Is this the sign of a leak? (cast iron pipe)

[Too Ambitious]

 

[Terry]

That may be a leak. Sometimes cast iron does develop leaks like that.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Too Ambitious]

That may be a leak. Sometimes cast iron does develop leaks like that.

Is there a definitive way to tell if it's a leak?

Is it something that can be repaired, or do I need to replace it?

 

[Sylvan]

AS much as I hate to admit using this it does work but you have to wire brush the Cast iron while wearing goggles

I used it as a temporary fix and it is there over 36 years


https://www.hardwareworld.com/pec0q...UlDvwIlWidvQtsS39xVXRdAmUHZa67shoCDfcQAvD_BwE

 

[Terry]

Maybe let some other plumbers here give their opinion too. Where I'm at, we don't let things get too old. The street I grew up on with 1952 homes have pretty much all been replaced. Though if I head into Seattle, there are homes from 1910 still there. I'm not sure if my grandfathers home from 1890 is still there or not.

 

[Sylvan]

When using it use water to shape it as it makes it easier to work with

There was a black Sulphur stick applied with a torch that was amazing for all types of metal including engine blocks and CI radiators etc

 

[Sylvan]

Maybe let some other plumbers here give their opinion too. Where I'm at, we don't let things get too old. The street I grew up on with 1952 homes have pretty much all been replaced. Though if I head into Seattle, there are homes from 1910 still there. I'm not sure if my grandfathers home from 1890 is still there or not.

A lot of my accounts homes in 10471 were built in the late 1800's early 1920's with one home built in 1865 with the original cast iron still working

I worked for the Dodge foundation and one day I was in a gate keepers home when an old man came into the basement and asked what I was doing

I told him I was replacing the sloppy PVC some moron installed and am replacing it with copper Type L on the water supply and replacing some lead waste lines with no hub cast iron

I then told him how I could also use copper type L for the waste but the fittings unfortunately are not long radius but I do use L on most of my hydronics heating and above ground water lines and K copper under ground .

I spend almost 45 minutes answering his questions and when I finished the executive secretary asked if I spoke to an elderly gentleman

I said yes a really nice guy and she busted out laughing saying he was the chairman of the Cleveland H Dodge foundation the copper mine family

He then told her "I want Tiger to work on all our property including the guest houses and the main building"

For many years, he was one of two controlling partners in the Phelps Dodge Corporation, one of the largest copper mining corporations in the United States.

When your working in turn of the century buildings you try your best not to have a repipe and tearing apart the inlaid wood and marble floors and walls

https://riverdalepress.com/stories/honoring-an-extraordinary-family,51440


My favorite houses to work in


https://www.google.com/search?q=picture+of+the+Dodge+foundations+house+in+Riverdale&rlz=1C1RXMK_enUS974US974&sxsrf=AOaemvJxXyvtFW78BpkCCx6lReYzZXX8GA:1637632872852&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=5hSSpleO-C_aEM%2CFFTYeylOqXRNFM%2C_%3BdMgIhGbIjrSVMM%2Cs7qZ8FoukdHgtM%2C_%3BDbasFUkUnJ11KM%2CDLG01JXzFi06uM%2C_%3BTKlh1YzhDMGsXM%2CqmYmcgXwnzkX3M%2C_%3BmMaAWql-axPb8M%2CMPmLyaryrVS9lM%2C_%3BdLXJgJuBadJOZM%2CxrJ5Zvp814-TJM%2C_%3B-HqNJ4sXTBSzXM%2C29d3Nt0LiGb4jM%2C_%3B3D-y5co8lg0z6M%2ClDMDKluKwsoPWM%2C_%3BCj53NWRpKxczdM%2CN47KfzuSCjnNWM%2C_%3B54C5xjHTywKllM%2COEbkuIhcjHXZ1M%2C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTSSdCvSNCrTBnhT9BgEunxL9h7bw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjbkaLtsa30AhUooXIEHRFrBPkQ9QF6BAgJEAE#imgrc=DbasFUkUnJ11KM

 

[Sylvan]

GUESS which one I loved the most working in the basement seeing the old boiler STILL operating and original INDOOR plumbing and the workmanship we can never see again


https://www.google.com/search?q=old...g&ei=-EucYa6ZHrLRytMP8Nu8iAQ&bih=712&biw=1463

 

[Sylvan]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mateox/17120103629

 

[Too Ambitious]

Maybe let some other plumbers here give their opinion too. Where I'm at, we don't let things get too old. The street I grew up on with 1952 homes have pretty much all been replaced. Though if I head into Seattle, there are homes from 1910 still there. I'm not sure if my grandfathers home from 1890 is still there or not.

My house was built in 1958. But this branch goes to the kitchen sink, so I'm assuming it's had a lot of Draino run through it over the years.

Kitchen sink line upstream of this is galvanized. There's also an abandoned galvanized branch w/ a drum trap that I believe was the original washer standpipe.

