Case Study - Spartanburg Sewer Pipe Collapse
Emergency Sewer Line Repair in Spartanburg, After Pipe Collapse
The service plumbers at Sterling Craft Plumbing handle a wide range of sewer and drain issues throughout Spartanburg County, from routine clogged drains to complete drain line replacement. This case study highlights a recent emergency sewer line repair for a homeowner in Spartanburg, South Carolina, whose plumbing issue turned out to be much more serious than a simple clog.
The Problem: Sewage Backing Up Inside a Spartanburg Home
We were called to a home in Spartanburg after the homeowner reported raw sewage backing up into the house. This is one of the most severe signs of a sewer line failure and typically indicates a hard clog or even a collapsed pipe.
Our plumber Kory and his apprentice Jacob arrived promptly and tried clearing the line from the clean out next to the house. Nothing seemed to move from the line, and it quickly became clear that the problem was more serious. The machine could not fully restore flow, and the line continued to back up — a clear sign that the sewer pipe was damaged or collapsed.
Sewer Line Inspection Reveals Orangeburg Pipe Failure
To get a clear picture of what was happening underground, Kory used our sewer camera for a sewer line inspection. We discovered that the main sewer line had collapsed in the yard, roughly six to eight feet from the house. The camera could not capture a totally clear picture (too much dirt in the water clouded the visibility) and we couldn’t get past the collapse, but we could see leafy vegetation and roots in the standing water — both common symptoms of a failed pipe.
We informed the homeowner and quoted to dig down and uncover the broken drain pipe, replace the collapsed section of drain pipe with new 4-inch PVC drain lines, and reconnect the home to the main sewer system in the yard.
What We Found: 1950s Cast Iron, Orangeburg Pipe, and Patchwork Repairs
Once Kory and Jacob began digging, we uncovered the original 4-inch cast iron sewer line installed in the 1950s. Cast iron can last a long time (there are many homes in Spartanburg County still using cast iron sewer lines, including Inman, Pacolet, Cowpens, Spartanburg- essentially all throughout the county!), but it is prone to corrosion and buildup over the decades. In this case, however, the cast iron itself wasn’t the cause of the problem.
What we found next was the true cause of the collapse: a short section of Orangeburg pipe. This fiber-based pipe was commonly used between the 1940s and 1970s throughout Spartanburg County, but it is now known to be unreliable, especially when ground settles and there is shifting soil or root intrusion. If you’ve never seen Orangeburg pipe, it’s basically super dense cardboard!
The Orangeburg pipe had fully collapsed, creating an opening where nearby vegetation had invaded the line, forming a total blockage.
To make things more confusing for the homeowner, there was a length of 4-inch PVC sewer pipe further down the yard, evidence of a previous repair. The homeowner had been told — and believed — that the entire cast iron line had been replaced. Unfortunately, as is common in older homes, only a section had been upgraded, while hidden segments of older materials stayed in place.
Our Solution: Sewer Line Repair
After identifying the failed section of pipe, we proceeded with the necessary repairs:
- We excavated and removed the collapsed Orangeburg section as well as any compromised cast iron leading back toward the clean out at the home.
- We installed a length of new 4-inch Schedule 40 PVC sewer pipe, which provides excellent durability and flow capacity.
- Once the repair was complete, we performed another sewer camera inspection. We ran the camera from the house all the way to the sewer tap in the street, confirming that the line was fully functional. We also provided the customer with an emailed copy of the video file footage for their records.
Cleaning Local Sewer Lines with Hydro-Jetting
To ensure that no debris or buildup remained in the repaired line, we used our professional hydro-jetting system to clean the entire 4-inch sewer pipe. Hydro-jetting uses high-pressure water to blast away grease, roots, scale, and other buildup from the inner walls of the pipe.
After hydro-jetting, we ran the sewer camera a second time to confirm that the entire line was clear and ready for regular use. This clean-out also helped ensure long-term reliability and reduced the chance of future blockages.
Final Outcome for or Spartanburg Customer
We successfully restored full sewer service to this Spartanburg home, and the customer was relieved to have a long-term solution instead of another temporary fix. By replacing the collapsed section of Orangeburg pipe and reconnecting the line with new, durable PVC, we were able to protect the home from future sewer backups and costly repairs.
The homeowner also gained peace of mind from having clear documentation of the repair, including pictures of the process and video inspections of the entire drain line. We took the time to explain the remaining sections of older cast iron pipe running in the yard to the sewer tap, so the customer could plan for future updates if necessary.
Serving Spartanburg County and Surrounding Areas
This case is a perfect example of why it's important to have your sewer system professionally inspected and repaired by an experienced team. Many homes in Spartanburg County and the surrounding areas — including Campobello, Lyman, Chesnee, Woodruff, Pacolet, Landrum, Cowpens, Reidville, Boiling Springs, Duncan, Inman, Moore, and Roebuck — were built during a time when cast iron and Orangeburg were common. These materials are often still buried underground, even if some parts of the system have been upgraded over the years.
Sterling Craft Plumbing offers expert sewer line diagnostics, clogged drain clearing, and complete drain line replacement. We use state-of-the-art sewer cameras, hydro-jetting equipment, and trench repair techniques, plus our many years of hands-on experience serving the people of Spartanburg County, to make your plumbing system as reliable as possible.
Need Help with a Clogged Drain or Broken Sewer Line In Spartanburg County?
If you’re experiencing signs of a sewer problem — like slow drains, bad odors, or sewage backing up into your home — give Sterling Craft Plumbing a call for professional sewer line repair, drain cleaning, and pipe replacement services. We specialize in:
- Sewer line repair and replacement
- Clogged drain and sewer cleaning
- Hydro-jetting and root removal
- Drain line diagnostics, drain line machines and camera inspections
- Emergency plumbing and sewer line services
We proudly serve all of Spartanburg County and surrounding areas, including Gaffney and Blacksburg. We are available for both emergency response and scheduled inspections, providing fast, honest, and dependable plumbing solutions.
Contact us today to schedule a camera inspection, drain cleaning, or sewer line repair!
See what our customers say about us!
What’s causing my drain or sewer line to clog?
The main culprits are grease, hair, tree roots, or broken pipes, but anything besides toilet paper can clog your line!!.
Can this be fixed with a simple drain cleaning, or do I need a sewer line repair or replacement?
Most of the time a drain cleaning can take care of your issues, or possibly hydro jetting to clear out years worth of grease and debris buildup. If there has been a break in your line, or corrosion and collapse in older lines, you would need that portion of the damaged line repaired or replaced.
How do you locate the clog or blockage? Do you use a camera inspection?
If the clog is above ground or inside the home, we can use process of elimination to find it, based on slow drains. We can also use our camera and locater to access drain lines inside a slab or underground, so we have an accurate idea on location and potential cost.
Why is this a recurring problem? How can I prevent future clogs?
Our biggest pieces of advice are to avoid any animal fats or starchy foods down the kitchen drain, do not flush anything besides toilet paper, and put a hair trap on your shower drains to catch the hair.
How much will it cost, and do you provide a free estimate or upfront pricing?
We do have some prices we can provide, but the plumbers truly have to see home to understand which drain machine they will need and where their access points are. We have a $99 trip charge for *most* calls, but there is an instant $50 credit off the price if you move forward with the work. Our drain cleanings start at $99 and move up to our jetting, which is $750 for an hour of jetting from the cleanout (if a toilet needs to be pulled for access there’s a pull and reset fee), which includes a video file of the sewer line and that is emailed to the customer.