Orangeburg (also known as “fiber conduit”) a unique type of pipe that began to evolve in the 1890’s was one whose wall was made of cellulose (wood) fibres, impregnated bituminous (coal tar) pitch. The first known use of the “fibre” pipe was for water transmission: a 1.5 mile pipeline in the Boston area, which stayed in service for 60+ years (1867-1927). Production of fibre conduit started in 1893 by The Fibre Conduit Company of Orangeburg, New York. in the late 1940’s, a heavier walled version of the fibre conduit was developed and sold as “Orangeburg pipe”, in sizes ranging from 3″-8″, for sewer and drain applications. It was used from the 1860s through the 1970s, when it was replaced by PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). The Orangeburg name comes from Orangeburg, New York, the town in which most Orangeburg was manufactured.
As world War II ended and gave rise to the post-war housing boom, the demand for cheap housing materials was at an all-time high and available drainage materials were scarce. Orangeburg Manufacturing produced a thicker-walled, sturdier, round version of fiber conduit pipe, selling it as “Orangeburg pipe” for sewer and drain uses.
Orangeburg was a low cost alternative to metal for sewer lines in particular. Lack of strength causes pipe failure more frequently than pipes made with other materials. The useful life of Orangeburg is 50 years under ideal conditions, but has known to fail in as little as 10 years. If your home was built between 1940 and approximately 1972 there is a good chance that you have Orangeburg pipe lurking underground, so it is good to know what this could mean to you as either a homeowner, or someone contemplating a purchase.
If you live in Deltona, Orange City, Deland, Sanford, Daytona and you have Orangeburg pipe, Call Now, we can replace your entire sewer line with PVC pipe and all of your worries will be gone! 386-774-8080
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