Homeowners Battle Plumbing Nightmares

“Non plumber: I really want to know what it looked like before any work was done. How could anything drain with that rise in the cast iron? Was it actually part of some sort of giant, primitive trap?”

“sorry for the bad photos. I think the crack on the bottom section (original photos) is behind the pipe where i can't see it. The top of the stack has a better view of the crack in the front, there's this gash that extends about 4 ft long. https://preview.redd.it/kwppsk77qzrh1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01c7b68097812e6cba26dd9f34664221a8990a76”

“We got water running down the cast iron elbow in the basement. At first I thought it was just the elbow but decided to cut back the plaster to double check. Sure enough the entire stack pretty much is cracked vertically. Are there any remediation options besides cutting it out? It seems like cutting could be a pretty extensive job. submitted by /u/glassengineer123 [link] [comments]”

“Living in a home that has clearly had a few generations of DIYers. Think i discovered another diy fail but need confirmation. I noticed the emitter/drain for our sump pump was clogged with leaves so I pulled it off to investigate. Hours later…here’s what I’m left with. The green and black piece was level with the grass, but the pipe is at least a foot below it. Fail #1? Secondly, it looks like they set the drain and then attempted to extend it. I would think an elbow joint should be connecting t”

“I have one in a multi-family rental. It's been in for something like 25 years and still works. I have multiple backflow events per year x 25 years and the valve has worked every time. you must "exercise it 4 x a year and grease it 1 x per year. in the last 5 years it sometimes does not reset and I have to do it manually but it always deployes. it's not perfect but it's the best solution out there by far.”

“A furnace that doesn't have enough makeup air could absolutely break a floor drain trap seal and pull sewer glasses in.”

“Hey, im about to buy my first home. Built 1945 and pipes are cast iron (from my research I know this alone should be replaced sooner than later). BUT the seller originally agreed to clearing out pipes. Now they said their plumber told them “"root intrusion" are hairline roots that an auger would barely touch.” I’ve attached the images from my home inspection. Personally I think that’s horse sh** and they are just trying to give me a hard time after the appraisal came back below value,”

“How bad is this drain leading to the sewer? I was told root intrusion and severely back pitched. I’m a first time home owner only been living here for 6 months. Thanks for your advice and I’m sorry if I broke any rules I just am very nervous about this submitted by /u/Vegetable_Quit5697 [link] [comments]”

“Facts, the worst is when you see that they were leaning on your 3" floor drains as they were screeding....”

“Would be a very big job, found a buried pile of rusty metal that could of been the old pump/filter behind it,”

“1962 home, mostly great for the age. No back ups but sewer scope notes significant corrosion of the 4” cast iron section of the pipe Notes: Techs access the line from pulled toilet in the basement. The line begins in cast-iron. The line transition 4” concrete approximately 23’ The line transitions to 6” concrete approximately 53’ The city mainline reaches approximately 83’ The cast-iron portion looked to have heavy Corrosion in the line techs recommend having the line descaled if this causes iss”

“I had that same thing when I redid my daughter’s bathroom. Ended up having to replace everything and dug a hole in my lawn to tie it all in.”

“1972 build. Slab on grade. Tried to do a nice thing for my relatively new family of four and renovate the bathrooms. Found out that almost all of the cast pipe is corroded shut and/or collapsing. What started out as a small slab penetration grew to a larger penetration and is quickly evolving to a full plumbing replacement. Can’t afford a full replacement. Can’t afford to sell. Not looking for advice. Pour a beer out for me, fellas. Homeownership sucks sometimes. submitted by /u/Wish”

“pro contractor: That sewer line needs to cleaned thoroughly with a Hydro Jetter, this goes to show how the whole process of selling houses is such bullshit way to just “ say it good for another 30 years “ to fairly tell you how the condition of the is line until cleaned so you can do an proper inspection. I’ll just run it down there and all it’s good and here is your big bill.”

“Cast iron looks to be in decent shape but if this is going to be your forever home then yes in the future you may need to repair your sewer line. Which means since your on slab the possibly having to dig up inside your home. Id be more concern with the water lines in the slab. Id say installing new water in the attic would be your first priority”

Well if you're going to be breaking up the floor it might be worth it

“Honestly that cast iron actually looks like decent shape although you do have a few section or roots growing in the line which will either have to be clean every so often or physically repaired”

“UPDATE #2 I removed the plumbing under the sink and cut open the wall. I have direct access to the iron sewer pipe now. Sent the 50ft snake down with larger attachments; one is a flat triangle and other is like a 2 handed claw that curls into a circular shape. The water level was filled up to where the sewer pipe opening is. As the snake went further I noticed that the water level slowly went down with it. I sent it down the full 50. Sent some water down the pipe and heard it filling up so I kep”

“I'm not an expert on this, but look up "trenchless pipe lining". I just googled it and this was one of the links I found: https://plumbingsniper.com/trenchless-sewer-pipe-lining/”

