Where does my exterior sewer line go?
#1
07-20-20, 05:44 PM
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 10
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Where does my exterior sewer line go?
Hi all,
I am about to knock down my old plastic shed and build a nice wood shed in its place. The problem is, I think my exterior sewer line (pvc) is headed right underneath where I intend to build. Based on where the clean out plug is, if the line keeps going straight, then I will be building over it, which I’m sure is not a good idea.
The street is at a right angle to the direction of the line. Is it possible that the line curves to the right toward the street? I posted some pictures if it helps.
#2
07-20-20, 06:23 PM
Member
Your local wastewater agency might be able to answer questions about your sewer line. Mine helped me find my cleanout when I couldn't find it on my own. It was well hidden, and they emailed me a diagram showing where it was.
#3
07-20-20, 07:04 PM
You can make an educated guess that they most likely chose the straightest, shortest line to the main sewer in the street. But of course, that is just a guess.
How deep is the line? You can tell by adding a weight to the end of a string and lowering it into the cleanout until it hits the bottom. If you're 3+ feet deep, I wouldn't worry about it unless you're building a full foundation. A shed sitting on the ground won't bother it.
If you're concerned, you might need to get a locating service out. For a few hundred $$, they'll send a snake down the pipe and track it with a receiver.
How deep is the line? You can tell by adding a weight to the end of a string and lowering it into the cleanout until it hits the bottom. If you're 3+ feet deep, I wouldn't worry about it unless you're building a full foundation. A shed sitting on the ground won't bother it.
If you're concerned, you might need to get a locating service out. For a few hundred $$, they'll send a snake down the pipe and track it with a receiver.
#4
07-20-20, 07:57 PM
When they built the subdivision back in the 70's, that I used to live in........ they tied my sewer in with the neighbors. Every time one or the other backed-up, it would back up both.
Idiots.........
We had to have a plumber come out & install a clean out in that line. After that, we noticed just about everyone had a clean out in their front yard, usually decorated with flowers etc.
I'm just saying, its a possibility.
Idiots.........
We had to have a plumber come out & install a clean out in that line. After that, we noticed just about everyone had a clean out in their front yard, usually decorated with flowers etc.
I'm just saying, its a possibility.
#5
07-20-20, 08:02 PM
Group Moderator
#6
07-21-20, 05:24 AM
Group Moderator
You can probe for it with a long metal rod. Just stick it in the ground to feel for the pipe. It's easy if your pipe is shallow but gets progressively harder the deeper your pipe is located.
The cast iron is totally corroded as far as I can see, inside and out, going to the left of the picture. I stuck a metal rod in and there seems to be crud inside all the way to the wall where there's a cast iron joint. The stack might also be filled with crud in that joint and going up past the joint, into the ceiling, and into the main floor. I don't know without tearing it all apart, including part of the kitchen above it, and I'd rather not do that if it's not necessary. Because if I have to do that, there are some complicated connections in the ceiling which I'm not sure I could do. And that's just what I can see. There might be even more connections hidden from view. Just replacing a basic section, I can do that.
The 2nd photo shows a better view of the copper pipe I mentioned before. You can see the higher joint in this photo. Do I cut below there or above there?
This photo also shows the PVC stack pipe, in the upper middle of the photo, which I'll be connecting the replacement stack to.
Here is another picture of the section of the stack with the copper drain pipe, from the other side. You can see where the stack meets a joint and goes up to the main floor. The photo doesn't really show how badly corroded the stack is on the outside. It's probably in terrible condition on the inside too, filled with crud, but I don't know.
So in summary:
A) do I have to replace the entire stack pipe, going up to where it connects to the kitchen drain above it?
B) where exactly do I cut the copper drain pipe?
C) what is the name of the connector I have to buy to attach the copper drain pipe to new PVC stack pipe? I think the stack pipe is considered 4" even though I measured it as 107mm (4.2") with calipers. The copper drain pipe comes out to 42mm or 1.7" measured with calipers.
