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

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

I’m considering making an offer on a house, but there’s an issue with the main sewer line. I’ve been told by the realtor that the owners have been having to have the line snaked every two months because it keeps clogging and backing up. What could be causing this? If I do make an offer on this house, I definitely would not be interested in continuing to have this done again and again. What possible pipe repair solutions are there? How much would you estimate it would or should cost to replace the sewer line? The house is about 10 feet from the street.

-Joseph

Joseph, having your sewer line snaked out that frequently is an unnecessary expense and hassle. My guess is that one of three things is happening:

• [tree] roots are penetrating the line (snaking would trim the roots in the pipe, but they’d just keep growing back),

• the pipe is not graded properly (waste isn’t moving downhill) sediment will start building up as soon as it’s cleaned out, or

• the pipe is broken and some parts have shifted, this would create areas where sediment will start building up as soon as it’s cleaned out.

While a visual inspection would help you figure out what the underlying problem is, I don’t know that the added cost of the inspection would be worth it. If the line runs under grass (no asphalt, trees, other obstacles), it should run between $150-200/ft. to replace it. An alternative to replacement would be sock-lining. It’s usually less-expensive than replacement, but you should get an estimate (should be free) to make sure. I don’t know what the current owners are paying for the snaking, but a new line ought to pay for itself in no time.

-Brian

What is the best feasible way to cut sewer taps in the field?

- Billy

Billy, the first thing you need to do is excavate down to the pipe and determine the pipe type. Depending upon what kind of pipe it is and if it’s being used all the time (continuous flow), you have a couple of options: you can either cut a section of pipe out and add a fitting with a “Y”, or you can chip a hole or drill it out and add a saddle (confirm a saddle is approved in your jurisdiction). The saddle method is not always a good idea as the pipe may splinter forcing you to replace that section.

-Brian

I have a home that had tree root problems and was causing the sewer to back up. We snaked out the sewer line and it runs ok. The problem is the sludge and gray water that has built up. It has clogged up in a pipe that has branched off the main. Snaking does not help because it sludgy. A plumber suggested jetting out the entire system with a power jet, but this is too expensive for me and might crack my clay tile. Is there any other alternative to fix this problem? ( e.i a chemical or some other method.)

–Steve

Steve, if snaking isn’t helping, your only hope of clearing it out is hydrojetting. And if that doesn’t work you’ll need to replace the pipe. Instead of digging up and replacing, you could contact companies that do trenchless pipe replacement. They offer various types of less intrusive (but costly) solutions that eliminate the need to dig up the pipe, including pipe bursting or sock lining with a CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) method.

-Brian

We are planning to move into a building that was built in 1982 that has a cast iron pipe for the main sewer line and there are problems inside the pipe and it clogs constantly. We just had a plumbing company film by camera the inside of the pipe and it looks like one of your pictures under CuraFlo. We priced the pipe bursting technique and for a 70 ft run under the concrete would cost is $14,000, which our landlord said was too much.

What do you think about that price, is that a reasonable price for this procedure?? What about the CuraFlo?? How do you know if this procedure will work on pipes that are over 20 yrs old and keep in mind the building has not been used for 7 yrs. Our Company is in Titusville Florida, so could you tell me who is your dealer in this area. Also, what’s the price range for this procedure??

-Ron

Ron, most pipe lining or pipe repair projects are difficult to estimate without knowing the details of the project. Things like location, accessibility, depth of bury, cause of failure, type of material and number of connections or fittings, all play a role in preparing a proposal. Therefore it’s difficult for us to evaluate your specific quote.

We can talk about solving your pipe problem. There are a couple of different in-place pipe repair techniques. One option, pipe bursting, involves bursting your existing pipe from within while pulling a new pipe through the space to replace the old one. This is one possibly viable solution to your problem, there are several including a cured-in place lining. Many local plumbers offer this technology and can prepare a proposal for you at no cost.

CuraFlo’s epoxy pipe lining technology is primarily used in potable (drinking water) supply pipes, and may not be the best solution for this problem. However, some CuraFlo dealers do offer services in addition to the CuraFlo Engineered Flow Lining System® (for 1/2″ to 4″ pipes) and the CuraFlo Spincast System™ (for 3″-36″ pipes). Click here or call 1-888-4CuraFlo to locate a professional near you.

-Brian