Cast Iron Drain Options?
Hello BP Memphis,
My tenants reported water coming form the foundation and a slow draining sink recently. Plumbers put a camera down the line and said that the cast iron drain has collapsed somewhere in the middle of the house and that they need to excavate through the foundation to repair the line digging up multiple rooms $$$$. This exact repair was completed by the same plumber 8 years ago.
I have some questions:
How long should a repair like this last?
Should I seek legal help for pressuring the original contractor into covering the repeat repair or just suck it up?
Should insurance cover this? (Different insurance company covered most of it last time)
Do you know any cost effective plumbers that could re-route the line or insert a sleeve without destroying the floors or most of the floors?
I highly doubt anyone is going to cover an 8 year old sewer patch job. Pipes break. It just happens. But you might be able to negotiate something if the plumber thinks you might use his services down the road.
Most insurance won't cover sewer pipes outside the house. You'll need to review your policy.
Cast iron sewer is supposed to last 75-100 years. Most people replace it will PVC, which is supposed to last indefinitely...
Sometimes houses have old clay pipes in the ground, which should last around 50 years. Tree and bush roots get inside the joints. Pipes can eventually collapse.
Usually, you'll see PVC replacement with a coupling connecting to the cast iron, which is perfectly fine.
Sewer is very low pressure. Only exception is with things like washing machines and dish washers. They dump a high volume of water and problems with the system will show themselves...
I would be tempted to kick your present plumber to the curb for starters. However, did you make any short cut or cheap out decisions on the fix 8 years ago? It may not be his workmanship if you did.
So, problem at hand...
Get bids.
Get it fixed right. Permits and final inspection.
Sleep well at night knowing you won't have to worry about it again.
Not many ways around this. PVC is today's standard for drain systems.
