Clay tile sewer line, observations

This weekend we dug up some clay tile sewer line at my little church.  It was installed in 1962 so it is 53 years old now.  This pipe was in real good shape, showed no signs of collapse or other degradation on the outside, and was flowing real good on the inside.
Many people have asked about it on this forum.  While I don’t know the design life of clay pipe, it looks to me like it should reasonably go 80 to 100 years provided there is no soil movement under it.
Jim Allen

Thank you Jim.  That’s good information!

Clay tile is a fantastic product, and was the best of the “greatest generation’s” sewer line products. In over 270 parks, we have never had to replace a clay tile system. I’m not sure that it has a shelf-life, as I have ever heard of a limitation on it’s ability to work indefinitely. When a section does fail – which is rare – you simply replace that section with new PVC. New methods to replace clay tile systems in the future (known as “pipebursting”) will make the transition from clay tile to PVC much simpler and economical when, and if, it ever needs to be replaced.

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Frank is right - provided you keep the tree roots away.  Tree roots are by far the number 1 enemy of clay tile pipes.Sans tree roots, 100 years is not out of the question.

Coach makes a good point.  The reason clay tile is susceptable to roots is the small leakage in the rubber seal rings in the joints.  Cast iron pipe may suffer from this as well because it uses rubber couplings and hose clamps to make connections.  What happens is that the roots ‘smell’ the water and head for it, eventually finding the joints.  You wouldn’t think so, but the roots actually figure out how to get through the joints and drink the water. 
There is a process for killing the roots that works like this.  A foaming root killer is applied to fill the inside of the pipe and allowed to dwell there long enough for the roots to drink it, about 1 to 2 hours as I recall.  After which, it can be flushed out and the roots, if necessary, can be cut out with a rooter or power snake.  The roots on the outside die back and should not bother the pipe again for 1 to 2 years or more.  Call a professional from the phone book or online to do this.  BTW, when water leaks out of a pipe it is called exfiltration and when water leaks into a pipe, like when the water table is high, it is called infiltration.
Jim Allen

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