. Can't wait to hear why you won't apply for the million.

Let's say you spend a normal (for other people) week of labor getting set up to take the test, and have to buy a $200 bus ticket. That's

999,800/40=$24,995 per hour. $24,995 is more than your usual $75, right?

Wayne

"Gunner Asch" wrote

They work for me, and I've used them for decades. I've amazed a lot of people. And if all else fails, remember Erma Bombeck: "The grass is always greener over the septic tank."

Steve