Quick Tip on Old Plumbing!

[Kenny Smith]

Hey BP!

Quick tip on older plumbing.  If your home was built before 1980, it is possible you have cast iron drain lines.  If so, these can corrode overtime, especially if you are using the wrong drain cleaner.  Be sure to never use a pipe cleaner that contains sulfuric acid or other chemicals.  These chemicals will cause corrosion to your cast iron lines and eventual leaks.

Instead, try using a drain cleaner that uses lipase enzymes to break down the clog instead of chemicals.  I've used the Green Gobbler in the past, and seems to work great!  

Thanks for reading.

[Taylor Dasch]

Thanks for the post, great info! Every house I buy has cast iron plumbing lol. I had no idea about the pipe cleaner. 

[Mohammed Rahman]

This is good feedback thanks @Kenny Smith

[Karl B.]

Good stuff. I had an idiot tenant who clogged the sink with grease and I cringed when the plumber used Liquid Fire to clear the issue. I had used the Green stuff as well as generic Draino and neither worked on that clog. 

On smaller clogs I like to use baking soda and vinegar.  

[Efrain Yakuta]

@Kenny Smith

If problems persist, we would recommend finding a service plumbing company with the capability of rehabbing the cast iron. There are machines that can descale decades of build up and jetters that can take care of roots and grease. It really depends on the condition of the pipe. Replacement is always the most long term solution, but rehabbing the line can be more cost effective depending on the situation.

[Jaron Walling]

We have replaced sections of cast iron plumbing with PVC in our properties. I've made a habit (regardless if it's smart) to leave a few sections loose so we can access it without cutting up glued PVC pipes to clean out drains. A small amount of silicon on joints is enough to keep pipes from dripping. 

When problems occur in the future it's a time saver. I draw arrows pointing to PVC connections that aren't glued together.