Main sewer blockage

[Snifferpro]

I've had 2 main line sewer clogs in the past 2 years.

On the first backup, I ran a snake through the clean-out out front and the
clog was removed.

On the second backup I had a professional plumber run the snake and again
the clog was removed.

I then had the main line looked at with a camera. The camera showed that
the inside diameter of the cast iron pipe has shrunk considerably with sludge and
other gunk as opposed to the under the slab main which was relatively clean.

Both of these blockages occurred after installing 2, 1.28 toilets.

After the first blockage i began flushing the toilets twice after each #2 thinking that the
extra water would flush everything to the street.

Apparently that didn't help much since I had a second blockage.

The camera technician suggests I have the main from the house to the street
replaced with 4 inch PVC at a cost of 5000.00.

My questions are as follows;

1. How long will the PVC last?

2. Is PVC a good choice for replacement of the main sewer line?

3. Is the cost (5000.00) a reasonable price for an approximately 20 foot run to
the street?

4. Is there anything I can do to clean the inside of the main from the house to
the street before replacing?

 

[Reach4]

1. A long time.
2. Yes.
3. Maybe.
4. Here is where I would start. Is there a good big cleanout? How big of a head did the sewer cleaner use? He may have been limited by the cleanout access. There are tools that can go to bigger diameter, and a plumber who specializes in sewer cleaning would be more likely to have those. What is the existing sewer pipe made of? Did the plumber who did the camera work say why cleaning alone would not be effective? I would search for jet sewer phoenix. A water jet system may do the job.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hj]

1. It depends on what QUALITY PVC they use. Normally they are using the very thin wall which has a limited lifetime especially if buried deeply.
2. If they use the right grade it is as good as anything
3. I would like to do a lot of them at that price, and then I might move to Hawaii.
4. I can't tell because I have not seen what your pipe looks like. If it has "barnacles" a water jet will do nothing to clear it.

 

[Snifferpro]

1. A long time.
2. Yes.
3. Maybe.
4. Here is where I would start. Is there a good big cleanout? How big of a head did the sewer cleaner use? He may have been limited by the cleanout access. There are tools that can go to bigger diameter, and a plumber who specializes in sewer cleaning would be more likely to have those. What is the existing sewer pipe made of? Did the plumber who did the camera work say why cleaning alone would not be effective? I would search for jet sewer phoenix. A water jet system may do the job.

Existing sewer pipe is cast iron. He said that jetting the main line that is outside of house usually is not as effective as the line that is inside the house.

 

[hj]

My first comment would be that if your outside pipe is REALLY cast iron, it would be one of very few in Phoenix. Black "Orangeburg" would be more likely depending on which area you live in. How old is the house?

 

[Snifferpro]

My first comment would be that if your outside pipe is REALLY cast iron, it would be one of very few in Phoenix. Black "Orangeburg" would be more likely depending on which area you live in. How old is the house?

Hose is 50 years old in Sun city

 

[hj]

I doubt that Del Webb EVER sprang for a cast iron sewer ANYWHERE, inside or outside. In fact the plumbers he used may not have even known how to work with it.