Maybe the best solution is to bite the bullet and replace the entire branch from the main drain to the kitchen sink riser. Then there would be no horizontal galvanized pipe left in the house.

This is what the original drain line for a lav sink looked like:

 

[Reach4]

Maybe the best solution is to bite the bullet and replace the entire branch from the main drain to the kitchen sink riser. Then there would be no horizontal galvanized pipe left in the house.

That would be good if you can do it.

 

[Sylvan]

Without any doubt replace it all including the Drum trap as a lot of codes outlawed them

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

When I'm looking at a remodel project to estimate the cost, I look at the age of when the home was built. There was some eras where imported cast iron was used and its typically trash. If there are that many pinhole leaks in the cast iron and that kitchen drain is that clogged up, I would recommend replacement.

 

[Too Ambitious]

Without any doubt replace it all including the Drum trap as a lot of codes outlawed them

The drum trap isn't in use anymore thankfully. The standpipe is buried in the wall behind the kitchen cabinets. I assume someone plugged it up since I don't smell sewer gases in the house.

When I'm looking at a remodel project to estimate the cost, I look at the age of when the home was built. There was some eras where imported cast iron was used and its typically trash. If there are that many pinhole leaks in the cast iron and that kitchen drain is that clogged up, I would recommend replacement.

How big of a project is replacing the part of the sink drain that goes up in the wall?

My plan was just to replace what's accessible in the crawl space, then replace the rest whenever we redo the kitchen.

 

[Reach4]

How big of a project is replacing the part of the sink drain that goes up in the wall?

It is relative. You have to open the wall. Good chance the pipe above the sanitary tee is galvanized vs cast. So you cut thru the galvanized, and try not to cut thru the wall behind. Then you use a shielded coupling to transition from the galvanized vent to the new PVC below.

 

[Too Ambitious]

When I'm looking at a remodel project to estimate the cost, I look at the age of when the home was built. There was some eras where imported cast iron was used and its typically trash. If there are that many pinhole leaks in the cast iron and that kitchen drain is that clogged up, I would recommend replacement.

Yeah, a few months after we moved in, I had to call a plumber to unclog the drain. They were here for like an hour and a half with a power auger working on it. Apparently they were having trouble getting the snake to go the right way.

It is relative. You have to open the wall. Good chance the pipe above the sanitary tee is galvanized vs cast. So you cut thru the galvanized, and try not to cut thru the wall behind. Then you use a shielded coupling to transition from the galvanized vent to the new PVC below.

It's galvanized. Here's what I'm looking at.

Is all I have to do enlarge that opening enough that I can cut out the fitting and get a Fernco sleeve on the vent pipe?

In the crawl, drill out the lead in the fitting where the cast iron branch meets the drain, replace w/ Fernco donut, compression fit PVC. Then the entire branch is PVC from the main drain to the vent.

I think I'd also have to replace the wye in that photo, all the way out to the trap arm hubs. Maybe I'm wrong about that.

Seems easy enough. Feels like I might be getting in over my head though. (Common feeling for me.)

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

Is all I have to do enlarge that opening enough that I can cut out the fitting and get a Fernco sleeve on the vent pipe?

The minimum I would recommend is to open the back of the cabinet.. A big hole is as easy to patch as a small one.. Just leave enough on the perimeter to screw on a new plywood along the back.. Cut above the drain on the vent enough to band onto.. then remove what you need to get into the crawler and to where you find clear pipe.. probably at the stack. Getting the bit out where it goes through the floor may be tough so you may need to drill or cut a new hole through the plate. Just depends on what you find.

Diablo makes some expensive blades for a reciprocating saw that cut through cast iron. I prefer to use an angle grinder but they're more dangerous and make a lot of dust.. So goggles with a Full Face Shield are a must along with a respirator.

 

[Too Ambitious]

The minimum I would recommend is to open the back of the cabinet.. A big hole is as easy to patch as a small one.. Just leave enough on the perimeter to screw on a new plywood along the back.. Cut above the drain on the vent enough to band onto.. then remove what you need to get into the crawler and to where you find clear pipe.. probably at the stack. Getting the bit out where it goes through the floor may be tough so you may need to drill or cut a new hole through the plate. Just depends on what you find.

Diablo makes some expensive blades for a reciprocating saw that cut through cast iron. I prefer to use an angle grinder but they're more dangerous and make a lot of dust.. So goggles with a Full Face Shield are a must along with a respirator.

I went down in the crawl and took some more photos.

This is where it goes up to the sink:

Here’s the next fitting downstream:

And finally where it connects to the main drain:

My plan is to replace everything from either the wye or the street 45 here out.

 

[Sylvan]

Replace with domestic NO Hub Cast Iron and it should last over 50 years

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

.... Or replace with ABS/PVC... but Definitely replace all the galvanized steel drains.. those are absolute garbage. Any steel drain that is horizontal is just waiting to fail.