Questions tagged [sewer]
For questions regarding the underground pipes that carry foul or "black" water to a treatment works.
196
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2
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2
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P-Trap missing on laundry drain / sewer smell
I moved into a new home with laundry room in basement and started to notice occasional wafting of sewer gas out of the laundry drain pipe. It is an older home built ‘58. It looks like there is no p-...
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2
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136
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Is there a benefit to venting a shower in an otherwise unvented house?
I recently purchased a home built 40 years ago. It was owner built, who was not a contractor. The home 1800 sq ft top level and 1300 sq ft finished basement. There are no sewer vents. Toilets have ...
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3
votes
2
answers
94
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Can I install not 1 ( BUT 2 ) check valves in my house lateral line out to septic pit that is 14 ft below pump station
Moving into 15 yr old home that does not have a sewer backflow check valve in the lateral line. The home sewer system is configured with a 4” PVC line that drains out 30 ft to the concrete septic tank....
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13
votes
5
answers
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Attempt to locate buried sewer line with melted snow?
I live in a housing addition (built 1965-1980) in the barren (no trees) Oklahoma panhandle. The first thing the new home owners in this area did was plant as many trees as possible.
Over last several ...
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2
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How can I make my basement drains easily serviceable?
My house's sewer system is encased in the basement floor, and there are sections of the old cast iron system that need to be replaced, including two old floor drains and a rusty section of the kitchen ...
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3
votes
0
answers
36
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How can I implement an NRV in brickwork or masonry?
Location: Nagpur, India
Glossary:
NRV = Non-return valve / One-way valve
PVC = Poly Vinyl Chloride
SWR = Soil, Waste, Rain
Over the years repair/renovation of the street in front of the house has ...
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0
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52
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Identify Basement Plumbing Access
I am considering finishing my basement and trying to identify the plumbing in the photos. Cutout is approximately 42" x 22" with a 1-1/2" shelf formed into the concrete where layers of ...
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0
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2
answers
62
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How to solve the drain and sewerage issue along the street curb
Water always fills on our side of the street curb in front of my house. We have a curb drainage hole on this side, but water still fills up the curb on rainy days. During winter, water would freeze ...
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2
votes
3
answers
457
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How do you join white plastic (PVC) to black plastic (ABS)?
I have a drain pipe located underneath under a bathroom sink.
Half of the sewer pipe is black ABS, while the other half of the pipe is made out of white PVC.
There are no threads on either side. We ...
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2
votes
2
answers
70
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Can this old drain pipe still be active
My house is a renovation of a 1940 house. Many of the old nonworking disconnected parts were left in during the reconnection, including this 5 or 6" cast iron drain pipe. I recently noticed that ...
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2
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47
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roots growing in a grey water drain that's not too accessible with rods
I have a grey water drain (70mm diameter) that has roots growing in it. I can rod the first foot, and that's it. Looking for some chemical that will work to clear them, as physical removal is nigh on ...
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1
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37
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Maintenance of internal roof drain
we have an internal roof drainage system on a 1880 small condo building in New England (MA) that goes to the sewer drain pipe. I just cleaned the outlet for the first time since we moved in. I am ...
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votes
0
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40
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Can I remove this second side-by-side house trap and replace it with a check valve?
I'm trying to make room for a check valve to my house sanitary behind my main check valve and a Y connection to my storm line. Currently I have two lines side by side that join together near the ...
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2
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216
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can I install an inline check valve on a condensate drain line down pipe?
I actually need to add a check valve to my condensate drip line/sewer drain connection since it had sewer backup recently (the 3/4" PVC condensate pipe was piped down directly into a 2" ...
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1
answer
94
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Is it reasonable to expect a home sewer system to handle 2-ply toilet paper?
I own a fixer-upper that has... more problems than I originally anticipated. The current problem that I'm working on tackling is that the sewer line under the basement blocks if 2-ply toilet paper is ...
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4
answers
715
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How do I remove a bottle cap stuck 3 feet down a drain line
A bottle cap (I think) fell down my sink drain and down the pipe before I could retrieve it.
It seems to be the perfect size to block the drain because despite no water down the drain for a month, ...
- 1,863
2
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1
answer
141
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Does this septic tank have built in baffles?
