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Posted by blueman on August 8, 2008, 10:51 am
letterman@invalid.com writes:
> On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 03:46:18 -0700 (PDT), Mikepier
>
>>> Our cast iron waste line dates back to 1895!!!!
>>> We have replaced all the waste lines in the house with new PVC except
>>> for the short stub that goes through the foundation wall (and
>>> continues out deep underneath our yard to the street main sewer pipe).
>>>
>>> However, the stub which consists of about 1 foot of cast iron pipe and
>>> a cast iron hub has extensive rust on the inside along with some
>>> visible on the outside. There also appears to be at least one hairline
>>> crack running through the hub with some evidence of (minor) past
>>> leakage. During our 4 years of owning the house, we haven't seen any
>>> leakage (or blockages for that matter).
>>>
>>> Due to the expense of excavating the yard, we would like to avoid
>>> replacing the pipe for as long as possible. I know that some firms can
>>> put an epoxy condom in the pipe but that also is not cheap.
>>>
>>> Is there any stop-gap way to "strengthen" the pipe to prevent it from
>>> cracking (or leaking further)? Can anything be done to minimize or
>>> impede further rusting?
>>>
>>> I was thinking of something like:
>>> - Use a steel brush (or wheel) to remove the exterior rust and help
>>> identify location of hairline cracks.
>>> - Fill cracks (and other suspect areas) with JB Weld expoxy.
>>> - Spray on Rustoleum primer for heavy-rusted metal
>>> - Spray on topcoat of white paint (mostly cosmetic here)
>>>
>>> Will the above work/help to prolong the life of the remaining cast
>>> iron pipe and lessen the risk of a more catastrophic crack developing
>>> out of the hairline crack?
>>>
>>> Any other suggestions?
>>
>>If it aint broke, don't fix it. In fact the more you putz with it, the
>>more likely something will happen.
>>If the hairline crack does start to leak, you can try JB Weld or
>>similiar.
>
> Well, if this was mine, I would fix the crack NOW. Yes, JB weld will
> do the job. Use an angle grinder with wire wheel, then use an
> abrasive disk on the crack itself to remove any crud and get it to
> bare metal. Rather than rustoleum paint, I think I'd coat it with
> automotive undercoating, which is a tar based product that will dry
> and not remain sticky.
>
> It's probablyu not leaking from crud in the crack, but it will
> eventually leak. JB Weld is good stuff.
I did pretty much the above. Actually after using a wire wheel chucked
in my drill, the exterior of the pipe cleaned up really nice with much
less rust or pitting than I had expected - looks like new except for a
single hairline crack running from the hub back down the pipe about 6
inches.
I then sanded, cleaned with alcahol and applied a wide thin bead of JB
Weld. I covered with several coats of Rustoleum "Heavy Rust" primer
(it's what I had around) and topcoated with some almond spray paint
(matched what was on the rest of the pipe).
So far looks good and hopefully will be some added insurance against
spreading of the crack or leaking in the future.
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