I thought that this rubber cap would stretch enough to fit. Time to get creative and apply my shop capabilities to fabricate a durable transition to this non-pressurized piping application.I found they had a Fernco 3” rubber cap that has an i.d. NO WAY in that severely restricted space was I going to fire-up a screaming hot high output blowtorch!At the local home center I could not find a stock way to make the transition from the cast iron hub to the PVC. The other way would be to use a blowtorch to melt out the lead and dig out the oakum packing so that I could insert a rubber bushing. There appeared to be no possibility of cutting off the sewer pipe hub and then using a rubber reducer to mate up with 1 ½” PVC pipe. Fun Eh?I decided to buy a cheap Sawzall clone so I could cut the rotted pipe off flush with the hub of the 4” sewer pipe buried in the ground. Clearance? About 2 inches off your chest while laying on your back and about 6 inches wider than my shoulders… When you get in as far as possible, my legs are still in the tunnel. Well, there is access as long as you are willing to insert your torso in a 4 ft long tunnel under the duct work and between brick foundation piers. Inaccessible because duct work had been installed years later with total disregard for cutting off access to the plumbing. There is no space high enough to sit upright under the floor joists anywhere, much less where I needed to work. Where? In the most inaccessible part of a crawl space, really slither space, under a 64 year old house. Support the PVC/ cast iron better with some straps.īut if the cut ends hidden by the current rubber couplings aren't square, they may need recutting, which is another story.Maybe you will find this entertaining.Here was my dilemma… 2” Cast iron drain piping to a seldom used bathtub was found to have rusted out completely. Slip the pipe into place, unfold the rubber couplings onto the PVC pipe, move the shield/clamps into place, tighten to 60 in lbs. Put the cast iron end of the new rubber portion of the couplings onto the cast iron pipes fold the PVC end back over itself. Slide the shields from the new couplings onto the PVC. Loosen the existing clamps, fold the rubber couplings back over themselves so the PVC can come free, remove the old couplings. Then if the cast iron end cuts are square, and if the PVC pipe is cut to the correct length (distance between cast iron ends - 1/4" or 3/8", I would say), it is straightforward: If you want to replace them yourself, you'll want a 60 in-lbs torque wrench. Above grade couplings should be stiff, and thus they are shielded but only 2" long (I guess because that's enough engagement when no motion is expected?) So they are generally 4" long, and available shielded or unshielded. Is the right kind of coupling being used? Should I add another band clamp in the middle to try to smooth out the join? Should I maybe try to force the PVC side to be slightly higher using straps or a wedged board underneath?īelow grade couplings are generally fully supported by earth, and it may be desirable to have some flexibility to accommodate shifting support, or it may be desirable to be stiff. Can this be considered normal? My sense is that at the right-hand joint (see 2nd picture), the pvc is sagging down ever so slightly which might be generating more of a lip. My suspicion is that waste may still accumulate at the pipe join, but not enough to actually clog. However, every once in a while, I sense an ammonia-like smell by the pipe that seems to go away by flushing the toilet a couple of times. We let this sit for over a year without reinstalling the ceiling and have noticed no leaking. A second plumber addressed this by cutting the PVC pipe more accurately so there was less of a gap where the pipe joins the cast iron. After a couple of years, we had another leak apparently caused by the fernco couplings not being water tight and a clog starting at one of the joints. The plumber cut out the rotted part and replaced with a length of PVC. I had a plumbing leak a few years ago caused by a rotted cast iron pipe.
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