Privy questions for the experts!

[andy volkerts]

Another thing about the "feel" thingy. if your sending your probe all the way to the handle and not feeling any resistance, usually means that the hole is deeper than your probe will reach. also there may have been no clay cap, or glass stuck in ash layers or trash layers above the bottom............let us know what happens.......Andy

 

[Bumpa66]

Thanks for the info Andy.

 

[digger don]

Kevin you said you know the feel of the privy so probe straight down about 1 foot apart to one side till your not in the privy. Then repeat the other way till you have all 4 walls.

 

[digger don]

Kevin you said you know the feel of the privy so probe straight down about 1 foot apart to one side till your not in the privy. Then repeat the other way till you have all 4 walls.

 

[Bumpa66]

Digger Don, thanks for the tip. I will try this method. I am itching to get back out and investigate more. With the crazy weather this year, the water level is prohibiting me to gig it out. I will try again in a couple weeks. I'm just wondering if old homes would have "coal ash" pits within 30 ft of the house and well, that was an open pit over 5 ft deep that their kids could possibly fall into? I'm thinking that this is a privy, and my inexperience is what's putting doubts in my mind. Hopefully in a couple weeks, I will know for sure.

 

[digger don]

Kevin It's most likely a privy if your sure it's not a well. No telling what age . Just dig and find out. Good luck and let us know what you get.

 

[MINNESOTA DIGGER]

the more you probe the more you break if you find a spot with a good read on probe , take a stick or piece of litter & mark good spot . ! now move about 3feet away and probe again , it does not matter which way you go go 3 feet . if probe spot is not a good hit . go 3 feet from first probe spot on another side , do all 4 sides , any good hits mark them . then go to the sides with bad hits and go another foot or so inside the previous probes till you get a good hit . mark it . always dig the pit wide enough so that your short shovel will be shorter then hole opening so you have clearance to manuever . the probe will go thru the would . also have different length probe , pits vary in depth , In sand try to leave as many roots as you can , { support } pits can be any where . personally i like city lots . less area to cover . pits can only be in a certain area . farms suck to find privies . as with anything , these tips are not always going to help . but the more you probe from the inside the privy out the more you break . get one good read and try to find where the privy is not

 

[Bumpa66]

Minnesota digger, thanks for the tip. I will be sure to use this method. Thanks again.