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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT
  Diagnosing a Blocked Drain
  When to Call a Plumber
  How to Locate the Main Building Drain
  How to Use a Power Snake on Building Drains
  How to Find Distance to Drain Blockage
  Determining Need for Replacement
  Replacing the Sewer Line, Step by Step
  Making Other Septic Repairs
  Installing the new sewer line
  Bedding the sewer line in Sand
  Final Backfill of the Sewer Line Trench
  Documenting Buried Components
  Final seeding and soil restoration
  Sewer or Septic Line Installation at Steep Sites
HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS
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SEPTIC INSPECTION TYPES & LEVELS
SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE
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Photograph of flooding at the septic tank inlet port

Sewer Line Replacement Procedure - time to make other piping or septic tank repairs
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Why we make other septic tank or piping repairs during sewer line replacement

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 when, where, how, and why a sewer pipe or "drain line" is 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 case study, illustrated with photos of each step in the diagnosis and replacement of a blocked sewer line. 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.

Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. © Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Making Other Septic Repairs During Sewer Line Replacement

Later discoveries during excavation made us glad we'd decided to replace the entire drain line.

Not only was the sewer pipe broken in several other places, also we found and were able to repair a problematic leak at the entry of the drain pipe to the septic tank.

We found that the connection of the waste line to the septic tank had been leaking ground water into the septic tank in wet weather.

The nature of this into-septic tank leak problem was quite evident when it rained during our project as water ponded at the entry to the tank.

We confirmed that the tank had been flooded by opening the tank inspection cover at the intake baffle where we saw that sewage had flowed over the baffle top.

(Flooding a septic tank can result in early clogging and failure of the drain field.)

The "fix" in this case was a simple and expedient if crude concrete "seal" at the pipe entry to the septic tank to reduce the chances of water collecting and entering the tank at that point again.

Are you Wasting Money on sewer line and drain line cleaning attempts when a new drain is what's needed?

The cost of this attempt to unblock a clogged building drain was several hundred dollars to pay the workers and for use of the power snake machine.

While it was disappointing to have spent this money only to discover that what was needed was a drain replacement, we considered it the fair cost for a confident diagnosis of what work was needed. In hindsight, we could have assumed that the drain replacement was needed based on the age of the home and gone directly to hiring the excavator, but most experts would consider that a rash step since there are plenty of instances of blocked drains that do not need to be replaced.

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SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT
  Diagnosing a Blocked Drain
  When to Call a Plumber
  How to Locate the Main Building Drain
  How to Use a Power Snake on Building Drains
  How to Find Distance to Drain Blockage
  Determining Need for Replacement
  Replacing the Sewer Line, Step by Step
  Making Other Septic Repairs
  Installing the new sewer line
  Bedding the sewer line in Sand
  Final Backfill of the Sewer Line Trench
  Final seeding and soil restoration
  Sewer or Septic Line Installation at Steep Sites

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

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

Backups and Clogged Drains diagnosing septic backups and septic system failures versus clogged drains - key step in septic repair
HOW TO FIND A SEPTIC TANK
DRAINFIELD LOCATION GUIDE
SEPTIC VIDEOS assist in locating septic system or sewer line components
The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.
Ten Steps to Keeping a Septic System Working, suggestions from the U.S. EPA, edits and additions by DJF
What is a Septic System An Engineer's View & Septic System FAQ's
Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment

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