heip finding septic drainfield

[vinylfloorguy]

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can locate the drainfield on my septic that the previous owner installed himself? He did it by hisself so there is nobody local that can show me. I only have 7 acres so I want to be able to use every bit of land that I can but don't want to damage lthe drainfield. any ideas woud be helpful.

[vinylfloorguy]

ok, how about this, I assume that I will get myself in big trouble if I just flood the system untill the water comes to the surface? Is there no real way of finding it and I will just have to give my best guess and live with the problems if I am wrong?

[Daddymem]

More info please. Do you know where your septic tank is? Do you know if you go by gravity or pump? If you can find your tank and you are by gravity, dig down just beyond the outlet side until you find the pipe. See what direction it goes in. Borrow a snake and run that until it hits something keeping track of how far out it goes. Walk out in line with the outlet pipe that far and dig down. Hopefully you found a D-box which means the leaching area is nearby. This is what I have done in the past for system inpsections where there is no information. Sometimes metal detectors have worked-picking up the rebar in the concrete covers. CF will probably chime in with better advice.

[Cabin Fever]

I assume you know where your sewage line leaves the house. I also assume that you have no inspection pipes (white or blue 4" PVC pipe) sticking up somewhere in the yard.

So, go outside into the area where the sewage line exits the house and simply start probing the ground with a 4 foot section of 1/2" rebar (or similar). You may want to weld a handle onto the end of your probe to make probing easier. Once you find the pipe that exits the house, continue to "follow" downstream with your probe. Mark your progress with some wire flags or stones or spray paint.

Each time you hit the pipe with the probe, probe again at a 90º angle about a foot away from the pipe. If you hit something, you are likely over the septic tank. Once you hit the tank, probe around to determine the horixontal dimensions of the tank.

The pipe leaving the tank should be in the exact opposite location of the pipe entering the tank....so it shouldn't be hard finding that pipe. Follow that pipe downstream until you find the distribution box (or drop box). The pipe(s) coming out of the D-box should go to the drainfield. You can probe around to find the drainfield rock. Hitting the drainfield rock with your probe will feel different than hitting the pipes.

If you "give up" you can hire a septic professional. They will have an electric sensor that is flushed down the toliet and end up in the septic tank. The septic guy will then locate the tank (ie, the sensor) by using a gadget that is similar to a metal detector. Once the septic tank is located, he will find the D-box and drainfield by probing the soil.

[oz in SC]

I pretty much followed the procedure CF posted above,although I knew where the tank was...I was looking for the (non-existant) drainfield.

I DID find however where the original owner had run a single length of 6'' PVC pipe into an open ditch that ran alongside our property....

Ahhh,the joys of having an owner built home....

[The Paw]

I suppose you already thought of the obvious, but just in case...

my drainfield is clearly visible because the grass grows thicker and greener over top of it. The contrast is greater when conditions are dry.

[oz in SC]

Originally Posted by The Paw

I suppose you already thought of the obvious, but just in case...

my drainfield is clearly visible because the grass grows thicker and greener over top of it. The contrast is greater when conditions are dry.

LOL....

Yeah,ther eis always that method...

[anniew]

Even if the previous owner built it himself, he may have obtained a permit for it. That would give you all the information, depending on your state's laws.
Maybe too obvious. Did you ask the previous owner?
ann

[fordy]

..................I would have thought you would have compelled him to show you BEfore you signed the papers on the property . IF , a tree has succeeded in invading the leech field it is possible it (and others) have filled the main drain pipe with roots and almost completely stopped all fluid movement into the leech field , which will somewhat preempt the "green grass" method of location . , fordy...

[annethcz]

Originally Posted by The Paw

I suppose you already thought of the obvious, but just in case...

my drainfield is clearly visible because the grass grows thicker and greener over top of it. The contrast is greater when conditions are dry.

mine too. There really is a remarkable difference- it's even obvious to this suburban girl

[Farmerwilly2]

Originally Posted by The Paw

I suppose you already thought of the obvious, but just in case...

my drainfield is clearly visible because the grass grows thicker and greener over top of it. The contrast is greater when conditions are dry.

That's how mine was marked, dryed out grass over the septic tank, green grass over the leach lines.

[vinylfloorguy]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I did not ask the previous owner a lot of questions that I should have but I was in Kansas City and he was in Washington and the house was in Nebraska. So we only talked to each other through the realitor. There was a drought in Nebraska when I bought the place and the next week it started to rain. Now we are about 4 o 5 inches ahead, so no tell tale green grass. I do know where the tank is and it is gravity and I have now dug up about 20 feet of the pipe until it took a sharp turn down. So now I have a pretty good idea of the general area but I don't know how big he made it. i will probably just not put anything within 20 or 30 feet of it and hope that is far enough away. thanks again for the info.