How To Find Septic Tank – 5 Ways To Find The Septic Tank

When you’ve installed your septic tank, you know where it is located. But if you shift to a new house and forget to ask the former house owner where it is situated, you don’t know the location of the tank. 

But you should know it for regular maintenance purposes as well as pump when needed. That is why knowing the tricks to find the location of the septic tank is very important. 

Don’t worry, even if you don’t know how to find your septic tank. Here I’m with some easy tricks using which you can track your septic tank.

5 Ways To Find the Septic Tank

Trick 1- Reaching the Former House Owner

Reaching the former house owner is the easiest way to locate your septic tank. Simply contact the previous owner and ask the location of the tank. Thus, you’ll find the tank within a very short time. 

If you can’t reach the previous owner or they don’t know the location, you shouldn’t worry about it. You’ll have to go for the second trick. 

Trick 2- Checking the Records

Several authorities keep a record of the location of the septic tank. So, you can reach those authorities. 

For example- in most cases, the County Health Department keeps the record of the septic system of a house. Reach them and check their record for a map or any hint. You can also try building permits or the files you’ve received while buying the property for any map or something like that. 

Don’t worry if this trick doesn’t help you. You have more options to explore.

Trick 3- Checking the Property

You can check the property, especially the lawn, for any sign of the tank. You’ll require time and concentration in this process. 

Typically, any heavy landscaping or paving is forbidden on the septic tank. So, avoid areas that have heavy landscaping, water well, or any paved surface. Look for signs like greener grass, small dips or hills, or any difference compared to the rest of the area. 

After getting such an area, check and confirm the location with the help of a soil probe or some other tools. 

Trick 4- Following the Sewer Line

The next trick may take some effort but there is a strong chance of finding the sewage line. For this, you’ll need a soil probe. 

To locate the septic tank, at first look for the main sewer line. The main sewer line has some track in the crawl place or basement of the house. Go there and search for a pipe with an around 4-inch diameter. This is a part of the sewer line. 

After getting the pipe, mark or remember the location. Make sure that you’ll be able to locate it from the outside. Then come out of the basement or crawl place and go to the location of the pipe.

Then use the soil probe to follow the line. The line is typically placed 4-5 ft. deep. So, make sure that your probe is strong and long enough to locate that. The pipe will lead you to the septic tank. 

Trick 5- Taking Help from Experts

If any of the above tricks don’t work or you don’t want to spend your time and effort in searching for the tank, you can take help from experts. 

Professional service providers can help you with finding the septic tank in exchange for a few bucks. They use their own techniques and tools to locate the tank and solve the issue if there is any. This is also an easy way but costs you some money. 

You can knock us anytime for help with finding your septic tank. 

Related Article: How To Find Septic Tank Lid – A Step by Step Guide

Reasons Why Finding Your Septic Tank is Important

Several reasons have made it important to find out the position of your septic tank. These are given below. 

Maintenance

The primary reason is the maintenance of the tank. To keep the system healthy and working, you should maintain it properly. Knowing the location of the tank allows you to perform regular maintenance. 

As a result, you can have a healthy septic system with less chance of damage. Otherwise, damages will make you spend a huge amount on the septic system.

Keeping the Lid Safe

If your septic tank has a riser, the lid is on the ground. You should keep the lid safe because any damage to the lid can lead to damage to the tank. This is the reason you should locate the tank, find out the lid, and keep it safe.

You’ll find several ways to keep the lid safe from damages. Also, there are some prohibited things. You should check those before taking a step.

Keeping the Tank Safe

You should keep the tank safe too from outside pressure. Otherwise, the pressure of your car or heavy landscaping can damage or break the tank. This leads you to a bad situation. 

So, before planning to put some beautiful landscaping in the garden, locating the septic tank is important. Also, you should find out the septic tank before planning a garage or driveway. Otherwise, these may damage the tank. 

Final Verdict

You can take or avoid professional help to find the septic tank in your new house. There are several ways I’ve discussed in the article that can help you to find it out by yourself. No matter which way you choose, make sure that you’ve located the tank properly because it is important.