DWV problem

[Dan_Musicant]

I made an unsettling discovery a few weeks ago - my kitchen drain has been totally disconnected from the sewer lateral for several years! I called some companies and got a ballpark figure to do a trenchless sewer line job and will get more estimates. The camera showed cracks and partial breaks in the lateral, but it looks like the only complete rupture is with the kitchen drain.

However, I plan to have my foundation replaced within the next 9 months or so, and am thinking it might be better to do the sewer lines either at the same time or after the foundation.

So, I'm wondering about making a temporary fix for the kitchen sink (I've been washing my pots, pans and dishes in the bathroom).

The kitchen sink drain is galvanized (1.25", I assume) and the pipe as it comes out of the wall on the outside is encased in concrete. It simply terminates about 1 foot from an open terra cotta pipe that has a wide bellshaped female end, that obviously accepts a male terra cotta pipe. I figure I can make some kind of temporary connection of the galvanized to this terra cotta. Whatever I use has to make some pretty big bends (and be 12-15 inches or so long). I might have to get a hose that fits inside the galvanized and then mate that somehow with the terra cotta. Any ideas? Thanks!

Dan

[Speedy Jim]

The Galv would be 1 1/2" (if not 2")trade size.

Get a 1 1/2" Fernco coupling (at BigBox). Grab a handful of 1 1/2" PVC fittings whilst there. And PVC pipe. Or.....they may have a selection of flexible tubing, sold by the foot. Just drop the pipe or tube down into the clay pipe.

Scout around the store for ideas.

Jim

[Dan_Musicant]

: The Galv would be 1 1/2" (if not 2")trade size. : : Get a 1 1/2" Fernco coupling (at BigBox). : Grab a handful of 1 1/2" PVC fittings whilst there. : And PVC pipe. : Or.....they may have a selection of flexible tubing, : sold by the foot. Just drop the pipe or tube : down into the clay pipe. : : Scout around the store for ideas. : :Jim

Thanks. I'm printing this out and will bring to the store. I assume by BigBox you mean Home Depot, Lowes, or similar?

I don't know (doubt it) if I got the idea across, but the galvanized pipe is so encrusted with concrete that unless I remove that with a cold chisel, there's no way I can get a coupling around the galvanized pipe. The concrete on there is humongous. That's why I had the idea of shoving some tubing of some kind INSIDE the galvanized. Or, I can try to get the concrete off. But I'm afraid the galvanized would break. Probably very old stuff and fragile.

Thanks again.

Dan

BTW, what do you make of my idea that the sewer line replacement should maybe wait until the foundation job or after? The sewer line guy I had come over said he thought it likely not necessary, but he wasn't necessarily impatial.

[Speedy Jim]

Ah. You may be on the right track to stuff a tube inside the Galv. It's only temporary. Yes, Home Depot et al.

I would co-ordinate the sewer line with the foundation work. Or, at least the part of it that will intrude on the foundation.

Jim

[Dan_Musicant]

:> BTW, what do you make of my idea that the sewer line replacement should :> maybe wait until the foundation job or after? The sewer line guy I had :> come over said he thought it likely not necessary, but he wasn't :> necessarily impatial. : : Ah. You may be on the right track to stuff a tube inside the Galv. : It's only temporary. Yes, Home Depot et al. : : I would co-ordinate the sewer line with the foundation work. : Or, at least the part of it that will intrude on the foundation. : :Jim

Yeah, not sure how much it will intrude on the foundation job. I'm anticipating talking to some foundation contractors very shortly, so that will be one of the topics of discussion.

I went on over to the local contractor's supply True Value hardware and like you said, scouted around and I found something I thought would work. It's a piece of 1 1/2 inch plastic gray tubing, solid stuff, about

15 inches long and bent in a gentle sweep. I figured it was just about perfect. The inside diameter of the galvanized is about 2", and the outside diameter of this bent plastic is a bit under 2", so I figured it would fit inside. The problems are:

1. sealing this

1. Whether or not the terra cotta has enough slope so the drain water won't come out the bell end.

I propped up the terra cotta as much as I could by just shoving dirt under it (there was a fair amount of play in there).

For sealing, I had an old 1/2 used tube of Lexel that had been sitting around a couple of years. The stuff is 1/2 solid but still flexible and moldable, and I put a giant wad around the perimeter of the bent plastic before shoving it up into the galvanized.

I'll let it set a day or two before testing the drain! This might keep me set until the foundation job. If the foundation guys tell me it really doesn't matter, I'll have the drain guys have at it, trenchless. The lateral is under my concrete driveway, so I figure trenchless is the way to go. The ballpark figure the first guy gave me was $4000 and he said they'd consider discounting if I get a better bid.

Thanks for the help.

Dan

[Dan_Musicant]

: Ah. You may be on the right track to stuff a tube inside the Galv. : It's only temporary. Yes, Home Depot et al. : : I would co-ordinate the sewer line with the foundation work. : Or, at least the part of it that will intrude on the foundation. : :Jim

Here's a couple of screen shots:

Disconnected drain:

Jury rigged drain: Dan

[Speedy Jim]

HaHa! Excellent fix. Good job.

Jim

[Dan_Musicant]

:Dan_Musicant wrote: :> On Thu, 09 Nov 2006 23:05:35 GMT, Speedy Jim wrote: :> :> : Ah. You may be on the right track to stuff a tube inside the Galv. :> : It's only temporary. Yes, Home Depot et al. :> : :> : I would co-ordinate the sewer line with the foundation work. :> : Or, at least the part of it that will intrude on the foundation. :> : :> :Jim :> :> Here's a couple of screen shots: :> :> Disconnected drain: :>

:> Jury rigged drain: :> :> Dan : : HaHa! Excellent fix. : Good job. : :Jim

I just realized a couple of things:

1. I should really have wire-brushed the inside of the galvanized pipe. If it leaks, I can redo it.

1. If the water comes out the open end of the terra cotta, I can use a can of that aerosol expanding yellow foam stuff to seal it up.

One way or another, I figure I'm going to have that drain going again shortly!

Dan

[Dan_Musicant]

:2. If the water comes out the open end of the terra cotta, I can use a :can of that aerosol expanding yellow foam stuff to seal it up. : :One way or another, I figure I'm going to have that drain going again :shortly!

I decided to plug it anyway with that stuff. Just bought a can of Dow Great Stuff. That will stop the smell coming out of the sewer pipe and help assure that my little connector will stay put.

Dan