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sewer line
(by Lizard [ga])
Jan 11, 2004 4:35 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by tyler [nc])
Jan 11, 2004 4:48 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by tyler [nc])
Jan 11, 2004 4:50 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by lizard [ga])
Jan 11, 2004 4:51 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by Tina [OK])
Jan 11, 2004 4:56 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by Sean [CA])
Jan 11, 2004 5:00 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by tyler [nc])
Jan 11, 2004 5:00 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by tyler [nc])
Jan 11, 2004 5:02 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by kerry [co])
Jan 11, 2004 5:38 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by Sean [CA])
Jan 11, 2004 5:40 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by lizard [ga])
Jan 11, 2004 6:12 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by kerry [co])
Jan 11, 2004 6:56 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by cz [or])
Jan 11, 2004 9:46 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by dennis [nj])
Jan 11, 2004 10:17 PM
RE:
sewer line
(by dave [mo])
Jan 12, 2004 12:30 AM
RE:
sewer line
(by flee [MI])
Jan 12, 2004 4:00 AM
RE:
sewer line
(by lizard [ga])
Jan 12, 2004 4:21 AM
RE:
sewer line
(by KF [VT])
Jan 12, 2004 5:35 AM
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Well, just when I thought we were finished SPENDING money and about to start making some..... Wrong!! Tenant from first property called today....water backing up from washer, toilet, sink, etc... in the house. Good news is it didn't do any damage to speak of. Bad news is after snaking the line out, we guess it's roots in the sewer pipe. Neighbor tells us that lots of props have that trouble. The neighborhood is coming up on 50 years old, and the lines from the mains are mostly terra cotta or cement. The roots find an opening in them, and just go to town. SO, what to do? It was getting dark, so we just left the clean out cap off outside the house just to keep stuff from backing up inside the house. We know a plumber who does the cutting of roots and rebuilding of the lines. They estimate $1500 to dig it all out and replace it. !!!!! Yikes. The cheaper alternative is to cut the roots out in the line, but the roots grow back again. And somebody told us that the machinery with the blade often boogers up the pipes even worse if they are brittle and damaged from all the roots coming throuhg. ANy advice on this? Do we just bit the bullet and pay them to do it? OTher option is doing it ourselves....but it seems like a huge job for us. It's not a flat path, either, so backhoe manoevering seems tricky. --67.75.131.81 |
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they sell a solution you can put in down the toilet (or i prefer clean out drain so as not to bother resident) if they work put it in the morning or late at night so it can work its magic...helps eat at those roots. locally HD rents the big roto roter now @ 35.oo/4hrs....its very easy....just wear gloves. --64.12.96.135 |
| I meant to say hold off on digging up this line and perhaps spending unnessary money.....see if the roto rooter job works.....go back in may...look in the clean out trap....see water floating up high? no then its still working. --64.12.96.135 |
| tyler, what is the solution that eats roots called? --67.75.131.81 |
| My house was built in the 20's and we have root problems. Once you get it cleaned out and running our Roto-Rooter guy suggested put a 5 gallon bucket of salt water down the toilet once a month. The trees dont like the salt. It helps prevent the roots from coming back as quick. --64.140.1.131 |
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Personally, I would hire an independent drain cleaner and have the line "snaked". Then I would have them video the line. They send a small video camera down the line and can see if it is roots, or if a section of pipe has collapsed or what. I pay $65.00 for the snake job, and about $200 for the video (the set-up is expensive). Stay away from the big national chains such as "roto-rooter". They spend millions on trucks and advertising, then put 20 year old kids straight out of "drain cleaning class" to work... No thanks, you want an old independent. You may get away with snaking every 6 months, you may need to replace the whole thing.. That $1500 bid is not out of line. Sean --63.192.100.179 |
| sorry....liz i don't remember but it will be in the hd plumbing dept....now tina brings up an interesting home rememdie idea....any plumbers or those experienced with this? --64.12.96.135 |
