Should I Replace this cast iron (is it rusted out?)

[Rocknroj]

Thanks in advance for your informed replies.

House built in 1968.. Cast iron laying in the sand. The sand is wet where the pipe makes contact.

Below is a link You can zoom in on the photo. It appears uniformly wet along most of the bottom of the pipe where it meets the soil. The bottom of the pipe feels fairly smooth when I dig around and I did not feel any holes or signs of rust through.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=MFhsZWZTblF6U0JQY3VjS3pZMlo2M292TEc0dEN3



Is there any reason for the soil to moist around the bottom of the pipe other than rust through (condensation, a leak in one spot following the slope?

Is there a good way to test for leaks? There is no test 't' downstream. I have a toilet up and I may run a garden hose and then make the crawl today.

I did replace a combo wye that was not pitched and was able to push my probe through the pipe from the inside. I am guessing too much standing water.. The pipes in question appear to be pitched well.

Thanks for your replies..

 

[Plumber69]

If it dont stink and works leave it

 

[Sponsor]

 

[DIYorBust]

Run water through it and see what happens. A waste line would probably smell if rusted out, and CI should still have a lot of life in it at 50 years in my opinion. Can't tell much from the photo, could be a leak at on of your couplings, could be condensation, could be something dripping on top of it. It's probably OK on the ground but if you can't address the moisture issue I'd consider trying to dig it out a little to extend it's life.

 

[Reach4]

Set a plastic container in the sand nearby. Let it sit for a week. When you lift the container, is the sand that was covered now moist? If so, ....

 

[Rocknroj]

Set a plastic container in the sand nearby. Let it sit for a week. When you lift the container, is the sand that was covered now moist? If so, ....

Thanks for the replies.. I would rather not work on that mess. I will try the container on the sand idea..

It kinda stinks down there.. Already fixed a bunch of leaks and improper repairs. Think the previous owner had a long history of backups and standing water in the pipes. The exit pipe from the septic tank was broken so the tank constantly filled up and backed up into the pipes from a leaky toilet. The 3" CI extends under ground and under the foundation where it connects to a plastic line to the new tank.

The soil in the area does have a lot of moisture and outside the foundation the pipe also had moisture below it.. Perhaps its physics and i will do some more testing.

Both the toilet flanges are mouted too high, and one is out of position,( a lovely 11 1/2 inches from the wall). neither are supported of course, the cutouts are too large, and yes $#it does flow uphill. So some replacement needed.

I will put up some better pics when my back is up to the crawl.

 

[Reach4]

a lovely 11 1/2 inches from the wall

That part is nearly ideal. A lot of toilets would fit nicely. The other stuff is not so nice.

 

[NDL]

I am not a plumber, nor am I a tradesperson, so my advice might not be at the level of what others post. That said, in my experience, I have painted CI with white rustoleum. A fresh coat of paint, and a week or two usage, will quickly point to any issues (if there are any).

 

[Terry]

Eventually cast will rust out. It's not a forever thing. How long yours will last, I don't know. I have seen cast that is good for many decades, and I've pulled out cast that was just literary gone. Not imaginary gone. But like real gone man!

 

[Sylvan]

Reason the CI is "Gone" is poor installation is to blame . Such as

1- Using standard weight as opposed to XH

2- No placing the piping on clean fill

3- Having the CI exposed to chemicals

4- Caustic fumes eating the upper part away . Normally from lack of proper venting

5- Lack of preventive maintenance .. Installed and totally forgotten about for 60 years

 

[Rocknroj]

Reason the CI is "Gone" is poor installation is to blame . Such as

1- Using standard weight as opposed to XH

2- No placing the piping on clean fill

3- Having the CI exposed to chemicals

4- Caustic fumes eating the upper part away . Normally from lack of proper venting

5- Lack of preventive maintenance .. Installed and totally forgotten about for 60 years

Thanks for the response.. A couple questions..

where would I find the pipe grade stamp?? I have replaced some 2" stuff but none of the 3" and have it laying out in the yard.

what would constitute clean fill.. these pipes are just layed in the dirt,, kind of a sandy dirt mix.. no efforts made to bed the pipe something else. Its marysville wa dirt.

pretty sure little or no maintenance done on this place..its was an old guys estate.. Fixes that were attempted made things worse. I will put some before and after pics up soon showing what I have done so far.. The top part of the pipe where it exits the foundation appears to have some corrosive rust bubbles on the top. This was a few feet from the old , non-functioning, septic tank... lines up with item#4.

The place now has a new tank,. a new drainfield, new abs to the kitchen and laundry, new shower drain and new tub drain.. all that stuff was leaking or defective.. the old septic tank was constantly filled up and backing up into the drain system cuz the leach field connection was broken. don't know how many years this went on.

with all the work I have done and taking the baths down to the subfloor would be a shame to have to come back and revisit this a few years down the road.. The flip side is about 20" from the ground to the bottom of the floor joists makes it hard for a tall man like me to work..

gonna dive under there again today and dig around to see what I find..

 

[Sylvan]

Any manufacturing "stamps" would be long gone