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Author:
ricodontknow (IL)
Short History: I live in a 100 year old house and after having ten years of aggravation I replaced all the cast iron from top to bottom with PVC, out the basement wall with a cleanout a foot away from the house and properly connected to the existing 6" clay tile.
No more problems... until last week when I found back up in my utility sink.
So I had the sewage guys come and snake it out but he informed me that he went 100' without hitting anything and that the problem is in the alley behind my house. They want to put a cleanout a few feet from the alley and work from there.
Being curious as to a worse case scenario, I contacted the city. After talking to the city, I find out that it's a "private line" and my responsibility to the nearest street about 150' away.
At this point I don't know if it's a clog, roots, or busted tile but am thinking ahead.
So my question is:
1) If I have to put all new PVC in the alley where heavy garbage trucks travel, how long will it last? 25 years? 50 years? In other words I don't want to be 70+ yeas old and have to replace it again. I know there are no guarantees because anything can break at anytime, but just wondering what the industry says about it's lifespan.
2) A house two blocks down had the same issue but their line went under a highway that runs through town and the city was going to charge $50K to have it fixed. After much back and forth, the city allowed them to put in a septic system (much cheaper). IF (and it's a big IF) I have the opportunity to put in a septic would my sewer line that exits the house 5' down below ground surface need to be raised to exit and line up with a sewer pit? From all the images I've seen, it looks as if they exit a couple of feet below the ground level (I live in Illinois).
I'd appreciate your thoughts (prayers) and any tips as to how to make this a least painful as possible.
Thanks and Happy New Year!
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Author:
hj (AZ)
right now you are dealing in "ifs and maybes". Have a camera inspection of the line all the way to the city main and see what its condition is. Only THEN, can you have a logical discussion about your options. Septic systems are typically not allowed if there is a city connection available, and your lot size may not allow a septic system anyway.
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Author:
KCRoto (MO)
You need to get the line cleared, then a camera put down to see what is going on. In your particular situation, if you need the line replaced, I would look into going trenchless and see if someone can pipe burst your line. If you can go trenchless, you can keep the existing structural integrity of the alley intact and undisturbed, not have to repave the entire distance, and probably save a significant amount over traditional trenching. Not every job can be done trenchless, and some aren't financially feasible, but here is a link to a youtube video so you can see an option. I just picked a short video for demonstration reasons, and isn't intended to be an advertisement. [www.youtube.com]
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