How To Fix A Cracked Sewer Pipe
We can also line existing sewer pipes with a sort of “sleeve” to prevent pipe cracks. First, we’ll clean out the pipe. Then we’ll apply the lining, which will harden in just a few hours. Burst pipe hydraulic replacement: If your sewer pipe is too damaged, we may need to pull a new sewer pipe through the old one. This trenchless technique involves using hydraulics to further break apart the damaged old one and replace it seamlessly with a new pipe. An obvious sign that you may have a broken sewer pipe would be septic waste water pooling in your yard. The issue may be a broken septic tank, clogged drain fields, or a cracked main line. Often times the problem area is located directly under the pool of sewer water.
- How To Fix Plumbing Pipes
- How To Replace A Broken Sewer Pipe
- How To Fix A Cracked Sewer Line
- How To Fix A Cracked Clay Sewer Pipe
- How To Repair A Cracked Sewer Pipe
Related Articles
- 1 Replace Drainpipes in Slab Homes
- 2 Repair Plumbing Under a Foundation
- 3 Slab and Copper Pipe Repair
- 4 Fix Leaking Pipes Under a Slab Foundation
A building with a slab foundation does not have a basement or crawlspace underneath it. A slab is made of concrete that's poured over leveled ground and then smoothed flat and cured. It serves as the foundation for the structure built on it. The concrete slab covers the sewer drain pipes located under the slab. When a drain pipe breaks under a slab, the pipe must be located and repaired; otherwise the ensuing leak could cause damage that makes the building unsound.
Locating the Break
A cement slab is porous. Water leaking from a pipe break beneath it will wick upward through the cement floor. Look for wet flooring with no apparent cause; initially, the moisture will be contained to a certain location in the house over the pipe break. A leak detection company can save a homeowner a great deal of time and effort by pinpointing the location of the pipe break with sensitive listening devices.
Making a Spot Repair
Once the pipe break has been located, a small area of concrete slab directly over the broken pipe must be removed with the use of a jackhammer or a concrete-cutting saw. Under the cement is usually gravel or sand in which the pipe is buried. Dig to find the pipe. Locate the breakage, cut out the broken portion and replace the section with PVC, polyvinyl chloride pipe. Use rubber repair couplings with stainless steel compression bands to join replacement pipe to the existing pipe. Replace the soil, and pour a concrete patch to fill the removed portion of slab.
Replacing Pipe Sections
In older homes, sewer pipe can degenerate and rust over time. Cast iron and galvanized steel pipe are especially susceptible to decay. Once you've exposed a section of pipe, study it. If the overall integrity of the pipe is decayed and thin, it may be necessary to replace complete sections of the pipe, in which case you'll have to remove more slab. Proper planning and hanging of plastic sheeting around the work space can help contain the large amount of dust and mess produced by the extensive concrete removal process.
Relining
How To Fix Plumbing Pipes
If the sewer pipe has extensive decay, an option of repair is to reline the pipes with Cured In Place Pipe, or CIPP. This process is less invasive than breaking up and repairing large amounts of concrete. The relining process begins with inserting a camera into the sewer pipe to inspect for pipe breakage and integrity. Second, the interior of the sewer pipe is cleaned by high-pressure water or mechanical means using a sewer-cleaning cable device. Lastly, a thin epoxy-impregnated felt liner is pulled through the pipe by cable, inflated like a balloon and allowed to cure, sealing the pipe.The epoxy seals small holes and strengthens the worn pipe walls.
References (3)
Resources (1)
How To Replace A Broken Sewer Pipe
About the Author
Tom Dennis has been writing technical as well as faith-related articles and curriculum since 2008. He has been a licensed plumber for more than 30 years with much experience in home projects. Dennis holds a Master of Religious Education degree from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.
Cite this Article