Need Advice on Replacing Cast

[Molo]

PVC life expectancy

PVC Life expectancy? Does anyone know how long this stuff lasts? In particular the joints?

Molo

 

[Cass]

Well if we can get odds on it I would guess that in 1-200 years the PVC will be the same. The problem is I don't think I will be around to find out if I am right.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Randyj]

The only thing you'll have to worry about that will cause PVC to have a short life span is heat and U.V. CPVC takes the heat and there is a PVC made for exposure to sunlight and contains UV inhibitors.

 

[Dunbar Plumbing]

Got a commercial office we are doing with a parking structure in it....
The main building drains are 6" and the roof drains are 6, 8, 10 and 12" cast iron...
One school we did had a set of 15" CI roof drains - that is about 515lb. for a 10' stick...
When we say "small" cast iron pipe, it usually means the size you can carry by yourself...
I would not want to have to carry 8" and above alone - but 6" and lower is not a problem...
Now with copper, I don't like to carry anything over 3" alone - 4" and higher is heavy and I won't even try to carry any type K over 2.5" alone... That is some serious pipe...

I had to take pain medication just reading this.

 

[Dunbar Plumbing]

PVC Life expectancy? Does anyone know how long this stuff lasts? In particular the joints?

Molo

Dictated solely by the workmanship when it was installed.

If the piping wasn't properly bedded underground or piping wasn't properly secured/supported through the walls and like, then naturally the system won't be error-free. Straining plastic piping into position no matter if it is flexible at the time...is the worst practice I've seen in regards to pipe/fitting damage down the road. PVC is like glass after a few years. Have to be very careful when working with the existing when adding on to it.


There is a plumber in my area that actually lost his master's license because he was roughing bi-level homes, 2nd rough, 7 hours.....and that was running the plastic and copper.

Everything was cut with a hacksaw double blade

no sandpaper on any fittings or ends of copper; jabbed pipe in solder pail, none on the fittings

Sawzalled the holes for the closet flanges

Would go through 2 quarts of glue in a home per job due to sloppiness

Would do a ground rough completely flat to the ground....then walk around bridging the piping up with rocks for fall WTF???


No doubt the guy was making money but who cares. People couldn't flush their toilets without it clogging because his saw cuts were so crooked and never deburred....it was a guarantee that anything was going to hang up before heading out to the street.

The inspectors made a point of telling us plumbers in the area that if they EVER catch any of us pulling that nonsense, you'll suffer the same fate and lose your license. Rightfully so. Those homeowners are screwed literally in the long run because someone was throwing a system in without proper workmanship.

 

[Rmelo99]

Ok so I experimented with a metal cut off blade/disc on a circ saw.

It cuts the galvanized very well, but the sparks are scaring the sh.. out of me. This is a 100yr old house and the studs and wood lath are nice and dry. I stopped for fear of a spark dropping into the wall cavity and sparking a blaze.

Any tips there? I guess I might be over worrying but they fly like 10ft and in a steady stream.

I will use the saw for one of the stacks that is open on both sides and i have 360deg access but I have other sections that I only have a 16" stud cavity open on one wall side that I need to cut the pipe out of.

 

[Dunbar Plumbing]

A diamond blade on a angle grinder will greatly reduce the sparks and cut a great deal faster.

 

[Plumb or Die]

Cast Fittings?

Most fittings I use on steel these days are malleable, but old puppies like what's in your place are undoubtably cast. I find a good heavy hammer like a two lb maul, and use the pointy end, works really good on smashing them. You gotta hit them like 50 times, but once they crack you got 'er made.
Also, as far as using an abrasive wheel, the thing to try is Zip-Cuts. They fit on a 4 1/2" angle grinder, like a grinding wheel but only about 5/32" thick. Way less sparks and easier to get into tight spaces. Soak the nearby wood down and your'e all good.
Also , if you don't already know, don't let the sparks hit and glass or tiles. The sparks will stick like sand and pit them up and you never get rid of the little particles.
Have fun.

 

[Solsacre]

Ok, so we cut into one section of 4" galvanized tonight.

20 reciprocating saw blades later we got one 7' section (2 cuts).

There has to be another way!!.

It's all in Your Speed... low Carbon steel is about 98 sfpm......



What that means is run your sawzall at about 3 or 2....... if your frying your blades it's too fast.... if your not cutting it's too slow....


Your trying to cut too fast... it's a formula...... look up the Macinist hand book, or just feal it out....... but your running your saw too fast.

slow down.... it'll cut faster.....

good luck


dances-with-pumps

 

[Randyj]

If you're dealing with cast iron snap cutters is the only way to go. If you're just knocking off a fitting then a big hammer will crack it and knock it out in chunks. Sure you're not working with steel pipe?

 

[Rmelo99]

just a recap I am cutting steel pipe(galvanized is steel right?) The pipe then becomes cast when it hits the basement. one of the stacks is cast the whole way, a friend is lending me a snap cutter for that one.

Thanks for the tip on the diamond blade/grinder. I will give that a shot.

 

[nimrod]

when cutting metal of any kind with a sawsall it is better to cut at a lower speed [variable speed sawsall] make sure you use lennox or milwaukee bimetal blades .milwaukee makes a cast iron blade with diamonds in it . they are costly but they are worth it when cutting close to concrete floor on older cast iron or in a tight spot . also having another person spray water on the blade will keep it cooler .