Trying to determine whether or not to exchange historical clay sewer pipes is not a simple decision. After all, an assignment like a sewer pipe alternative can pose a range of serious problems for any homeowner. This article will tell you the advantages and disadvantages of clay sewer pipe repair.
Common Clay Sewer Pipe Problems
Weight And Workability
Clay sewer pipes are extremely heavy and fragile, they’re thus delicate to handle, maneuver and transport. Given these logistical issues, installing clay pipes is a delicate, time-consuming job for plumbers. For this reason, plumbers now replace clay sewer pipes with PVC pipes which are far easier to work with as they’re inversely lightweight and durable.
Root Infiltrations
Clay pipes don’t fit impeccably together – there are small gaps where each section joins together. These gaps are the perfect entry point for thirsty tree roots searching for water. Tree roots work their way into the drain through these cracks as well as through any fractures or shrinking mortar. Once the tree roots access the pipe – formally known as tree root doorway – they continue to grow and sluggishly, over time block your drain lines.
Still, when these old clay sewer pipes were originally laid, an effective root hedge wasn’t installed or you have large trees growing hard on the drain pipes, If. And this means only one thing – precious damage.
Tensile Strength
Under pressure, clay pipes are strong enough. Still, their tensile strength is weak. This means they’re susceptible to cracking or shattering if they witness blunt impact or ground movements. Cracked pipes lead to leaks and could ultimately mean the collapse of your drainage system.
A collapsed drainage system means that effluent can not flow to the main sewer and can come blocked or stagnant. This in itself poses a health hazard to the people living with propinquity to the problem pipe. Similarly, numerous homeowners and plumbers will avoid using clay pipes to avoid this issue.
Flaking And Scaling
Bitsy chips to clay or terracotta pipes sluggishly increase over time causing the pipes to flake. This flaking catches and traps effects within the pipes such as restroom paper and hair. As we know, restroom paper and hair are two of drain lines’ greatest enemies.
Over time, fresh debris becomes trapped within the pipes causing them to block. Indeed with regular drain examinations, flaking is hard to avoid and, at times, insolvable to fix without major recuperation work.
Misaligned Pipes
Still, ground movement, or indecorous coupling and befitting, if there’s a misalignment of the pipes due to vehicle movement. Misaligned pipes catch and trap debris inside the pipe leading to partial or complete blockage of your downspouts.
An unfortunate domino- effect, frequently one deranged pipe will move the coming – causing it to come out of place. This issue goes back to the fact that clay drainage systems are rigid and enduring. clay drainage pipes are simply not maneuverable – indeed a little force or ground movement could beget them to misalign.
How Long Do Clay Sewer Pipes Last
Clay pipes were generally used between 1900 and 1980. They handed a provident way for builders and sewer workers to produce main sewer lines for all erecting types and locations.
While there are some cases in which clay sewer pipes can last as long as a century – when no root obstructions or complications impact their continuity – their more common life falls in the range of 50 to 60 times.
Average Life Expectancy Of A Sewer Pipe For Cleveland Area Homes
Of course, the average lifetime of a sewer pipe depends on the material it’s made of, and not all homes in the Northeast Ohio area were erected with clay pipes.
In Cleveland, OH, sewer pipes are overwhelmingly made of two materials: clay and PVC.
Old homes, or homes erected previous to 1980, will most probably have clay sewer pipes. PVC pipe, which came more prominent after 1980, generally lasts longer at roughly 100 years.
Replacement Process
Still, or any other concerning sights, sounds, or smells in relation to your sewer lines if you notice any of the below-mentioned issues.
Still, trenchless sewer repair is a viable option to correct your clay sewer line issues – which can help you avoid invasive digging and save your home innards and landscaping if caught beforehand enough.
The trenchless form option workshop by basically creating a new pipe within your being pipe with ultramodern pipe-filling accouterments that are more durable and flexible than your clay sewer pipe.
A good professional will identify the problem you’re passing by first conducting a videotape pipe examination to determine the extent of your issues and the most cost-effective system of correcting the problem.
This allows them to walk you through the specific sewer line issue you’re passing in real-time to snappily recommend the best option for your sewer line needs.
Clay Sewer Pipe Repair
When deciding whether a clay sewer line should be replaced with a different material, there are several unique factors that must be considered. However, our plumbing technicians are always available to walk you through a discussion of your options, if you’re unsure of what’s best in your situation.
The pros and cons of replacing clay sewer pipes are briefly outlined below.
Pros
Clay pipes are environmentally friendly – they’re the greenest choice for plumbing systems.
Clay pipes aren’t affected by acids.
Cons
Compared to lightweight PVC, clay pipes are incredibly heavy and more delicate to transport.
Clay pipes are more susceptible to root intrusions than PVC because they’ve joints, while PVC is seamless. When tree roots enter a clay pipe joint, they grow bigger and start to break up, or crumble, the clay.
Clay pipes have low tensile strength, meaning they snap fluently under extreme pressure and are more fluently affected by ground shifts than other pipe accouterments.
