How is Glazed Drainage Pipe Cut?

Masonry blade is not a bad idea. There are also diamond blades for cutting masonry that will attach to angle grinders. This would be a little more compact than a circular saw. I've used those for pointing brickwork as well.

I've only used a chain breaker on cast iron pipe. It's not a real clean cut on that, I can't imagine it would be any better on the glazed pipe.

I have no experience at all with the sawzall masonry blades. Anyone else? One would think that would work with the least amount of digging around the pipe.

Can anyone take a guess at what the glazed pipe was last used in the US? It was used in the house in which I grew up; that house was built in the 1920's. My guess would be shortly after WWII.

It is still produced. Check out Mission Clay Products.

A masonry saw will require that you excavate more earth, but let you make cleaner, faster cuts.

You could always rent a gas powered 12" dia. masonry saw for an hour after you've dug out around the pipe and make the cuts in 10 minutes.

Rental of masonary saw is a good idea, thanks.

I tried to look up the history of drainage pipe because I figured this was original and laid with the house in 1935. But a neighbor says this type pipe did not exist back then, only clay without bells. I guess the first pipe with bells required heating of the joints to melt a tar to seal the joints, rubber seals came after...Mine has rubber gaskets in the joints, so it could be this was laid in the 50's or 60's ....I guess.

Ideally, I can bust out one section, then neatly remove the next section whole.....if it will come free without breaking, If it does I can easily produce a real clean cut useing the circular saw. But I bet I cant seperate the sections without damage.

Indeed, I've used a chain breaker on cast iron and it's is not real clean, never tried one on glazed tile.

If you could get a proper length of a diamond wire cutter saw that you could wrap around the pipe, then work it back and forth to create a scribe line (I'm not sure how deep you would have to go, though- it would be nice to have a section of pipe to experiment with!). Anyway, with a properly done scribe line around the pipe, a tap with a soft mallet should give you a clean break.

http://www.amazon.com/Wheeler-Rex-39906-RATCHET-CUTTER/dp/B002MRJ2ZS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuJQqpxmtLM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqjiydf29cE&NR=1

Cheers ;-)

I agree!

If you can't find the time to do it right the first time,

where will you find the time to do it over?

I gave you a GA.

Good morning Bill H. I agree whole heartedly. I was wondering tho about the vertical section of access pipe. I would think the OP would be looking at a 48" inside diameter by 7' length of concrete pipe, with the two notches. How much would that weigh? He would probably have to hire that installed.

What would he use for a lid?

I guess there's a real possibility of sewage backup. If at some point in the future, this backup did cause the check valve to stick closed, he would only know when his commode overflowed. So he'll probably want to start a serious periodic inspection of the check valve.

I agree with lo-volt, a 4and 1/2 inch angle grinder with a diamond cuttting blade would work best. you could cut thru the top half and carefully remove that section and then cut thru the rest of the pipe from the inside leaving just a little excavation to do to get the (i'm assuming) rubber sleeves in place.

oilcan13

GA for Cwarner regarding the diamond encrusted wire.....it'll cut the clay pipe like a hot knife in butter.

Of course you can also use a masonry cutoff blade for a 4 1/2" right angle grinder. that would be the fastest, but beware of any accumulated water in the bottom of the trench because you could fry yourself! Ouch!

I'd suggest that you buy a pair of Fernco Co. couplings to attach the new PVC pipe to the existing clay pipe. Make sure to accurately measure the circumference of the clay pipe + it's OD + the new PVC type when ordering the couplings because the OD and circumferences of both pipes are different and won't match-up. I suggest that you install no less than PVC SDR-35 pipe.

SDR = Standard Dimension Ratio.

Hope this helps!

There is a tool available at Home Depot, and I am sure several other similar outlets, that sells for about US$99 to $139 called a Rotozip- It is hand held (about 1.75" dia.) and has three speeds (up to about 30,000 RPM) that comes with a roughly 3.5" cutting blade.

It comes with a 2-wire plug- no ground and is designed for safe damp operation. You could use it in less than 6" of space around the pipe, and you will have a highly functional tool for lots of other uses as well- tile, masonry, grouts, wood, etc.

Wow! I'm totally impressed with the responses! I figured there was a more standard way to cut this pipe, as back in the day it was common, if not almost exclusive. I thought someone would know what they used back in the day.

I agree with the reposnse that saving time trying to minimize excavation may just not be worth it, given the responses. I was hoping someone would have faced this before and have a quick easy method that I did not know of.

I'll have a small excavator anyway...so looks like I'll do the neccissary excavation and use my circular saw.

Indeed, I have a "city" sewer line, serving as both sanitary and storm, put in back in 1935. We all have hand made septics with no leach beds on my street...settling tanks really and they discharge direct into the storm.....Nobody believes me -because I'm only "Harry Homeowner". But I'm old and smart, and over 25 years I've witnessed the excavations of my home and the neighbor's, so I know more about our little corner than anyone else in the whole world-their are no city records of the system that anyone can find. Nothing was documented back then that we can find. Anyway to make things worse the sewer goes across a neighbors property. And in recent years, it will back up during a large rain. I've lived there 25 years, the backup started about 15 years ago as the city and other homeowners added buildings, developments, parking lots, additions etc.

