Holes in Cast Iron; FREAKIN OUT

Holes in Cast Iron; FREAKIN OUT

Investor · Chambersburg, PA · Member since 2016 · 108 posts · 23 votes

After evicting my downstairs tenant from my duplex, I had to renovate the bathroom. I wanted to do as little as possible but we knew there was water damage in the flooring. Long story short it's been a full remodel down to the studs. During this remodel the plumber has discovered that the big cast iron waste pipe from upstairs has holes in it. They are fairly large holes. One is maybe 3 inches top to bottom and one inch wide at the largest part. The other hole is more like 1-2 inches round. They are in a big heavy cast iron pipe and right above and below the bell part. My plumber wants to cut open the floor and walls in the upstairs apartment (which is currently rented) in order to cut out that whole section of the pipe. While I appreciate his wanting to 'do the job right' (I truly respect that), I can't help but wonder if we couldn't find some sort of creative way to patch these holes? Maybe there is some product out there that will adhere and seal to a cast iron pipe? Some sort of tape and/or epoxy?  I'm not an expert at all in this area, so I'm hoping somebody from the community knows a great way to deal with this that won't cost thousands of dollars??  HELP!!!

0Reply
216 views

Most Popular Reply

Developer · New Orleans, LA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 898 votes
8y

@Chris Jackson If the damage section of cast iron in in the downstairs unit, then the plumber should be able to cut out the damage and replace with PVC. The cut will use a rubber transition sleeve.  This assumes that the cast iron is not rotted away the entire length, just local damage.  Hard to know based on your post.

If the cast iron has damage long the entire length, your wasting money by not replacing the whole thing.

You can always bring in a second plumber for another opinion.

See this reply in the discussion

34 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Greg ParkerBusiness Member
    Realtor, Contractor, Property Manager · Montgomery AL and Kowaliga, AL · Member since 2017 · 669 posts · 536 votes
    8y

    You are probably right.  I am a jack of all trades, master of none.  But I want to be a plumber when I grow up!

    MGM Property Pros LLC
    View Page
  • Vendor · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2014 · 144 posts · 58 votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Greg Parker:

    You are probably right.  I am a jack of all trades, master of none.  But I want to be a plumber when I grow up!

     Your not going to become one splitting ferncos for holes in CI.  Im sure you put a nice silicon bead down the slit in the rubber, that holds for less than a month.  You might mean well but you got a few things to learn before you do this stuff to peoples houses.

  • Greg ParkerBusiness Member
    Realtor, Contractor, Property Manager · Montgomery AL and Kowaliga, AL · Member since 2017 · 669 posts · 536 votes
    8y

    I would only do that in my own house, and hide the silicone slit on the back side so my wife doesn't see it.  When I do plumbing work for pay (I am a licensed plumber) I would of course suggest the $1,500 option.

    MGM Property Pros LLC
    View Page
  • Ryan ShortPro Member
    Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2016 · 77 posts · 55 votes
    8y
    A very similar situation happen to me while renovating my second and third floor apartments. I decided to get a quote from a plumber to install a epoxy pipe sleeve. They use a machine that puts a epoxy material from my roof all the way down my 4in cast iron pipe, making it a 3in epoxy pipe. The plumber came out to do a free quote and used a camera to see how big the crack was, the crack was over inch wide and spanned 15 feet long. He told me just to drive the machine to my house would cost $5,000. I decided to research a lot about how to repair the cast iron pipe with pvc. My brother and I removed 20 feet of cast and installed pvc I’m about 4 hours. The hardest part about this type of job is cutting out the cast iron pipe in pieces because it’s so heavy. I also rented a cast iron cutter which was pretty cool to use. There is always a way around paying top dollar for anything.
  • Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    8y

    A cast cutter is the ONLY way . A friends son was working on his house and went thru 20 sazall blades cutting cast iron pipes , just 1 cut . I came over with the cast cutters and in one quick snap ......done 

  • Specialist · St Petersburg, FL · Member since 2017 · 62 posts · 34 votes
    8y
    I’ve done water damage restoration(water mitigation) for a year and half. It’s a dirty job and sewage clean ups are the worst! Is this a sewage pipe from the toilet or a sink ? Sewage and even a kitchen sink with a garage disposal is considered black water and needs special clean up with disinfectant and a sterilizer. Also, you want to make sure the structure: studs, drywall, and subfloors. The big issue you want to avoid is mold! There are specialized field called “leak detention” where they can go inside buildings and find where water is leaking without tearing into anything. All this IS expensive but should be covered under your insurance. I hope this bit helps out now and in the future. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me. -Arod
  • JD MartinBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Matthew Paul:

    A cast cutter is the ONLY way . A friends son was working on his house and went thru 20 sazall blades cutting cast iron pipes , just 1 cut . I came over with the cast cutters and in one quick snap ......done 

     That's crazy! Yeah, a sawzall is no way to get through CIP. An angle grinder with a cutoff blade works excellent as well, and is useful for other things too. I have one in my truck toolbox that doesn't get used much, but I'm always glad to have it when I need it. Of course, if all the iron is coming out, there's the tried and true smack it with a hammer - CIP is very brittle and easy to shatter. 

    Skyline Properties
    View Page
  • Professional · Lowell, MA · Member since 2014 · 232 posts · 223 votes
    8y

    FWIW, I got through mine with a Sawzall.   Snub-nosed metal blades MADE for heavy metal demo.  It can be done with relative ease if you don't have access to a grinder.  Just buy the right blade....  yes, you should expect to need to use a couple, but even buying 5 is still more cost-effective than buying or renting a grinder, if you already have a recip.  (I used 2 for a 2&1/2' CIP.   The first one was shot, but no problem once the second blade engaged; it still has life for the next rebar or Steel cut.  ) 

  • Colleen F.Pro Member
    Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    8y
    We also had an issue like this and one of the other problem you have is that the rust from the pipe has to go somewhere and it clogs your drains. We have replaced the horizontal runs but the vertical runs the plumber couldnt get done yet. We are risking it but we dont have holes. If you have holes not sure I see a choice. Things inevitably break at the most inopportune times.
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.