Locating drains access chambers in garden

[thescullster]

Do dowsing rods work on an open ended drain? I thought they would only find water filled pipes, or underground water channels.

Phil

[Tim+]

If you believe they work, then they do. ;-)

Tim

[tabbypurr]

Sometimes people do find drains with them, sometimes not. It's worth trying.

NT

[Tim Lamb]

My usual method for finding plugged soaks is to shove in a set of drain rods until the obstruction is reached and the use the rods length to mark an arc of possibility. Coupled with a rough idea of direction this usually works.

However, the OP may not have rodding access so... what about sound? Get someone to tap the drain where it enters the ground and then listen for the noise in the chamber.

[ss]

"Just wait until it snows. The warmth from the drains will ensure that the area above the covers melts first. "

Let hot water tap run and use an infrared thermometer, it may show the hot spot, especially if done on a cold day.