How to Repair Vitrified Clay Sewer Pipes
Vitrified clay sewer pipes have proven to be long-lasting. VCP for short, the vitrified pipe has a high resistance to sulfuric acid that is created by hydrogen sulfide--commonly found in household sewage. The main problem with VCP is weakness around the joints. Tree roots can work their way through the seams of the joints, which over time causes blockages. The pipes can also break if knocked by heavy objects, but fixing the clay pipes doesn't have to be an expensive or time-consuming operation. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Cut through the VCP sewer pipe six inches on each side of the damaged area--use a cut-off saw.
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Slip a flexible rubber coupling over one end of the cut VCP pipe. Push it onto the pipe to the extent that the other end of the flexible coupling is in position to be pushed onto the other VCP cut.
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Pull the flexible pipe back the other way so that both VCP cuts are equally covered by the flexible coupling. Tighten the metal straps on each end of the flexible coupling, using a screwdriver. Run water down the sewer line to make sure that there are no leaks. If there are, tighten the strap screws until the leak stops.
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Tips & Warnings
Measure the distance between the pipe cuts, and take into account the diameter of the VCP sewer pipe, before buying the flexible rubber coupling.
The rubber coupling has a metal strap surrounding each end, that is tightened to, or loosened from, the existing VCP pipe by a screw.
Cut-off saws can be expensive to buy, but can be rented by the hour at most rental stores.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
