You can buy pipe locators online, but they can cost upwards of $1,000 USD. Contact local hardware stores to see if they offer pipe locator rentals so you can use one without spending a lot of money.
Avoid putting the line into your toilet since it won’t work as well if it’s submerged. Older homes may not have a sewer cleanout in their home. Contact a plumber to come to install one for you to make it easier to locate lines later on or break apart clogs.
Try rotating the wand if you hear a weak signal since it could mean that you’re nearby but facing the wrong direction. The display on the wand may also have arrows or a number indicator that tells you when you’re getting closer to the end of the detector line.
If the reading maxes out again, reduce the sensitivity by another 10-15% and try waving the wand over the area again. Repeat the process until it doesn’t max out anymore. Some pipe detectors may also be able to tell you how deep the pipe is on the display.
You can buy utility flags from your local home or yard care store.
If the detector line ever gets caught, there may be a fork in the sewer pipe or it could be clogged.
Some zoning offices may not be able to locate the sewer lines on residential property. Learn the official property lines for your home so the zoning office doesn’t give you any false information.
Smaller towns and cities may not have online maps for water and sewage. Some maps show detailed information, such as the length of the pipe and how deep it is, when you click on a specific sewer line.
Calling 811 is a completely free service, so you don’t have to pay utility companies to mark your yard. The utility companies that are contacted depends on the area where you live, so they may not mark sewage lines.