I had a septic tank delivered and want to understand what needs to be done for the hookup (I'm not doing it myself, just want to be sure I understand the requirements).
I'd seen / read that you ...
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0
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215
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Can I permanently cap an unused drain line stub out?
I'm building a bathroom in my basement and the builder left a roughed in 1.5" ABS line for the sink. It's a vertical pipe that goes from the roof (presumably) down into the concrete and has a T ...
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2
votes
1
answer
141
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Cast iron sewer pipe replacement
My sewer line runs through our basement wall to the septic tank. Due to shifting over the years the pipe has broken at the outside of the house. How do you go about removing the cast iron pipe out ...
13
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4
answers
3k
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Plumber got his sewer jetter hose stuck. Whose fault is it? [closed]
On Wednesday, a service plumber came to my house to jet the drain for my kitchen sink. He came around 9 a.m. and by 9:30 had pushed his hose beyond the clog. Then he spent 3 hours trying to get his ...
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1
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111
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Why isn't new sewer vent cap resolving poor toilet flushing?
Next to my lakehouse is a renovated garage with a toilet and a sink. Entire structure was built in the 90s. We have septic. Toilet flushes poorly, gurgles with flushing and just randomly. Removed the ...
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2
votes
2
answers
169
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How to proactively detect a clogged sewer drain pipe?
Is there a way to detect that a sewer drain pipe has clogged and is in the process of backing up? I'm not looking for a) advice like "don't put grease or tampons down the drain" or b) here ...
- 276
0
votes
3
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98
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Sewer connection with lift pump, or septic tank?
My wife and I are considering a building lot.
The city ran a sewer line down the street in front of the lot early this spring, so connecting to the sewer is a possibility, but would require a lift ...
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votes
1
answer
85
views
How High For A Condensate Standpipe?
I have a new Navien NPE-240A2 condensing tankless water heater that I'm installing in an existing small water heater cabinet accessible from the exterior of my house. The current tankless is an older ...
- 101
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votes
1
answer
291
views
Sewer backflow pipe in middle of paver patio
I'm installing a paver patio in my backyard and have a sewer backflow pipe in the middle of the area where the patio is going. What options do I have for lowering or covering the pipe so that it is ...
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0
votes
0
answers
69
views
Cap Or Plug For Sewage Line
Doing a remodel, and moving a sink about 6 feet from it's original location, and due to the way that the sewer main runs it logically makes more sense to tie into a different sewage line than the ...
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0
votes
1
answer
188
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Horizontal turns in drain line
There is a problematic horizontal change of direction in this drainage pipe. It is connected to a sanitary tee, but the flow of water is directed right into the cleanout cap instead of the 45 degree ...
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1
vote
1
answer
92
views
Sewer gas odor in 1st floor mudroom after replacing washing machine in basement
We've had a washing machine in the basement for more than a decade (we use it for oversize stuff, horse blankets). Suddenly, upon replacing our old failing machine with a newer one, I'm smelling a ...
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1
vote
1
answer
157
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Prioritizing foundation/slab repair and sewage pipes?
My house is old, built around 1955. It has two outstanding issues,
Slab repair (very likely needs to be done, doors don't line up and I see cracks above some sills, it has slab repair before)
Sewage ...
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0
votes
1
answer
83
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Proposed Plumbing Layout Question for Utility Building - shower/sink/toilet
I have two questions regarding the plumbing layout for my utility building:
I would like to run the plumbing from the inside of the utility building to a currently existing main four-inch line ...
- 315
2
votes
2
answers
252
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What material to make a custom sewer trap access pit lid from?
Just had my sewer line redone in my basement and when they poured in the concrete it created a trapezoidal shape and the dimensions are not standard. This is similar to covering a sump pit in the ...
- 1,075
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votes
1
answer
423
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Connecting water system drain line to sewer
I’m replacing my water filtering and softener system. The only drain we have in the basement is connected to the sewer pipe. The drain line for the old system are T’ed together and connected to the ...
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3
votes
2
answers
1k
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Can I connect a 90 degree tee to my plumbing that goes straight down?
I currently have a kitchen sink on the first floor which leads to a vertical pipe (illustrated in black). I would like to connect a bathroom sink to the same vertical pipe (illustrated in orange). Can ...
