Drilling cast iron

leejosepho said:
For a large hole, I would use a bi-metal hole saw with a supply of air for cooling and blowing away the chips.
Click to expand...

You could also use WD 40 for lite lubrication and cooling the tip or some cutting oil if you have any.
 
I'm curious also.....what is the hole for and how big does it have to B?
 
GrumpyPlumber said:
...whatever ya do...don't try saddle fittings on drainage.
Click to expand...

Why not?

When my wife and I first got into this 1920s house, there was not a single plumbing vent anywhere in the entire place ... and the first thing I did was to vent the main line by hole-sawing and adding a 3" PVC saddle sealed and held by silicone and u-bolts without a single problem.
 
Saddles are not to code...
As well, they tend to be places for problems to start (clogs etc)...
They also introduce a point of weakness in the pipe - a place at which strain will crack the pipe in the future...
If you have to tap into a pipe, use the correct fittings and method (banded couplings etc...)
 
drilling a hole in cast, saddles and other nightmares.

depending on the size of hole you want...

you can drill a 1 1/2 hole in cast iron with a lennox
hole saw.....

its not all that hard to do....

then you have to tap that hole with a 1 1/2 tap...

hopefully you want to do this hole on the top side of a horizontal pipe,,,,

if you tap a verticle pipe the pvc male adapter that
you screw into the pipe will catch stuff that passes...


its not considered code to do it this way,

but I run into it all the time....

the absolute most crazy thing I run into, is where some idiot drills a 3/4 gas pipe and puts a saddle on a
gas line to feed an outside grill .....

the all you got to do is touch that pipe while installing their new water heater and you are in
a mess.....









 
RUGGED said:
I've never seen a saddle that didn't leak, both on the water side or drainage side of the spectrum.

They get used a ton on the DIY side of plumbing repairs. Any plumber using them should turn in their badge at the front door for non-compliance of codes.
Click to expand...

RIGHT...I constantly come across those things for DIY ice maker lines...sure enough the steel prong rots away the copper in a short period, yet HD still has them stocked.
I should just be thankfully quiet for all the work it gets me.

master plumber mark said:
the absolute most crazy thing I run into, is where some idiot drills a 3/4 gas pipe and puts a saddle on a
gas line to feed an outside grill .....

the all you got to do is touch that pipe while installing their new water heater and you are in
a mess.....

Click to expand...

Thats a deathwish in the making.
 
gas saddle clamps

gas saddle clamps were legal here back up through the
the mid 70s......I run into very fragile ones all the time

when I run into one, it usually is going to the fire-place, grill, or occasionally someone taps a larger line and runs a stove or laundry line.......

usually their is very little holding the pipe in place but old rusty bailing wire....if anything at all....
cousin "billey bob" went to the hardware store and rigged up grandma a new gas line for her laundry room add on waaaay back in the 60s.


I generally try to secure the line with new strapping before
I touch anything nearby........and always make mention of the issue to the customer ,....just in case of troubles...

and of course ...
you cant force them to upgrade anything that is working just fine the way it is....

they think you are trying to con them into saveing their lives.
 
master plumber mark said:
and of course ...
you cant force them to upgrade anything that is working just fine the way it is....

they think you are trying to con them into saveing their lives.
Click to expand...

And now you've outlined the BIGGEST source of frustration for anyone here who is a professional.
Lets not discount the guys who DO give us a bad name by attempting to convince customers that trivial or redundant work is "necessary" either.
It all boils down to building a trusting repore with your steady customers.
 
RUGGED said:
I've never seen a saddle that didn't leak, both on the water side or drainage side of the spectrum.
Click to expand...

I have yet to ever have that problem, but neither have I ever used very many of them ... and I would not use one on the pressure side of any system.

markts30 said:
Saddles are not to code...
As well, they tend to be places for problems to start (clogs etc)...
They also introduce a point of weakness in the pipe - a place at which strain will crack the pipe in the future...
Click to expand...

With the matter of code aside, yes, I understand, and yes, I can see those reasons playing into the matter of code. Believing I needed some kind of vent somewhere until I could re-plumb everything, the one I used was only temporary until it became my only reasonable alternative for something else in another location.
 
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