Underground Clay sewer pipe cracked

[dazetti]

Hi,

The soil stack in my house has been leaking underground and I have found that it is coming from the clay bend that goes off to the sewer as the bend is broken/cracked. I need to replace the bend and was wondering the best method of doing this.

I understand that I will need to cut the clay pipework. Will I need to do this on a straight piece of the clay pipework and then replace the bend with a plastic bend. If so what is the best fitting for connecting onto the clay pipe (underground) and do I need to use any sealant or cement/mortar with the fitting.

Many thanks
Daz

 

[Ricke21]

This will be a fun job. Before you head off and buy your bits crack on and start digging. Always better to work off a straight bit of pipe, so find that before and after your crack (the more you replace the better) The great thing with clay pipes is most are concreted in. You made be luck and find half, weak or none but be ready to chase a crack. Take time cleaning concrete off pipe. Clean back 6'' past where your going to cut. Once you got to clean cut ends all you need is. Two rubber coupling for clay to plastic and whatever pipe needed to close the gap

 

[JimLoskot]

what Ricke21 said, get digging first so you can see what you're dealing with first. We had exactly the same thing on our house.
Dug down to find the last straight section of pipe wasn't very secure in the previous socket so took that piece out which made it easy to cut a neat square end on it, then replaced it and cemented it in with a strongish mix of morter. Then next day when it had set, connected to plastic with rubber clay to plastic adapter and finished off with push fit plastic upto a P-trap and onto the drainpipe.
It looked like this when finishedintend to fit a debris gulley on the end of the drain for the downpipe to go into when I finish off the front of the house)

Untitled

• JimLoskot
• 28 Nov 2011
• 1

 

[RedHerring2]

and finished off with push fit plastic upto a P-trap and onto the drainpipe.
It looked like this when finishedintend to fit a debris gulley on the end of the drain for the downpipe to go into when I finish off the front of the house)

Untitled

• JimLoskot
• 28 Nov 2011
• 1

Except, don't finish off the bottom of the soil stack with a trap. Use a rest bend, single socket or double socket:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/87-5-doub...-rest%20bend&gclid=CMSb7Pr32awCFQUhtAodxjWkrA

 

[dazetti]

Ricke21, JimLoskot and Redherring2

Thanks very much you guys have been a great help. Have started digging and can see from your advice what I now need to do.

Much appreciated!

Daz

 

[noseall]

Wow!

Somebody is going to have a heck of a time cleaning that trap out once the job is back-filled.

 

[JimLoskot]

its not a soil stack, its a drainpipe from a roof gutter.
Why would the trap block up, especially as I'm going to fit a debris gulley?

 

[mointainwalker]

But can't understand why you fitted a trap in the first place since it can't be cleaned.

 

[HERTS P&D]

its not a soil stack, its a drainpipe from a roof gutter.
Why would the trap block up, especially as I'm going to fit a debris gulley?

Because they do get blocked!!! You don't even have any access to jet it out.

Andy

 

[Ricke21]

the trap won't fill up. The pic looked to be on soil pipe. Hence saying a trap is a no no. For rain water or kitchen wastes it's find. For soil if it can't be rodded with easy then it has to be change.

It's a pleasure Daz wish you all the luck and hope it goes like a dream.

 

[RedHerring2]

Further reading for Dazza:
http://www.wickes.co.uk/content/ebiz/wickes/resources/images/gil/74.pdf

For JimLoskott and Rickie, I'd use a rest bend on a rainwater downpipe that is going to a soakaway. There's no smell worth mentioning.
However, on a rain pipe going to foul/combined sewer I'd use a trap, BUT, I'd set it at ground level and incorporate a rodding eye, especially in that instance shown by JimLoskott. A gulley with a rodding eye could easily have been used. I'd also try to achieve a fall on that short piece of new pipe.

Especially for Rickie, most pipes, traps, etc probably do not fill up. But, when, if they do you need access to them to clean them out. That's why the Industry Practices require access points to be fitted. It would be a messy world if we had to dig up the traps and pipes every time a blockage occurred.

 

[Ricke21]

Hey Red, i agree with all your saying. Sounds like you've done enough pipe work. Persoaly i would always use a trap. Not so much for the smell but mainly to stop crap blocking the pipe.

 

[JimLoskot]

Yes its a combined sewer which stinks a bit hence the trap.
Sorry it wasn't clear from the photo but its only rainwater going into that drain, I'd never dream of installing a trap or having such a shallow angled horizontal piece on a soil pipe.
There is a slight drop on the horizontal. I intend to fit a hopper when finishing off the front of the house. The water pipe is easy to move anyway to access the trap

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Jim, I would seriously consider swapping the short piece of pipe connected to the clayware adaptor and the longer piece from the trap to the downpipe around, and bring the trap up nearer finished ground level.

Unless you've arms like Mr Tickle that looks a long way to reach down from ground level to bail out any detritus that collects in the trap. Also makes for virtually zero chance of jetting past the trap should need ever arise. As has been said, rainwater drains can and do block!

 

[Ian H]

i would use one of these rased up to ground level with a small piece of 6" pipe for any rain water or foul drain. Even if it is rain water only and runs to a soaaway you want to catch any silt/sediment/leaves to prevent the inlet to the soaaway becomng clogged.

They are about £10 plus VAT and push ft onto plastic. To connect plastic to clay you want an AC4000 band seal.

You should then bed the new pipes and connection in pea gravel.