renstyle
New Member
Hello all,
This is my first post here, but I've been lurking for months now (you all rock btw). Apologies ahead of time for the novel, just trying to be thorough!
Started "de-muddling" our 1919 foursquare, was duplexed in the past. They put a 2nd bathroom in the corner of the kitchen, turning the room into a large "L". Once we started taking the drywall down, it exposed all of the drain pipes for the bathroom upstairs.
There was a cast iron tee which connected the tub and sink w' 1.5" galvanized pipe to a hub-less hole on the side of the main stack. The tee had a small crack in one of the hubs, plus it was clogged inside (ran slow since we moved in 3yrs ago). When I disconnected the galv lines from the sink and tub the tee basically fell apart in my hands.
Was going to try and re-use the 24" of galv that was left to transition PVC, until I tried to cut it, discovered it had rusted out on the bottom...
Moved back to the galv/stack transition, trying to dig out the lead around the galv elbow where it connects to the main stack. Looks like the galv pipe is threaded into a coupler possibly<?> and that coupler is "leaded" into the stack??? Got as far as I could with a small screwdriver and a drill due to the joist clearances. Using the galv pipe for leverage, I can move it maybe 15-20 degrees, somewhat loose, but alot more lead needs to be removed, and I'm not sure if they used any oakum in this particular connection at all??? The lead started out packed flush with the cast iron opening, I've dug out about 1/4" so far. Can't tell how far this lead goes down, possibly all the way into the main drain???
You can see from the pics that there is next-to-zero clearance to back out that galv pipe. I was planning on trimming a hole thru the floor joist just behind the pipe, possibly removing a small section of joist, then using several 2x4s to 'tie' the floor joist on both sides of the galv pipe to it's neighbors (nailed perpendicular to their run) and then using a pair of floor jacks to 'hold up' each side of the joist (and support the cast iron) while I work to drill out the lead from a more "straight-on" angle.
Once the plumbing is all done, this joist and at least two others (which were chopped up when they put the bathroom in) will be sistered the full 9' width of the kitchen, so long-term I'm not concerned with the integrity of this particular joist.
Figured to start with I could use a LONG drill bit and go straight thru the joist to make a few pilot holes, anything to remove more of the lead from the joint? Then maybe move onto section-removal?
The biggest PITA about this setup is the specific section of cast iron pipe I'm dealing with. It is at the end of the run, with a lead elbow heading up to the toilet plus the vent connect to the stack on the same section as this galv pipe I'm trying to remove (so I'm being extremely careful).
Once the lead+pipe are out, I was planning on using a 2" to 1.5" fernco donut to tie in the PVC from the sink/tub.
A few questions:
1. Please feel free to critique my idea on removing that galv pipe. It seems quite do-able, even if it takes a long time to do it right. I'm sure I'll need to move part of the joist to get my work done, but you may have a better idea? EDIT: I've just read on a different thead that I could try cutting the galv on the threads, then using a sawzal to cut from the *inside* of the pipe out thru the lead (being very careful not to nick the cast iron). Sounds like a good idea.
2. I've read in several posts that if you have a standalone shower (with no tub), the drain should be 2". Since ours is a tub/shower combo it looks like the 1.5" PVC that is connected to the tub (not shown in the pics) should be fine to use all the way to the stack?
There will be a DWV combo tee to tie the tub and sink together, then a single 1.5" line over to the stack. It seems like this will work.
I've got PEX run to the upstairs, but will need to get these drains installed before I can hook the water back up (pex lines will run in front of the pipe).
Thanks for all that you do folks, we really appreciate it out here!
Lookin' up from below:
The cast iron tee that busted is in the lower LH corner, you can see the rust on the bottom of the 1.5" pipe:
Wish I had a better view of the actual connection:
This is my first post here, but I've been lurking for months now (you all rock btw). Apologies ahead of time for the novel, just trying to be thorough!
Started "de-muddling" our 1919 foursquare, was duplexed in the past. They put a 2nd bathroom in the corner of the kitchen, turning the room into a large "L". Once we started taking the drywall down, it exposed all of the drain pipes for the bathroom upstairs.
There was a cast iron tee which connected the tub and sink w' 1.5" galvanized pipe to a hub-less hole on the side of the main stack. The tee had a small crack in one of the hubs, plus it was clogged inside (ran slow since we moved in 3yrs ago). When I disconnected the galv lines from the sink and tub the tee basically fell apart in my hands.
Was going to try and re-use the 24" of galv that was left to transition PVC, until I tried to cut it, discovered it had rusted out on the bottom...
Moved back to the galv/stack transition, trying to dig out the lead around the galv elbow where it connects to the main stack. Looks like the galv pipe is threaded into a coupler possibly<?> and that coupler is "leaded" into the stack??? Got as far as I could with a small screwdriver and a drill due to the joist clearances. Using the galv pipe for leverage, I can move it maybe 15-20 degrees, somewhat loose, but alot more lead needs to be removed, and I'm not sure if they used any oakum in this particular connection at all??? The lead started out packed flush with the cast iron opening, I've dug out about 1/4" so far. Can't tell how far this lead goes down, possibly all the way into the main drain???
You can see from the pics that there is next-to-zero clearance to back out that galv pipe. I was planning on trimming a hole thru the floor joist just behind the pipe, possibly removing a small section of joist, then using several 2x4s to 'tie' the floor joist on both sides of the galv pipe to it's neighbors (nailed perpendicular to their run) and then using a pair of floor jacks to 'hold up' each side of the joist (and support the cast iron) while I work to drill out the lead from a more "straight-on" angle.
Once the plumbing is all done, this joist and at least two others (which were chopped up when they put the bathroom in) will be sistered the full 9' width of the kitchen, so long-term I'm not concerned with the integrity of this particular joist.
Figured to start with I could use a LONG drill bit and go straight thru the joist to make a few pilot holes, anything to remove more of the lead from the joint? Then maybe move onto section-removal?
The biggest PITA about this setup is the specific section of cast iron pipe I'm dealing with. It is at the end of the run, with a lead elbow heading up to the toilet plus the vent connect to the stack on the same section as this galv pipe I'm trying to remove (so I'm being extremely careful).
Once the lead+pipe are out, I was planning on using a 2" to 1.5" fernco donut to tie in the PVC from the sink/tub.
A few questions:
1. Please feel free to critique my idea on removing that galv pipe. It seems quite do-able, even if it takes a long time to do it right. I'm sure I'll need to move part of the joist to get my work done, but you may have a better idea? EDIT: I've just read on a different thead that I could try cutting the galv on the threads, then using a sawzal to cut from the *inside* of the pipe out thru the lead (being very careful not to nick the cast iron). Sounds like a good idea.
2. I've read in several posts that if you have a standalone shower (with no tub), the drain should be 2". Since ours is a tub/shower combo it looks like the 1.5" PVC that is connected to the tub (not shown in the pics) should be fine to use all the way to the stack?
There will be a DWV combo tee to tie the tub and sink together, then a single 1.5" line over to the stack. It seems like this will work.
I've got PEX run to the upstairs, but will need to get these drains installed before I can hook the water back up (pex lines will run in front of the pipe).
Thanks for all that you do folks, we really appreciate it out here!
Lookin' up from below:
The cast iron tee that busted is in the lower LH corner, you can see the rust on the bottom of the 1.5" pipe:
Wish I had a better view of the actual connection:
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