Never ever work alone, getting stuck alone in a septic tank or even falling into one for that matter, can be extremely dangerous with a maintenance team member let alone if you are on your own.Also that fact that gases may be present and with the possibility of being overcome by these noxious gases single party or working alone is not a safe option.

Never ever, lean over into a septic tank as you could quite easily fall into the opening or even become overwhelmed by the noxious vapour causing you to fall in.

Ventilation is a must due to the build up of gases, and if no ventilation is present the septic tank will soon become an explosive environment. Also bearing in mind that some of the gases that are created as a consequence of decomposing waste such as Methane, in the right conditions, are explosive.One should also bear in mind that in a confined environment like a septic tank Methane can become an asphyxiate which becomes deadly in seconds.

Never go into a septic tank to assist someone who has fallen in. As you may both very quickly become asphyxiated by the toxic gases present. Call the emergency services for assistance.Having said that, if you are equipped with the necessary breathing apparatus and fully trained in its use then your training will come into play.

The gases present in a septic tank are very toxic and combustible therefore never ignite a naked flame anywhere near a septic tank.

If it is noted during the inspection of the septic tank that the tank covers are damaged or parts of the installation have collapsed then the area should be marked off indicating to other people that danger is present in the impending area until the necessary repairs are undertaken.

Never drive over septic tank installations or pipes.

Be very careful when digging around septic tanks as electrical cables may be present.

The septic system is basically designed to act as an onsite system to break down and dispose of biological human sanitary waste products in a safe manner.

Parts linked to a septic system

The obvious parts that you would think of as being linked to any septic system in a regular home would probably be sinks, toilets and pipes.

Many components to the septic system may not be so obvious and are equally as important to the smooth operation of any septic system and this includes the ground itself.

Some of the various part of the system includes the septic tank the distribution box and a leach field. The bacterial actions take place inside the septic tank and the end product of this process is mostly water, sludge which is undigested material and gases. The sludge sinks to the bottom of the tank.

Baffles are contained within the septic tank and the job of the baffles is to prevent any scum that may float to the surface and any sludge the settles at the bottom of the tank from escaping out of the tank.

Any gases that accumulate are ventilated out into the atmosphere by a plumbing ventilation system. Once this process has taken place clearer liquid will flow to a small distribution box where it will be distributed to various perforated pipes.

The perforated pipes will pass the clearer liquid to a large soil surface area which is called a leach field, or field for absorption. The soil completes another task which is to act as a filter and remove any quantity of small solids that may have travelled in the liquid.

The pumping out of any sludge from the bottom of the tank must form part of any regular maintenance schedule and this sludge must be disposed of professionally.

There are a large number of systems created for all situations however having said that the septic tank and leach field is the most common and widely used.

If the previous owner comes back to you and informs you that he or she does not know where the septic tank is buried and has lived at the property for a lengthy period then alarm bells should start to ring in your head. As this is a real indicator that the septic tank probably needs emptying sooner rather than later.

Another idea could be to contact your local septic tank maintenance company as they may well have worked at your property in the past and may have an idea as to where the septic tank is buried and if this works out it could certainly save you some time.

Septic Tank Visual Clues

Some kind of visual marker may have been left by the previous owner to help you to locate the septic tank access point, such as a wooden marker structure, or a pile of bricks or building blocks or even stones piled upon each other.

Another visual clue may be pipes protruding up from the ground. A real indicator is if the pipes are around 4 inches to 6 inches in diameter made from black or white plastic or maybe cast iron. These pipes may mark ventilation or cleanouts between the house and the septic tank. The pipes are usually around 10 to 20 feet from the house.

Another possible clue is the site of an electrical box sticking out of the ground this electrical box may be an electrical feed to the septic tank.

Healthy green looking grass

Tank leakage of raw effluent can give the surrounding grass areas the necessary nutrients and encourage grass growth therefore that makes for a good visual clue.

Heat patches

Signs of melted ice or melted snow in geographic locations that suffer seasonal changes can be a visual clue.

Boggy land conditions

Damp wet or boggy conditions are always a good visual clue to the location of a septic tank especially one that suffers from faulty drainage.

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