Sewer Line Repair

[Account Closed]

What have your experiences been with old sewer lines?  When have you decided it is definitely necessary to replace them?  I have a unit that was really backed up and likely hadn't been serviced for years and years.  A camera ran through showed that there is also damage in two spots.  Plumbing company spent 8 hours out there this month completely clearing the line (it was reallyyyyy backed up), so it should perform fine for at least a couple of years.  It cost me $800 to do this.  I'm expecting that complete replacement will cost 7.5 to 15k, so I'd rather shell out a grand every couple of years in the near term.  But long term it will probably need to be fixed.  Just not sure how long I should wait to pull the trigger - want to defer large expenses but also don't want a really pissed off tenant!

[Kevin M.]

So @Patrick M.  Are you in a rural location where everyone has septic systems and leach fields or in an urban environment where human "product" is dealt with elsewhere?

If rural, well a damaged sewer pipe isn't much different than a leach field.

If you're in an urban environment, your authority having jurisdiction would likely not take too kindly to a business decision to "let it ride".  As a Real Estate professional you could be putting your business into a precarious position of liability.  Some jurisdictions get quite fussy about leaking sewer pipes and their effect on the nearby water sources...I save the "war" story for another day.

Now that it's known, I'd fix it.  If the plumber used the jetting method of clearing the piping, it's probably worse now than the original camera images.  Every time you jet the pipes, you'll run the risk of greater deterioration.

Now for the positive, your 7-15k estimate can likely be improved.  An experienced plumber can get pretty close to locating the damage with the camera, excavate the specific locations and install a repair.   Fairly cheap option (excavation is the expensive part).  Alternative two could be to install an inner lining to the existing pipe.  There are some pros that specialize in this. Unfortunately they usually know that they are saving you a ton of money, so they charge for it.  Since you're not in a hurry, you might could convince one of them to cut you a better deal if they can work you in during a downtime.  

Good luck.