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How to Find the Septic Tank InspectAPedia®  -

• How to pump out / clean a septic tank, step by step photo-illustrated guide
• Before starting, some safety warnings for septic pumpers and homeowners
• When to pump, how to find the septic tank, inspect before opening the tank; removing the tank cover
• How the pumper truck or vacuum truck is operated
• Tank inspection before pumping; Actually pumping out the septic tank; inspections while pumping
• Washing the septic tank after pumping, inspecting the tank after pumping
• Closing the septic tank, recording the septic tank location, advising homeowners

The basic steps in finding and servicing a septic tank are given here, accompanied by photographs that show each of the critical steps in pumping, cleaning, and inspecting a septic tank. We link to description of the detailed steps in finding the septic tank, locating the distribution box, finding the drainfield, and locating other septic system components. How to find the septic tank - a procedural guide to opening, pumping, and inspecting septic tanks, how a conventional septic tank is located, opened, pumped out, cleaned, and inspected. This introductory guideline is intended for septic pumping tank truck operators and as general information for homeowners or septic service companies concerned with septic system care.

This is a photo guide to septic tank location at Find the Septic Tank. Our very detailed article, HOW TO FIND A SEPTIC TANK, tells in excruciating detail how to locate a septic tank when it's placement is not already known or when the location of the septic tank is not visually obvious. . Also see Drainfield Location - how to find the leach fields. Videos showing how to find the septic system, septic tank, & septic drainfield are at SEPTIC VIDEOS.

If you don't know whether your property even has a septic tank, your building could be connected to a municipal sewer main. To figure this out, see Septic or Sewer Connection?

Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. This is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems.

© Copyright 2010 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

A Photographic Guide to Pumping a Septic Tank

How to Find the Septic Tank

The photo shows excavation during septic system repairs - this is not the best way to find a septic tank. Knowing the septic tank location can avoid tank damage during repair work, and it will save on septic tank pumping cost since you won't be paying an excavator to find and expose the tank cover. Avoid "finding" the septic tank by using a backhoe unless the operator is very skilled and careful. At our first home with a septic tank the backhoe operator "found" the septic tank by driving over it and crushing it, leading to a costly repair. An building owner who has had the septic tank cleaned before is likely to know just where it is located. In an older home an owner may have a drawing of the tank location or may have drawn measurements to the septic tank on a garage or basement wall, perhaps near the main waste line outlet. If no record of the septic tank location is at hand, an experienced septic pumper can generally guess where the tank is likely to be by inspection of the property, or s/he can locate the tank by careful probing. Special equipment using a plumbing snake and electronic sensors and other methods are available when needed. When the septic tank has been located, note if it is installed with improper clearances from other site features such as a private well, and inform the owner accordingly. The measurement procedure to record the septic tank cleanout cover location is at Recording Septic Tank Location.

For complete details on how to find a septic tank or drainfield, see these full text articles and videos

• Septic Tank Location - Detailed Step by Step Procedure Explaining Exactly How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location. The steps in this article include
  • HOW TO FIND A SEPTIC TANK detailed article
  • SEPTIC SEARCH SAFETY - important safety warnings for people about to dig up or pump a septic tank
  • WHO KNOWS SEPTIC LOCATION?
  • FIND MAIN WASTE LINE EXIT - start finding the septic tank by finding where the waste line exits the building
  • DISTANCE TO TANK - what are the clearance distances required between a septic tank and other things?
  • POSSIBLE SEPTIC TANK LOCATIONS - finding a septic tank includes ruling in and out where it might be
  •   VISUAL CLUES LOCATE TANK - what can we see that tells us septic tank location
  •   WHERE TO LOOK - what are the reasonable locations where we could look for a septic tank
  •   SEPTIC TANK DEPTH - how deep might the septic tank be buried anyway?
  • SEPTIC TANK LOCATING EQUIPMENT - plumbing snakes, electronic pipe tracing equipment, etc.
  • SEPTIC TANK COVERS - important safety concerns
  • DOCUMENT TANK LOCATION - how to make a sketch showing a septic tank, D-box, or drainfield location
  • SEPTIC VIDEOS walking a building site we show where septic components are likely to be and where they are almost certainly not going to be found
    
    
• Drainfield Location - a detailed procedure on how to find the septic drain field or leaching bed.
• Table of recommended distances from the septic tank or drainfield to other site features, buildings, lakes etc.
• SEPTIC VIDEOS - our videos show how to walk a homesite to find where septic components are likely to be and where they should not be found.

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• Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
• Special thanks to M & O Sanitation, Dutchess County NY (845) 471-0308 for permitting us to photograph steps during septic system service at our demonstration property.
• Technical reviewers are invited to comment or ask questions - contact us

Use links at the left of each page or the ones shown just below to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.
• Buyer's Guide Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems Inspection & Testing - What to Do, Step by Step.
• Cesspools Home Buyer's or Owner's Advice
• Clearances & Distances from septic system components to other site features, property boundaries, waterways, etc.
• OUTSIDE SEPTIC INSPECTION - - Simple Visual Site Inspection Gives Key Information About Septic System Condition
• Septic Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Septic Tank Pumping Frequency Guide for Septic Tanks: When, How, What to Watch For when pumping or cleaning septic tanks

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