5 Common Mistakes in Sewer Pipe Installation

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By Marilyn Royce

Your home’s plumbing systems, fixtures, and piping must be installed carefully. Aside from mishaps and errors, the choice of incorrect equipment, as well as a lack of vision when constructing curves and slopes, can lead to issues later on. Repairing these plumbing problems will undoubtedly require time and money.

To avoid plumbing accidents, pay attention to the finer points of the installation when you do it yourself or hire a local plumber.

Unpermitted work, as the term indicates, has not gone through the permitting procedure and has not been evaluated and authorized for safety. As a result, the most profound implication of unpermitted work is that it may be dangerous, depending on the quality of the work performed by whoever conducted the repair, construction, or alteration. 

Another aspect of unpermitted work is that the city may issue a violation if it determines that construction, repairs, or adjustments were performed without a permit. A violation may include a requirement that the work is evaluated and authorized by a city inspector, in addition to a penalty. Depending on the scope of the unpermitted construction, this might result in substantial additional labor, especially if electrical and/or plumbing inspections are required, necessitating re-opening walls to allow for a comprehensive examination. If the work fails inspection, it may necessitate additional remedial action ranging from modest repairs to total demolition of unpermitted extensions.

Furthermore, unpermitted renovations are often not covered by homeowners’ insurance coverage. This might signify one of two things. Any injuries sustained due to unpermitted labor may not be compensated. Second, insurance plans may not cover repairing or replacing unpermitted work.

  •  Incorporating dissimilar materials

If you need to repair pipes in a property that is many decades old, you may not be able to get the same material as the original and choosing the right plumbing materials is crucial. Aside from that, connecting different pipes is appealing if you wish to save money. You can expect complications if you do this without sufficient chemical expertise.

Corrosion will occur if a galvanized pipe is connected to a copper pipe, for example. You’ll need something called a dielectric union to achieve this.

  •  Retaining the water during repairs

Many Homeowners make the error of not turning off the water before replacing pipe fittings to replace them fast. Water will likely flood your building, causing damage to appliances—an costly plumbing lesson.

Your water supply may be turned off in a variety of places. The valves are located beneath the fixture (such as the sink, shower, or toilet), on the water heater, and near the water meter.

  •  Lacking The Needed Tools

Aside from professional expertise and experience, having the correct equipment distinguishes a professional from an amateur. As a result, they make installations and maintenance appear simple.

You can damage bolts and pipes by using the incorrect tools. Unless you’re serious about becoming a plumber, you should invest in the necessary supplies from your local hardware store; otherwise, you should call a  sewer line repair, which will assist you by ensuring the installation is done correctly.

  •  Non-suitable pipe materials

Beginners choose PVC pipes for personal home improvement projects because they are simple to cut and connect. However, the pipe material you select will vary based on your water demand.

For example, if you want to utilize hot water, metal pipes are preferable to plastic. At extreme temperatures, the latter might melt and deform, reducing water pressure or causing leaks.

Furthermore, if your property was built before the mid-1990s, your plumbing pipes may be comprised of hazardous materials from previous eras.

And the three worst types of plumbing still found in American houses today are polybutylene, galvanized steel, and lead. As an amateur, you will need a consultation from a professional sewer line replacement company to do the right thing.

Bar-wrapped concrete pressure, ductile iron, fiberglass, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), prestressed concrete cylinder, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and steel pipe are all common pipe materials. There are countless variants of pipe categories, coatings, linings, manufacturing peculiarities, and so on from this pool. No one can know or fully comprehend all alternatives. Thus it is not surprising that we acquire preferences over time. However, deviations may be significant and beneficial to your project when properly evaluated – or liability when not.

In conclusion, installing sewer pipes can be difficult if you lack knowledge. Thus, the best thing to do to avoid problems is to hire a professional who can assist you.Â