How to locate septic transport pipe? (pump chamber to mound)

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WayOutWest

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I was wonder about getting both chambers pumped. Add fluorescent dye and water to the last chamber, mix, and pump. Look for the for the color in the bright sun or UV light.

That is a pretty good idea. I think that's my fallback plan now if I can't find it after a few more days of wallowing in the mud.

Too bad you cannot pressurize that one chamber and blow air. Or disconnect the pump output and blow high volume air into the transit pipe.

Well I can do that. There is a threaded PVC union in the pump chamber, where the pipe leaves the chamber. I loosened it in order to get most of the skunkwater to drain from the pipe back into the pump chamber before cutting the pipe.

My concerns here are:
  1. Putting air pressure into PVC is extremely dangerous. When PVC shatters with pressurized gas inside, the gas continues to expand, sending the razorshards flying. This is how kids get themselves killed with potato guns. Liquid stops expanding when the pipe breaks, which is why it's safe.
  2. The other end of the piece of pipe that is still connected to the pump tank is now buried underneath mud (it just rained), and it would take some pretty incredible air pressure to drive through the mud. I might not even get an identifiable airstream coming out of the ground.
  3. What I really need to locate is the pipe on the OTHER side of the cut -- on the downstream (drainfield) side. I know where the pump tank is and can trench a new line from there. But I can't install a new drainfield (!)
 

Reach4

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Putting air pressure into PVC is extremely dangerous. When PVC shatters with pressurized gas inside, the gas continues to expand, sending the razorshards flying. This is how kids get themselves killed with potato guns. Liquid stops expanding when the pipe breaks, which is why it's safe.
If you get above 5 psi, you could stop pumping. I have to believe that water and air would be coming out at the cut place.

Are you saying this union is outside of the tank, or is it inside of the tank with the motor. If inside the tank, I don't see how muck outside of the tank will matter.

What I really need to locate is the pipe on the OTHER side of the cut -- on the downstream (drainfield) side. I know where the pump tank is and can trench a new line from there. But I can't install a new drainfield (!)
Seems reasonable to presume a straight line. Once you find the intersection before the driveway, presume that you can sight the line where the pipe is.

Also, if you have a shard you can measure wall thickness. With that wall thickness, you can probably presume a type of pipe.
 

WayOutWest

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Victory!

I found the pipe.

Will write much more later, including a how-to with pictures so nobody ever has to suffer through this again.

The trick was to rent an excavator. It wasn't cheap, but within five minutes of firing it up I had pulled a chunk of pipe, still connected, out of the muck. After that it was trivial to follow that chunk to the mound. Rent the excavator. Everything I did prior to renting it was a complete waste of time.

Trenchers are awesome, and they can slice right through a buried pipe (if that's what you want), but they are so massively destructive they leave no trace in their wake. Get the excavator, you won't regret it. Also, rent a trash pump and dig a really deep hole with the excavator, toss the trash pump inlet in the hole, and draw down the local water table. Makes everything a lot easier.

More coming soon. Need to finish the job first though. Thanks to everyone for the advice and sympathy!
 
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