“Sewer scope shows bellying in two areas, unfortunately both are under the street/sidewalk area. Can anyone give us an idea of how severe these bellies are so we know how to proceed when negotiating with sellers? I just clipped the part w/ the bellies but could post the rest of the video if that helps. Also as a side note watching this made me have mad respect and appreciation for you all and the work you do, I feel like next time we see the sellers all I will think about is the sheer quantity of”

“I'm in the process of buying a 2bd 1ba old house with Cast Iron drain lines. The house is on a slab. I had a sewer scope done and the cast iron pipes are still intact, but there is a lot of scaling, knuckles and channelling. The main line to the city is about 80 feet and there are at least 2 tie-ins under the house. Can anyone share their insights about having the old cast iron relined? Also, who would be the most qualified Drain line specialist in San Diego North County? submitted by”

“Neither lining or bursting/pulling a new line will help you with a belly. Only thing to do for a belly is dig it up.”

“Honestly, replace it all. I mean look in your basement/crawlspace and see what you can see. I highly doubt you have brass throughout your home. Anyways, to answer your question, take all that stuff out, replace with pvc, don't over think it. Take it off at the trap and go pvc.”

“Fantastic username! Rusty Spoons! Sorry I can't help w your problem, but I hope it works out. You got this!”

“Yeah, what the flying fuck is going on under this sink? Poor OP. I wonder what the rest of this new construction house looks like. 😬”

“Looks good. Put some more stone in that trench and make sure to chonk it up under the pipe(take a shovel and thrust it under the pipe to ensure there's no voids.”

“in most states you are not allowed to have pvc plumbing pipes in buildings taller than 75 ft. we are working on an existing hotel where the owners did that without permits and got caught. now they have to take out pvc and put cast iron back. not sure the exact reason why its not allowed”

“I'm not a plumber (I'm a framer), but that type of pipe is not acceptable for a sink drain in my area becauseit collects stuff, so I can't imagine it would be acceptable for a toilet.”

“Poor planning, lack of parts on the day combod with laziness, multitude of reasons really, just all terrible ones”

“Hi all, Discovered a leak in the cast iron drain coming from the kitchen. House is about 80 years old so I guess the cast iron has hit its limit. Assuming I’m gonna have to cut it out and replace with PVC. My question is this: can I cut the very bottom of the crack just above where it meets the sanitary tee? It looks like the crack goes almost all the way down to the joint. I’d like to avoid having to replace the tee as well if possible. If I cut a couple inches above the joint I’ll be leaving a”

“We’re under contract on an 1956 home with an interior cast-iron sewer line under a finished basement. This video is from the first sewer scope, before the system was flushed . The inspector found standing/stagnant wastewater in part of the line. At one point in the video, there’s a significant rush of water, which could indicate that the camera dislodged a clog or obstruction and allowed backed-up water to release. The inspector then flushed the system and scoped it a second time. The wastewater”

“That old cast-iron section is badly corroded, and the black ABS fittings look like a questionable patch. Before rebuilding, confirm the pipe size, slope, and venting. Use proper shielded no-hub couplings rated for cast iron-to-ABS, and support everything so the new joints aren’t carrying the drain’s weight.”

“Does your area allow aeration septic systems? I don't have any leech fields or pipes to worry about just the outfall to the ditch. It doesn't need pumping unless there is serious foul up.”

“Is the experience different bursting cast pipe vs say clay or pvc? I've just now learning of pipe bursting and it sounds heckin cool”

“This was seen on inspection in our clay iron drainage pipes about 20 years feet from our front yard cleanout. Rest of the plumbing is cast iron. Plumber is recommending hydrojet or spot fixing the pipe itself. Just wondering what peoples thoughts are? Plumber is recommending hydrojet for $800) or spot fixing the pipe(4200). Just wondering what peoples thoughts are? how bad is this? I read somewhere you could hydrojet and repeat scope to see the extent of damage to pipe? Some say just hydrojet ye”

“We live in an old, 1939 house and have been here for 5 years. Before moving in, the previous owners did a liner in the sewer lateral to our house. We have a combination of cast iron and clay pipes, and given that we have some big old trees in our yard, I decided I'd like to take a look to make sure the repair was in good shape. We are NOT currently having any drainage issues. Apologies for the few seconds of wasted time at the front of the video. I thought I had trimmed it better. The access”

“I've been DIY for decades usually on cars. I learned respect for electricity and can be handy. Plumbing on a 70 year old house is like the haunted house. My main sewer line to city was some sort of black tar wrap that had formed an oval. No easy cut off unless I'm in the yard with my twrench. As I've torn apart walls or looked through plaster access panels I find pipes that come out of slab and are capped. Of course solder caps don't last forever which taught me about shark bites”

“I recently purchased a 1920s house. It has all original plumbing. The house has two bathrooms, both on the 2nd floor. I recently discovered that the plug on the tee fitting in the *basement* for the master bathroom is leaking. Online reading has indicated I can't rip it out and replace without replacing the whole stack due to the weight of the cast iron. I am currently in the planning stages of the guest bath reno (it's a full teardown to studs situation). Given the state of the master b”

“You sure can. It looks like you have a minor crack on the throat of that cast iron combo's branch on the underside. Where the glob of corrosion is.”

