I live in freezing Chicago. My sewer (main) cast exits my basement foundation wall about 2' below ground level .... the cleanout is inside on a tee right before it exits the wall.

If I were to replace the piping where it exits the house.... would it be a good idea to have a cleanout installed OUTSIDE. Again the sewer pipe is only 2 or 3' below grade. Concern being freeze. And if I cleanout is added there, would you still add one inside on tee?




Also, does PVC need a sleeve where it exits the foundation? And I assume (hydraulic) cement is the proper material to plug the hole between the pipe and the foundation?



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it is a good idea to have a cleanout inside and outside (if possible).
cleaning a sewer from outside makes no mess inside and is generally a heck of alot easier to get equioment to.
BUT, on an extremely cold winter day, the sewer cleaning person would be much happier working inside in the warmth of a basement.
on new construction they want the pipe sleeved but they are more forgiving on replacements in an older building.

We have to have a 2 way cleanout outside within 4' of the foundation. We have to run 4" out so a 6" sleeve is used, cemented in place. I use a 6" X 4" rubber coupling to seal between the sleeve and the sewer pipe.

When it comes to cleanouts, more is better than less.

I would rather have to dig out a spot in the snow to clean a line than to open an overhead cleanout full of water.

So freezing isn't an issue?

It might be impossible to picture what I have here. The outside portion of the sewer main needs to be exposed to make the connection with couplings. This job is out of the range of my skill level. I will need a pro.

However, as I get estimates, should I tell them I am willing to dig the outside portion up? Do you think there is significant money to be saved by me digging outside? (2' or 3' down right next to the foundation, maybe 20" square to be able to cut and couple)?

If it was done on time and material... how long would it take a someone to prepare that size hole?



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you have to remember that the hole for the sewer pipe was dug before. you won't have to worry about hitting a rock as big as a F450.
cutting the pipe a few feet outside is pretty easy. using a rubber coupling also makes the transition easy.
as for a cleanout, you are looking at something like this..

just pretend the pipe going to the right is going thru your foundation hole.

I had an estimate, I mentioned the fact I would dig prior to him working up the numbers. He said it saved 350 bucks. However, who knows how they calculate it...I bet I shot myself in the foot.

Perhaps it would be better to let an estimate get worked up first under the assumption they would be digging and then tell them I would dig.... ???



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if you can save 350 dollars by digging the hole, go for it..

Letting you dig the hole saves the plumber the time and effort of digging, and that is worth $350 in this case. I always add more time over what I think it will take when digging, because you never know what is in the ground. Case in point one of our guys used his probe rod to locate the sewer line. He checked in two spots and got red clay dust on his probe, so he measured the depth and gave an estimate accordingly. When he went to dig, he found that the line had been dug up and repaired before, and was almost 3 feet deeper. the old pieces of tile had been thrown back into the hole, as had a child's Huffy bike, and twin size spring mattress. what should have taken about an hour to hour and a half to dig with one person ended up taking about 7 hours with 2 people (according to him). As a homeowner, you can reduce the price if you are willing to put in the sweat, and let the hourly rate pay for plumbing instead of digging.

There have only been a handful of times where a homeowner has properly opened up a hole for me to work in, to the point where I let them do it if they want, but if it is not up to snuff, I will end up finishing the job. Somehow, they think that if they can see the pipe, they've done a sufficient job. There is a world of difference between standing over the ditch looking down and seeing the top of the pipe and actually squatting down into the ditch and being able to work.

Do you think I shot myself in the foot telling them I would dig PRIOR to them working up the estimate?

or

Should I have let them calculate the estimate under the assumption they were digging and then tell them I would dig after it was presented to me?

If you want to be sure, dig the pipe out first, then get estimates. You will want about 4'x3'x depth of pipe plus 4 inches under the pipe.

I think that is a question you should pose to the contractor.

so the plumber I have doing the work says a sleeve is not needed thru the foundation. The 4" pvc will be plugged with hydraulic cement.

Is that acceptable? That varies by local code I suppose?

you will both find out when he calls for an inspection.

AHJ aside.... from a functionality standpoint, is that acceptable? BTW: This is poured concrete foundation.

also since I am digging I will be back filling as well....

Can I just fill er back up or do I need to use pea gravel or something around the coupling?


The hole will be sealed with hydraulic cement. Once that cures, should I be coating that on the exterior with roofing tar or something similar?

and finally, is there any harm having the clay or cast pipe that was underground exposed to the elements for a few days prior to filling?



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