Public or Private

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Originally Posted by dgagneur

It's a device that helps you locate hard to find septic tanks. Basically you turn the device on and flush it down the toilet. Then walk the yard with the receiver until you pickup the beacon. If all goes well, you find the tank and are able to retreive the device for future use. It works well as long as your not on city sewer...if you are, then not so well. Each device runs about $20-$25 so you hate to see them disappear.

Dave

You know, I was thinking that fishing out a locator out of a septic tank doesn't turn me on at all, and curious how you fish it out.?

Do you use a smelt net or something?
I actually could not see myself re-using it to begin with. Not for $25.

Marcel

[waksell]

Douglas I agree, it is kinda long. If you don't mind, I'm gonna steal yours.

[Peter C. Russell]

I agree with Roy, where ever the main sewer line goes out the tank, if there is one will be within 10-15 feet of the foundation. I have a 5ft. fiberglass rod wit a T handle on it to locate tanks. Also, if the tank is only a few inches or maybe a foot under ground you'll notice the difference in the grass or it won't freeze the same as the rest of the yard.
Once the tank is idenified you can use the probe to fiend the leeching field, when you push the rod into the ground you can feel the crushed stone ETC.

I've done this test quite often in the past and got good at finding septic systems and the feild.

There is also a flow test you can do. You flush dye down the toliet and flood the system with water, the dye will turn floresent on the surface if the field if saturated, this is not recommened by todays standards though.

[dgagneur]

Originally Posted by mcyr

You know, I was thinking that fishing out a locator out of a septic tank doesn't turn me on at all, and curious how you fish it out.?

Do you use a smelt net or something?
I actually could not see myself re-using it to begin with. Not for $25.

Marcel

Marcel,

You wrap it in toilet paper and flush...the device floats so you just grab it with a shovel or wear a pair of gloves. Unwrap, rinse, turn it off and reuse on the next job if need be.

About the dye test...check out this link:

http://www.psma.net/dye_tests.html

The dye test doesn't really do anything to help determine if there is a problem with a drain field.

Dave

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

I had a crew working for me one time and they where talking about how cheap this person was .
He cleaned out his own septic tank with a rope and pail .
When it down to the bottom he got in with a shovel and filled the pail and his son carried it away .
Now I have to admit that person has to be the most frugal person I have ever heard of .
Knowing what I know now I do not understand how he did not kill himself with the fumes in the tank.

Roy Cooke

[wsiegel]

Do any of you actually inspect spetic tanks. Here in Florida, only a master plumber or licenese septic compnay can inspect these systems.

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

Originally Posted by dgagneur

Good point Dave,

I just did an inspection to include well and septic...there was a well but I couldn't find the septic anywhere so i flushed a locator and away it went, down the city sewer.

Surprising thing is that the seller said the house was on a septic system. Oh well, lesson learned there.

Dave

Dave the Dipper to the rescue.........

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

Had an inspection cancel on me today. The seller had stated the home was on septic. City sewer was at the street. No county records for a septic permit or hook up to city sewer.

Buyer did her own investigation. The city came out and it seems the pipes had been emptying into an old dry well for the last 15 years. The seller said no thanks after the city said their may be an issue with the EPA and require special clean-up.

Lassie......whats that you say girl? Billy fell down the well? Oh crap, leave him there.......

[jclark1]

Most cities and counties around here have public records accessible on line. I always do a parcel search/property records search before inspections, most if not all, say if it's public or private sewer/water.