does cast rust shut?

4just1don

trying to help my sons house out a bit. remodeling bath room off master bedroom. took ugly pink tile off,,,exposed galvinized drain pipe leaking where screwed into cast iron stack.

now replacing with plastic pipe BUI iron was barely screwed into cast and inside cast part it is completely plugged on both sides. didnt know cast plugged that hard,,chipping with hammer and chisel barely touches it

Does the cast clog that hard or galvinized 1 1/2" cause that? Its a 3" stack with a sink drain out both sides...if I put new walls in with new wall tile I have zero access in case it rusts shut again.

This pipe has more of a tee in it,,,a shoulder in the 1 1/2" tees to rust shut,,,or is the only permanent cure a new plastic stack from basement floor on up???????

TarheelTerp

In short, no.
You can't do better than cast (if you know how to work with it).

Replace the damaged fitting/portion as needed.

Plumber101

If you have the walls open the I would suggest replacing the stack to PVC. I have seen to many time a crack in the stack. While it's open it will be easier.

As far as the hardness build up in the T. Heck yes it gets hard. Build up of scum, scale and other junk, and over the years it gets really tough to get out.

If the stack looks good you may get by simply replacing the trap arms.

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TheEplumber

I got to agree. Cut out the tee as needed and make repairs. Cast iron is fire rated and quiet. Can't say that for plastic.
Be sure to support the vent stack when cutting

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Plumber101

If you do cut out the T and replace it make sure that you support the pipe above the T.

Cast is very heavy and gravity is not kind when that stack comes down.

__________________
John Wayne once said "Life is tough and it is even tougher if you are stupid"

Tempstar and Trane Dealer

Jo Swearingen

Our 100 year old house had all cast iron drain and waste pipes. YES, it can rust shut--both the drain AND the vent pipes had considerable corrosion buildup. I'd post pictures, but I don't want to get that close!

Wanting to avoid a complete bathroom remodel, hubby tried to snake the drains several times, but ran into a solid obstruction. He's quite skilled, knows what he's doing.The ENTIRE drain pipe was filled with rusty crud. Not poo, hair, or gook--RUST. A 45% elbow in the vent pipe had substantial flaky rust too.

PVC is noisier, but it doesn't rust through or rust shut. PEX is working well for us too.