Sewer leak under slab

Augerhead · Jul 23, 2013

Have been trying to fix a nightmarish sewerpipe leak after the foundation leveling guys finished digging & leveling my house, and the told me those most dubious words, " We could smell a little sewer smell." Thats ok, just coincidence , right? Oh Brother I smelled something all right but it wasnt coming from the sewer pipe!
I told them to leave the one hole that they dug to make an adjustment on the pylons open so I could monitor for any leaks. The next day after my wife took a shower in the morning that little sewer smell, that little leak, the whole damm hole was filled up. Yep, they could smell sewer allright. Oh Brother.
Rented a Sewer Video Camera and found a definite crack, luckily close to the outside wall.See pics.
After digging and sloshing like a mud hen for 3 days after work, I found the PVC sewer pipe had more then one leak. One leak had sheared off the pipe at an elbow fitting near one of the cleanouts and the other leak I can see is coming from the pipe where it comes through the concrete Footing I think its called. I am going to try and dig to get the the other side of the Footing wall underneath the slab so I can get to the other side of the pipe and replace the bad section. My questions are :
Can I chisel off the bottom concrete around the pipe? its only a small portion of the footer, not the slab , isn't it?
Wasn't it supposed to have a metal sleeve?!
Do I need to re- support the pipe I replaced that is now unsupported through the concrete? or will the dirt packed under it be enough?
Do I put in a sleeve and re-concrete it back in that I removed?
Someone told me to use sand bags or concrete bags under the sewer pipe to help keep it supported as you will never be able to pack in the dirt tight again.
Thank for any help!

Chris · Jul 23, 2013

Can I chisel off the bottom concrete around the pipe? its only a small portion of the footer, not the slab , isn't it?

You should be fine chipping some concrete out of there.

Wasn't it supposed to have a metal sleeve?!

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, I usually do because this a place where they break.

Do I need to re- support the pipe I replaced that is now unsupported through the concrete? or will the dirt packed under it be enough?

Technically it should be compacted but if you put a good bed of gravel under the pipe and then backfill with moist dirt and then flood it a little and let it sit and that should be fine in that area. You could always rent a tamper if you are worried about it.

Do I put in a sleeve and re-concrete it back in that I removed?

Entirely up to you.

Someone told me to use sand bags or concrete bags under the sewer pipe to help keep it supported as you will never be able to pack in the dirt tight again.

Gravel is on of the best materials that does not settle, that is what we use under and around main sewer lines in the roads.

Augerhead · Jul 23, 2013

Well that was quick advice. Wish the rest of the job was as easy as your advice , Good Stuff - thanx!

johnjh2o · Jul 23, 2013

Although they are approved I would feel much better if you used banded couplings instead of the fernco couplings.
http://www.fernco.com/plumbing/shielded-couplings/proflex-couplings

Augerhead · Jul 24, 2013

Yea, I saw the FERNCO PRO FLEX metal shielded couplings at Home Depot , but I thought I would have problems getting those on as I have access & fitting problems . They have that middle socket stop built in , so u cant slide the whole coupling back onto the Pipe I think. ( could I cut those out? or Maybe I could wrap some type of metal covering around the rubber? ) ANother problem is the fittings on both ends of the pipe sheared off, so I'm having to put the coupling over a fitting OD not a pipe OD. There is almost no flexiblility. But I do agree with you, I should have tried them anyway. I will get some PRO FLEX Couplings and give it a try though. Thanx!