What Is An Orangeburg Sewer Line?
Orangeburg pipes were a type of sewer pipe made from a combination of wood fibers & tar. It can be compared to rolled up building tar paper or a toilet paper tube impregnated with tar. These pipes were developed in the early 20th century and were named after the town of Orangeburg, New York, where they were first manufactured by the Orangeburg Manufacturing Company. The material was as an affordable alternative to traditional cast-iron and clay pipes. Click for more historical information.
The Rise & Fall of Orangeburg Pipe
The
popularity of Orangeburg peaked during the 1950s and 1960s and was utilized
somewhere as part of the drain/sewer system in virtually every house during
that era. In west Texas, Orangeburg was luckily almost never installed inside
the footprint of the home (drain) but it was far and away the most common thing
installed outside the home (sewer). As such, active Orangeburg sewer lines are
running thru the backyards of most of our 1950s and 60s houses in Midland &
Odessa, if not already replaced.
Common Defects Found in Orangeburg Sewer Lines
Unfortunately, widespread failures began cropping up just a few decades later, mainly due to the material becoming weak & losing its integrity. This resulted in sewer lines that partially collapsed or deformed, a phenomenon commonly called “egging”. An egged line essentially creates a bottleneck in the flow of the drain by reducing the pipe diameter & can lead to entrapment of waste & debris.
Orangeburg is also susceptible to tree root intrusions at its joints. Next to egging, root intrusion is the #1 issue with see with defective Orangeburg sewer lines. Similar to egging, root balls cut off some of the diameter of the pipe & can cause reduction of flow & eventually a full blown blockage.
Delamination & blistering of the interior walls of the pipe is another common issue with Orangeburg sewer lines. A severely blistered pipe looks akin to a mogul skiing course, and adds significant friction to your sewer line, which is trying to carry about solid waste & toilet paper.
What If I Suspect I Have Orangeburg Sewer Lines?
If you are having sewer issues or suspect you have an active Orangeburg sewer line & would like an unbiased opinion (we don’t perform repairs or profit off a decision to replace your sewer) regarding the condition, call Summit Sewer Inspections today at 432-363-5104.