Finding a lost drain pipe

[b-body-bob]

interesting read..great that you found your problem.....

Yes, now the trick is to make it last. Lots of root killer (suggestions?), a mud trap on the driveway trench, and a catch basin at the end so the mud has a place to settle out and not just drop out at the last turn up to the surface. If I never use another power snake it'll be too soon, especially at these distances.

 

[b-body-bob]

BTW, the road goes on forever and the party never ends ...

THere was 3' of drop in the pipe over the last 25'. I've been told a 4" pipe needs 1/8" per foot, so that's about 12 times as steep as it needed to be. I replaced that end, raising the end up so it's about an inch above grade there. So far so good, right?

Next we went to hosing the pipes out (had already spent days snaking them) and noticed that water crosses from the septic side over to the storm water side. So apparently I've got coincident crushing of both pipes, so water can cross from one to the other. Crazy right? I know it's underground and not something cross-plumbed in the house because we were shooting water in out past the slab, so the in-house plumbing isn't involved in the problem.

I'm still trying to avoid digging up the whole yard, so I finally chased down a rental place here with a see-snake, but it's about $300 per day, which is about the same rate as an excavator. I knew it was going to be expensive when the guy started apologizing as soon as I asked the price. I think it might be a worthwhile expense though, because then I could check out every pipe in the house, even back under the slab.

 

[volleyball]

Sounds like wise money. Unless your plan is to regrade the yard after you tear everything up.
For the rental, I'd ask about a discount if it sits a lot.
Like a divorce, the high price may be worth it, even cheap, in the end.
I did the dig thing and did find the stuff but it looked like I had HUGE gophers.

 

[b-body-bob]

Yeah hiring the plumbers to come in with that see-snake before was stupid expensive, but they did put me right on top the pipe once I started digging. It still looks like a construction zone though, I've got 2' trenches dug over about 40 feet of my yard at this point.

There'll be no discount. Part of apologizing for the high price was the disclosure that prices are set by the home office. https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/ Also, he acted like it didn't sit around a lot. A plumber can rent that thing for $300 and charge a home owner $600 so it's a profit deal for all involved except the homeowner.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I know it sounds like voodoo, try dowsing for it. I make my divining rods out of wire, hold them loosely, and when they cross, you're there.

Ive used that trick many times over the years myself,it works.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Yeah hiring the plumbers to come in with that see-snake before was stupid expensive, but they did put me right on top the pipe once I started digging. It still looks like a construction zone though, I've got 2' trenches dug over about 40 feet of my yard at this point.

There'll be no discount. Part of apologizing for the high price was the disclosure that prices are set by the home office. https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/ Also, he acted like it didn't sit around a lot. A plumber can rent that thing for $300 and charge a home owner $600 so it's a profit deal for all involved except the homeowner.

The guy I use around here gets $150-200.00 to camera/locate for me,call some other guys for prices.

 

[b-body-bob]

Yeah I probably should call around but ...

I'm at that point where I've paid for help in the past and come away disappointed, and I know the only person who's really going to stick with the job until it's done is me.

For example, they couldn't get a 1" horizontal style eel through the clog that I hogged out with a rental 3/4" one. It took a while, no doubt, but man if you're going to come out on a job, give it hell until I say stop.

Anyway, yeah I'm in that gotta do it myself to get it done right mode.