Pumpers Come Across Unusual Tanks & Lids

A poster dug up an old system for an inspection, and was surprised to find a tank lid manufactured by Weber.
Pumpers Come Across Unusual Tanks & Lids
A poster dug up an old system for an inspection, and was surprised to find a tank lid manufactured by Weber

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This feature in Pumper reports noteworthy conversations that take place at the Pumper Discussion Forum, an online forum for industry professionals found at www.pumper.com. Pumper Discussion enables exchange of information and ideas on septic and drainfield installation and maintenance, trucks and equipment, portable sanitation, chemical and additives and much more. Information and advice in “Overheard Online” is offered in good faith by industry professionals. However, readers should consult in depth with appropriate industry sources before applying such advice to a specific business situation.

Question:

So here we are in January, with about a foot of snow on the ground. A customer wants to sell the house, but the buyer wants to have the septic system inspected. So I get called to find and pump the tank. I found it and start digging, and as I am digging, I start to uncover a cover I have never seen before but it looks kind of familiar. Yep, the top of a Weber grill. The tank is a common one (around here), 500 gallons and steel, and the original cover had rusted out. So they replaced it with whatever was handy. Just when you think you have seen it all, out jumps a new one.

So I’m wondering, what is the weirdest/most unusual tank/lid you have come across?

Answers:

That takes the cake. I could see a steel tank covered by a Weber grill lid killing a real estate sale. How did the inspection turn out, and did you toss the Weber lid back on and cover it up or talk to the owner about a better, safer solution?

Come spring, I may or may not be installing a riser and surface cover. The rest of the tank was surprisingly in good shape. Both inlet and outlet baffles were still intact. If I was a betting man, I would have bet on them being rusted away. In Michigan there has been a problem replacing old systems and people are scared to death of having to install mounds. There is not a lot of money around here. I do believe the sale is pending and looks like it is going through with a little bit of leeway given for the new lid.

One time I found a 4- by 4-foot, 1-inch-thick steel plate for a lid. That thing was heavy. The homeowner had to help me lift it out of the hole.



Discussion

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