| but if you do use the solution...you will need to snake it first...., responding to sean...if your trying to save a bit....just get it snaked this time.....if the problem resurfaces in 6-9months....,snake again and vidio it.... --64.12.96.135 |
| Copper sulphate kills the roots. Usually comes in little nuggets. Available in any HD type store with the plumbing products in bottles. --67.31.136.223 |
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The product that Tyler is referring to (locally anyway) is called, simply, Root Destroyer). Comes in a white plastic container, about the size of a quart.. like a container of interior spackeling paste. Locally it is in the plumbing department with the plungers and snakes etc. Sean --63.192.100.179 |
| WIll that product do me any good at this point? OR just as a maintenance once the line is clear? --67.75.131.81 |
| No it won't. You'll need to get the line snaked and then the copper used regularly will help kill the roots. I'd also look to see if the culprit tree or bush can be identified. I identified one, cut it down, killed the stump and had no more root problems. --63.211.242.222 |
| Looking for culprits, maple trees are always bad news for sewer lines and drain pipes. They have very shallow roots that raise the pipes and break them, providing entry for the roots. --216.239.160.71 |
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can't help you on whether to 'bite the bullet' or not, but had it done about 5 years ago, and cost was about the same as you are getting quoted. i'd verify that 'rebuilding' the lines is a TOTAL replacement, not just the removal/repair of a section of it. sean's suggestions are good, snake first, then video, and see what the pipes look like first before spending the big bucks. --152.163.252.193 |
| I just do mine every year.Until I cant get it open that way I will then dig it up.I've had good luck with roto rooter. 110.00 a time.I bought a machine myself for 500.00.will pay for itself.Rent on. --64.12.96.135 |
| I have the same situation. The independent rooter man said 70 feet out was obstuction. Very close to the city's crab apple on curb. Talked to city and they said if it get bad they will fix as they are responsible to sidwalk. They did say one resident who had the same problem was able to stave off fixing sewer line by monthly adding copper sulfate to toilet and the problem quickly resurfaced when they stopped. The 2-3' clay pipe sectons are famous for leaking some water which attracts roots. The pipe will last forever if not cracked. Like a carrot the tree root makes it's way into pipe and the eventual increase in diameter breaking pipe. At this point it's all over. BTW, when the drain is slow or backed up be sure to dump copper sulfate root killer in last drain (closest to outlet). Avoid trap if you can and dump directly into line. The drain highwater is a perfect time to really soak roots or leak poison outside of drain with high concentration of root killer and contaminate soil. I offered to city to hand dig around large Crab tee and chop some roots running that direction, but he thought it would be a waste and thought the maple 60' was the culprit? My line must be 6' down. --216.65.170.240 |
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got plumber going out today to take a look and give opinion and a real estimate. They said they'd be out there anyway, so they didn't mind....even though I said there's a decent chance we'll go another route. I am thinking of finding someone to dig the ditch...and then maybe we can save a bit by replacing the pipe ourselves. I'll just have to shoot myself if it's a wad of paper towels. Maybe the camera IS a good idea, but seems like a lot of money if the pipe's going to have to be replaced anyway. --67.30.250.9 |
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The camera will let you know if it's just a wad of paper towel, or the snaking part will drag a chunk of it back when they finish. The extra money spent there could be your key to NOT having to spend the $1500. In my area, the 50+ yo houses usually were built with orangeberg pipe (some kind of tar paper pipe) and it collapses over time. Even though my houses aren't 50 years old, (the pipe was no longer made after the 1950's), someone around here must had a garage full of the crap because I've had to replace 3 sewer lines so far, and one more needs to be done in the spring. I'm in a rural area, and it sounds like you may not be, so that could be a huge difference. One thing about being in a rural area.... the guy who is the head of the water department for the town also does the digging and such on the side, after working hours. Where I had paid over $1200 for one sewer line to be replaced, he only charged $800 for the other side of the same duplex. Maybe you have someone like that in your area to help lower the cost? KF --198.68.168.43 |