Clay sewage pipes are common in homes with older plumbing. They’re durable, but can break from wear and tear, root intrusion, expansion and contraction, clogs, and more. This video shows how to conduct sewer repair on a broken clay drain pipe.
The first step is to find the fracture. Perhaps you’re doing some digging and excavation in your yard for another project and find it. If you’re not this lucky, you will need a long snake cam and an understanding of your pipe layout. Once you find it, you will need to dig around the affected site to reveal the broken pipe.
Use a diamond cutter to cut off the jagged edges of the pipe. Then use a sander to smooth the freshly cut ends. Use a measuring stick to measure the distance between the two open pipe ends. Go to your hardware store and purchase rubber seals that match the diameter of your drainage pipe. Also, buy PVC pipe (at least long enough to cover the distance between the two open ends).
Fix the rubber seals to the ends and fit in the PVC pipe in between. This will be a solid temporary fix that will hold up until you get a professional to repair your drainage system. For more information, check out the video above.