What Caused This??????????

[studor]

I agree that the pipe would not freeze while underground in a basement -- I wondered if it froze during construction and was just covered over. Like Gary, I have seen many examples of where the next crew in the process wrecks the work of the previous crew and then just covers it over. There is an old construction expression -- "Can't see it from my house"

 

[dieselscout80]

Thanks for the pics of the problem and the repair.

Sure looks a tough job getting to the problem.

I'm not familiar with the part/s used in the repair (I'm in Australia) - looks to be a piece of hose clamped on each end but what are the pieces in between, in particular the flat thing in the middle?

Allen,

That flat thing is a piece of 3/4" plywood. I used a holesaw to cut a hole in it that the pipe would slide into/through. The couplers are hard to get on the pipe and in the narrow trench I thought they be a bear to slide onto the original pipe, so I tapped on the plywood with a hammer to slide in place.

 

[dieselscout80]

A location that I'm obviously not familiar with!

You don't want to know about SC in the summer.

 

[Barton]

Andy Dufrane?

:laughing: Great movie!

 

[Egon]

[/QUOTYou don't want to know about SC in the summer.E]


The world is vast and my knowledge of it is minuscule.

I wish I new knew more.

 

[jake98]

My plumber had a leak he couldn't solve so he asked me to go with him and open up a finished wall in a basement and put it back together. 'Phone line drilled right thru the kitchen sink waste, with wire right through it too.'

 

[simonds]

In my area we call the rubber couplings "Fernco Fittings". That is the commom brand sold here. Clean PVC off, put dishsoap or anything slippery around the inside of the fitting and they will usually slide right on.
Clayton

 

[dieselscout80]

In my area we call the rubber couplings "Fernco Fittings". That is the commom brand sold here. Clean PVC off, put dishsoap or anything slippery around the inside of the fitting and they will usually slide right on.
Clayton

I did use a bit of cooking oil, but I didn't want Murphy to kick me again so I made that board to tap it home.

 

[bironacad]

Yes a little soap on an MJ joint and that helps her slide. MJ (Mechanical Joint)

My guess broke for a long time and now that it is fixed what are your plans for the septic system because that can lead into tractor work, lol, and more Murphy stuff.:ashamed:

 

[flusher]

We bought this place about a year ago and I'm finishing the basement.

What would have caused this PVC pipe to break like this?

I think someone got wild with a drain auger.

I'm glad I found this before the basement was finished.

Could be that this particular PVC stick sat around in an outdoor materials yard for months before in was installed at your place. That white PVC will get brittle and crack like yours did. I've seen that happen with left over white PVC that I stored outdoors after installing my landscape irrigation system. Thing is even if you buy white PVC from an indoor materials yard, you still don't know where it was stored and how long between the manufacturer's place and your PVC dealer's.

 

[orezok]

I had a similar thing happen a couple of years ago. We were modernizing one of our schools. The gas was shut off during the mod. At the end of the project the landscaper came in and installed new irrigation.

About 2 years later, my electrician was trenching through the kindergarten yard and they began to smell gas. They stopped and called the gas company who came out with their sniffer to locate the leak. At a location about 4' from his trench they got a hit. They excavated and found an irrigation main line. Below the irrigation line was the gas line.

It appears that while the landscaper was trenching he nicked the top of the gas line, but since the system was off he did not know. The fluff probably covered the line and they didn't see it. Landscaper installed his line, backfilled and compacted the trench.

For 2 years no leak was detected until the electrician disturbed enough soil near the previous damage to cause it to leak.

What's more interesting is that we use medium pressure (5 PSI) to all our buildings.

Go figure! :confused2:

 

[SixHoeBob]

I would guess that somebody ran over the exposed pipe with a skid-steer loader when they were spreading the stones.

 

[lectro88]

I would guess that somebody ran over the exposed pipe with a skid-steer loader when they were spreading the stones.

I think your getting closer to what happened.
I've been in the building industry for 23yrs.

What I "think" happened, and none of us are 100% sure, right.

Sometime they use what is called a georgia buggy to haul concrete, for those that don't know what that is. It holds about as much as 3-4 wheel barrels on a tricycle type setup with about 10-12 hp engine powering it and you stand up on it and drive it like a bicycle. I don't think the pipe was exposed or broken when installed. I really think the pipe was just at the surface and georgia buggy or even more likely cause its heavier a skid steer with a bucket full of concrete crushed the pipe in the buzz of pouring, site noise and hurrying, it went un-noticed.

Just my opinion.

 

[Qapla]

It is always possible that the pipe was not "broken" when installed, but could have had a "slap-crack" in it. This can happen when PVC is dropped on the ground and a 20' piece of 4" is not light.

Also, that is DWV. DWV, even though it is schedule 40, does not have to meet the same specs as schedule 40 PVC water pipe. DWV is not intended to hold pressure and is manufactured as such. That is why it is usually a bit cheaper then PVC.

If it had a "slap-crack" or a ding or dent, it could have held drain water just fine. Then, when someone was running a power snake though there, the head broke through the pipe at the weak spot.

If the pipe was "old" at the time it was installed, it would have been that much more brittle. DWV is not UV protected and sunlight will dry out the plastic to a very brittle point.