How we Determine that the Sewer Line Needs Replacement InspectAPedia® -
Guide to how to diagnose a blocked main building drain
How to determine that a sewer line needs replacement
Step by step main drain line replacement, house to septic tank (or sewer)
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This article describes we determined that a sewer pipe or "drain line" had to be replaced. The line which was replaced in this photo-illustrated
case runs from the building exterior to a septic tank located downhill from the home.
We present an actual sewer line replacement case study, illustrated with photos of each step in the diagnosis and replacement of a blocked
sewer line. Technical reviewers are welcome and are listed at "References."
This is a chapter of Inspecting, Testing, & Maintaining Residential Septic Systems an online book on septic systems. Also see Backups and Clogged Drains diagnosing septic backups and septic system failures versus clogged drains.
Guide to Determining that Sewer Line Replacement is Needed
Discovering a broken but buried drain pipe
Using a wrecking bar and shovel we flipped over the section of sidewalk to expose, no surprise,
a wet area below the sidewalk, showing that not only was our sewer line blocked, worse,
it was broken. This was not a big surprise.
We were working on a 1920's home which still,
as far as we knew, had its original clay piping between house and septic tank. The second photo
is a close up showing the sewage leak where the drain line was not only blocked, but broken below
the sidewalk.
This photo shows a mud and root-clogged section of clay pipe removed later during excavation
of the drain line. What caused the clay piping to break after all these years?
It could have become damaged
by tree roots, but we suspected and still do, that something different occurred here.
The home
had recently undergone an extensive renovation between tenants. The contractors had driven
a heavy pickup truck into and up the rear yard in the process of removing debris.
It was possible
that driving over the concrete walk had pressed it down just enough to crack the clay piping.
How much drain pipe to replace during sewer line repairs
Here's a photo of the total distance from the house rear foundation
to the septic tank (down hill to the left of the garage in the photo.)
Regardless of the cause of the broken drain pipe, that section would have to be replaced.
Now we had a decision: do we just dig up the broken section by hand and replace it, hoping
for the best?
While we might have gotten away with digging by hand to replace just the broken few feet
of drain line, it was quite possible that the drain would then be discovered to be blocked
again further along, by more damage in the same area or closer to the septic tank.
Given the
cost of bringing an excavator to the site at all, and wanting to make a complete, reliable
repair rather than risk having to simply repeat the whole process all over again in another
year, we decided to replace the entire line between house and septic tank.
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Thanks to Thomas Gleason, excavators, Poughkeepsie, NY 845-454-3730, for the excavating work at the project photo documented here in September 2006
Thanks to Cleveland Plumbing, the prime plumbing contractor, Staatsburgh, NY 845-485-7700 for the plumbing work and drain clog diagnosis work documented here in September 2006
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment
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