How To Repair Sewer Line

Soil tin can crush or roots can grow into a cracked master sewer line, causing the unabridged plumbing organization to support. Even without a blockage, a soggy, evil-smelling lawn may betoken a leaking underground pipe.

Excavating your yard to locate and repair a sewer line — and landscaping the damage after — is a major job. But y'all can salvage coin repairing a cast iron sewer pipe yourself. If money is a large cistron, then this article is for you.

I'll have you lot through the vii basic steps for repairing a cast iron sewer piping. In fact, these instructions will work for repairing a plastic sewer pipe too.

To become started, you'll demand the following list of tools and materials. But continue in mind, before yous make whatsoever purchases or rentals, the labor involved in excavating and repairing a sewer line pipe is heavy. Don't attempt this unless you lot're in good physical health.

Hammer and mallet
Saw (to cutting woods)
Thick gloves
Condom goggles
Plywood sheets (as many as needed)
Shovel
Ratchet cutter (to cut bandage atomic number 26 pipe) or curt-handled saw (to cut plastic pipage)
ii×iv″ wood (to caryatid trench walls)
Stainless steel pipe clamps (fitted to the pipage)
Neoprene sleeve
Screwdriver
Socket wrench or nut driver

1. Mark the Sewer Line

Begin by tracing the path of the sewer line from the master drain to the sewer or septic tank. Ask your local authorities for permission to work on the sewer pipe, and for information nigh its location and depth.

Side by side, stake out the path of the sewer line and hire a contractor with a backhoe to dig a trench inside 1 foot of the pipe. You can rent and dig the trench yourself, simply we strongly recommend you hire an expert for this phase of the projection. If you impairment the pipe yourself (and information technology's like shooting fish in a barrel to exercise), yous'll be liable. Best to put that liability on someone else.

cast iron sewer pipe repair - 1 mark the sewer line — Pace 1 of a cast fe sewer pipage repair: mark the sewer line.

ii. Reinforce the Trench

If the soil is loose or sandy, make the trench safe to work in by shoring its walls. Clay soil more often than not does not require shoring. Gravel soil requires shoring at the lesser only.

Lower sheets of three/viii-9inch exterior-grade plywood into the trench to line the walls. If the soil is particularly loose, brace the trench for extra support (run across next stride).

cast iron sewer pipe repair - 2 reinforce the trench — Stride 2 of a cast atomic number 26 sewer pipe repair: reinforce the trench.

iii. Caryatid the Trench Walls

Cut enough 2x4s, slightly longer than the width of the trench, to brace the walls every 3 or four feet. Mail each of the supports to the plywood sheets betwixt waist and shoulder acme. Go out enough space between braces to dig with a shovel.

cast iron sewer pipe repair - 3 brace the trench walls — Footstep three of a cast iron sewer pipe repair: brace the trench walls.

four. Betrayal the Main Line (Sewer Line)

Because y'all probable won't take admission to (or the expertise to operate) a sewer line inspection camera, you will have to find the damaged pipe manually.

To locate the leak, look for an surface area of moisture soil in the base of the trench. Now turn off the main water supply and be sure that nobody uses any fixtures during the repair.

Dig around the broken department of the pipage then that information technology is completely exposed. If the sewer pipe is plastic, use a plastic replacement pipe. If it is cast iron, supervene upon it with plastic if your local plumbing code permits (it probably will). If non, go ahead and supervene upon information technology with cast iron. Both are attached with hubless (neoprene sleeves held in place past stainless steel clamps).

Circumspection: Plumbing supply lines or electric cables may run parallel to the sewer line. Piece of work with extreme patience and gently text the footing earlier y'all dig.

cast iron sewer pipe repair - 4 expose the sewer line — Pace 4 of a bandage iron sewer pipe repair: expose the sewer line.

5. Prepare to Cut the Cast Iron Pipe

We're at almost the halfway mark in making the cast iron sewer piping repair. Good job.

At present, with a piece of chalk, mark the section of piping to be replaced. Make sure all of the damaged pipe is within the chalk lines before you begin cutting.

If you have a plastic sewer pipage, yous tin can cut it with a short-handled saw. If you have a bandage-iron piping, yous'll need to hire a ratchet cutter from a local rental eye. For the cast iron pipe, wrap the cutting chain around the chalk line and secure it to the handle. Set the dial to Cutting and turn the adjusting knob clockwise to tighten the chain around the piping.

6. Cut the Cast Iron Pipe

Wearing your safe goggles, pump the handle of the ratchet back and forth to cut through the pipe. Loosen the adjusting knob, unlock the chain, slide the ratchet cutter to the other chalk marking and echo the process.

Remove the damaged pipe and button loosely wadded newspaper towels (or onetime rags) into the remaining piping ends to block any harmful sewer gas.

cast iron sewer pipe repair - 6 cut the cast iron pipe — Step 6 of a cast iron sewer piping repair: cut the bandage atomic number 26 pipe.

7. Cutting & Fit the New Pipage

Finally, we've made it to the last step in your cast iron sewer piping repair. Y'all're about done.

Cutting the replacement piping, whether cast fe or plastic, nearly 1/4-inch shorter than the old slice that you removed. Slide a loosened clamp onto each standing pipe. Strength both ends of the replacement pipe halfway into the neoprene sleeves, then fold the lips of the sleeves dorsum over the pipe.

Fit the department between the continuing pipes and fold the sleeves in place with the help of a screwdriver. Position a clamp over each joint, so tighten the clamp screw deeply with a socket wrench or nut driver.

Have the repair examined, if required, past someone in charge of the local plumbing codes. Pack the world you removed before effectually the pipe so it slopes away from the house. Remove the plywood and supports.

PRO TIP: Look a day or two to be certain at that place are no leaks before filling in the trench.

cast iron sewer pipe repair - 7 cut and fit the new pipe — Step 7 of a cast atomic number 26 sewer piping repair: cut and fit the new piping.

Sewer Lines: the essential homeowner'south guide for inspeciton and repair
What causes a cleaved sewer line
Where is my sewer cleanout?
Where is my main water shut off valve?
How to fix roots in a sewer line
Camera line inspection: what'south wrong with your sewer line?
Are sewer backups covered by insurance?
Earthworks

Final Thoughts: Cast Iron Sewer Pipe Repair

As you tin see, excavation and repair of a cast fe sewer pipe are difficult and time-consuming. However, with diligence, patience, and the right tools, you can practise this with just a little bit of aid (similar a professional excavator and a friend or ii).

If you decide that this chore isn't for you, get a few different estimates. Just make sure they come from plumbers with bleed technicians and excavation experts on hand.

Telephone call ane-Tom-Plumber

Don't hesitate to contact united states here or call united states at 1-Tom-Plumber (one-866-758-6237) if yous demand help with any kind of sewer line repair or replacement, whether cast iron or plastic.

1-Tom-Plumber'due south certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, or water damage problem. We besides handle the earthworks of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response squad is available every day and night of the year, fifty-fifty on holidays.