On February 5, 2014, I was trying to repair a 4-inch sewer pipe 3 feet deep underground. This particular Condo seems to back up at least twice a year in the same location every time. It didn’t seem to make sense that it would back up because all the drain plumbing was done in ABS pipe. On February 4 (the day before), we pulled a toilet in the downstairs bathroom and ran a video camera down the drain to see if we could see an obstruction. We found a root ball growing in the Pipe from the top. It was odd because there are no fittings in the area just a crack in the pipe allowing roots in. The bad thing was that the location was under the concrete patio just before the detached garage. The drain problem was found. What was the solution?

 We saw cut a 3-foot square over the spot where we located the sewer pipe. We hand dug down to find and expose the pipe. When we got to the pipe we noticed that the ABS pipe had been hit by a tooth from an excavator or backhoe probably way back when the landscaping and Patio where put in. The pipe was compromised and allowing roots to grow into the sewer line. We cut out a 2-foot section of pipe that had the crack in it. If you have tried to glue a 4-inch pipe into a coupling on both sides without a gap in the inside diameter between the two pipes, you know it is impossible. One side can glue in and the other has to be a rubber coupling that you can slide down the pipe. Even so, to get the new section of pipe into place without a small gap on the inside of the pipe is IMPOSSIBLE. The goal for drain plumbing is to get a butt-to-butt connection on all joints with no obstructions so the inside profile of the pipe is consistent and with proper grade as per the UPC codebook. Not to mention create a permanent solvent weld where water cannot get in or get out of the pipe of which roots can detect. At this moment, I thought of the Exact Fit Coupling.

Although I couldn't use it on this job, I went back to my plumbing shop and started drawing the Idea that I had in my mind. On paper, the Exact Fit Coupling was created!

Robert D. Ryan

Exact Fit Inc.