I have a cast iron sewer pipe in my basement.  It has an oxidized residue of some sort on it and isn’t pretty, but so far hasn’t failed.  However, last night I noticed that it appears to have some cracks in it.  Nothing is oozing out of the cracks, but I’m worried now that it may fail.  I never even knew that cast iron would crack.  Do you know if the crack could just be some type of outer sleeve, or if it is getting ready to fail?

-Heather

Heather, cast iron pipe is a very brittle and porous pipe. Flexing and settling over time can cause it to crack, and it’s also prone to wearing out (from the inside out) when continually used. You can’t tell when or if the pipe will leak just by looking at it, it’s possible that it may never leak, or that it could start leaking tomorrow. I would suggest keeping an eye on it and when/if it fails, calling in a plumber to replace it. Or, you may want to talk to local plumbers that offer “sock lining”, a process in which a lining is inserted into the pipe creating a pipe within the existing pipe. It’s generally used for longer lengths of pipe that what you’re describing, so I’m not sure that would be possible or a cost-effective alternative to replacement.

-Brian

I have a 4″ clay pipe which is a downspout drain and is leaking.  The pipe runs under an addition to the house.  There isn’t sufficient space under the addition to access the pipe at all.  Any ideas of how I can pull a liner or flexible pipe through the 4″ clay pipe (which also bends slightly?)  Currently, run off from the downspout runs under the house and there is no other place to go with the drainage.

-Bill

Bill, there are firms that specialize in lining failing pipes, but I’m not aware of any liners that you can use yourself. I would suggest that you contact a plumbing company in your area that has sock lining technologies. You may require access from one or both ends depending upon which sock lining technology is used.

-Brian

My back yard drain (partially under cement) is the old orangeberg pipe. When it is snaked out to remove and roots etc I am now receiving parts of the pipe. Total replacement would be tremendous. Can one sleeve orangeberg and is it economical? Can one use  the epoxy liner to fix?

-Richard

Richard, Orangeburg pipe, also called “fibre conduit”, is made from made from layers of wood pulp and pitch (for more information, see the article on Wikipedia here). Because Orangeburg lacks in structural integrity (even when it was new), it’s not a suitable host pipe for epoxy lining. It might be possible to sock line Orangeburg pipe if enough of it is intact, but you’ll need to consult with a company that offers these services to find out. The North American Society for Trenchless Technology’s website, is a good place to start looking for companies that offer different trenchless solutions that might have a solution for you, or at least offer additional insight.

-Brian

Does copper kill fungus or Bacteria? What is the effect of epoxy lining on Bacteria?

-Don

Don, copper won’t kill bacteria or fungus –in fact, in both copper and galvanized steel pipes, bacteria and other microscopic organisms grow in encrustation on the corroded pipe wall or on the corroded areas themselves. Epoxy pipe lining prevents corrosion and encrustation by creating a barrier between the pipe and water. The bacteria and other organisms will no longer be present to cause bad tasting or smelling water.

-Dr. Dave

Is there any type of fitting/connector to connect CPVC cold water line to PVC?

-Chuck

Chuck, I’m not sure if that type of fitting/connector exists or if those pipe types are at all compatible. Gluing a MIP adaptor (Male Iron Pipe Adapter, which has male pipe threads and will adapt to PVC and a few other types of pipe to make a transition from threaded pipe to a type other than threaded) on each end and then using a union might do the trick, but I would recommend checking the manufacturer’s website or contacting them.

-Brian

My plumbing is clogging/ slowly draining tub and toilet combo. We snaked from back of house to city sewer line- 80 feet- seemed clear enough. Then we flushed the toilet a few times- fine. Then we filled the bath tub halfway and it would not drain actually came back into toilet a bit. we mini-snaked the bath tub and toilet- they continued to trade their water back and forth… Could this be a vent problem? Or does it totally sound like a main sewer clog or break. We are going to snake from the soilstack to the city next- Just trying everything before having to shell out the big bucks for a whole new sewer line.

-Val

Val, If you’re flushing only twice and its already backing up into you bathtub, it suggests that whatever is wrong is located very close to the toilet (if the rest of the line is clear). I suggest hiring a local plumbing contractor to insert a camera down into the line and provide you with a report. With today’s cameras they’ll be able to see for themselves and show you what’s wrong and pinpoint the location of the problem -in color. Make sure you examine the report carefully and ask any questions you have right away.

-Brian

What happened if the underground hot water pipe is leaking?  What is the estimate cost to find the leaking pipe underground if I must demolished the concrete?  Any good advice?

–Ashley

Ashley, what you have is called a “slab leak” and digging/tearing up the concrete is a pretty expensive and time consuming way to solve your pipe leak problem, possibly costing in the neighborhood of $2,000 to $5,000.  Epoxy lining the affected pipe might be a faster and more cost-effective option –if the leaking pipe isn’t too badly damaged (an epoxy lining company should be able to determine that). In the lining process, hoses are connected to fixtures or valves at both ends of the pipe, so there’s no need to tear up your concrete. The pipe gets cleaned out and then lined with an epoxy that restores the pipe to like-new condition.

-Brian

The plastic pipe that carries our electrical wires from the outside meter on the side of our house to the inside electrical panel has developed a leak under the garage concrete floor and now after a rain storm water leaks into the electrical panel and out into the basement.  Is there any non intrusive way to find the leak or fix the leak without breaking the concrete floor?

–Bob

Bob, other than digging and replacing, your options would be to either run the conduit through an alternate route, or possibly seal the ends of the conduit. I suggest contacting a electrical contractor for his opinion and expertise.

-Brian

I hear in the wall what appears to be a pinhole leak in a pipe, but, I have no water leaking anywhere. ( I cut out drywall next to one of the pipes where I hear) It’s DRY! With no water being used in the house, there is minute amt. registering on meter, (next to nothing). With the hot water pressure valve on top of water heater turned off, usage on the meter show NO usage, but, I can still hear hissing in wall.(Hissing stops when I turn off main water valve outside the house.) What’s up??

–Ellen

Ellen, it sounds (no pun intended) like you may have a leak. If you did have a pinhole in your piping system, chances are the water loss is too low to be noticed on a water meter’s readout (dial), and you would also have water showing up somewhere (unless you have lines buried below ground). The best thing to do is call a plumber who can come in and perform a hydrostatic pressure test -which is safer then a compressed air test.

-Brian

I bought a house in May, in the state of Texas inspectors don’t have to insect sewer lines and I took a chance and lost. The sewer line was old clay pipe. had a contractor to come out and fix 68 ft but the he found out that he would have to go to the main he wanted more money which was 10 grand, also the main was 14 ft down. When he found out I could not come up with it he left me with a hole in the ground and no sewage. I have been using a pick and shovel for the last 3 weeks or so to try to do it myself but I am out of energy to even look at it. So what is my next move?

–Dennis

Dennis, you should contact the municipality that you live in, in most cases you (the homeowner) are only responsible up to the property line and not all the way out to the main. At 14 feet down, this is not a do-it-yourself project. Digging a trench, especially one that deep, requires proper excavating equipment and shoring. Without shoring, the trench could collapse/cave-in, filling with soil –leaving you and anyone else in it buried alive. Click here to read TrenchSafety.org’s great piece (illustrated) on why trenches cave-in.

An alternative to digging a trench would be one of the several types of trenchless technologies available, these replace or restore failing sewer pipes with only limited excavating. The North American Society for Trenchless Technology’s website, www.nastt.org, is a good place to start looking for companies that offer different trenchless solutions.

-Brian