# Sewer line done wrong



## Nevada Plumber (Jan 3, 2009)

So I get a call to unclog a sewer line at a house I have been to before. I go there on Tuesday morning and run my cable. I get the line unclogged, but the problem was in a different spot then it had been the other two times I was there, and my cable hit something I couldn't get past.

Long story made short, me and the homeowner decided I will come back on Saturday and open up the sidewalk in front of her house to get to the problem spot in the sewer line.

Here is what it looked like before I started. The sewer line leaves the house next to the window, goes through the cleanout, and to the street.









After removing the concrete and digging down, I found fittings on the pipe that made me think there was a p-trap on the line.









So some more digging, and removing a bit more concrete, and I found out why I couldn't get my cable to go past a certain spot. 









The lower pipe is the sewer line that leaves the house. It had concrete over it from when the slab was poured for the home. When it came time to run the line out to the street, they hooked on to the cleanout riser, and went downhill from there. Morons.

The house is between two and three years old. The homeowner is going to give the builder a few days to correct the problem. If he doesn't, she will hire me to run a new sewer line, and then take the builder to court.

The worst part of this job is that it was permitted and inspected. When people hear me talk bad about inspectors, this is the reason why.

For her sake, I hope the builder does the right thing and fixes it. My wallet hopes it ends up in court though.


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## SummPlumb (Feb 19, 2010)

Now that is funny. How did it work for 2 years?


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

WTF? How much higher was it when they raised it compared to if they didn't. It looks to be almost slab height. I wonder if it made her showers hold water. Was there a reason they did it like that?


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

That is some stupid $hit. How in the world did the person doing the work let that happen. Seems to me that Nacho is making his rounds in Nevada. 

That is just dumb.


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

Actually I bet i know why they did it. The sidewalk was poured before they ran the sewer and the builder didn't want them to break it up.


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## Nevada Plumber (Jan 3, 2009)

It is about 18" from the top of one pipe to the bottom of the other. I snaked the sewer line in October 2008 and May 2009, but didn't think much about it because both times it only affected one bathroom. The homeowner says the original plumber snaked the line once in 2008 also. On Tuesday, the entire house was stopped up.


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## UnclogNH (Mar 28, 2009)

Wow :laughing:


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

If the builder agrees to fix it make sure they don't just put in a tank and ejector pump. I could see that happening very easily. They'd probably just pull power from the outlet next to the window inside the house. :no:





Paul


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Wow, that's pretty wacky piping. I'm surprised it worked at all, ever. Amazing what some people can get away with, for a little while at least.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

I dont see how that lasted that long. If I did something like that, it wouldnt last one day. How and the hell did that get by? I would go all the way to the head building official in your area with that one. Whatever POS company did that crap right there, needs their Licensed revoked, drug out to the street and hung in public view.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

I wonder how gunked up their kitchen line is seeing how it's been holding water for this entire time? 





Paul


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Damn thats some funky stuff right there.
Nacho's best work for sure


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Redwood said:


> Damn thats some funky stuff right there.
> Nacho's best work for sure


 
Oh come on, you don't give him enough credit. That's fine work but I'm sure Nacho can do better. We'll see something next month that makes this pale in comparison. Maybe not...









Paul


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Yea you're probably right Paul...:laughing:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

"I told hin das ow we do it in my kontry and we do it like dat all dee time." -Jose


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

At least it is not that deep.... over here our sewers start at 6' deep at foundation
to some times 12 ft deep at main connection.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

:w00t::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::lol:



Tommy plumber said:


> "I told hin das ow we do it in my kontry and we do it like dat all dee time." -Jose


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

All I can say is WOW that is unbelievable that someone would install that.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

Mark,

To be honest, it might make sense to look at how the rest of the home was built if the builder let that slip by.

Mark


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

Speaking of poor sewer construction...this 6 unit apartment building is about 14 years old. I got called by another plumber to investigate why the sewer keeps backing up in the floor drains. I have never seen such a bad offset on a relatively new pvc building drain to sewer connection!:blink:
Part of it was that the sewer installer DID NOT TAMP the earth and embed the pipe properly, but part of it is just poor workmanship, notice the santee on its back, also the 1/8 bend in the ground wasn't welded properly and crooked.


































The new repair...yes, unshielded ferncos are allowed by code underground in NC. Don't hate, its the best I could do with what I had to work with...


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Why the Fernco on the service 45?


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

RealLivePlumber said:


> Why the Fernco on the service 45?


How else would you connect it? PVc slip coupling? That wouldn't have worked, because the angle was just slightly off. I would have had to excavate a much longer section of the sewer just to do that.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Yes, or at least put a shear ring on it, or use a shielded Mission coupling.


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## younger-plumber (Sep 12, 2008)

looks good. i love those gay cleanouts too. (goes both ways?) lol


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

younger-plumber said:


> looks good. i love those gay cleanouts too. (goes both ways?) lol



Our code here, is if the riser on the "gay" cleanout is over 24" in length, then you have to use 2 combos, wit two risers.


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