Temporary 4" PVC riser from closet bend now stuck and I need some advice

Marty53 · Nov 30, 2009

Hey guys,

I'm just getting around to tiling the floor of my master bath after not working on it for about a month. After I put the plywood floor down, I stuck a scrap 10" long 4" pvc section (not glued, and not shoved in there as far as I can recall) into the closet bend, so I could temporarily put the toilet flange on to stop the odor from coming up.

Now, I cant pull the 4" pipe out for the life of me. I tried drilling a hole in each side of the exposed part of the 4" riser and sticking a long screw driver thru to get more leverage and twist it but I can't budge it. I was thinking about glueing the flange on to the riser and trying to pull it out.. but if i cant get it out then i'd be even more screwed.

What can I do here?

Shacko · Nov 30, 2009

What you have to do is put piece of wood down the pipe and wiggle it back and forth from different directions if you have enough play around the pipe, this is going to take some effort. I hope you haven't driven it completely in the joint, if so you may not be able to get it out without cutting it.

Not knowing how long the piece is I will give the method of cutting it out if you can reach the fitting below. You have to make cuts close together down to the fitting without cutting into the fitting, once you get that done take a pair of pliers and try to break off the piece, this will be a PITA but you have to keep trying until you get a piece loose, once thats done the rest should come out.

This will not do you any good now but, when putting a temporary piece in you always leave it extra long, then you have something to grab onto, to keep sewer gas out good old duct tape is the way to go, luck.

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

Gary Swart · Nov 30, 2009

You also need to understand that PVC and ABS pipe should not be "dry fit". When doing plumbing with either of those media. You measure, allowing for the interior of the fittings. The same basically applies to copper although dry fit copper will disassemble somewhat easier than plastic. To get this piece of pipe out, you will just have to be creative and try to get it to wiggle while you pull. As previously suggested, you may have to cut the pipe or even the bend if all else fails. Sorry, but there is no magic way to do this.

Jadnashua · Nov 30, 2009

Worse comes to worse, you can buy a special bit called a Rambit. It is designed to bore out pipe in a fitting so the socket can be reused. Rocking it back and forth usually works, but if there's much flex in the rest of the pipe, it may not come loose.

hj · Dec 1, 2009

pipe

I hope there was not any glue on the pipe or fitting when you inserted it, otherwise, you will have to cut it out. If it is not glued in, then it should wiggle and once that happens it should come out.

Marty53 · Dec 1, 2009

Thanks for the suggestions. Its definitely not glued, and I wasn't dry fitting the section. I just put it in there temporarily.

I think I will try notching the exposed pipe on both sides to fit a 2x4 in and see if I can get more leverage that way. There is 2-3" exposed over the floor level. If that fails, maybe i'll try glueing on the flange and see if I can get more leverage that way. I think the problem will be that the closet bend is attached to another length of 4" pvc attached to the cast iron with a fernco, so there will be significant amounts of play. would hitting the inside of the pipe with a hair dryer help to shrink it?

All else fails, I guess I'll go the rambit way. seems like a huge waste of $$ though to get that bit.

Export! · Dec 1, 2009

I would think that heating the pipe would only cause it to swell if anything.

Inspektor Ludwig · Dec 1, 2009

Shove your garden hose in there to get some really cold water going down the drain then knock it loose with a piece of wood.

Gary Swart · Dec 1, 2009

You weren't dry fitting it, you just put in it temporarily? How would you describe dry fitting then? Not that it makes any real difference, you boo booed.

Basement_Lurker · Dec 1, 2009

instead of cutting down the stub that you have in an attempt to create grooves, why don't you try what these guys are telling you and shove a 2x4 down the pipe and use it to wiggle the section of pipe free! And if that doesn't work, if you have enough of a stub sticking out, then carefully clue on a coupling and a longer piece of pipe, and then try to pull it free, you could get way more leverage that way.

Marty53 · Dec 2, 2009

I got the riser out last night. Thanks for your tips.

gary i would describe dry fitting as putting sections of pipe together to visualize a layout, which I wasn't doing. this time i put a rag into the closet bend.

I tried putting a block of wood down and wiggling it around and swearing a bunch. It didn't do anything, there was too much play in the closet bend because its attached with a fernco. Then i tried glueing on a coupling and a longer section. Still no go, too much play and i was scared of loosening the fernco.

What I ended up doing was cutting the riser as short as I could with a hacksaw, then using a long hacksaw blade on my sawzall and carefully cutting down the side of the pipe, and stopping before i hit the hub of the closet bend, I had to do it twice to create a notch I could remove, then I could take out the rest of the pipe.

Gary Swart · Dec 2, 2009

Actually dry fitting is anytime you stick a dry piece of PVC into a dry fitting. It really doesn't matter to the pipe and fitting what your intent is. I do understand intent was just to block off the drain and was not to actually fit the pipes together to measure length, but dry into dry= dry fitting. Anyway, I glad you got the piece out and I'm sure you will be a tad wiser in the future.

Jadnashua · Dec 2, 2009

This is a good example of why on a pvc joint you must use the proper cement...it literally melts the surface, letting the two pieces fit and weld together. The primer also helps, it cleans crud off and pre-softens it so the solvent in the cement can do it's job properly. The socket is tapered, and sometimes you just can't get the pipe in dry, or if you do, it's so tight, you can't get it out.

rwcarpenter · Dec 3, 2009

Wow, that sounds like something I might do. I picked up a couple of test plugs like these, one for 2" shower pipe, and one for 4" pipe for when I do some bath and kitchen projects...they go in and come out read easy no matter how long it takes me to get back round to it, just tighten or loosen the wing nut

.

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/invt/u457853

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/icat/testcapsandplugs/

4th gen · Dec 3, 2009

Dry fitting is a very common practice in plumbing (4th gen plumber with 25 years exp in the field). I have dry fit whole mechanical rooms, marked the pipe and then disassembled it all for later reassembly. I have seen and participated in the maligned plastic pipe "dry fit" countless times. During my current personal home remodel I dry fit quite a few pieces of plastic pipe for the EXACT same reason. Life happens, things that should not get stuck.. sometimes do. So marty53, don't sweat the dry fit beat down people are fixated on.

Glad you figured a way through your problem.

tip: To help avoid future plastic pipe dry fit issues. Be sure to create an outside bevel on the pipe. There are many tools you can purchase to make the bevel. The image below is of the type I personally prefer.

Temporary 4" PVC riser from closet bend now stuck and I need some advice

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