1930's Cast Iron Toilet Flange/Drainpipe

Hi There!

I am doing a total remodel in bath and since I have the original 1930's cast iron flange & drainpipe accessible should I do any maintenance to it. I replaced all the original galvanized supply & drain pipes but I left all the cast iron drainpipe alone.

There is large chunks/flakes of rust & other sh#t (pun intended) inside pipe. Should I swab it? Snake it? I am not aware of a problem w/ it as is. But since it is fully accessible, now would be a great time.

Note: The oak floor needed alittle work. I scraped out decayed wood, slipped in several new pieces of oak, threw in some wood glue, caulk and flex filler. (I wanted to make sure I had all bases covered).

Thanks!

Scrape all the crud off and examine the inside of the pipe well. If you can check the underside also for rust spots where it may be coming through. If it is sound install the new toilet and......let'er rip.....

Another thought is if you have access and time and a few $$$ replace as much of the old drain as you can with PVC and you won't have to think about possibly doing it in the future. Your 1/3 of the way there now.

Thanks Cass for the advice. I scraped the top off (wax) but maybe you mean give the inside a cleaning. I'll do that...Yuk! I have seen some of the exterior of this pipe in kitchen ceiling. What I saw looked solid. Man, I just hate to start ripping the cast iron out. I think 'll just take my chances but I'll look again.

I'll be installing beadboard in ceilling (kitchen) below this drain so if I have to get at it later on, maybe that material would be easier to remove/re-install vs the original plaster.???

Thanks again!

re: 1930'2 cast iron toilet flange

Thats actually quite a fetchingly lovely pipe compared to the one in my house I replaced last year.

It looks good, and I would say leave it. Poke it a bit with a screwdriver to be sure it's solid.

For one thing, if the bend is exposed in your kitchen, conisder noise. Cast Iron is SO much quieter than plastic. If you do need to replace the bend, consder the noise. Maybe box it or even replace with cast iron.

Actually, if your doing beadboard anyways, seriously consider an access panel or something. If you do have a leak at some point you will be so very very glad you put in a panel.

have fun!

Yes I meant the inside of he pipe. Have fun.

Thanks Zimmee66 for complimenting my toilet drain pipe. I got down and dirty today and gave it a cleaning. I gently scraped it w/ a screwdriver, wire brush, shop vac, etc. Ya, I was being a chcken cause did not want to find a hole in it. I am gonna call it good, stay ignorant and happy.

I at least got it smoother.

Thanks all!

Ignorance is bliss eh.

looks real good to me

that looks real good to me....

I had one a month ago that had flow the wrong
way , so it had about 2 inches of standing water
laying in the bend.. and it still worked fine...

when I bent over to take a good look at the flange
my Nextel phone took a nose dive right out of
my shirt pocket and literally slid right down along
the elbow bend and into the pipe

had to use a coat hanger to fish it out..

it was fried.. and sort of Marinated in some nasty water...

Cass said:

Ignorance is bliss eh.

Click to expand...

Yep! Yep! Yep!

I haven't yet dropped anything down this pipe. I measured to see if 3 or 4"...it was 3.75" so I called it a 4". I found while GENTLY scraping inside pipe that it had a build-up of a white hard powdery substance. (Well, sortof white). What the hell is it? tartar?

Of course my 4" waxless ring (I like 'em) didn't fit...too tight. Today, I got brave and GENTLY chiseled/scraped the last 1/4" out of it. So now my 4" Fernco-like waxless thingy will fit if I sortof jump on it.

When I get new toilet I'll lube it up good to aid in installng it. I was surprized to see some good prices for toilets online. I got free shipping and a good price for the vintage-looking decor toilet I ordered. I am expecting it to not be the best performing but at least it will look good in this fully remodeled bath. Plus, I have what you might say low flushing needs so it might work fine & it is a secondary bath.

I usually get all my stuff at local plumbing supply but for this bath I needed special sizes, looks, etc. Like, I ordered a telephone-style bath tub flller w/ handheld shower wand. This bath does not have shower nor will it. And the lav needed to be real small and vintage looking so I got a kid's size pedestal sink. You should see my tall nephew stand next to it. I'm gonna wall hang it w/o ped. but if I installed as designed, the top of sink comes to my knees!

Back to the tartar-like stuff. What is it? any repairs done here since the 50's are, shall we say, not quite right. Bondo? Or some mother nature natural occurance? Have hard & rusty water from a shallow well.

the tar --tar stuff

Before the invention of synthetic "bees Wax"

they used to set toilets with pumbers putty

LOTS and LOTS of plumbers putty...

the stuff would absorb urine and water over
the years and turn into that clay like hard stuff

that has that oh-so -sweet smell of ammonia
and other delights in it...


just chisel it off with a putty knife

I call the stuff "funk"

the stuff in the pipe is a mixture of lime-
urine, and all else you can dream up.....

Thanks Mark. I forgot to mention if it was an old plumber method. Well, glad it's not bondo or tartar!