$1,600

You're a cop, arrest that SOB for thievery!!!

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Post pics. Let the SIGBORG collective analyze and tell you elebintyzillion ways to do it.

I won't make repeated posts of "dig a little deeper and post new photo"

The cleanout in my new house sticks a good 8" out of the ground, if not more. I have the parts to cut it down to a more reasonable height and replace the cap, but I haven't done it yet. Partially laziness, but partially because the lawncare folks around here will try to drive over anything that isn't so tall as to be painfully obvious that it won't fit under the deck. I'm worried that if I DO trim it down, they are just gonna destroy it with a mower like your wife did.

- Bret

quote:

worried that if I DO trim it down, they are just gonna destroy it with a mower like your wife did.

They don't leave them up in the air so that people avoid them. They leave them up to allow everything to settle properly and so that you know where they are.

I have several that are now completely flush with the ground. You can still see the caps and remove them if necessary, but being flush with the ground will not come in contact with mower blades.

The biggest challenge is time. My work days/nights are too full to get any projects done. I do have a few days off after tomorrow night (that were earmarked for a short vacation with the family) and may tackle it. My wife had a neighborhood handyman quote us on it and it actually sounded too low.

quote:

My wife had a neighborhood handyman quote us on it and it actually sounded too low

I bet if you ask him nicely, he will raise the price.

Well...spent about 4 hours this afternoon/evening digging it up and fixing it.

Much of that time was spent cutting the vertical pipe, which was a huge PITA to get to without digging a massive hole around it (and I found some other wire down there that made me nervous to get too dig-happy).

Then once we got everything together, we were 1/4" off due to the new angle (I was surprised to find that the pipe was not straight from the clean-out to the house, but rather did an immediate 45 degree turn).

TWO trips to Home Depot later...had to re-cut a glued section and use a more shallow angle, and the damned thing still was almost impossible to get. There just was almost no give in either pipe to separate them enough to get the second coupling mated.

But now it's done and re-buried. Hopefully I didn't fudge it up.

And I got stung by something in the middle of it all.

The wife appreciates why I was so aggravated when I saw what she did now, though.

quote:

(and I found some other wire down there that made me nervous to get too dig-happy).

Likely a tracer wire.

So by my math your wife owes you a new SIG, you just saved her $1,600.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

(and I found some other wire down there that made me nervous to get too dig-happy).

Likely a tracer wire.

So by my math your wife owes you a new SIG, you just saved her $1,600.

There was a tracer wire and something contained in an approx 1-2” diameter red pipe/tube. I dug verrrry carefully after finding that.

Wife was quite helpful, I’ll say. I’ll milk it a tad bit more though

Glad you were able to fix it yourself. Contractors see you are in a bind and will charge more than they should in cases like yours.

PVC pipe and couplers are very easy to work with. You really should use this repair to acquire a battery or electric Milwaukee Sawzall or a DeWalt. They are made for fast and easy cutting in tight areas.

Is the cleanout flush with the ground? Just curious.

Spray paint that thing a bright orange!

I rate my home related jobs by how many trips to Home Depot it takes. Two trips would be a relatively “easy” job.

quote:

Much of that time was spent cutting the vertical pipe, which was a huge PITA to get to without digging a massive hole around it

It's a little late now, but there's a tool that lets you cut pvc pipe from the inside. It costs about $10. You only dig the hole big enough to get the primer and glue swabs around the pipe.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
There was a tracer wire and something contained in an approx 1-2” diameter red pipe/tube.

You have natural gas service, by chance?

Ours is yellow, which is the colour recommended by the American Public Works Association, but there's no formal standard.

I have fixed hundreds, please email me and I will give you my phone number and can walk you thru it. If the stand pipe is split it will need to be dug up, but again I would be glad to point you in the right direction.

OP fixed it several posts above. You must have missed it.
Post
Well...spent about 4 hours this afternoon/evening digging it up and fixing it.

Much of that time was spent cutting the vertical pipe, which was a huge PITA to get to without digging a massive hole around it (and I found some other wire down there that made me nervous to get too dig-happy).

Then once we got everything together, we were 1/4" off due to the new angle (I was surprised to find that the pipe was not straight from the clean-out to the house, but rather did an immediate 45 degree turn).

TWO trips to Home Depot later...had to re-cut a glued section and use a more shallow angle, and the damned thing still was almost impossible to get. There just was almost no give in either pipe to separate them enough to get the second coupling mated.

But now it's done and re-buried. Hopefully I didn't fudge it up[/QUOTE]