Replacing Galv. Drain lines

[crothmeier]

My house was built in '53 and all of my drain lines from the sink, tub, lav, ect are galvanized piping. I'm experiencing a slow leak where it hooks up with my kitchen sink, and am wondering if it would be best just to tear it all out and start over with pvc.

Can i connect the pvc to the Cast soil/sewer pipe? How easy is this to do. I've done some limited plumbing.

the supply lines are copper and are in good shape, i'd only be looking at doing the drain lines up to the big soil stack

[Nutty Fisherman]

Yes they have a piece of pvc that hooks to cast iron pipe. I think the pvc piece buts up to the cast and a rubber piece with hose clamps slides over both pipes and you tighten the clamps.

[Redlantern]

If you're going to replace the galvanized with plastic you are going to have to open up some walls. The hard part is repairing them. The plumbing part is pretty easy if you have the right tools. Cut off the galvanized pipe where it goes into the stack, leaving about two inches of the old galvanized pipe. If this is leaking, you are either going to have to recork the joint or snap into the stack and add a new fitting. I can explain that later if you need me to. Now you are going to need to use what's commonly called a Mission Band. Proflex is another brand you might use. If you are replacing a two inch line, you will need a two inch steel to two inch plastic band. Inch and a half steel by inch and a half plastic if that's the size. These bands are made of rubber, a stainless steel shield (a band that goes around the entire rubber part and two hose clamps. Don't get the type without the stainless steel band (Fernco is one brand). They aren't up to code for this application. The band really helps secure the joint. When you tighten these up using either a 5/16th nut runner or socket, be careful as not to overtighten it. I don't recall the footpounds needed but I think it's under sixty pounds. I recommend snugging it up and if it leaks, tighten it some more. It's hard to explain what is too tight. If you do overtighten it and it pops loose (stripped) you'll have to install a new band or at the very least a new hoseclamp. Now you are into repiping the waste lines. When you replace the lines, make sure you are using drainage fittings, not water fittings. Sometimes the boxstores sell them to customers not really knowing what they are going to be used for. If you use pvc, don't forget to get primer. It should be purple. Dump a little of it out so when you shake the dauber off it doesn't run all over your brand new piping job or all over something you don't want to be colored purple. Prime the ends of the pipe and fittings where the glue will be. If you use ABS pipe, you don't need to use a primer. When you cut the pipe, try to remove any burrs on the end of the pipe, you'll know what these are once you make a cut. A reamer, pocket knife or a gloved hand works well to remove them. A wood saw is good for cutting plastic pipe. A sawzall is good for cutting the old galvanized pipe but a hacksaw can be used, too. When you get to a vent, and the pipe looks like it's in decent shape (not leaking or rusting through), you can go to a mission band connection there, like what you did for your stack. The vents might be inch and a quarter. They do make bands that go from inch and a half plastic to inch and a quarter steel. They make dang near every type of band you could ever need. But locating them in the average boxstore can be difficult. Since you've gone this far, you might as well replace the traps that are most likely chrome tubular with a plastic trap. Plastic is so nice to work with and clogs up so very rarely compared to cast and galvanized. Good luck and give yourself plenty of time for this project.

[MNice]

Redlantern, THAT was a very good explanation!! I assume you are a plumber based on your descriptions of a mission & fernco.

[crothmeier]

thanks for the info, the reason i am thinking of doing this is i had a clog, i was able to free it last night using a snake, but am goign to be replacing with PVC in the near future. I have access underneath to all of the pipe i want to replace, so i wont have to tear out walls thankfully. This sounds like something I could accomplish myself on a weekend.

[Redlantern]

MNice, yep, I'm a plumber. Sometimes describing things to people can be difficult. Thanks for letting me know that it made sense. I think he'll be able to handle this job. Half the battle is being willing to try it.

[crothmeier]

Yes very good explanation. I'll be starting it this summer, or if it clogs aran before that, at the moment time is at a premium with a wedding a few weeks away and one last trip to LOTW so it can wait till then! Thanks for the excellent write-up

[heating guy]

ya fernco coupler banned perferbly or if the old stuff is cast id go to a joint and drill out the lead and pull the yoke rope which is hemp and get a bushing and push pvc in that conection