How to Repair Sewer Lines
The simplicity and accessibility of sewer line repair pleasantly surprises the brave soul who attempts to fix the problem. Most of the challenge in finding and repairing sewer lines lies in the finding; once revealed, a sewer line is a pipe by any other name. With novice-level skills and some patience, any do-it-yourselfer is capable of repairing sewer lines. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Chop saw
- Flexible pipe connectors
- Replacement pipe
- Reciprocal saw
- File
- Emory cloth
- Tape measure
- Pencil
Instructions
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1
Unearth the sewer lines. Use a shovel to dig a trench surrounding the broken or damaged sewer lines. Create the trench so that its size allows sufficient space for you to access the sewer lines, manipulate their position, cut the pipes and install replacement pieces.
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2
Remove the broken, cracked or otherwise damaged portion of the sewer line. Inspect the sewer line to determine the problem area. Use a pencil to mark a portion of the pipe for removal. Cut through the pipe at your marks using a reciprocal saw. Remove the damaged piece. Clean and deburr the cut edges using a file and emory cloth.
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3
Use a tape measure to measure the length of the gap created by the pipe removal. Mark this measurement on a new piece of pipe, place the pipe beneath a chop saw, align its mark with the blade and cut the pipe to length.
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4
Attach flexible pipe connectors to the open ends of the sewer line pipes. Flexible connectors slide over a pipe. Push the connectors onto each of the two pipes and continue to insert them until they pass the pipe's end.
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5
Place the recently cut replacement pipe into its new home and hold it in position. Slide the flexible connectors toward the replacement pipe and over the joints at which the sewer line's pipes and the new pipe meet.
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6
Secure the flexible pipe connectors by tightening the ring clamps around their edges. Use a screwdriver to turn the screw attached to the clamp. Clockwise turning tightens a clamp. Run water through the sewer lines and observe the repair area for leaks.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear safety goggles and gloves while operating a chop saw.
To prevent the risk of infection and bacterial contamination, avoid contact with raw sewage and human waste.
Resources
- Photo Credit pipes image by Adkok from Fotolia.com
