How to Find Septic Tank Lid? Whether you realise it or not, knowing the position of your septic tank lid and the septic tank is critical. Septic tanks, despite their size, can be difficult to identify, especially if they are not maintained throughout time. Continue reading to find out how to locate your septic tank lid.
Whenever your property has a septic tank, you should be aware of its location. The first step will be to locate the septic tank lid, whether for preventing damage to the tank and drain field from heavy equipment, for excavating purposes, or for self-inspection of the septic tank. While we generally give this service to our customers during inspections or septic tank pumping, several homeowners may want to find it on their own. Here’s how to locate your own septic tank lid.
What is Septic Tank?
A septic tank is a concrete, fibreglass, or plastic subterranean chamber through which domestic wastewater runs for rudimentary sewage treatment. Solids and organics are reduced by settling and anaerobic digestion processes, but treatment efficiency is only moderate.
Why Is It Important to Know Where to Look for Your Septic Tank Lid?
Understanding where your septic tank is located is a fantastic approach to immediately discovering septic tank problems. For example, if you notice flooding near your septic tank lid, you’ll know right away that there’s a problem with your system overloaded.
Furthermore, knowing the location of your septic tank allows you to avoid parking vehicles on top of it, which might cause the tank to collapse. You’ll also be able to direct service providers to the exact location for septic tank services, saving them time and money.
How to Find Your Septic Tank Opening?
Now that you know how important it is to know where your septic tank lid is, it’s time to go find it. Keep an eye out for a two-foot-wide circular lid during your quest. Septic tank lids are commonly constructed of green or black plastic, although they can also be built of concrete.
However, untidy vegetation, mud, or debris can cover the septic tank lid, making it difficult to find. If you reside in a snowy area, seek a piece of lawn where the snow melts faster than it does elsewhere. That is most likely your septic tank, and the lid can be found there.
How to Find Your Septic Tank Lid as a New Homeowner?
When you bought your house, you should have received a property map that included the location of your septic tank. This is typically included as part of your home inspection. Whether this is the case, all you need to do is match the diagram to your property, identify the septic tank area, and potentially dig around it to determine if the lid is buried. People occasionally place an object, such as a huge rock, on top of the septic lid, so look under landscape boulders as well.
How to Find Your Septic Tank Lid as an Existing Homeowner?
Still unable to locate your septic tank lid? It’s possible that it’ll be buried. We suggest following the pipes coming from your basement since they will bring you to your septic system. Once you’ve determined the direction, search for any high or low points in the yard that could reveal the location of your septic tank.
You may find your septic tank lid by prodding the earth every few feet with a metal probe. Lids can be buried up to a foot deep on average, so look for any lumps that could indicate anything is buried beneath. A metal detector can also be used because most lids contain a metal handle or fastening to hold the lid closed.
A further reason you might not be able to find your lid is that it was buried at a great depth. The majority of lids are buried up to a foot deep, but some can be buried up to four feet! In some circumstances, a professional with specialised locating equipment may be required.
How to Maintain Your Septic Tank Lid?
Once you’ve located your septic tank lid, keep it in good condition to avoid damage and to make future septic tank maintenance, such as septic tank pumping every three to five years, easier.
Here are some tips for keeping your septic tank lid in good condition:
- Cut the grass around the septic tank lid on a regular basis.
- Remove any dirt or debris that has accumulated on your septic tank lid.
- Mark the area so that no one parks or builds on it. This can be accomplished with a flag, garden décor, or beautiful pebbles.
Measure the Levels of Your Septic Tank Yourself
While we provide a convenient service to monitor your septic tank levels, you are welcome to do so yourself. As described in our earlier post, you can use a long stick or a two-by-four with a velcro strip glued along one end, or you can purchase a piece of specific measuring equipment called a “sludge judge”. Because the average septic tank holds 4-5 feet of water, a 7-foot measuring stick is recommended.
Lower the homemade measuring stick or sludge judge into the septic tank after opening the tank lid, keeping the stick entirely erect and vertical. The stick will pass through the top scum, the middle liquid effluent, and the bottom thicker muck.
You can measure the sludge by measuring the inches of dark stuff staining the stick once you feel the measuring stick hit the bottom of the tank. Because the scum layer is at the top, it’s rather straightforward to measure exactly at the top.
Now that you know what your septic tank levels are, you can decide whether or not it needs to be pumped. To avoid unsuspecting animals or people from falling in, put the cover on quickly and never leave the open tank unattended, even for a minute.
