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SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR

ADDITIVES / TREATMENTS for SEPTIC SYSTEMS
AEROBIC SEPTIC SYSTEMS
ALTERNATING BED SEPTIC SYSTEMS

BACKUP PREVENTION, SEPTIC
BACKUP PREVENTION, SEWER LINE
BACKWATER VALVES, SEWER LINE
BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS
BOOKS, RECOMMENDED SEPTIC
BOOKSTORE, SEPTIC SYSTEMS

CESSPOOLS
CESSPOOL SAFETY WARNINGS
CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY
CHEMICALS & TREATMENTS for SEPTICS
CHLORAMINE / CHLORINE Tests
CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER
CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER
CISTERNS
CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR

D BOX TROUBLESHOOTING
DEFINITIONS OF SEPTIC SYSTEM TERMS
DIFFICULT SEPTIC SITES
DRAINFIELD FAILURE DIAGNOSIS
DRIVING or PARKING OVER SEPTIC
DRYWELL DESIGN & USES

EFFLUENT RETENTION TIME

FILTERS SEPTIC & GREYWATER
FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP
FLOODED SEPTIC SYSTEMS, REPAIR

GARBAGE DISPOSAL vs SEPTICS
GRAVELLESS SEPTIC SYSTEMS
GRAVITY/SIPHON DOSING SYSTEMS
GREYWATER SYSTEMS

HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS
HOME SELLERS GUIDE TO SEPTIC INSPECT

LAGOON SEPTIC SYSTEMS
LEACHFIELD FAILURE DIAGNOSIS

MEDIA FILTER SEPTIC SYSTEMS
MOUND SEPTIC SYSTEMS

NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE

ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE
ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
ODORLESS CHEMICALS / GASES: CHECK FOR?
ODORS, PLUMBING SYSTEM
ODORS, SEPTIC or SEWER
ODORS, SULPHUR SMELL SOURCES
OUTHOUSES & LATRINES

PLANTS & TREES OVER SEPTIC SYSTEMS
PRESSURE DOSING SEPTIC SYSTEMS

RAISED BED SEPTIC SYSTEMS

SAND BED SEPTIC SYSTEMS
SEEPAGE PITS

SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY
SEPTIC AUTHORITIES, DESIGN REGS
SEPTIC BACKUP PREVENTION
SEPTIC BACKUP REPAIR
SEPTIC BOOK, FREE ONLINE
SEPTIC BOOKSTORE
SEPTIC BIOMATS
SEPTIC CARE INSTRUCTIONS
SEPTIC CLEARANCE DISTANCES
SEPTIC CODES & REFERENCES
SEPTIC CONSULTANTS

SEPTIC D-BOX INSPECTION
SEPTIC DRAINFIELD FAILURE DIAGNOSIS
SEPTIC DRAINFIELD INSPECTION & TEST
SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LIFE
SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LOCATION
SEPTIC DRAINFIELD RESTORERS?
SEPTIC DRAINFIELD SIZE
SEPTIC DRAINFIELD SHAPE
SEPTIC DRAWINGS
SEPTIC DYE TEST PROCEDURE

SEPTIC FAILURE LAWSUIT
SEPTIC FAILURE SIGNS
SEPTIC FIELD INSPECTION
SEPTIC FILTERS
SEPTIC FLOOD RESPONSE
SEPTIC HOLDING TANKS

SEPTIC INSPECTION & TEST GUIDE
SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION CLASS
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SEPTIC LIFE MAXIMIZING STEPS
SEPTIC METHANE GAS
SEPTIC ODORS
SEPTIC PUMPS
SEPTIC PUMPING REPAIR
SEPTIC REFERENCES
SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY
SEPTIC SUPPLIES & PARTS

SEPTIC SYSTEM DEFINITIONS
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN ALTERNATIVES
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN MANUAL - Online

SEPTIC DYE TEST PROCEDURE

SEPTIC FAILURE LAWSUIT
SEPTIC FAILURE SIGNS
SEPTIC FIELD INSPECTION
SEPTIC FILTERS
SEPTIC FLOOD RESPONSE
SEPTIC HOLDING TANKS

SEPTIC INSPECTION & TEST GUIDE
SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION CLASS
SEPTIC LIFE EXPECTANCY
SEPTIC LIFE MAXIMIZING STEPS
SEPTIC METHANE GAS
SEPTIC ODORS
SEPTIC PUMPS
SEPTIC PUMPING REPAIR
SEPTIC REFERENCES
SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY
SEPTIC SUPPLIES & PARTS
SEPTIC SYSTEM, HOME BUYERS GUIDE
SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION & TEST GUIDE
SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION CLASS
SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION LEVELS
SEPTIC SYSTEM ODORS
SEPTIC SYSTEM PUMPS
SEPTIC SYSTEM SAFETY WARNINGS
SEPTIC SYSTEM TYPES, MASTER LIST

