DIY Sewer Line Repair

[TrailRunner]

The sewer line that leads from my kitchen stack has a leak. (We have an odor and a slight amount of water between the basement slab and the garage slab.) The stack goes under the basement slab. I'm wonder if this is something I can repair. I have installed gas water heaters, rebuilt my kitchen, rebuilt my bathroom which involved a good amount of demolition, built a deck. If I had a guide of what to do and some help from the forum I think that I could do it. From the kitchen I have 3" (I think) copper coming down, which unions to 3" cast iron, which goes under the floor.

From what I can imagine, I would have to break the slab around the

stack, and follow the pipe until I found the leak. If I'm lucky it might be close to the stack. Then, I'd have to cut out the bad section and replace it with PVC. And, replace the concrete. I know this is a huge simplification.

Is there a DIY guide out there? Is it a foolish idea to attempt this myself?

1. Would you break the concrete with a demoliton rotary hammer? A sledge?
2. How wide an area do you need to break up?
3. After you find the leak, how much further do you need to go?
4. What do you cut the pipe with?
5. What kind of coupler/union do you use to go from cast iron to schedule 40? What kind of glue and primer does schedule 40 need. (I have a good pluming supply house close.)
6. What kind of coupler/union do you use to go from copper to schedule

40?

Thanks!

Dan

[Speedy Jim]

Yes, you could do it. See what books may be at the library.

the couplings needed. To join to the existing copper, use a rigid ProFlex series 3001 coupling. Inspect the copper carefully as it has remarkably short life in sanitary DWV service.

You can cut cast iron with a soil pipe cutter (ask at the supply house) or with a Sawzall (tedious).

You could run into clay pipe under the slab too.

Any chance the run could be placed *above* the slab?

Jim

[hallerb]

any cjhance your sewer is backing up? might be a good idea to try a snake first

line underground may be terracota if home is older

[HeyBub]

Don't they make sleeves for just this sort of thing?

[TrailRunner]

Thanks. The slab is in my basement, so I'm going to rip up the slab, repair and put the concrete back.

Thanks for the fernco website. I can borrow a soil pipe cutter. I'll check out the copper.

Thanks,

Dan

Speedy Jim wrote:

[jim]

[TrailRunner]

Thanks for the idea, Jim. This is a kitchen stack only and the water seems to be flowing fine. It's possible that there is a plugged line, but I haven't seen it yet.

Thanks,

Dan jim wrote: