Repair of sewer pipes in an apartment with your own hands

It is enough to arm yourself with some special knowledge in order to learn how to independently repair sewer pipes in an apartment, quickly solving problems associated with the functioning of the sewage system.

Modern sewerage is a rather complex technical complex, the task of which is to remove wastewater from an apartment, and then from a high-rise building, which is formed in considerable quantities during the life of each person. In any apartment today, apart from a toilet and a sink in the kitchen, there is a lot of other equipment connected to the sewer network.

The individual elements of such a network are connected together, naturally, as a result, a very intricate pipe system is obtained, which simply cannot work absolutely without disruptions and various minor problems.

Moreover, a malfunction can suddenly appear in absolutely any part of the pipeline. Most often, urgent repairs to a cast-iron sewer pipe (or plastic) are required due to the following malfunctions:

• the appearance of unpleasant odors from the elements of the sewer network, indicating that this or that pipe has cracked or a serious blockage has formed in it;
• the appearance of smudges at the joints of pipe products;
• blockage of the pipe.

The last malfunction in domestic sewers is extremely rare, but, nevertheless, such a misfortune also happens. The blockage is usually found in siphons located under sinks and sinks. A variety of debris can accumulate in these pipeline nodes, which can be removed without much repair work, simply using a plunger: a couple of confident movements with such a simple plumbing fixture, and the blockage will disappear. The main thing is not to forget to rinse the cleaned sewer pipe abundantly with a large volume of water.

Video (click to play).

In cases where the sink is equipped with a special hole that protects it from excessive filling (overflow), before using the plunger, be sure to close this overflow. If you do not do this, you will drive air through the pipes and nothing more, the blockage will not go anywhere.

You can also use the plunger when the toilet is clogged in your apartment. Here, however, it is worth saying that he does not always help. Perhaps, the effect of the plunger will not be, but it is worth trying to apply it. If there are no results (the blockage remains in place), you should try to break through the toilet pipe using chemicals. If they do not help, you will have to use a special cable for cleaning, and sometimes (with really difficult blockages) and call professionals with special equipment.

In situations where a leak is detected at the pipe inlet, the problem can be corrected quite simply:

• sealing the entrance;
• pulling up the connection;
• replacing the gasket.

Typically, kitchen sinks, washbasins in bathrooms and bathroom sinks are leaking. In this case, in most cases, leaks are caused by inaccurate connections at the transition points of the pipe and the siphon or the drain hole of the sanitary equipment and the siphon.

Repair measures are more difficult when leaks begin to form at the joints of cast iron pipe structures. In such a situation, the repair of cast-iron sewer pipes will require quite a lot of effort from a person. Depending on the type of pipe connection (cement or lead), the leak is eliminated in two different ways.

If the joints of the pipeline, which began to leak, are interconnected with cement, the repair of the sewer pipes in the apartment is carried out as follows:

• the old cement mortar is broken up with a chisel and hammer, and then removed;
• the joint is thoroughly cleaned of packing residues;
• a new packing is applied, a sealant is placed in it;
• a new solution is being prepared (one part of water is taken for ten parts of cement), which must be carefully and reliably sealed up the joint.

Experts recommend using a special mixture for processing the strands of the sealant. It is prepared from seven parts of cement and three parts of asbestos. These components are mixed with each other, and then water is added to them until a plasticine consistency of the composition is obtained. A sealing layer treated with such a mixture will perform its function many times more efficiently.

With a lead connection of the elements of the sewer network, the repair is carried out as follows:

• the joint is cleaned as thoroughly as possible;
• with the help of a chisel, new lead cones are placed into the gap (the procedure is not as laborious as it might seem at first glance, since lead is a soft material in its structure).