Sewer Line Material?

Question

What sort of material should be used for the sewer line running from the house out to the city main? Cast iron? Clay? I need to have this replaced soon. Any suggestions on things to consider or make sure that I have included?

Michael

Billy Rogers · Answer

I would also suggest that you make sure they replace the whole line (from house  to city sewer line) and not just part of it, if it's clay pipes.

Jon Holdman · Answer

You MUST check with your city. I just (as in I mailed payment this morning) did one of these. That city required SDR35 pipe. PVC is forbidden. The explanation is that SDR 35 (which is a bit of a misusage of the term SDR) is more flexible and handles unstable soils better. It also uses bell type slip fittings with gaskets rather than glued joints.

So, I'll repeat that unless someone here has actually dealt with the City of San Jose on this topic they cannot reliably advise you. Call the city.

So, I'll repeat that unless someone here has actually dealt with the City of San Jose on this topic they cannot reliably advise you.  Call the city.

Adam Johnson · Answer

In a former life, I used to do commercial site construction, which included installing and replacing underground pipe work.  Jon Holdman gave great advice as far as consulting the city regarding material for the pipe.  One job popped to mind in a local city we were working in.  The approved plans called for SDR-21 pipe, which is very heavy, expensive, and tough to find fittings for.  We installed a little over 200' of it before our 3:30 PM inspection by the city inspector that would have allowed us to cover it up (bury it) if he approved it.

He did not approve it, city spec was all sewer lines were to be SDR-35, which is lighter, easier to work with, and easier to find fittings for.  The next day was spent digging up and wasting nearly $ 4,000 in pipe and fittings, not to mention labor and equipment costs, so we could put in SDR-35.

Moral of the story - ask the city.  In my case the engineer that drew the plans screwed up, and so did everybody that reviewed them down the line.  I shared it only to demonstrate who has the ultimate authority.

SDR-35 is very common and is very durable.  If you can get it to sit still and not roll ahead of the tires, I have driven over it with a backhoe and it is very resilient and returns to it's original shape with minimum deformity.  Don't do this with your job, but we have used that material for temporary piping before with great success when we know that it will be severely abused.

Regarding the root problem, my plumber recommended dumping a product down our sewer line a couple times a year at a property prone to intrusion.  I think it is called Root Destroyer but you may find a comparable product at a local commercial plumbing distributor.  The object is to kill the roots before they get heavy.  You may also want to look closely at what landscaping you have near where your line is.  Roots from bushes and trees "seek" water and will find any pipe.  These roots will travel a remarkable distance to get to the water.  It is possible for roots to penetrate PVC pipe (SDR-35, etc.) at the gasketed joints, so regardless of what pipe ends up being used, be aware of the surroundings as well and be prepared for minimum maintenance.

One final parting thought - consider an extra cleanout, maybe a 2-way cleanout just outside the house foundation, even if it is not required!  Around here, the only cleanout required is at the edge of the street right of way in most municipalities.  Adding a cleanout, and especially a 2-way just outside the foundation, gives you SO many more options in the event of a future problem.  The extra fittings and labor required are minimal if you are already digging, and will be money well spent if this is a property you plan to keep for a while.

Michael D. · Answer

Jon Holdman, well, I guess I'm not too far out of line then. I guess I'll just suck it up. Thanks for making me feel better about the bad news.

Jon Holdman · Answer

$13K is quite high side for 55', house to city tap.  But you did it in stages   and that increases the cost significantly.  When I did my house it was $4000 from the house to the edge of the street.  It would have been double that to cut the street and get to the tap, but in hindsight I should have done it.  The house I just did was $4800 from the house to the tap in a dirt alley, about 75' total.  The other bids on that job were $5800 and $6300.  I had other bids on my house as high as $9800 to the edge of the street.

Michael D. · Answer

Billy Rogers, that's what I was thinking. I asked the plumber I was speaking to to give me a very ballpark idea of how much it would cost to replace the whole line (from the sidewalk to the house, about 30ft or so), and he said $2-3k. Dang. He also said that he'd be using ABS. I put a call into the city building department to find out what kind of pipe they want as well.

This will be my third major expenditure on this sewer line in 6 years. First, about 6 years ago, I had the line replaced between the sidewalk and the city wye, about 25' - $5k. Then one year ago the city wye itself needed to be replaced. Another $5k. Now it's from the sidewalk up to the house. Both of those were clay, as required by the city (why? - I don't know).

I guess I'm fortunate that the city had a cost-share program for the first two, so they paid about half the cost.

Colleen F. · Answer

In our area one of things I found out was you need stronger PVC to drive over so a portion of  PVC running under the driveway was  more expensive and a different color then the other PVC. Clay and cast iron and usually not used these days for this application.

Jon Holdman · Answer

I had bids from different contractors.  They proposed different materials.  I did end up actually talking with the folks at the city to be sure what was acceptable.  Even they were less than 100% firm in their answers.  But as long as the contractor gets a permit and the city signs off on the inspection I figure its OK.

George Paiva · Answer

Up here in CT its the green colored piping.  You will have to ask your local town to give the requirements.  They are very picky on what you will use.  With a contractor you should be ok.

Michael D. · Answer

Thanks Jon Holdman! I'll check with the City of Modesto on that, and I do plan to use a contractor for the work. Hopefully the contractor will know the rules, but I won't take their word for it.

Michael

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