Where is the sewage line?
Our 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom non-Atrium Eichler has developed a slow drain in the kitchen. Our usual plumber snaked it to 35-feet, and discovered clay. He believes that there is a break in the waste pipe under the house and is recommending a video inspection. If it is under the house, he says we are looking at about $5,500 to video survey, excavate the concrete, remove and replace the radiant pipes in the area, repair the waste pipe, repour the concrete, etc. Our house dates to 1962; I believe the pipes were copper by this time.
Some questions:
1) A couple of days ago, I noticed some profound flooding outside the living room corner of the house, which would be the diagonally opposite corned to where the plumber thinks the leak would be and where the main sewage line would be.
2) How can I determine where the main sewage line is located? (We are in Marinwood, Marin County).
3) What solutions have people with similar issues used?
4) $5,500 seems like a small fortune for this work! Have people spent this much for similar work?
Thanks!
2) How can I determine where the main sewage line is located? (We are in Marinwood, Marin County).
Here in Sunnyvale, the curbs are marked "S" and "W" where the sewer and water connectors from the house branch from the mains. The house waste line runs from the "S" perpendicular to the street directly to the house.
About 10 feet from the curb, in the front yard, there is an underground access port used for snaking the lower part of the waste pipe. Landscapers often hide or bury this port - if yours is obscured find a neighbor with the same model house, note the location of theirs, and use it to locate yours. Use this port to confirm the direction the pipe takes towards the house. In our house the waste pipe goes directly to the bathroom/laundry area - not surprising since that's where most of the waste originates. I'm guessing our kitchen waste line runs directly from the kitchen to the bathroom area.
