# Patiently waiting for inspector



## rowanova (Aug 2, 2017)

So I'm just sitting here waiting for city inspector to swing by, hoping I get a quick approval. This is the largest scale job I have done since starting my company, replacing old orangeberg pipe out to the property line drop. My tie-in at the cast iron drop was straight forward, but I was chasing cast iron with no bottom to it all the way to the house. Finally got to a cast hub that was solid and connected with a 4x3 band to avoid jackhammering in their bedroom.


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## rowanova (Aug 2, 2017)

Let me tip that over...


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## rowanova (Aug 2, 2017)

Don't know what I was worried about... inspector came racing down the cul-de-sac and pulled right into neighbors driveway (guess he can park there) When he hopped out I wondered if he was of legal drinking age? Took a look at the site and said "I'd have you run some water but I'm not sure if I'd know if it was leaking". I showed him the pile of orangeberg and educated him on it a bit and then let him sign my card. 

I normally don't worry about inspections but this one was different being for my company, and because it was the first time I used propress in this application


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I wonder how much Orangeburg is still out there. I replaced some of that junk last year. It was 2" from the kitchen all the way to the septic tank. Weird thing was that it was separate from the 3". It was a dedicated line only for the kitchen.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

I heard of that out there, but in 1+ years never ran into it in all of SD. I did come across asbestos tile out there though.

What part of town is that in?


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## rowanova (Aug 2, 2017)

North County circa 1964, there are still a few pockets where you see it, actually had it at my house and had to redo my main which was my first encounter with it. Worst pipe material ever! This one was not pleasant- I bid the job 6 months ago and the line was backing up at that time. Since then the cleanout on the side yard broke off below the ground because they tired their dog to it or something. I'm pretty sure the line has been backed up for almost 6 months, liquids going out the side yard and solids compacting in the line. Owner finally called me back because sewage was bubbling out of the cracks in the driveway and running down into the street. Even still he wanted to only do a spot repair! I didn't know that it was orangeberg because couldn't see in camera, so I cabled trying to clear the line but couldn't clear, too compacted, but got my cable 80'. Pulled cable back, and tried again but got hung up at 30'-absolute no go. Pulled cable back again and covered with dirt. By then half the city public works and the storm drain dude showed up because they saw the water pouring down the storm drain. Slapped homeowner with a $150 fine and threatened $1k a day if it continued. The ground was soup on the dig


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## HonestPlumb (Jan 25, 2015)

Tommy plumber said:


> I wonder how much Orangeburg is still out there. I replaced some of that junk last year. It was 2" from the kitchen all the way to the septic tank. Weird thing was that it was separate from the 3". It was a dedicated line only for the kitchen.


Tommy, did the kitchen sink line go to a separate septic tank, or the same as the rest of the house ?
The reason the kitchen is run to a separate tank, and most times especially the laundry drain, is because the septic tank uses bacteria to decompose, and eliminate the solids. In kitchen sinks, and laundry drains, the soap that is being used is anti bacterial. There by killing a portion, of the much needed bacteria.


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

Your job looks nice, sucks it was all under the driveway. As you going to backfill all the way with rock, so the driveway replacement has a stable base? Hopefully the owner has enough sense to require the concrete guy to pin the repair to the old slab.

Orangeburg I cringe, used to see it quite a bit. Good ole cardboard pipe.

You can offset the detergent degradation of the bacteria by adding bakers yeast once or twice a month in many cases.

For sure years ago two separate lines where very common. I have seen the kitchen/laundry line just going to a drywell.

Since all in more modern systems everything has to run to the private disposal system the yeast is always a good idea. Back some 30 years ago while I was an apprentice my master would look for a dead cat to throw into a tank if we had problems with solids.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

HonestPlumb said:


> Tommy, did the kitchen sink line go to a separate septic tank, or the same as the rest of the house ?
> The reason the kitchen is run to a separate tank, and most times especially the laundry drain, is because the septic tank uses bacteria to decompose, and eliminate the solids. In kitchen sinks, and laundry drains, the soap that is being used is anti bacterial. There by killing a portion, of the much needed bacteria.


 











That is a great question. I don't know. But another plumber used to have to snake her kitchen drain every {6} months. Then I got called to snake the same line. 

I discovered in the back yard near the septic tank, a collapsed 2" line tying into a cast iron 4" combo. I told her why she had to have the kitchen drain line snaked all the time. I just ran a new drain line around from the front of the house to the back and connected to the 4" combo.

As for there being another tank somewhere for the kitchen, who knows? It is irrelevant now.


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## rowanova (Aug 2, 2017)

I gave him 2 bids on this work- one to backfill with native soil to subgrade, dowel into concrete slabs every 18" and pour finished concrete. Since he is trying to save some bucks I also gave him a bid to backfill/compact only and let him get his own bids on the crete. After digging up the line and looking at the soil I told him it was not a good idea to put same soil back, was not going to be good fill at all. So he is now responsible for it, he's got some neighbor down the street I guarantee is not licensed going to do the concrete, and he had me meet him yesterday to tell him how to pour the concrete? I don't think I'm going to give an option in the future- my bids are going to be all inclusive. If it makes the price higher than so be it- at least there will be less back and forth bull**** with the homeowner and I can get the job done quicker. Because now I'm waiting to get my tarps delineators and plywood back from jobsite


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

rowanova said:


> I gave him 2 bids on this work- one to backfill with native soil to subgrade, dowel into concrete slabs every 18" and pour finished concrete. Since he is trying to save some bucks I also gave him a bid to backfill/compact only and let him get his own bids on the crete. After digging up the line and looking at the soil I told him it was not a good idea to put same soil back, was not going to be good fill at all. So he is now responsible for it, he's got some neighbor down the street I guarantee is not licensed going to do the concrete, and he had me meet him yesterday to tell him how to pour the concrete? I don't think I'm going to give an option in the future- my bids are going to be all inclusive. If it makes the price higher than so be it- at least there will be less back and forth bull**** with the homeowner and I can get the job done quicker. Because now I'm waiting to get my tarps delineators and plywood back from jobsite


 










Live and learn.


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## Standard Drain (Feb 17, 2016)

Cleanout near the road? Ive always put back to back cleanouts a few feet off from the home.


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## rowanova (Aug 2, 2017)

Standard Drain said:


> Cleanout near the road? Ive always put back to back cleanouts a few feet off from the home.


That's the property line drop, line dives down to depth of city sewer, and then 90's out to the street about another 40' so it's good to have a cleanout right there. You can't really see in that pic, but I do have double sweeps all the way at top of driveway


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