Help with what this sewer line Plumber help!

[LanceMc]

My son bought an old house here in central Texas a couple years ago. He’s had sewer problems a few times once he’s been in the house. Most recently he had it cleaned out by a plumber and the plumber found this hole in the line about 25’ from the house. The plumber told him he should replace this line from where the new PVC is by the back of the house to the street for about $7k.

I went over there yesterday and dug around the hole. It looks like maybe a tree fell on it at some point and poked a hole in it or who knows what. This pipe seems to be oblong here. The whole line from the fence to the house appears to have been dug up at some point. You can make out a distinct divot in the yard from the house all the way to the fence at the back property line.
I’m puzzled as to what this sewer line is made from. At first I thought it was metallic but it isn’t. Seems to be plastic of some sort. Maybe ABS? I put a section of rubber union on it and clamped it down as a temporary fix.
Anyone know what this pipe might be made of? What’s the best way to make a permanent repair? Thank you!

 

[fitter30]

Fernco makes couplings rated for under ground that looks similar to what u installed. Box stores and plumbing supply should carry them. Need a fill piece pvc should be the same dimensions.

 

[The Cobbler]

pretty sure that's what I call tar paper pipe. it was basically tarpaper wrapped into a cylinder . if that's what it is, it needs to be preplaced.
it doesn't look like ABS to me

Orangeburg pipe - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[nadogail]

l would put a Jubilee patch on it.

 

[larry4406]

Fernco makes couplings rated for under ground that looks similar to what u installed. Box stores and plumbing supply should carry them. Need a fill piece pvc should be the same dimensions.

Use a Fernco with a metal shear band if you have to for a buried repair. It rigidly connects the pipes so they can't slip out of being aligned.

NO Shear Band

WITH Shear Band

 

[Junkman]

It looks like it will need replacing at some point in the future, or possibly lined to keep it in service. I had a cast-iron pipe rust out after 40 years, and it cost about the same as the quote to replace it with a Schedule 40 PVC pipe.

 

[BurtEggley]

sometimes plumbers bust holes in a line like that to put a blade in to cut roots. The rubber clamp is fine as a temp fix if properly tightened, especially if the roots are still somewhere in the line that will need cutting again. I'd put a box there to access it until a time when money allows a new high quality line replacement designed to keep roots out.

 

[LanceMc]

Thanks for all your replies! After reading about Orangeburg pipe, I'm pretty sure that's what it is. I suppose my temp fix will have to do for the time being. Maybe when I can get my sons and their brother in law around at the same time we can dig it up and replace it with PVC or ABS. Much appreciated!

 

[bluedog225]

Agreed that it is tar paper pipe. And agreed that it needs to be replaced eventually.

Being able to dig that up and replace it on your own schedule, and not as an emergency repair, will be a lot cheaper.

 

[Junkman]

If you dig it up, I would do 10' at a time and lay the new pipe into the witness marks of the old pipe. That way, you don't have to be concerned with the slope, since the new pipe will be an exact replacement of the old pipe. Depending on the depth, you might want to rent a mini-excavator to remove the top and hand-dig the rest of the way down.

 

[Pete D.]

Had that type of pipe going to are septic tank it also had a couple of holes in it that were smaller than yours.
It was from the septic guy trying to locate the tank years earlier.

 

[PoorUB]

Depending on the diameter, you may be able to dig up each end remove a few feet and shove thin wall sewer pipe inside.

 

[Junkman]

Depending on the diameter, you may be able to dig up each end remove a few feet and shove thin wall sewer pipe inside.

The type of pipe he has isn't stable enough to work with. It will crumble as he is removing it. The only thing that I could recommend is to have it plastic-lined, but that is an expensive method to save a decaying pipe. I would be inclined to believe that the pipe is at least 50 years old. My folks had a pipe in their home built in 1948 that had to be replaced in the 1960s.

 

[alfadan]

pretty sure that's what I call tar paper pipe. it was basically tarpaper wrapped into a cylinder . if that's what it is, it needs to be preplaced.
it doesn't look like ABS to me

Orangeburg pipe - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Damn the ***** who thought that was a good idea!

 

[Junkman]

Damn the ***** who thought that was a good idea!

Thanks to Google and AI:

The "tar paper" pipe, formally known as Orangeburg pipe (or bituminous fiber pipe), was pioneered by Stephen Bradley Sr., who founded the Fiber Conduit Company in 1893.

Invention and Early Use

• Stephen Bradley Sr.: He established the company in Orangeburg, New York, which eventually gave the pipe its famous nickname.
• Original Purpose: The material was originally developed as an electrical conduit for telegraph, telephone, and electrical wires. Its use in buildings such as the Empire State Building demonstrated its early popularity in the electrical industry.
• Sewer Line Pivot: While small-scale experiments with water lines date back to 1865 in Boston, sewer line pivots were not widely used until World War II. Metal shortages during the war necessitated a cheaper, non-metal alternative to cast iron.

Composition and Failure
Often described as a "tar-impregnated toilet paper tube," the pipe consists of layers of wood pulp and asbestos fibers (in some versions) pressed together and saturated with liquefied coal tar pitch.
The Orangeburg Manufacturing Company ceased production of this specific fiber pipe in 1972 as plastic PVC alternatives became the industry standard.

 

[rd65]

It's sewer, so it should be easy enough, just need fall. Hand dig or rent a mini or even buy one those cheap Chinese units and do the work then sell it.