Now the city says its a Private sewer line (because it crosses the neighbor's property to get to us.) Two or three other houses are on this line too...so I'm not alone, But I'm the only "handy" guy...and my house is lowest, so I get it the worst.

I don't flood though, in fact we have a carpeted basement.---because I engineered a large back up system that activates when needed, and discharges any overflow to my back lawn. 2 or 3 times a year we'll discharge on the lawn for 15 to 45 minutes. So--my large volume back up pump effectively handles the whole "private" system overflow, and helps out the other neighbors on the system.......So....the way they it .....there is no problem!!!!!!! I need to install a one way valve so my backup system evacuates ONLY MY BASEMENT, BUT NOT the whole mini private system serving 3 or 4 homes. I have enough storm water of my own without pumping the neighbor's share onto my back lawn! I'm looking at a CleanCheck valve http://www.cleancheck.net/ -the valve /flapper assembly is removable at ground level for cleaning /clearing blockages /etc.

Next year we'll get sanitary sewers along our street, which will help. At that point could probably live without storm sewer completely, but I cant be taking on the whole neighborhood....Thats what I get for having initiative and enginuity I guess.

-Mark and thanks again for the support!!!!!!

Try to rent the proper cutter. You will be time and money ahead of the game. Cutting blades produce heat, heat causes cracks. Old clay pipes are know for just going Buy buy as soon as you touch them. Other direction is to break a section and use rubber to plastic connectors and replace a section of the soil pipe to make your connection. May be your only out.

Good Luck

I have successfully cut clay tile pipe in the past by this method. first mark a line around circumference of pipe. Then use hammer and chisel to mark a shallow groove around pipe. Then use a hammer to break off unused piece of pipe. Actually works, and type of pipe you refer to is called orangeburg.

Circular saws,diamond wires,angle grinders,hammer/chisels...???

Have any of you actually worked pipe?

Rent the pipe cutter (soil-cast iron cutter) and be done in 10minutes!If your not getting a clean cut then you have not scribed the pipe enough.New,sharp (reletively speaking) cutter wheels don't need much of a line.Worn wheels need a deeper scribe line.

A couple points to consider.

Depending on the joint material (mortar,mastik etc.) and condition you can end up spinning your pipe,loosening the adjacent joints which = leaks @ either end.

Your prolly better of removing an entire section & filling in w/C.I. or PVC to add your check valve (Good link. TY). I was able to purchase 'No-Hub' connectors to adapt C.I. to clay.

Your 'bell' end pipe was around quite awhile before 'no-hub'.Joints were simply grouted together.

Orangeburg was a wartime material.Felt paper saturated with tar (tar paper etc.) and rolled into pipe sections.YUK!

Now,about your trench.Are you braced or are we gonna read about you in the paper?

What Ex. do you have.I've a TB016 myself.Great tool.

Skies.

Jay.

Circular saws,diamond wires,angle grinders,hammer/chisels...???

I was thinking the same thing..no "standard" answer, they sound like "handyman" approaches...I think this pipe is older than I am, (1957) -I was hoping to find someone with hands on professional experience who knew the method from "back in the day". I doubt they used circular saws

The home was built in 1935...I had thought the pipe was original but maybe not.

Yes, I've worked with this same exact pipe a couple of times, and the masonry blade on circular saw produces a very clean cut! I've used chain breakers too, but only on cast iron, not this clay product.

This is not the clay tile that looks like it's made of the same stuff a clay flower pot is made from. This has a glazed Porcelain finish -like enamel, it's a reddish brown glass-like finish..no tar or felt paper. From the exterior, it appears to be in very, very good condition.

I know better than to crawl into an unbraced trench 5 feet deep, I'm a Director of Facilities for our Ohio County and function as our Safety Officer. I applaud your foresight for thinking ahead and pointing that one out!...Sometimes you can see an accident before it happens!

Thanks again everyone!

-Mark

The home was built in 1935...I had thought the pipe was original but maybe not.

Hi Mark, the glazed reddish-brown pipe you have is quite likely your original material.

Maybe not the originally installed pipework though.Your house prolly started life with a septic system which was later re-configured to 'city' sewer.

I just replaced a few sections of the exact material (seems that with all the root growth breaking the bell joints,the lightest touch of the bucket was enough to force replacement ) and the chain breaker worked just fine.Made sure I had a good scribe line all the way around and 'Clink',a good clean edge.Of course this is how I discovered the 'spin' problem.

I know better than to crawl into an unbraced trench 5 feet deep, I'm a Director of Facilities for our Ohio County and function as our Safety Officer.

Glad to hear it Mark.

County of Alameda GSA/BMD Stationary Engineer here.We get lots of safety videos.

But egad man,Facilities Director And Safety Officer?! That'll keep the fellas on their toes.

Skies.

Jay.

Jay,

Thanks for the response, thanks everyone! You have a great responsive forum here. I have enough tips, warnings and options now to proceed with confidence.

-Mark