How To Replace Sewer Line From House To Street
- Written by NewsServices.com
The sewer system on every house is often overlooked. However, it is an essential part of your plumbing system as it removes all wastewater and other products from your home. Naturally, you’ll soon be aware of it when you have an issue that needs to be resolved.
The most common signs of an issue are when your water and waste products drain slowly. If it is just one appliance then the issue is likely to be in the waste plumbing immediately adjacent to the appliance.
But, when all the appliances are affected, you probably have a sewer line issue. It’s around this time most homeowners realize that the sewer line is their responsibility, right up to where it meets the main sewer line!
The Worst case scenario is replacement. However, before you assume this is what is needed it is always a good idea to check the pipes. The easiest way to do this is to look for a sewer camera for sale and order it.
You can then insert the camera into your sewer pipes to locate any blockage. It can also be used when there is no blockage to check the condition of the pipe.
Remove The Blockage
You can’t use the sewer camera to remove the blockage, you’ll need to insert drain rods that can break the blockage up and get the water flowing again. This is usually enough to clear the pipes.
It is then possible to insert the sewer camera again and check the pipes. You need to know why the blockage occurred.
If it is due to damage then you may need to replace the sewer pipe.
Trace The Line
If removal and replacing is the only option you’ll want to trace the line of the piper through your yard. You can use a pipe locator to help with this or your camera may have a GPS feature that allows you to map the route as you examine the inside of the pipe.
Dig It Up
If there are no blockages and the pipe is set at the right angle you shouldn’t have to worry about waste in the pipe. You can dig down to it with a digger, providing you do the final part by hand to avoid disturbing the pipe location.
Don’t forget you need to dig all around it to ensure easy removal.
Uncover as much of the pipe as you need to replace plus a little more each end.
Change The Pipe
The easiest way to change the pipe is to cut through the old pipe and then add straight connectors. Modern sewer pipes are generally plastic but you may need to verify what yours is made of before you start. This can make a difference to how much pipe you remove.
You will need to use pipe glue to lock the new pipe into position where it connects to the old pipe.
To finish, make sure you test the pipe to ensure there are no leaks before you carefully cover it back over.
