4 Reasons You Should Know Your Septic Tank’s Location

Your home's septic tank is an outdoor tank usually located about 10 to 20 feet from the house. The tank is buried in the ground, so finding it may be difficult. If you're new to your property, you should know where your septic tank is located. Here's why:

If your septic tank is located near your driveway, you'll want to know where it is so you can avoid accidentally driving over it. Driving over the tank could cause it to crack.

If you want to build another structure like a shed or garden bed on your property, you should know where your septic tank is and avoid building on it. Added pressure from a structure on the tank could cause it to crack from the weight of the structure.

Even if the tank doesn't crack, if something on top of your septic tank, you will have a hard time accessing the tank. The next time you need to pump the tank or perform maintenance on it, you may have to tear down or move the structure just to reach the tank. Try to keep septic tank maintenance in mind if you choose to build something on or near it.

Your septic tank will need to be pumped approximately once every three to five years . If it's not pumped regularly, it could fill up with solids, causing a clog.

If you know where your septic tank is, you can direct a septic professional to the tank when they come to your home, making the process go faster. Your septic tank professional may be used to finding tanks hidden in yards, but if your tank is extra hard to find, your knowledge will be helpful.

Septic tanks will show signs of a problem when they're starting to clog. To understand this, you'll need to understand the way a septic tank is supposed to work.

The tank is a holding cell for your home's wastewater. When the tank gets full of water, the water drains out of a pipe into a part of the yard called the drainfield. When the water drains out of the pipe, it should go down into the soil.

If the pipe becomes clogged, the water may sit on the surface of the soil, becoming a swampy mess. Knowing where the septic tank is, and therefore where the drainfield is, can help you identify problems that may be occurring with your tank. Some of the signs to watch for include:

• Standing water in the yard

• Surprisingly healthy, bright green grass

• A sewage odor on the air

If you're not sure where your septic tank is located, you may overlook these changes. You can better scrutinize changes as they occur when you know where to look.

If you're relatively new to home ownership and aren't sure where your septic tank is located, check on the property drawings that you received when you bought the house. If you did not receive any such drawings, walk around outside your yard looking for a square concrete cover hidden in the grass.

If you're not able to find a cover, ask a septic tank professional for help. Your septic tank professional will be adept at finding hidden systems and should be able to help you.

For more information about your septic tank and septic tank maintenance, contact an expert. At Southern Sanitary Systems Inc, we're happy to give you information about where to find and how to care for your septic tank. Call today to schedule an appointment.