What did you do in the garden today?

[BullChick]

The real question is: why do you feel the need to find the septic tank?
Does it need to be cleaned out again? Do you have a drain problem you think?

I’m paranoid.

Depending on your state laws, a plat marking your septic is likely filed with your state health department. In Arkansas, unless you are building on a plot of land larger than 10 acres (in which case you are exempt), then you are required to file for a septic permit. My house was built in the late 80s. If I didn't know where my septic was located, I could look up the permit application which should show the tank and location of the field lines.

That is possible. Then again, my house was built in the 1940s. We didn’t have indoor plumbing until the 60s, but I don’t know who laid the pipe, so it’s all an unknown.

 

[BullChick]

Let's just hope there's not a garden built over the septic leach field...

Nooooo

 

[TJAnonymous]

Ohh. If I understand now, my pipe you’re talking about is actually in the basement. That’s where the guy was when he was trying to diagnose the issue. He was cleaning something out down there.

Your septic cleanout should NOT be inside your home. It will be located outside within 10 ft of your house.

 

[WthrLady]

owl is outside driving me bonkers. But I love her.

 

[BullChick]

Your septic cleanout should NOT be inside your home. It will be located outside within 10 ft of your house.

Nope. That I know isn’t the case.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I’m paranoid.

That is possible. Then again, my house was built in the 1940s. We didn’t have indoor plumbing until the 60s, but I don’t know who laid the pipe, so it’s all an unknown.

Ahhh well that was likely before building codes required filing for a septic permit or any kind of standardized plumbing. It is likely gravity fed which means it is probably a ways from your house. Honestly the easiest way to find it will be to hire a septic company to come find it

 

[WthrLady]

I would think it should be straight out from your main drain. If you can locate the main drain pipe under your house, look in a straight line from there away from the house. Another thought is a good magnet on a string or pole and walk around to see if it detects the metal cap (poor man's metal detector).

If you go to google earth you can use the wayback feature and look at the property over the years. Different weather conditions might show the tank and the drain field.

 

[BReeder!]

Your septic cleanout should NOT be inside your home. It will be located outside within 10 ft of your house.

Sounds like there's a main drain cleanly in her basement. That main drainline should run straight to the approx tank though. There could be a cleanout in the drain line. There's has to be a cleanout at the tank itself. Seeing that the tank is so far from the house (based on the pic from when a service was previously out) the tank cleanout its actually quite a ways from the house as it must be at the site of the tank.

 

[BReeder!]

If you go to google earth you can use the wayback feature and look at the property over the years. Different weather conditions might show the tank and the drain field.

Now that's clever. I didn't know there's a wayback feature on Google Earth. How awesome is that!?

Can I do a time lapse on my garden with that feature? That would be neat.

 

[WthrLady]

Your septic cleanout should NOT be inside your home. It will be located outside within 10 ft of your house.

We have cleanouts in the house, in fact we have one for each of the lines in the house and one in the shop for each line that goes down to the main line to the tank. There are also cleanouts every so many feet 250 yards down the hill to the tank and field itself. These outdoor cleanouts stuck up only 3 inches when we moved here, and I extended them to 12 inches above ground and hit them with glow paint, and then glow duct tape as they are tripping hazards in the pitch dark on the way to the henhouse or barn.