SEPTIC TANKS
SEPTIC TANK BAFFLES
SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND
  SEPTIC SEARCH SAFETY
  WHO KNOWS SEPTIC LOCATION?
  FIND MAIN WASTE LINE EXIT
  DISTANCE TO SEPTIC TANK
  POSSIBLE SEPTIC TANK LOCATIONS
  VISUAL CLUES LOCATE the SEPTIC TANK
  SEPTIC TANK DEPTH
  SEPTIC TANK LOCATING EQUIPMENT
  SEPTIC TANK LOCATION SKETCH
SEPTIC TANK GRASS or SNOWMELT
SEPTIC TANK, HOME BUYERS GUIDE
SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE
SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE
SEPTIC TANK PUMPING REASONS
SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE
SEPTIC TANK SAFETY
SEPTIC TANK SIZE
SEPTIC TANK TEES
SEPTIC TESTS: DYE & LOADING TESTS
SEPTIC TREATMENTS & CHEMICALS
SEPTIC VIDEOS

SEWAGE & SEPTIC CONTAMINANTS
SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO
SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP
SEWAGE BACKUP PREVENTION
SEWAGE CONTAMINATION in buildings
SEWAGE CONTAMINANTS in FRUIT / VEGETABLES
SEWAGE EJECTOR / GRINDER PUMPS
SEWAGE LEVELS in SEPTIC TANKS
SEWAGE NITROGEN CONTAMINANTS
SEWAGE PATHOGENS in SEPTIC SLUDGE
SEWAGE PUMPS
SEWER BACKUP PREVENTION
SEWER GAS ODORS
SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT

SINKHOLES, WARNING SIGNS
SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors
SOAKAWAY BED FAILURE DIAGNOSIS
SULPHUR & SEWER GAS SMELL SOURCES
SUMP PUMPS

TOILETS, INSPECT, INSTALL, REPAIR
TOILET ALTERNATIVES
TOILET FLUSHOMETER VALVES
TOILET INSTALLATION PROCEDURE
TOILET OVERFLOW EMERGENCY
TOILET PLUGS, SEWER BACKUP
TOILET REPAIR GUIDE
TOILET TYPES
Toilet Types, Flush Methods
TOILETS, DON'T FLUSH LIST
TRAPS on PLUMBING FIXTURES
TREATMENTS & CHEMICALS, SEPTIC

VIDEO GUIDES: Septic Videos

WASHING MACHINES & SEPTIC SYSTEMS
WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
WASTEWATER TREATMENT BASICS
WATER, WELLS, WATER TANKS: TESTING GUIDE
WATER PURIFIERS

WATER QUALITY TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT
WATER QUANTITY IMPROVEMENT
WATER QUANTITY USAGE GUIDE
WATER, WELLS, WATER TANKS: TESTING GUIDE
WETLAND SEPTIC SYSTEMS
WINTERIZE A BUILDING

More Information

Septic or sewer line exiting a buildingHow to Find The Sewer Line Exit Point - a clue to locating the septic tank
InspectAPedia®  -      

  • Start your search for the septic tank by finding the point where the main waste line leaves the building
  • How to locate the septic tank at a property, a detailed, step by step procedure to find the septic tank, distribution box, and leach field
  • Questions & answers about finding where the sewer or septic main drain line exits the building - a pointer to possible septic tank location

Finding the septic tank: to start your outside search, locate point at which the main sewer line leaves the building. The main waste line exit point at a building often points to the direction and sometimes right to the septic tank. But there are exceptions, as we explain here. Septic tank location guide: this document provides suggestions and procedures for finding a septic tank.

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© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

FIND MAIN WASTE LINE EXIT - How to Find the Septic Tank by First Looking Inside the Building

LARGER IMAGE: note the main waste line leaving in the basement far corner?

When the septic tank needs to be pumped, a regular maintenance task, the cost of that service will be less if the property owner found the septic tank location and perhaps even uncovered the septic tank pumping access cover.

Other reasons to find the septic tank include inspecting and testing septic systems when buying a home or for safety, to assure that the septic tank cover is in good condition.

This article tells us 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.

Videos showing how to find the septic system, septic tank, & septic drainfield are at SEPTIC VIDEOS. Also see SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LOCATION - how to find the leach fields.

