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Clay sewer piping defects (C) Carson Dunlop AssociatesDetermine that Sewer Line Needs Replacement

Sewer or Drain Line Replacement Decision:

This article describes we determined that a sewer pipe or "drain line" had to be replaced. The line which was replaced in this sewer drain line article runs from the building exterior to a septic tank located downhill from the home.

Sketch courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates (above) shows common defects found in clay sewer piping: tree root invasion, silt infiltration where pipe hugs open due to settlement and pipe shifting, or broken, collapsed pipe sections. Our clay sewer pipe article (below) diagnosed a broken sewer line that was crushed from above. The pipe was shallow, not protected from damage, and was broken when a heavy lawn mower drove over the line.

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."

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Guide to Determining that Sewer Line Replacement is Needed

Discovering a broken but buried drain pipe

Photograph of the waste line where a clogged drain let to discovery of damage and leaks.

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.

Photograph of the waste line where a clogged drain let to discovery of damage and leaks, closeup.

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.

Photograph of a clogged, broken clay drain line pipe section after excavation.

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

Photograph of a clogged, broken clay drain line pipe section after excavation.

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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DETERMINE NEED for DRAIN LINE REPLACEMENT at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to DRAIN SEPTIC SEWER PIPES

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