- 181
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votes
0
answers
54
views
Sulphur Smell in house when dishwasher is unloaded
I'm going crazy. I have had a sulphur/sewer smell going through A/C vents for 6 weeks. As soon as I smell it, I turn air off for a while ... then it's OK. IT ONLY HAPPENS 1 TIME A DAY. I've had A/...
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0
answers
59
views
Best backflow prevention for sewer surges from storms
I have a townhouse in New York City that is on relatively high ground but has had stormwater and sewage backup during intense short-burst periods of rain. What is the most effective way to prevent ...
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2
votes
1
answer
118
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What considerations should I make when demolishing a driveway?
I have a really long concrete driveway, and we'd like to turn the back half of it into part of the backyard. From this:
To this:
I'm hiring a demolition contractor for this task, but I'd like to ask ...
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1
vote
1
answer
450
views
Can a sewer vent pipe be rerouted?
We are adding a new shower and want to extend it by a few inches. But behind it is a sewer vent that has a bump out framed around it. It is on exterior wall and the roof is directly above it.
Can it ...
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0
votes
1
answer
65
views
New Kitchen sink poor drainage
After installing a new sink water backs up too quickly. If I remove the whole construction and pour directly into the sewer line it flows fine, so no line clog.
I think I did mistake in positioning p-...
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2
answers
263
views
Will the InSinkErator Evolution Compact garbage disposal fit under this sink without modifying the plumbing?
I'm trying to help out an elderly friend with a plumbing issue. He doesn't know anything about plumbing, and I don't consider myself very knowledgeable in the field.
His sink currently has an ...
16
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1
answer
3k
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Is abandoned sewage pit hazardous?
I own a family house that used to until about 20 years ago have a sewage collector pit in use. It has been abandoned for about 20 years now. It has concrete walls and roofing and gravel on the bottom. ...
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4
answers
5k
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Strange suction in toilet and sink, like a vacuum in the sewer pulling the water out
This is hard to explain.. But I was sitting in my bedroom when all of a sudden my toilet started draining, then the sinks in the bathroom started pulling air in, then when the water from the toilet ...
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2
votes
4
answers
1k
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Can I Run Electrical Wire through sewage pipe/ vent
I'm trying to run new electrical wire from the basement to my 3rd floor apartment. There’s a cast iron vertical sewage pipe that goes in the exact route I’d like the wire to go. But there would be ...
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2
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183
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What is this pipe? It leaks when the sink runs
I have a pipe that is halfway under a door jamb and inside the concrete floor which when I run a the sink water is now coming out of it. This pipe is next to our AC blower unit inside the basement. I ...
- 165
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1
answer
49
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Sewer Line Opening - Makeshift Vent or Rodents?
In the crawl space beneath my house, the sewer line has a branch that runs right to the crawl space entry/vent. The end cap has a jagged hole:
Not sure if it's been that way since I bought it (...
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votes
6
answers
5k
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What do I use for backfilling septic pipe leaving my home?
I have a 4" PVC septic pipe leaving my house on the cinder block wall about 4 feet below my house. There was a crack inside of the part where it leaves the house and I need to replace it (from ...
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0
votes
1
answer
235
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What is the material leaking out of my plumbing drain stack?
This has been happening since about a month after we moved and we noticed a fluid leaking out of this pipe. It seems to be a sewage pipe. Whenever we flush, we can hear the water running down this ...
0
votes
2
answers
2k
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Laundry drain smells like sewer after washing clothes
I have an in-wall laundry drain - pictured below.
Since we moved in it had a significant clog which I unclogged with a combination of wet-vac sucking on the drain and snaking the vent pipe. Finally we ...
- 195
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1
answer
3k
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Sewer Smell in High Rise Apartment
I rent an apartment in a new high-rise and I´m on the 15th floor. Weird smells are in both of my bathrooms, with one being a lot stronger burdened with smell than the other.
In irregular patterns ...
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2
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65
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What things to watch for when installing sewer line in the basement under 15" concrete slab
I am going through a major renovation in my house which involves excavating 7'6" basement and pouring seismically strong 15" slab as a floor.
The house is pretty high on the hill and ...
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votes
2
answers
2k
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How to seal these sewer clean outs?
I have these caps just outside of my house that I’m assuming are sewer clean outs. The problem is the pipe is all corroded and the caps are PVC that are just set on top of it. They don’t seal as there ...
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