If there are no obvious clues outside that clearly mark the location of a septic tank, we can find some critical clues about septic tank location by looking inside the building. Here they are:

Find the main waste line exit point

Look in the lowest level of the building such as basement or crawl space to see where the Main waste line exits the building. The line from house to tank begins outside the house wall at this same point.

Main Drain Single Exit Point

Usually, inside the building the waste drain lines run to a single exit point at the building wall or in the building lowest level floor or crawl space. In the photo above you can see the main sewer line leaving the building low on the wall near the basement corner.

In the photo at the top of this page we have located a sewer line where it leaves the basement wall. Just outside we would expect to find this same sewer pipe. From that point the buried main drain line connects the building to its septic tank.

Particularly for sites where there are not obvious outside clues, this is where to begin your search for the septic tank - inside the building, following its drain lines.

Outside Septic Waste Line Vents Can Point to the Septic Tank Location

At some buildings you may see a 4" to 6" diameter vertical pipe rising from the soil near the house wall, often with a mushroom-shaped cap on top, or you may see such a pipe protruding horizontally through the building foundation wall and extending for a few inches, covered by a cap or by a perforated cover. Sewer line vents are often vents installed on the main waste line.

Finding one of these sewer line vents in a building wall or protruding from the soil outside is another way to spot where the main waste line is exiting the building.

Questions & Answers regarding this article

Questions & answers about finding where the sewer or septic main drain line exits the building - a pointer to possible septic tank location.

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SEPTIC TANK, HOW TO FIND
  SEPTIC SEARCH SAFETY
  WHO KNOWS SEPTIC LOCATION?
  FIND MAIN WASTE LINE EXIT
  DISTANCE TO SEPTIC TANK
  POSSIBLE SEPTIC TANK LOCATIONS
  VISUAL CLUES LOCATE the SEPTIC TANK
  SEPTIC TANK DEPTH
  SEPTIC TANK LOCATING EQUIPMENT
  SEPTIC TANK LOCATION SKETCH
SEPTIC TANK GRASS or SNOWMELT

  • Clogged Drain Diagnosis - is the problem the septic system or the Building drain system?
    Septic Tank Safety: Septic System, Septic Tank, & Cesspool Safety Warnings for Septic Inspectors, Septic Pumpers, and Homeowners
  • Septic Tank Condition - How to Inspect Septic Tanks and evaluate the septic tank condition, baffles, sludge levels, damage, evidence of septic failure
  • Drainfield Layout: septic drainfield or leaching bed shape and placement considerations
  • SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LOCATION: how to find the septic drain field or leaching bed
  • Drainfield Inspection Procedure Septic Leach Fields - how to inspect and diagnose septic drainfield failure

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

  • Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
  • Inspecting Septic Systems: Online Book, Inspection, Test, Diagnosis, Repair, & Maintenance: our Online Septic Book: Septic Testing, Loading & Dye Tests, Septic Tank Pumping, Clearances, details of onsite waste disposal system inspection, testing, repair procedures.

  • Advanced Onsite Wastewater Systems Technologies, Anish R. Jantrania, Mark A. Gross. Anish Jantrania, Ph.D., P.E., M.B.A., is a Consulting Engineer, in Mechanicsville VA, 804-550-0389 (2006), Advanced Onsite Wastewater Systems Technologies. Outstanding technical reference especially on alternative septic system design alternatives. Written for designers and engineers, this book is not at all easy going for homeowners but is a text we recommend for professionals--DF.
  • Builder's Guide to Wells and Septic Systems, Woodson, R. Dodge: $ 24.95; MCGRAW HILL B; TP; Quoting from Amazon's description: For the homebuilder, one mistake in estimating or installing wells and septic systems can cost thousands of dollars. This comprehensive guide filled with case studies can prevent that. Master plumber R. Dodge Woodson packs this reader-friendly guide with guidance and information, including details on new techniques and materials that can economize and expedite jobs and advice on how to avoid mistakes in both estimating and construction. Chapters cover virtually every aspect of wells and septic systems, including on-site evaluations; site limitations; bidding; soil studies, septic designs, and code-related issues; drilled and dug wells, gravel and pipe, chamber-type, and gravity septic systems; pump stations; common problems with well installation; and remedies for poor septic situations. Woodson also discusses ways to increase profits by avoiding cost overruns.
  • Country Plumbing: Living with a Septic System, Hartigan, Gerry: $ 9.95; ALAN C HOOD & TP; Quoting an Amazon reviewer's comment, with which we agree--DF:This book is informative as far as it goes and might be most useful for someone with an older system. But it was written in the early 1980s. A lot has changed since then. In particular, the book doesn't cover any of the newer systems that are used more and more nowadays in some parts of the country -- sand mounds, aeration systems, lagoons, etc.

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