Cast Iron Drain Elbow Failure

[Tom S]

Hello,

I own a 102 year old home that has its original cast iron drain pipe. After a shower on the top floor the basement flooded and there were water streaks running down the drain line. (Photos below)

I created an access in the floor outside the bathroom and found the culprit - the cast iron elbow at the top of the stack failed.

I’m not a plumber, but I’m handy and not afraid to take on a project. Do you recommend I call a professional for this repair? Or is it something I should try?

I'm thinking to rent a snap cutter to cut on the outside of the elbows hub and just under the stack's hub. Then replace the cast iron elbow with ABS and neoprene shielded couplings.

I appreciate any advice!

 

[Terry]

Wow! How far do you go before you find pipe that you can work with there? That looks difficult for pretty much anyone.
Sometimes for cast, a good metal blade also works. Diablo makes some good ones.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

I second the Diablo carbide blades. They cut through cast like butter. Angle grinders with a diamond blade works too if you want to avoid vibration.

I would cut the hub off of the horizontal pipe section you have so you have as much pipe to work with as possible. Cut the vertical wherever it makes sense to. Figure out the best 90° fitting for your application, which I think looks like a Street 90. Full metal jacketed fernco adapters for cast to plastic on each side as you were thinking. You may need to trim the horizontal cast back a bit to fit, but do that once you have your fittings in hand.

And make sure you kneel down on that tack strip too.. then lean your hand on it after you get your knees punctured.. Safety 3rd!

 

[Jeff H Young]

I second the Diablo carbide blades. They cut through cast like butter. Angle grinders with a diamond blade works too if you want to avoid vibration.

I would cut the hub off of the horizontal pipe section you have so you have as much pipe to work with as possible. Cut the vertical wherever it makes sense to. Figure out the best 90° fitting for your application, which I think looks like a Street 90. Full metal jacketed fernco adapters for cast to plastic on each side as you were thinking. You may need to trim the horizontal cast back a bit to fit, but do that once you have your fittings in hand.

And make sure you kneel down on that tack strip too.. then lean your hand on it after you get your knees punctured.. Safety 3rd!

Oh yea let the good times roll! Id go into armed with both the diablo blades and a grider with cut off wheel as much as Ive done this stuff dont do like me and kneel on the tack strip, and use ppe also beware of sparks squirt bottle and moniter very well after for smoldering . I encourage DIY , it could take awhile but it isnt horrible but it is time. For me Id feel better doing it myself just to know my own house and of cource save hundreds of dollars.

 

[Reach4]

I created an access in the floor outside the bathroom and found the culprit - the cast iron elbow at the top of the stack failed.

Leave a light on upstairs. If you look up from the basement, what do you see? Does other drainage join from the first floor?

If you could drop the cast iron down to the basement, and push plastic up, that would be nice I think. Cast iron is heavy. I am not a pro.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Leave a light on upstairs. If you look up from the basement, what do you see? Does other drainage join from the first floor?

If you could drop the cast iron down to the basement, and push plastic up, that would be nice I think. Cast iron is heavy. I am not a pro.

Good Idea I can't tell totally what's going on . but it might be a straight shot down the wall and easy .don't worry about material pipe or fittings. whatever is easiest, least destruction, plus thoughts of nearby fittings that could fail might want to change while you're at it.