What’s involvedSeptic system
Find the septic tank and walk the drain field: what's involved
Where the septic tank and drain field are, what to look for walking over them, what to keep off them, and what a septic pro does. The tank's lids stay shut.
- 15 to 30 min
- 7 parts
- Every step animated
What’s involved
No hands-on steps here: what the job is, what a pro does, and what to have ready.
Wastewater settles in the tank, then soaks away through pipes buried under the drain field.
The system's papers or the last pumping report show where the tank and field are. Your town may have a drawing.
Walk across it and look for soggy ground, bright green stripes, standing water or a sewage smell.
Keep cars, sheds, pools and trees off the tank and field, and point downspouts away from them.
Never lift a lid or lean over the tank.
The gases in a septic tank can make a person pass out in seconds.They open and pump the tank, check its baffles and filter, and test how the field drains.
Soggy ground, a smell or slow drains in the house: save water and ask Handyman for a septic pro.
What you need
- The system's papers or last pumping report
Call a pro if
- Soggy ground or standing water over the field
- A sewage smell in the yard
- Drains slow or gurgling in the house
- It hasn't been pumped in years
Handyman says: Save water. I'll find a septic pro.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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