Plumber In Da House?? Got Questions

[Scot]

running the line is 1-2 times a year is still a hell of a lot cheaper than the $1000's a new line would cost you.

Last weekend my friend was too cheap to just pay a drain cleaner guy and rented one from HD. Spent a good chunk of Saturday trying to remove his blockage which he never did get out. When he put the machine back in the explorer to take it back (he was in a GREAT mood by this point), he slammed the rear hatch & shattered his window. So he had to call a plumber anyway, pay for a new window, and still pay for a rental that couldn't do the job.

He said it turned into a $850 Day!!

 

[95_stroker]

How old is the house Ramps? Seems to be a pretty common thing in my neighborhood that once the house hits 30+ years old and has the original sewer pipe that you will soon have a backhoe in the yard digging up the sewer line. Might just as well lay a new water line while you have the ditch open.

 

[jvencius]

How old is the house Ramps? Seems to be a pretty common thing in my neighborhood that once the house hits 30+ years old and has the original sewer pipe that you will soon have a backhoe in the yard digging up the sewer line. Might just as well lay a new water line while you have the ditch open.

I think Casa de Rampy is in that age range...

 

[95_stroker]

I think Casa de Rampy is in that age range...

They are just clay pipes and dont last forever, especially if he or the neighbor has a tree within 50 or so feet. My place is 45+ years old now and we did the sewer about 9 years ago. A high percentage of the yards in that age range have the telltale scar across the front lawn.

 

[ramprat]

How old is the house Ramps? Seems to be a pretty common thing in my neighborhood that once the house hits 30+ years old and has the original sewer pipe that you will soon have a backhoe in the yard digging up the sewer line. Might just as well lay a new water line while you have the ditch open.

House was built in 1963 & we have 2 trees in the front yard that me thinks straddle the sewer line.

 

[DaveBen]

The roots of trees go for those sewer pipes. They will find them and get into them quicker than you imagine.

Dave

 

[95_stroker]

House was built in 1963 & we have 2 trees in the front yard that me thinks straddle the sewer line.

Go rent a back hoe and be done with it. Sure you can snake it every six months or you can just be done with it. Given the choice of having the dang thing back up on you on Dec 25th (or whenever is the absolute most inconvenient time) or just being done with it............. Id choose the latter.

 

[Crumm]

They are just clay pipes and dont last forever.

Now a big light bulb went off in my head. I have been trying to figure out how tree roots can get inside a plastic sewer pipe that has the joints glued together.

The roots of trees go for those sewer pipes.

Heading for the rich soil?

 

[jvencius]

Heading for the rich soil?

I don't think you could call the soil around the sewer pipe draining Rampy's chitter "rich". "Godawful contaminated Superfund-level toxic waste site", maybe, but definitely not "rich".

 

[the cable guy]

I always love the people that try do do it on their own with a rental machine. I have pulled out a few broken cables from home owners who think they can do it to save some money. You can really get hurt if you don't know what you are doing. It does not feel good when you wrap a cable around your arm.

I have 35 years as a union plumber, have done it many times. That dosent mean a handy person can't snake out a 4 inch main.
too each his own.