Because of the time frame in which they were constructed, the Orangeburg pipes in many homes are nearing their expiration date. Homeowners would be wise to replace their pipes now before they are faced with serious plumbing issues down the road.
There are three main types of sewer systems: Sanitary sewers, stormwater sewers and combined sewers. Some households are attached to septic systems, but these systems do not attach to offsite sewer systems.
Polybutylene pipe was commonly used from 1978 – 1995 and is a gray flexible pipe. PEX is a plastic flexible pipe that comes in white, blue, orange, red and a translucent milky white clear. This piping came about to replace polybutylene plumbing.
Cast Iron Sewer Pipes: These were installed most often between the 50's and 70's and will last 75-100 years in most residential applications, so you can expect your 1950 Cast Iron Pipe to fail as early as the year 2025.
Understanding Orangeburg Pipes
Orangeburg pipes, also known as bituminous fiber pipes, were widely used as sewer pipes in the United States during and after World War II, especially from the 1940s to the early 1970s. These pipes were made from layers of wood pulp impregnated with coal tar pitch.
PVC is unarguably the easiest sewer line pipe material to handle. The extremely smooth surface inside the pipe allows solids and liquids to pass without forming clogs. PVC pipes can work for most residential and commercial applications. They are more versatile because they come in diverse shapes and sizes.
Be aware that Schedule 80 PVC piping is also gray in color like PVC conduit piping, but Schedule 80 is a plumbing pipe, similar to the white Schedule 40 PVC piping. Therefore, Schedule 80 pipes should not be used as an electrical conduit.
Selling a house with polybutylene pipes can be challenging due to the known issues and potential risks associated with these outdated plumbing systems. Polybutylene pipes, used in residential construction from the 1970s to the mid-1990s, have a history of failure, causing leaks and significant water damage.
ABS: Short for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, this sturdy plastic was one of the first plastics used for residential plumbing. ABS pipes are always black and tend to be softer than PVC. They are mainly used for vent and drain lines, along with other outdoor underground uses where cold temperatures are common.
Pipes conveying sewage from an individual building to a common gravity sewer line are called laterals. Branch sewers typically run under streets receiving laterals from buildings along that street and discharge by gravity into trunk sewers at manholes.
In the late 1950s and into the 1970s, cast iron and transite, an asbestos-cement combination material, was used. In the late 1950s, orangeburg pipe, also called fiber conduit, was also used. This was made from pitch and wood pulp layered together. In the late 1970s and still used today is plastic PVC or ABS pipe.
In the United States, they came to be used very early on and were still very popular until relatively recently. Clay pipes started being phased out in the 1960s and 1970s when plastic sewer pipe options such as ABS and PVC were developed.
Orangeburg sewer pipes were intended to last for 50 years but many homeowners started having problems after just 30 years. Orangeburg piping was no longer installed after PVC plastic replaced paper as the preferred material in 1972.
The Life Expectancy of Your Sewer Line
PVC piping is light, waterproof, and long-lasting. Clay pipes can last 50 to 60 years, while PVC pipes can last more than 100 years. However, sewer lines often experience issues years before they reach their life expectancy.
Does homeowners insurance cover your sewer line if it's damaged? Damage to your sewer line may be covered by your policy if it is caused by perils such as hail or windstorms, explosions, lightning or fire, damages caused by vehicles, vandalism or falling objects.
It's a common question, and the answer is that it depends on the insurance provider. In general, insurance companies do not provide coverage within homeowners insurance policies for polybutylene pipes. They are simply too much of a liability as they are easily damaged and will break down, burst, and damage the home.
The cost to replace polybutylene pipes runs between $300 and $5,100, with the average homeowner spending $1,200 on polybutylene pipe replacement. Polybutylene pipes are no longer used in new construction because they are prone to defects, leaks, and pipe bursts.
Polybutylene pipes are at the end of their useful life. According to studies by Fannie Mae and HUD, domestic water supply systems in multifamily buildings reach the end of their useful life after 30 – 50 years.
Green – sewer lines.
PVC pipes are white or light-colored and made of a plastic called polyvinyl chloride. They're most commonly used for plumbing and drainage. PVC pipes are more flexible than ABS pipes, making them ideal for a wide range of applications.
The culprit is polybutylene (PB) pipes, which were used for plumbing purposes between the years of 1975 and 1978 until it was discovered that they become brittle and cracked over time, so they were subsequently outlawed.
Plastic (ABS and PVC) became the top choice for new sewer lines in the late 1960s and early 1970s due to its affordability, ease of installation, and resistance to root intrusion.
It can typically be found in the basement, crawl space or garage. You will want to search for a pipe that is approximately four inches in diameter with a screw cap on the top that has a notch or square knob at the top.
Wondering why is sewer line replacement so expensive? It boils down to skilled labor costs, quality materials, extensive excavation, and stringent regulations.