Sewer clean out installation

[Deuteros]

We recently had Roto-Rooter come out and snake out our sewer connection. Apparently tree roots were clogging the pipes so they were cleaned out. Getting rid of the roots is only a temporary problem and the Roto-Rooter guy told us that the root problem was on the city side of the sewer and they would be responsible for repairing it. Well, we gave the city (Roswell, Georgia) a call and they sent a guy out and he told us that they can't do anything because we don't have a sewer clean out in our yard. Our house is 30 years old so I guess they didn't put them in back then.

Does anyone know how much these cost to install? The city wants to charge $1400 but I think this is way too much. Anyone have a similar experience?

[Ned Flanders]

never heard of such a thing. Here we put the main clean-out in the basement right before it exits through the foundation. Typically the problem you describe is on the homeowner side of things; usually in the front yard. The town sewer is in the street and you tie into that. I am not saying it is impossible for what roto-router said to be true, but it sounds unlikely.

As for what the town said, I am shocked that not having a clean out in the front yard is their "out". What difference does it make if you use the one in basement or one a couple feet downstream out in the yard?

I would like to know myself how you make out and what the rules are exactly. Ask the town where exactly the clean-out needs to be. Ask them if you dig it up to install clean-out and they find the problem to be the city's problem will they reimburse you.

Sorry I can't be any help really. BTW the 1400 does not sound way out of wack.

[llump41]

Here in SoCal we have what we call 'property line clean-outs. Usually 18" back from the side-walk. The City won't do anything without one. They don't want to be liable for coming onto your property.. But if you have one, and there are roots past it, this city will take care of replacing that section of line. And if the City will do it for $1400, sounds right to me.

[Bob]

It's just a 'T' (more likely a 'Y' and a 45) installed in the lateral. Call a licensed plumber for another estimate. There's some digging involved, and maybe the plumber will let you do it. If it's too deep, it should be done with a back hoe and someone experienced in working down in a ditch.

[Slim Bastard]

[Bob Wheatley]

Oh good grief. What goofy DIY wannabe book did you read that in? Road widths vary. Property lines vary. Utility easements vary. R.O.W. easements vary. That said, homeowners can be responsible to either their specific property line, the utility easement line, or the actual city main. This is a jurisdictional mandate that will vary from city to city. There is no "magic" measurement from the center of a road. There is also no "standard" code that requires a cleanout at the property line. But... any incorporated municipality is free to create their own specific codes whether other areas do so or not. As to the $1,400 price - If the line can be hand dug (less than 4' deep) - it's too much for almost anywhere in the USA. If it's 5' or deeper and/or requires excavation equipment - it is a fair price.

Bob Wheatley

[TheNIGHTCRAWLER]

There's a slice and dice home repair roto-rooter style attachment from available for rent from Home Depot that deals with the root thing fairly cheap ~$75. Then you have to follow-up with a root-killer poison to prevent the roots from growing again and it pretty much kills off all ground-life in it's path to the ocean.

Normally, it's not effective because the drainwater/poison runs at the bottom of the pipe and the roots come down from above, hence a big waste of money as the roots grow downward from the top fairly quickly. Flooding the drain will not work to reach the top roots with poison. There isn't enough pressure to fill the drain without blocking the other end and allowing the air out in order to allow the drainpipe to fill with poison.

$1400. to get a ditchwitch and lay a new and absolutely clean drainageway is a far more than reasonable price, and extremely cost-effective in the long run. Expect $3000. at jobs end unless you know the person. (Still a reasonable price in the long run).

Heavy equipment or hard labor and time. $1400 is real cheap for a major recurrent problem. Brother's a plumber, dad's a gardener, other brother runs heavy equipment. Run a new drain line.

*grin*

TheNIGHTCRAWLER (Me? I run data transfer.)

[Mike Grooms]

TheNIGHTCRAWLER,

Ummm...I'm going to take a wild guess here. You're from the "alt.home.repair" and not the plumbing newsgroup, aren't you?

