Perhaps you’re not the original owner of your home, so you’re not 100 percent sure about where the septic tank was installed. Perhaps you had the tank installed so long ago that you’re no longer sure exactly where it’s buried on your property. In either case, it’s important for you to be able to locate your septic tank if you need routine service or septic tank repair in Prior Lake, MN.
Here are just a few tips that can help you find the lid for your tank so the maintenance process can begin.
Follow the pipes
Your drainfield and septic tank will generally be installed parallel to the sewer line that runs into your yard from your home. Go down to your basement or crawl space and look for the sewer pipe where it leaves the house. This will be a four-inch diameter pipe—it should be fairly obvious. Follow where the pipe travels across the yard by probing every couple feet. Septic tanks will always be at least five feet from the house, but most will be more like 10 to 25 feet away. The pipes will eventually lead you to the tank and lid.
Dig your lids up
Drawings will indicate how many lids your septic tank has, and depending on the setup of your system, it could have two or three. Most septic tanks are rectangular and are about five feet by eight feet. The majority of the components will be buried four inches to four feet underground—a metal probe can help you find the edges of the tank so you can mark the perimeter. But if you can’t find it by probing, you may need to use a shovel along the perimeter to locate the lid.
Look for records
Most counties or municipalities will maintain building permits on file, and because permits are required for the installation of a septic system, there should be a record of where the system is located on your property. At the very least, you’ll be able to get a general location for your technician to investigate more closely, but in some cases, the records might include a diagram of the system.
You may also have received these types of records or documents with your home inspection, or from the previous owners of the house when you purchased the property, so be sure to go through all the documents you received at your closing appointment to determine whether you might already have this information on hand in your own files.
After you’ve had your scheduled maintenance appointment, you should be sure to disguise the lids again. You don’t want them to be fully concealed, because then you’ll have to go through the whole process of finding them again, but you can at least figure out ways to hide the lid, such as using plastic rocks, bird baths or planters.
For more information about finding your septic tank lid, or to schedule septic tank services in Prior Lake, MN, reach out to Mike’s Septic & McKinley Sewer Services today.