This old house is a small 1930 building that used to be a family store, smaller square feet than my house, which isn't that big. It is divided into little studio apartments and sits on a slab.
I rent it out and do everything (maintenance, mowing and trimming, repairs) and this is a vital part of my income. About 5 years ago I renovated the bathroom of the downstairs unit myself and there in the wall is the main water line for the building, galvanized pipe coming out of the concrete floor. There was an old shutoff valve there that was broken. At the time, wanted to put a newer 90 degree handle shutoff, and I hired a handyman to do this as I was nervous about the main water line.
He did it wrong, apparently.
When the city inspector looked at the apartment before renting it out, he pointed out that the guy put a piece of black iron pipe in the fittings. It will rust, he said. But, with the diameter of that pipe you won't live long enough for it to be a problem. So I had the shutoff valve, he cleared it, and it was fine.
Until it started rusting.
Here's a recent picture of it. My understanding was the two different kinds of metal (black iron, copper) were reacting causing corrosion.
Here's what happened after I had about 4 plumbers come look at the valve to get some estimates.
- All of them said around $425 in my city. Thats a lot for me, I am just barely getting by. But a failure of the main line would be catastrophic right.
- All of them said it was doable
- Some warned of the risk of working with old galvanized pipe in concrete, and that you'd be in for a big mess if the pipe broke working on it (could cost big bucks). Some said nothing about risk and said it would be doable, pointing out that the fittings are only 5 years old and the last handyman proved the slab is sound, since it didn't break then.
Now I know you think this looks terrible. But let me point out some ways, looks are deceiving.
- It is NOT leaking. It is only beading occasional water, enough to give it surface rust. There is some wet on it, and once I saw a small bead of water. Nothing on the floor.
- It has not changed one but in at least 6 months
- It looks much worse in the picture than in real life, due to the flash. So much so that when I showed a plumber a picture of it 6 months ago, he said, "It looks worse in this picture than it does now".
- Two plumbers have both said they see no elecrical corrosion. Instead, its leaking from one of the fittings.
- The last plumber I talked to said, "If it was me, I would just put silicone around the leak and leave it. This type of leak sometimes may even heal itself. You can spend $425 and open up a can of worms if that pipe in the slab gets broken. "
He said my worry about catastrophic failure, where the tenant calls saying its shooting water and the apartment is ruined, and nobody else has water..... doesn't happen in situations like this.
Here's my terrible choice:
- Pay $425 I don't have to replace the valve and fittings, and risk a plumber accidentally breaking the pipe in the slab (I don't know)
- Caulk it with silicone, and just leave it and do nothing, because less is better with old piping.
What would you do here?
I rent it out and do everything (maintenance, mowing and trimming, repairs) and this is a vital part of my income. About 5 years ago I renovated the bathroom of the downstairs unit myself and there in the wall is the main water line for the building, galvanized pipe coming out of the concrete floor. There was an old shutoff valve there that was broken. At the time, wanted to put a newer 90 degree handle shutoff, and I hired a handyman to do this as I was nervous about the main water line.
He did it wrong, apparently.
When the city inspector looked at the apartment before renting it out, he pointed out that the guy put a piece of black iron pipe in the fittings. It will rust, he said. But, with the diameter of that pipe you won't live long enough for it to be a problem. So I had the shutoff valve, he cleared it, and it was fine.
Until it started rusting.
Here's a recent picture of it. My understanding was the two different kinds of metal (black iron, copper) were reacting causing corrosion.
Here's what happened after I had about 4 plumbers come look at the valve to get some estimates.
- All of them said around $425 in my city. Thats a lot for me, I am just barely getting by. But a failure of the main line would be catastrophic right.
- All of them said it was doable
- Some warned of the risk of working with old galvanized pipe in concrete, and that you'd be in for a big mess if the pipe broke working on it (could cost big bucks). Some said nothing about risk and said it would be doable, pointing out that the fittings are only 5 years old and the last handyman proved the slab is sound, since it didn't break then.
Now I know you think this looks terrible. But let me point out some ways, looks are deceiving.
- It is NOT leaking. It is only beading occasional water, enough to give it surface rust. There is some wet on it, and once I saw a small bead of water. Nothing on the floor.
- It has not changed one but in at least 6 months
- It looks much worse in the picture than in real life, due to the flash. So much so that when I showed a plumber a picture of it 6 months ago, he said, "It looks worse in this picture than it does now".
- Two plumbers have both said they see no elecrical corrosion. Instead, its leaking from one of the fittings.
- The last plumber I talked to said, "If it was me, I would just put silicone around the leak and leave it. This type of leak sometimes may even heal itself. You can spend $425 and open up a can of worms if that pipe in the slab gets broken. "
He said my worry about catastrophic failure, where the tenant calls saying its shooting water and the apartment is ruined, and nobody else has water..... doesn't happen in situations like this.
Here's my terrible choice:
- Pay $425 I don't have to replace the valve and fittings, and risk a plumber accidentally breaking the pipe in the slab (I don't know)
- Caulk it with silicone, and just leave it and do nothing, because less is better with old piping.
What would you do here?
