Nail in my vent pipe

brockmiera

One more question. Do I need to worry about sewer gas igniting while I'm sweating on a copper patch?

It may be a silly question but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

jagans

1. Take your sawsall and cuto off the sole plate right next to the stud to the left. Hint Flip the blade over and back cut. Then cut out the sole plate to the right, so you can expose as much of the pipe as possible. Then light it up and take some better close up pictures with your camera set to Macro. If the bell into which the copper pipe is inserted is not flush with the concrete floor, do not try to chip out concrete, you will break the cast Iron, and then you will be in it deep. Everything depends on how much pipe you have above floor before you hit the hole in the pipe. Do this, then send more pictures. You can also cut out that sole plate with a multi tool if you have one.

brockmiera

Sweet. I've been wanting to cut something using my sawzall blade backwards! I'll get those pics done tonight and send them on. Thanks for the help.

brockmiera

Ok here's your close up

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ddawg16

Yep....that is a nail in your vent pipe alright.

Me....personally.....I would pull out the nail....clean away all the crud and dirt....cut a piece of copper pipe so that its just a tad over 1/2 round....form it so that it's a nice snug fit over the outside.....sweat it on.

That or use the rubber thing noted above.

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jagans

Man you did a great job! Now here is what I would do:
Wear Safety Glasses, and leather gloves for all of this.

Cut the copper pipe about 3/4 of an inch above that rim that you see there. That is the bell from the CI Pipe. Then cut out the copper pipe about a foot above the T above, where the vent goes up. Cut up high enough so you can get your Sawsall in there vertically.

With a fine tooth hack saw blade in your sawsall, make two vertical cuts in the copper pipe on the inside, cutting back toward you. Now Bang the remaining piece inward with a screwdriver or cold chisel and take it out with needle nosed pliers. Take your needle nose pliers and roll the remaining pipe in on itself, and take it out.

Wire wheel all the masonry snots away from the bell till it's clean. Now put a large hose clamp on the outside of the top rim of the cast Iron pipe and snug it up. This will help to keep you from cracking off the lip

There should be lead packing there with the old oakum under it. With a small cold chisel held with the blade vertical hit down at an angle and bend the lead ring in toward the middle of the pipe. Work it out with the pliers. Take it out.

With a thin blade flat tip screwdriver, peel out the old oakum. With a cup type wire wheel clean the heck out of the inside of the bell. Shop Vac out the pipe. The hard part is done.

The best way to put it back is to use a Fernco Donut. You can get these at a good plumbing supply. The inside should fit a 1-1/2 inch DWV PVC Pipe the outside should fit into the bell.

Coat the outside with dish soap and tap it in to the bell with a mallet and a block of wood. Measure and cut a piece of PVC Pipe to plumb between the down sweep leg of the sanitary T, and the donut. Chamfer the outer edge of the pipe, debur the inner, and put a hose clamp on the pipe the distance that you want it to enter into the Donut. (The full thickness of the donut) Apply soap, and tap it in to the donut.


Leave the hose clamp there till all the rest of the plumbing is glued up. The T that goes in just above the CI Bell should be a sanitary T with a long turn sweep turned down.


You can tie the PVC to the copper with a 1-1/2 inch fernco coupling. (I show a 2 inch, you need 1.5 inch)Dont use a no-hub coupling here.

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jagans

Hi Brock, I just looked at that nail again, and on second view, that does not look like a bell, it looks like it may be a brass coupling. In this case, you are probably going to have to clean the outside of the pipe really good just above the coupling, cut the pipe so that you have just enough to enter a copper coupling right up to the other one, and half way into the pipe (Ask for a couple of slip couplings, they dont have the stop ring in the middle) You will need an emory roll to really polish the pipe and inside of the couplings, solder, tinning flux and a brush. You will probably need Mapp Gas to have enough heat for 1.5 inch pipe. Solder in the couplings. That copper has to be really shinny clean, and fully fluxed.

If you are not comfy with this call in a licensed plumber. All that I said previously wont work here. Maybe someone else can use it sometime.

jagans

Darn, that nail is in the worst possible place, but then I guess you knew that.

brockmiera

Yes sir. So should i worry about the sewer gas possibly igniting?

jagans

Hi Brock,

Last night I had one last thought. You may be able to simply pull out that nail, clean up that pipe really good, drill the hole to 1/8 inch and then put in a fluxed copper pop rivet with a copper or brass mandrel. Pop it in then solder over it. That is the easiest, cheapest thing you can do and it just might work fine. The key here is clean, very clean, and fluxed with tinning flux that has solder paste mixed right in. It is critical that you use a copper pop rivet with a copper or brass mandrel so it tins off. Then top it with solder as it cools. You can get these at a good roofing supply. If you cant find any let me know, and I will track a couple down for you.

Im sorry for the first post, I was thinking we had a bell to work with. I have done quite a few as I described. I have also used a special PVC adapter they make with oakum and lead wool, and never had a problem with that way either but the donut is simpler. Yours is a special case. A real B***h

Im sure I have gotten some laughs from others that suggested soldering a patch, but I think the rivet is really the way to go in this case.

Alan

Only thing I don't like about the rivet is that it may protrude into the pipe. Since that appears to be the drain for a lavatory, it'll be a problem area for hair to hang up on.

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jagans

Yeah I agree Alan, but a rivet will only protrude into the pipe about 1/4 inch. It could be a problem, if a lot of hair goes down that pipe, but I think its worth the risk. If that pipe has not clogged with that nail in it, which must go in at least a half inch, chances are it won't with a rivet. I guess he could hammer a penny to the shape of the pipe, clean it and the pipe up real good, flux them and hold it in place with a hose clamp and sweat it on there. That would probably work too.

But I do agree with your logic.

brockmiera

I think a pop rivet is probably a pretty decent idea anything to seal up that hole is going to work. the good thing is that drain only services 3 sinks. the only hair going down the drain is from shaving and those hairs are pretty small

tylernt

A 1981 or older penny, preferably. Those are actually made out of copper.

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brockmiera

So Im guessing from the fact that no one has addressed this question that it isn't much of an issue?