When a sewer and water main contractor was hired to perform a sewer line replacement in NYC the sewer material originally used turned out to be the cause of the sewer problem. If the proper plumbing materials had been used for the original sewer line this sewer repair work would not have been required. Unfortunately this is fairly common in the business of repairing and replacing water lines and sewer lines.
On one location after another improper materials are uncovered that made the original sewer contractor a few m ore dollars, then created a sewer repair job at a later date that cost a property owner thousands of dollars. On this particular job location sections of 4″ Orangeburg pipe made from wood pulp were used in lieu of 6″ domestically produced extra heavy cast iron sewer pipe. A sewer line using domestic extra heavy cast iron and properly installed by a professional will not require any maintenance, and will last for many decades . Buying American in the case of sewer line work is not just a patriotic gesture, it will help ensure a better job.
Cast iron that is manufactured in the USA for new sewer lines, or for sewer repair work, is found to have a very uniform pipe wall thickness throughout the pipe and extremely high quality standards in place. Cutting a domestically produced piece of cast iron will result in it’s distinctive bell like sound, the sound of a clean and uniform cut of the pipe. Environmentally domestic sewer pipe is carefully screened for harmful materials such as asbestos, and radioactive materials such as from scrap medical equipment. Scrap metal is a component of all cast iron pipe. The Charlotte Pipe Company is a great example of a self contained manufacturer and distributor who carefully oversees a high quality pipe making process from the beginning to the end. Of note is that Charlotte Pipe has invested millions of dollars in state-of-the-art equipment to ensure a high quality and uniform product, which is produced in an environmentally friendly and safe facility. Many sewer contractors use domestically produced extra heavy cast iron pipe exclusively.
Imported cast iron sewer pipe has on numerous occasions been documented to have various defects and pose some other vary serious concerns. Some of the documented defects that are of concern are uneven wall thicknesses of pipe that are sub standard, and pipe containing contaminated materials . As an example asbestos has been found as a documented component of some imported cast iron. Balkan has witnessed a strange crushing type sound when cutting imported cast iron, as opposed to the clean bell-like sound that cutting domestic cast iron makes. In 2007 the Michigan Plumbing Board went as far as to deny the approval of imported cast iron pipe for any State projects. Imported sewer pipe is bought from an importer. But who produced it and tested it?
Orangburg Pipe, which was found at this job site, was never meant to be used as a material for a sewer line. Orangeburg pipe was originally manufactured in Orangeburg New York for use as an insulating pipe around underground electrical ducts. It was made from wood pulp held together with pitch, a type of hot tar. Only after being misused as sewer pipe material on thousands of homes did it become apparent that it eventually becomes porous and collapses prematurely after being in contact with water.
It is advisable to demand domestic materials when extra heavy cast iron pipe is required by a plumbing project. Spending a few dollars more at the beginning of a sewer installation may save thousands of dollars later on.
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