Last time I went cheap, a root found its way in after two years and turned my basement into a wading pool.
- Gasketed joints are worth every penny if you’re dealing with mature trees or aggressive roots.
- Non-gasketed PVC or clay pipe? That’s just asking for trouble long-term, especially with shifting soil.
- If you’re stuck with older lines, at least run a camera every year or two. Early detection beats emergency calls at 2am.
- Root barriers can help, but nothing beats a solid mechanical seal. I’ve seen too many “quick fixes” fail when the ground gets saturated.
- If you’re seeing slow drains after heavy rain, that’s your warning sign—don’t ignore it.
Gasketed joints really are the way to go, especially if you’ve got big old trees nearby. I learned that the hard way—tried to save a few bucks with standard PVC and ended up with roots busting through in less than three years. Not fun, and definitely not cheap to fix after the fact.
I get the appeal of root barriers, but honestly, they’re just a band-aid if your pipes aren’t sealed up tight. The camera check is a solid tip too. I started doing that every other spring, and it’s caught a couple of small issues before they turned into disasters.
One thing I’d add: if you’re replacing lines anyway, consider using recycled materials or at least something with a lower environmental impact. There are some decent options out there now that don’t sacrifice durability. No sense fixing one problem and creating another, right?
Funny you mention the camera checks—I started doing those after a tenant called about a “weird gurgling” sound. Turned out roots had found their way in through an old clay joint. Ever since, I’ve wondered if it’s worth swapping everything to gasketed, but the upfront cost is no joke. Have you noticed any difference in how tenants treat the plumbing when you use recycled materials? I’m always curious if durability really holds up or if it’s just marketing.
I get what you mean about the cost—gasketed pipe isn’t cheap, and it’s a pain to justify it when the old stuff “mostly” works. But honestly, I haven’t seen tenants treat the plumbing any differently whether it’s recycled or new. They still put stuff down the drains they shouldn’t, and then I get the call when things back up.
You mentioned this:
Have you noticed any difference in how tenants treat the plumbing when you use recycled materials? I’m always curious if durability really holds up or if it’s just marketing.
From my side, recycled PVC seems to hold up about the same, maybe a bit more brittle if you’re not careful during install, but after that, no real difference. The marketing might oversell it, but I haven’t had a recycled pipe fail yet.
What I’m wondering is, has anyone actually had a gasketed system fail from roots? Or is that just a thing sales reps say to scare us into upgrading? I’d rather patch a clay joint every few years than drop thousands upfront if I’m honest...
But honestly, I haven’t seen tenants treat the plumbing any differently whether it’s recycled or new. They still put stuff down the drains they shouldn’t, and then I get the call when things ...
I’ve actually seen a gasketed PVC line get hit by roots, but it was a really old install where the gaskets had dried out. Otherwise, they seem to hold up fine. Clay joints are a pain, but I get the cost hesitation—sometimes patching just makes more sense.
