Just installed cast iron shower drain is already rusting

[JoeV]

We just got our bathroom remodeled and I noticed that the new cast iron shower drain already started to rust, and nobody used the shower yet, except for the plumber who installed the faucet. Should we be concerned, and is there anything we could do to prevent the rust to spread?

 

[Kevin71246]

Umm that's a lot of rust. Brand new not used? Sure?! Seriously, are you sure this was all replaced? How long ago exactly? Post some more pix, zoomed out. I've seen 60 year old CI in much better condition. Though I have heard of lawsuits about cheap Chinese CI not lasting the way it used to.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[JoeV]

Umm that's a lot of rust. Brand new not used? Sure?! Seriously, are you sure this was all replaced? How long ago exactly? Post some more pix, zoomed out. I've seen 60 year old CI in much better condition. Though I have heard of lawsuits about cheap Chinese CI not lasting the way it used to.

Thanks Kevin for the feedback. Yes, it's 100% new, I remember the plumber giving me the box and telling me he paid $100 for it, and I remember telling my wife that $100 for a CI drain made in China was a bit expensive! The drain was installed about 4 months ago, shower is a new construction, and we never used it yet. See more pictures:

This one is taken through the drain cover:

 

[Mike Provence]

wow, that's disappointing

sounds like substandard material

 

[Cacher_Chick]

We have been using drains made of bronze or ABS/PVC plastic for many years. I wouldn't want a cast-iron drain anywhere in a house for just this reason.
If cast iron is exposed to air and moisture, it rusts. There is no getting around it.

 

[JoeV]

Thanks all for the feedback, just found out that on the net: "According to an article published in the San Diego Attorney Journal, evidence from high-profile construction defect cases indicate that during the building boom from 2000-2008, the majority of mid and high-rise residential buildings in the San Diego and greater Southern California area were built containing defective Chinese-manufactured cast iron sanitary drain waste and vent (DWV) piping. This defective product allegedly results in significant pipe leaks and property damage, due to improper coating and manufacturing standards."

Looks like it's exactly what's happening here: a defective coating and sub manufacturing standards. What should be our course of action?

 

[WorthFlorida]

I'm sure the lawyers are already lining up. May have to keep searching for a class action lawsuit. Get a tile man and another plumber and replace it with a non CI unit. Or check this page out. Loosen the rust with a wire wheel or wire brush and uses some of the products described. A rust converter and a top coat. It will at least extend the life of the CI, but if the iron is real bad it will keep oxidizing until nothing is left. https://www.kbs-coatings.com/prep-products.html

 

[Kevin71246]

I like the cheap fix of wire brushing it and coating it, especially if you'll seldom use it (?) Is it in a basement where the worse case scenario when it rusts through it goes into the gravel and dirt - or is this on a 2nd level or something where it'll start rotting and molding the surrounding area? I'm newer generation, but the only NEW drains I've ever seen installed are plastic and bronze (of course the connection to old plumbing being different).

A licensed plumber I use (in Chicago where unions control all the code) indicated older CI would last maybe a hundred years. And it's still required as code in certain structures larger than a house, like buildings. But he indicated new Chinese CI can fail in 10 years or so. I asked why its still code then and he said cause of the unions. But there's clearly an issue here where code requires you to use something that will not last. Go figure.