Orangeburg pipe is a type of pipe that was used as sewer line in homes built from the mid 1940’s to the early 1970’s. Cast iron was commonly used for sewer pipe until World War II when most iron production was diverted to the war effort. Without cast iron pipe available, homebuilders turned to inexpensive Orangeburg pipe. Orangeburg pipe is made from a fibrous woody material coated with asphalt and tar. It is essentially little more than very heavy duty cardboard.
Since it was inexpensive and seemed to work well, it was commonly used throughout the country as sewer line until PVC pipe took over the market in the early 1970’s. Over time, Orangeburg pipe has not held up well. To its credit, it has a useful life of about 40 to 50 years. However, once it starts to break down the entire pipe needs to be replaced.
As Orangeburg pipe deteriorates it begins to deform which encourages blockages to form. In addition, it becomes susceptible to tree root infiltration. Attempting to use a plumbing snake on an Orangeburg pipe or to clear it with high pressure hydro jetting is not recommended since either technique will probably cause more damage than good.
The only permanent solution for sewer line repairs with Orangeburg pipe is to completely replace all of it. Although it is possible to reline Orangeburg pipe, since it deforms so easily relining it is not a very effective solution. The better alternative is to dig it up and replace it or to use trenchless pipe replacement techniques to replace the pipe.