“That much dirt in the sump pit would definitely make me want to investigate the drainage system before buying the house. I’d have the sump and discharge checked, and ideally inspect the weeping tile with a camera if possible. Digging up the foundation shouldn’t be the first step unless you actually confirm the drainage tile is damaged or blocked.”

“Grey water sistern. It was common to have these even in city lots on city sewer. Kitchen and laundry would go to sistern and then drain to the main sewer line.”

“That would honestly be one of my main criteria for a house old enough to have cast iron - it’s just way too expensive to replace piping under a slab to take the chance - I wouldn’t even want to get into a house 50-60 years newer than this if it had cast iron - might be good for another 20–30 years, but if it’s not.. don’t want to be looking at a repair potentially pushing 6 figures.”

“You have a crack in your cast iron pipe and it will need to be replaced. A good plumber should be able to fix that in an afternoon.”

“I had to dig up my drain pipe from my house as it wasn’t draining. Found what looks like to be an old concrete septic tank? It’s around 60 feet from the house. I already have a septic tank closer to the house and the house was built it 1987. There looks like 3 sections that can be removed from the top. submitted by /u/brady1444 [link] [comments]”

“I had my cast iron drains descaled and jetted yesterday. Plumber ended up getting his descaler stuck in a previously unknown septic tank that is dedicated for the washer machine. This is the lid to the distribution tank with the septic tank in the yard. I lived in the house for 5 years and had no idea. Plumber recommended addressing it due to the age and root intrusion. One option would be pumping water to the roof and connecting to main stack. Anyone ever encountered something similar? su”

“Link to sewer scope video and pictures: https://imgur.com/a/bGxkoHE Tl,dr: this is the inspection result from the house we’re buying (built in 1940). Technician thinks deterioration of cast iron pipe and pronounced belly is bad enough to require replacement (located under slab). The condition of the line behind the belly is unknown. Homeowners say they have never had an issue. There is no basement drain or exterior clean out. Should we get second opinion? Does this repair need to happen immediat”

“Not a plumb and passing by, but I want to know too lol. —OP!! How is your plumbing?”

“I would like to know what this community thinks about raising manholes with rubber rings vs precast concrete rings vs bricks. I had a little pushed back about the rubber rings but I argued that this is just planned for a 2 car driveway. PD: There is inspector that does not like concrete precast rings, instead, he prefers bricks and mortar. All different preferences are coming from the same jurisdiction in different departments. I believe I got the right answer to meet the AHJ for these projects”

“Got this video taken, looks like some corrosion but nothing crazy - the end of the video is the cleanout, and it’s slightly uphill so hard to tell if there’s a p trap or something. Would love thoughts - they gave an estimate for trenchless repair as part of this, but just making sure I know if it necessary or what options exist. Thank you! submitted by /u/madcow9100 [link] [comments]”

“Old house, big trees everywhere, owner said they installed the lines in 2018 and went 7 ft deep and it’s around 120’ long. Really don’t want to pay 6 to 10k for the rigid. Thinking of buying the Vevor instead. Ive been getting more and more calls for septics. What do y’all recommend? submitted by /u/adonde007 [link] [comments]”

“Currently remodeling a home. Ive found plenty of suprises so far. If I'm under here for the garbage disposal I figure I might as well fix anything else that the previous home owner didn't do correctly. submitted by /u/Lurchthedude [link] [comments]”

“Like why?? It's not a c0st saving reason because it literally c0sts nothing to leave an opening. If anything it should c0st even less since you would need less cement. So why do that? Also, no leach bed?? Where does the waste go?? Please help me understand because this is mind boggling to me! submitted by /u/2candiesnahalf [link] [comments]”

“Anything is possible with sufficient time and money. You need way more than a plumber though. Sounds like a pretty big project.”

“I recently had a camera inspection of my sewer pipes. I am being told they all need to redlined. The house was built in 1961. Here is one of the videos I am trying to decide whether to just wait until something happens or if it is emergent. submitted by /u/NoTone1857 [link] [comments]”

“My client had an issue with the cast iron drain under the basement. I’m assuming that new planks could be woven in with many painstaking hours but I believe the best and easiest method will be to redo the entire room? Please advise. submitted by /u/freefoodmood [link] [comments]”

“My client had an issue with the cast iron drain under the basement. I’m assuming that new planks could be woven in with many painstaking hours but I believe the best and easiest method will be to redo the entire room? Please advise. submitted by /u/freefoodmood [link] [comments]”

Sand it see how rusted it is ?

“This poster is correct. This is either iron or old galvanized requiring replacement. The gooseneck may be lead. Call your municipal water department and see what they will do to help. Your water quality will improve.”

“Hello, I have old cast iron pipes from 1955. We had a big clog - water was coming up from the toilets and bathtubs, so I called the city. they found roots in my main. A joint has pulled apart (it's where cast iron meets clay pipe), and there's a crack in the clay pipe adjacent to that joint. The city left the hole open and will be installing a cleanout in the next few weeks. I'd like to have the joint and crack repaired before the city comes back to close the hole up. There's con”