Whether you’re selling your house, planning a landscaping project, or preparing for maintenance, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) helps you locate your tank and lines without damaging your yard. Plus, it doesn’t harm a single blade of grass in your yard. But the questions remain—how does it work, and what are its advantages?
A Quick Overview
Using high-frequency electromagnetic pulses, GPR finds the location of your septic system as the waves come across any objects below the surface, such as the tank, pipes, or even displaced soil. An antenna on the unit detects the returning signals, processes the information, and generates a map showing the depth and location of all the components.
While you could purchase a GPR system, it’s costly. Even a rental isn’t cheap. That’s not considering that the results are rather complex and can require someone who understands the readout well to make sense of them, such as a professional septic technician.
Using a GPR System
Before you or a technician uses the device, mow the grass and clear any logs or other debris from the area. Preparing the area facilitates an accurate reading and ensures no one trips over obstacles during the scan.
Most of the time, the entire process takes less than an hour. However, that duration varies based on the size of your yard, the type of soil, and if you have any other underground features.
While you may spend money upfront to locate your system with this method, you could save even more in the end when you’re not paying anyone to perform exploratory digging. Not to mention, you avoid the trouble of spending money to repair your yard when you’re finished.
Besides locating the tank and lines, a GPR can also help you find the leach bed. This is a vital part of your system where treated wastewater enters the soil.
Comparing GPR to Other Septic Location Methods
To fully understand the GPR system, it’s beneficial to know how it compares to other options. Metal detectors, for example, only identify the location of any metal components, not the lines or tank. On the other hand, a dye test will show flow, but it doesn’t identify where your tank is. Last but not least, probing rods consist of someone manually using a rod to find the system. This can be damaging to the lines.
You can save time and money if you use a GPR system to find your lines and tank. You’ll be ready anytime you need routine maintenance or when it’s time to sell your home. It’s even useful for detecting where your leach field is. Fortunately, it’s a non-invasive method.
Forget the hassle and cost of renting or buying a GPR unit. Reach out to the experienced professionals at Brown Aerobic in Houston, TX to locate your septic tank.