cutting cast - need advice

hey everyone. I'm looking for a little advice as to where I should cut my old toilet drain. I'm remodeling my bathroom (I'm a DIY retard), and tearing out 3 layers of floor. The existing floor was a 2" step up from the hallway. So I'd like to make it flush, but I'll need to lower the toilet flange.

In the basement, the drain comes down, bends 90 deg, and then ties into the stack. I'd like to cut it away with a cutting wheel on my grinder, and then use a fernco to tie in PVC.

The problem I'm seeing is that there's a bump, or wide spot, on the cast just before it ties into the stack. I'm guessing this is how the last guy installed a new pipe. Fused them together or something? I don't know.



See the bump? There's only about an inch between the bump and where it ties into the stack. Should I cut the cast a few inches to the right of that bump, so I have more cast to split the Fernco? How much will I need? 1/2 and 1/2?

Hope someone can help.

-Jay

That elbow is almost certainly lead, not cast iron. If you take a nail, or something similar, it should scratch easily and be shiney underneath that surface corrosion. It looks in good shape. The cleanest way to lower it might be to pay a plumber to do it. He could sweat a new flange on it after you get the new floor in. The proper place for the flange is on top of the FINISHED floor, and anchored down through the subflooring. Depending on your skill level, you may be able to do this. I think it would be less work than trying to remove the elbow.

If you want to replace it all with pvc, then you have to pull it all out of the hub in the CI, or cut the cast further back where it is the nominal size so you could use a no-hub connector.

There's likely a brass ferrule in the hub that the lead is sweated to that you'd have to remove to use a donut and pvc if you want to remove it from the hub.

Jadnashua is correct. That is a lead bend and it is "wiped" to a brass ferrule that is caulked and leaded into the cast iron hub.

I would probably use a sawzall to cut the lead and brass right at the CI hub and then use a hammer and cold chisel to collapse the ferrule and remove the lead and oakum from the hub. You would probably want to stuff a rag into the CI to hold back the sewer fumes while removing the ferrule. Tie a strong string to the rag first so you don't accidentally push the rag too far.

After the hub is clean use a rubber donut to adapt it back to a 3 inch PVC and then use the PVC for the new piping.

Why not just band on to the caulking ferrule?It is without question lead.But make life easy and cut the lead out and replace with plastic.

cut the lead away ....

All you have to do is
cut the lead back to where the brass nipple
coming out of the hub...

then get a torch and melt the bump of the brass and
wipe it clean with a rag...

then either get a Fernco fitting or a no hub clamp
and attach it to the brass nipple and attach the PVC to the clamp


Pouring a Lead Joint

bend

The brass ferrule is tapered, and while a band will attach to it, and movement would loosen it. Use a torch to melt the lead out of the joint and then begin from there with a new pipe. I would lead/oakum a new castiron bend, but less qualified persons would replace it with plastic.

Pouring a Lead Joint