On 11/06/2016 01:51 PM, Charles Bishop wrote:
A friend of mine is having sewer pipe problems, with root intrusion and
blockage. The plumber has come out and cleared the blockage. He is now
telling her that a large section of drain pipe (50') should be replace
to prevent future problems.

This section is made of Orangeburg pipe, which, from Google[1], is a
fiber pipe strengthened with pitch. There are small areas of root
intrusion there (shown by camera inspection) but nothing that looks like
full blockage. He is saying that it's not good to use a snake to clean
this pipe of roots since the snake would likely cause damage to the
pipe. He is trying to sell her a more costly solution of lining the pipe
while it's in place.

So, Any thoughts on whether the Orangeburg pipe can be cleaned with a
power snake without damaging it beyond use?


The problem will only continue to get worse. Either have the pipes replaced with PVC or have the offending trees removed. No trees = no tree roots.

FWIW, I used a Stihl on mine.