clean out cap pipe is stripped

oldhouseguy

This is the clean out. I ended up cleaning out the old threads with a small wire wheel and I was able to thread in the new cap just to gain the use of the kitchen sink with a minor drip from the cracked pipe as opposed to not using it for a few days.

Having said that, I used a lot of pipe compound hoping it would get help seal it, It doesn't leak from cap but there is a tiny leak from the pipe itself.

I can't really photograph the crack so that you can see it, but it is right in the front underneath where the threads begin on the opening.

I don't fully understand these pipes, I don't really know how this clean out piece is joined?

Can anyone shed some light on this?

NitroNate

couldn't you just cut the cleanout section out and put in a PVC cleanout and connect it to the iron pipe on both sides with a fernco coupling? seems simple enough to me.

oldhouseguy

That is what the DIY in me wants to do and has the ability to do, but I want to find out if there is a better solution that would actually be acceptable if I went to sell this house someday.

If I were the buyer, I would look at that and it would indicate problems.

NitroNate

hmmm, yeah i dunno. not that the DIY shows on HGTV are a good example, but i have seen them do this several times on older houses with iron pipe. i always thought fernco couplings met code for drainage pipes. granted, code may differ in different areas of the country so i'm not sure how this would hold up in a home inspection.

Ravenworks

There is a rope like material (Okem)stuffed into the bell and molten lead is poured into the bell over it.
It was an art to watch the old timers making joints upt.

Evstarr

My only concern would be that the stack may drop when you cut that out

TheEplumber

I would cut the cast iron pipe above the floor. Use a PLAS x CI shielded fernco coupling to transition to PVC or ABS. Put in a new plastic clean out tee and run new pipe up to the vent located above the sink's drain tee. At that point, I'd reconnect to the existing vent. By doing it this way you've eliminated all the accessible drain pipe and replaced it with plastic.
Your next issue is, how rotted is the cast iron at the slab? It can get pretty bad on kitchen lines and unfortunately it rots from the inside out so visual confirmation is next to impossible

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oldhouseguy

Just out of curiosity, lets say one of these old timers needed to remove that clean out piece, would the molten lead be chiseled out or would it be heated back up with a torch?

I have no idea of the temperature at which lead becomes molten again.

oldhouseguy

This sounds like a good idea assuming all would go well, but since it is me and I have Murphy's law strongly against me, I will need to think this through. But, as I said, a good idea.

oldhouseguy

If I go that route, I would have to secure it before I cut it, good thing you said that, because I wouldn't have without your warning.

Alan

The problem is that the joints are put together from the bottom up. You can't take one out of the middle without cutting something.

Normally I use a drill bit to drill a bunch of holes in the lead, and then a combination of a screwdriver, chisel, and pliers to get the leftover chunks out. But like I said, something has to be cut in order for the fitting to come out.

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Evstarr

Since you can get at that clean out, it might be a good idea to have someone in to run a camera down that line before you start cutting into it. If its rotting away under ground you might want to know before you put a lot more work into it.

oldhouseguy

Good idea.

This pipe runs down a little bit more then it turns and runs about 4 feet more on a slope and then it enters the much larger pipe that goes straight down and out to the sewer I guess. I was able to run a drill powered cutting line through all the way to the large pipe and a lot of gunk came out. I then used a garden hose with the end cut off and flushed it out with water. I had a screen in place to catch most of the gunk and after about half an hour, the water ran clear.

I am pretty convinced I got it cleaned out and the kitchen sink now runs faster than it ever has.

I notice today that the cracked pipe has just barely a small leak which I still don't like, but to me the major "need to do it today" urgency has been replaced with "lets figure out the best way before I proceed."

Homerepairguy

To make a temporary repair for the leak until you have time to make a permanent repair, check this youtube video out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POYFUlJaAVM

HRG

oldhouseguy

Pretty cool... I think at the end of the video the kid flushing the toilet yells what sounds like, "the turd is coming up"

That made it worth watching all the way through, plus a helpful tip.

Thanks!