Easy way to maintain plumbing for a slab foundation

[Cali_John]

Hi,

So my friend has a home on a slab foundation in Southern California that was built in the 1960s. The pipes are cast iron and old, and it's clear if any maintenance or replacement needs to be done, that it will require breaking thru concrete, which is expensive. For example, recently the kitchen started backing up a bit (it eventually cleared up), but because it was on a slab, one plumber told me he wouldn't even touch it.

1) To get around this for the long term and to make the pipes more easily accessible, is rerouting the pipes from under the house and around to the front yard where there's the main connection from the house to the street sewer line the way to go?
2) And are there plumbers that specialize in this, and if so is there a special term my friend should be searching for in Google?

One thing a plumber friend told me is that this can be a bit complicated and the need to do it well means you really need someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[Reach4]

1) To get around this for the long term and to make the pipes more easily accessible, is rerouting the pipes from under the house and around to the front yard where there's the main connection from the house to the street sewer line the way to go?

Often, yes.

2. I think you would be looking for a sewer specialist. How about saying you are looking for new plastic house sewers through the yard, bypassing the cast iron in the slab?

Some plastic is better than others. There is really thin stuff. There is more durable stuff that would be better. Solid schedule 40 PVC would be better than schedule 40 foam core, but there is stuff cheaper than schedule 40 foam core.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[WorthFlorida]

Sounds simple but if the toilet is part of the drain that is being cut out because of a collapsed or rotted CI pipe, that is a big issue. For a sink all is needed to take the 2"pipe through an outside wall if it is nearby, a toilet would need a 3" pipe. If it is at an outside wall going under the slab that is a lot of work.

One of those TV house remodeling shows had a similar problem. With a camera probe the break was found and a small section of the concrete slab was cut and opened to make a repair. Another show they did go to the outside wall but it was only was the kitchen sink.

 

[Jeff H Young]

There are numerous ways to address it one way and a real good way is to saw cut floor and run new pipes. But it totally depends on current condition, value of property , size of wallet, etc. If the house is a real mess and needs extensive work then gutting bathroom jackhammering floor and a saw cut to kitchen might not be so bad. If the house is pristine with expensive flooring , Tile , Granite etc trench around out side of house might be better plan. Thinking about water piping , and other major work is better to think about and not put blinders on.
I'm from So Ca as well My last house was slab built in 58 kitchen in back back to back bathrooms in front. I had some kitchen drain problems but never had to do much beside a snake a few times and Slap the Fam around a bit to get them to stop putting anything down the sink. Paying for work gets real expensive I never put a camera down hopefully you got a cleanout snake it real good use lots of hot water, consider a jet , even a home job just use a pressure washer and kit might get results . Otherwise hire snaked , Jetted and Camera , Let me know what that runs just so I know I'm thinking a 750 to a Grand to do that.