[Red Jacket]

Tell your lawyer, this is one silly ass wanabbee inspector who is a brother in law to some uncle Joe needs to get his head out of his ass.The city fixes it and that's the only law. He is *violating public health. Tree's on *city side are the city's problem not yours. The clean out he is talking of is a new thing and is not needed in your case. *Your sewer is grand fathered in. You do not upgrade as codes change unless you are replacing old with new and its over 50% of the work.

WTF does a yard clean out have to with roots ?

You a gawd damn yankee maybe ? That's it, you're a damn yankee troublemaker there ain't you boy ? You come down here with them fancy ideas. Maybe you want a sidewalk in front of your house too ?

[Mike Grooms]

Red,

I agree with your outlook, but I know that individual municipalities can make their own rules. Around here, even though the sidewalks belong to the city, the landowner has to pay and maintain the stretch that abuts their property.

Also, here in the Cincinnati area, the sewer belongs to the private owner until it enters the main.

Also, I assume the yard CO allows the city to clean the sewer without enterning a private domain.

[tev9999]

Had a similar issue years ago with tree roots. Tried to snake it myself and ended up getting the snake stuck about 40' out from the house. No way to budge it. You never want to hear your plumber say "backhoe"! $1900 later I had a brand new pvc line out to the street with a cleanout on the front lawn. Main reason for the cleanout outside was that since they had to dig they yard up anyway, if it ever clogged again they would be able to snake it without messing up the basement as much.

If the city won't fix it, I would go with the root poison (copper sulfate I believe, every 6 months) and roto rooter on a preventive maintenance schedule as the cheap option. If it becomes a constant problem, look at the expensive fix.

[Deuteros]

TheNIGHTCRAWLER wrote in news: [e-mail]:

$1400 is just to install a sewer cleanout. Not to replace pipes.

[hallerb]

I HAD serious root troubles:( A camera inspection of my line showed every joint but 2 with roots:( The roots are not only outside but under the house too:(

After paying a bunch of $$ for snaking and always running he risk the snake might break, requiring the line be dug up I solved the problem for the last 4 or 5 years. It cheap, effective, easy too do, and the material is safe to work with:)

as long as you dont use this on cast iron you will be fine!

Dump a 25 pound bag of rock salt in your washtub, every few months, espically in late winter when major tree root growth occurs.

Just dump in tub, mix with lots of hot water then DONT se any water foir at least 8 hours.

Ever notice how rock salt kills grass?

Does the same to roots but wouldnt kill the tree!

Much better cheaper than copper sulfate root killer etc....

[TheNIGHTCRAWLER]

atl.general,alt.home.repair,pdaxs.services.plumbing

I'm from atl.general

Had a girlfriend who had to go through this exact same thing with her grandmothers house. Problems?

Took the roots about two months to clog things back up thoroughly using the slicer/dicer.

Someone sent you a genie in a bottle from the distance. Thanks would be nice but not necessary in my line of work.

NC (Life - Cut the resolution, pathetic, and indicative of current society.)

[TheNIGHTCRAWLER]

Define sewer cleanout.

NC

[Bob Wheatley]

"TheNIGHTCRAWLER" wrote

A line sized opening (up to 4") to provide mechanical access to a sanitary sewer.

You're offering plumbing advice and you need this definition?

Bob Wheatley

[Red Jacket]

Sure Copper Sulfate works well. You poison allot of fish too. Roots NEVER stop. Few things in the world are as strong and if they feel water they get it. Its best always to dig and replace.

[Red Jacket]

Nah, Bobs joking, its a manhole for midgets.

[Ned Flanders]

I saw at the roto-router site they can pull a new swerline in underground without digging. Ask your roto-router guy about that, if its cheap then try it.

I always dig them up and replace with PVC.

It seems to me if there is going to be a machine on site to dig up part of the line just to add a clean-out then you would just replace the whole line.

[KLS]

It's not cheap. Often less invasive/destructive, but still expensive.

This is cheaper.