Mousing a system entails flushing a locator (called a mouse) from an inside facility and following the mechanism on it's path outside the house with equipment like that of a metal detector.

The major drawback to having your system moused is that the mouse will stop at any obstruction in the lines and can give a false reading.

Specifically, a mouse will always give a true reading—that it has stopped—however, where the mouse stops cannot always be assumed is the exact location where your tank is located. Here's why:

If little Johnny has been busy flushing family heirlooms down the big maw in the toilet, he could very well have caused a clog in the lines inside the house. If the mouse stops in the living room does this mean little Johnny has been very busy or does it mean an addition has been placed over the septic system? Good question.

Unfortunately, not everyone follows procedure when having an addition put on their homes. If you were not the original owner, there is a chance this has occurred. Checking county or township records will not always produce much in the way of results if the previous owner did not file for permits, which is how the addition could easily end up over the septic in the first place. Had the original owner followed procedure not to mention the law, this could well have been averted. On the other hand, if the culprit is little Johnny or some other similar situation, you still don't want to start tearing off a portion of your home simply to satisfy curiosity. Right?

Another similar situation that can occur is the mouse stopping just outside the house. Same type of circumstances but different fixtures. You could be ripping up a brick-paver patio or worse only to find that your wife's favorite birch tree's roots have grown into your field and created a clog.

In either instance, when the reading results of the mouse is questionable you should do further investigation before you being making major alterations to reach your septic tank.

The mouse is accurate, but is limited in it's scope. No one has superman vision, therefore what is beneath the surface of the ground is no more visible to our driver then it is to yourself. If you decide to make an alteration to your home based on the reading of a mouse that decision and the responsibility of that decision remain your own. Not that of our Company or our Employees.

When in doubt ask. There are always other measures that can be taken.

Do note that mousing a system is most often successful, but there have been exceptions. It's best that you keep that in mind when making your decisions for alternate location methods.