My house is a split level, so the kitchen is on a slab. The pipe runs underneath and connects to the main in our utility room. There is only one line to the main, no other connections. About a week ago I noticed water coming out of the opening in the cinder blocks where the 3 inch cast iron pipe comes out of the wall and elbows down into the main.
I had a plumber camera the line, but he could only get it to a certain place and it would stop. He couldn't see what was blocking the camera. I had them hydrojet the line out, and re camera, but still can't see what is blocking the camera. The hydrojet line was able to go all the way down, but it is thinner than the camera. The plumber said the cast iron pipe may be fallen in and preventing the camera from going further. I don't quite understand why you wouldn't be able to see a fallen/crushed pipe though.
He said it would cost about $4,200 to bust up the floor to get to where the camera stopped. He said a liner system wouldn't work because the kitchen line is 1.5" and connects to the 3" cast iron somewhere under the slab, likely near the point where the camera stopped.
So does anyone have any suggestions how to proceed? Are there any other ways of repairing without busting up concrete and our kitchen floor? Does $4200 seem like a reasonable amount? My concern with that is, what's to stop another part of the pipe further down from falling in a few months later and having to do the whole thing over.
Thanks in advance.
I had a plumber camera the line, but he could only get it to a certain place and it would stop. He couldn't see what was blocking the camera. I had them hydrojet the line out, and re camera, but still can't see what is blocking the camera. The hydrojet line was able to go all the way down, but it is thinner than the camera. The plumber said the cast iron pipe may be fallen in and preventing the camera from going further. I don't quite understand why you wouldn't be able to see a fallen/crushed pipe though.
He said it would cost about $4,200 to bust up the floor to get to where the camera stopped. He said a liner system wouldn't work because the kitchen line is 1.5" and connects to the 3" cast iron somewhere under the slab, likely near the point where the camera stopped.
So does anyone have any suggestions how to proceed? Are there any other ways of repairing without busting up concrete and our kitchen floor? Does $4200 seem like a reasonable amount? My concern with that is, what's to stop another part of the pipe further down from falling in a few months later and having to do the whole thing over.
Thanks in advance.
