2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

[KRS]

Well, we have a 3 bed 2 bath home.

Kitchen/laundry on one side of the house, bathrooms on the other.

Luckily bathrooms work fine.

Laundry machine water was backing up, so 2 plumber visits later; they say it's a collapsed pipe.

Plumbing co is bringing out their locating beacon camera tomorrow to pinpoint collapse.

Should we undertake this repair ourselves?

We do NOT have a post-tension slab.

I have concrete mixer to replace slab section that we remove.

What are we talking about? Concrete saw, jackhammer, digging up dirt, exposing pipe, repairing pipe (which I could still have plumber do), compacting down, the repouring, then fixing flooring?

The carpet is already bad and will need to be replaced anyway (unless this is under tile).

Thoughts, expertise, suggestions, good ideas, dumb ideas, etc?

 

[Cee Bee]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

Get more estimates and ask Just how is this done !

 

[foodfisher]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

Yep, all the above. PS, verify the collapsed pipe. Never heard of a pipe collapsing under a slab. Was it clay? A second opinion is a must.

 

[KRS]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

Black ABS, built in '96.

 

[Beefer]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

I'm not going to say I've never heard of a pipe collapsing under a slab, but it is highly unusual. I would be more concerned about what caused the collapse, then the actual pipe problem. Possible cause would be extreme settling with deflection of the slab, but if that was the case, you'd have noticed the big crack in your floor and walls before you did the laundry. Be there when they scope that line, and be sure they give you a copy of it (they should record it to either VHS or DVD). IMO, it's probably a clogged line, or tree roots, and not a collapse. Do you know what the waste line for the laundry is made of (plastic (if so, what color), cast iron, galvanized, etc.)? Each of those have their own issues that could lead to problems. I was a home inspector for 12 yrs, and saw 1 collapsed pipe, and countless broken and clogged waste lines. Laundry waste lines are notorious for clogs - lots of lint goes through them.

If you do end up having to replace the line, most of the money the plumbers charge have to do with the labor involved in the exposing and recovering of the line, and not the actual repair itself.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

Another option is to cap it, and put a macerator pump at the kitchen/laundry. We've got a similar issue (idiots who built this house didn't realize that water and... ...other stuff... flows downhill, so there is a slight uphill section under the slab, that started giving issues this year). Like you, most of the house is fine, as the main floor drain doesn't connect with this pipe until further down the line, so it is just a matter of the basement bathroom. The macerator pump allows us to run the line up in the basement ceiling, out to where we can meet with the sewer line again.

May or may not work in your case, but is something to consider.

 

[Beefer]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

I'm going to guess that the OP doesn't have a basement, and that his house is slab on grade. Don't think there is a ground freeze level in AZ, but I could be wrong. In which case, KRS wouldn't need the pump to bring it up, he could just drop another run.

 

[j_martin]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

How long's it been in. I had mine plug up after about 10 years. Turned out it was put in across the excavation, then back filled, and developed a dip as the fill settled. Eventually it plugged up with grease in the dip. Dug it up, leveled it, and covered it back up. Didn't even cut into the pipe.

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

I would be suprised to see 2" pipe collapse. It must have been really substandard pipe or you have a BIG crack.

 

[KRS]

Resolution

Resolution

Okay, the plumbers came back out. Brought a 'jetter' with them.

Previously they couldn't get the camera past this area they thought was collapsed. I haven't run water down that pipe for 2.5 weeks to get it nice and dry for their return with the camera.

They came out and said they wanted to jet it out.

Long story short; it was a bad bad clog. We bought this house in foreclosure, so we didn't have an inspection. The camera showed lots of grease in the kitchen side of the drain pipes.

There is still a bit of a 'ring' where the clog was, so I bought a $69 bottle of bio-smart by drain-maid to help dissolve it so that stuff doesn't reattach to the ring of grease.

Glad this is all it was. I have been very worried by it.

Thank you for all of the advice, and luckily (at this time) I don't have to go through this extensive of a repair.

KRS

 

[korygrandy]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

Don't you love it when things work out in your favor. That went from a very expensive repair bill to not bad at all.

 

[TiredoleBoy]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

Depending on your location, Underground pipes require pressure testing at time of install prior to burial.
The only way this could leak is if the pipe was not installed correctly or it is made with an inferior ABS material. Is it schedule 40 and what brand name is it?
There may have been a recall on this pipe brand.

 

[j_martin]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

Like I said, grease clog. Nasty, wans't it?

 

[TiredoleBoy]

Re: 2" sewer pipe under foundation collapsed

Like I said, grease clog. Nasty, wans't it?

Sorry did not read the entire thread.:redface: