I need a plumber! How do you fix this?

[kbeefy]

Found water leaking under the upstairs bathroom.

The shower drain Tee's into what I believe is a vent on it's way to the main outflow line. It was put together with a ****** and a 2" rubber coupler. The ****** has rusted away to nothing and the drain line isn't connected anymore.

Unless theres some other way to connect this, I guess I need to replace the Tee that has the corroded off ****** in it.







How the heck do you do this? Cut it out I suppose?



If I cut the horizontal ******, I'm still not sure I'll have enough room to remove the Tee from the Vent line with that water line right next to it.

 

[Beerhippie]

See that copper water line in your first pic? That what caused the problem--galvanic corrosion. Steel pipe--galvy or not--always loses that fight.

That's a classic "plumber was here" job. Got a floor joist in the way? Chop it out! There's plenty of them!

You have a hell of a challenge there. The only visible union is that one above the p-trap for the bathtub/shower(?)--the brass tube. You may have to keep following the line back to where you come across a proper union, then start unscrewing your way back to where you are--or remove the tub/shower. Someone put it together--there is a way to take it apart. Cutting where you can use a Firnco (rubber fitting) might be one answer.

Re-plumb with plastic--whatever code allows (ABS around here). That way, you won't need to replace that section again. Save money--the problem you have there is the tip of the iceberg.

You should do something to shore up that chopped joist while you're at it.

 

[kbeefy]

You have a hell of a challenge there. The only visible coupling is that one above the p-trap for the bathtub/shower(?)--the brass tube. You may have to keep following the line back to where you come across a proper coupling, then start unscrewing your way back to where you are--or remove the tub/shower. Someone put it together--there is a way to take it apart. Cutting where you can use a Firnco (rubber fitting) might be one answer.

Wifey does want a bathroom remodel... not really good timing, but it rarely is.

 

[Beerhippie]

Wifey does want a bathroom remodel... not really good timing, but it rarely is.

Sigh. Well, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

The "plumber" who installed that system (I use the term loosely) had zero shits to give for the plumber that would have to fix it. When you re-plumb, think about the fact that it will eventually have to be fixed in place without a bathroom remodel. Unions are cheap insurance.

The more of the galvanized pipe you can eliminate the better--it's all compromised. PEX for water lines, ABS or PVC for drain/vent.

 

[cgrutt]

What is above the corroded section in wall/ceiling. Hard to see. Can you remove/cut the corroded section out and get a fernco coupling on what's left of the pipe?



ETA oh I see it now. Can you find a fernco that fits around outside of that iron T?

 

[firebirdparts]

Anyway, that's a mess, but the good news is that plastic is easy to put back in. You don't have to screw everything together.

 

[Superbowl]

What is surprising is that you still have all those galvanized supply pipes still in use. In this day and age usually those have rusted up so much internally that they have been replaced due to little or no water flow.

The galvanized drain lines that old also are so rough and restricted inside that clogs start to become common. All that iron pipe really needs replacement.

 

[Beerhippie]

The corrosion is in the drains.

Any pipe that is electrically bonded to the copper will corrode. All it takes is a single conductive path between the two--like a steel or CI bathtub or SS sink. Anything that has a pipe connected and uses electricity is also a bond through the ground wire.

If you look long and hard, you'll almost always find an electrical bond between any two pipes in the building.

This is why dieletric unions rarely work. Just not having copper and galvy in direct contact doesn't change anything if they're bonded elsewhere. Don't even get me started on the old plumber's tale about brass fittings....

 

[kbeefy]

What is above the corroded section in wall/ceiling. Hard to see. Can you remove/cut the corroded section out and get a fernco coupling on what's left of the pipe?


ETA oh I see it now. Can you find a fernco that fits around outside of that iron T?

Is that a thing? That would make things alot easier, I thought that I needed to replace the Tee.

Anyways, I cut the ****** but can't get it to unscrew. The pipe is starting to deform from the pipe wrench.
Next step might be cutting above the tee and trying to use rubber couplers to hook it back up.

 

[Beerhippie]

Is that a thing? That would make things alot easier, I thought that I needed to replace the Tee.

Anyways, I cut the ****** but can't get it to unscrew. The pipe is starting to deform from the pipe wrench.
Next step might be cutting above the tee and trying to use rubber couplers to hook it back up.

Pipes with that much corrosion will generally crumble before they unscrew.

 

[Fav Onefour]

Bummer deal.
I don't see a quick fix that will last. I'd also bet that any fitting you start twisting will eventually get one down the line. Hope the vent stack is still solid. I just replaced a galvanized cottage cheese drain line. It looked ok until I touched anything with a wrench. I planned on reusing the existing stack and that ****** popped a fitting loose in the attic.
In my case, someone somewhere along the line had done repairs with ABS and fernco. Those were fine. It was the remaining 60 feet of drain and vent line that I had to replace. (Three tall stories and a horizontal.)

BTW, If you plan on touching the supply lines, might as well replace those back to good pipe as well. I already see evidence that will create issues down the road.

I'm all for getting the quickest results possible on project like that one. I also know that I've been bit in the boinger way too many times. You might get this repair done with gum and hope but the next failure will be a doozy and those never happen when it's convenient.

 

[cgrutt]

Is that a thing? That would make things alot easier, I thought that I needed to replace the Tee.

Anyways, I cut the ****** but can't get it to unscrew. The pipe is starting to deform from the pipe wrench.
Next step might be cutting above the tee and trying to use rubber couplers to hook it back up.

They make them in all different sizes your best bet is to take some measurements and see if something will work. I don't think any plumber would say thats a good way to go about it but might buy you some more time. Believe they even make flexible (rubber) tees if you need to cut old one off at threads the flexible one would fit over whats left of the pipe.

 

[SweetD]

I'm no plumber, but I do watch a lot of plumbing videos on YouTube ...when in doubt, cut it out (and cut it back), and go back with PVC. Can you access that run from another area and replace "more of it" so it's not so tight to work on in that spot?

 

[welder4956]

Is that a thing? That would make things alot easier, I thought that I needed to replace the Tee.

Anyways, I cut the ****** but can't get it to unscrew. The pipe is starting to deform from the pipe wrench.
Next step might be cutting above the tee and trying to use rubber couplers to hook it back up.

Don't be trying to unscrew the corroded pipe. Find a straight section long enough to accept a Fernco rubber coupling and cut it there. Replace missing pieces with PVC or ABS and attach to existing steel pipe with Fernco couplings. Cut steel pipe using a sawzall with metal cutting blade (18T or 24T). It doesn't look like there's enough room for a grinder with cutoff wheel and you don't want sparks anyway with all that wood.

 

[T444e]

If you can cut the vent line below the floor, I'd build it back to the tub drain with PVC, or ABS (the black plastic pipe you have) and get rid of the cast iron P-trap. If better access, I'd open the wall and cut the vent pipe above the floor.

 

[BurtEggley]

I see more rust and pipes on the way to failure in the photo. A plumber may not warranty their work, or even guarantee that trying to repair it won't make it substantially worse. As others have written, When copper and galvanized or steel are joined, the galvanized / steel looses. Electrolysys will eat pin holes in the galvanized / steel lines.

 

[mikegt4]

Another vote for replacing as much as you can with plastic. Note that the "tee" in the red square (and some other photos) is not an ordinary tee, it's a sanitary tee to help flow at the vent, required by code.

 

[whateg01]

A rusted tee prompted me to rip out a bunch more CI that was a pita to deal with. All ABS now. And while I was in there, let's remodel the bathroom. It's almost done! (I've been saying that for about 3 years now...)

 

[DaveAndStuff]

I would likely try to eliminate most of the GA drain in the photo, but will a 3" PVC coupler or reducer not fit over that T with the help of a hair dryer?

 

[kbeefy]

I found a rubber coupler that fits the Tee nicely. I wish I would have looked before chopping the ****** in half. Now I have to deal with that as well.

I realize the correct fix is to gut the house and re-plumb without iron/galv, but that ain't happening.

Seems I have PCV Cement but not ABS. Another trip to the hardware store in the morning...

 

[danfromsyr]

Found water leaking under the upstairs bathroom.

The shower drain Tee's into what I believe is a vent on it's way to the main outflow line. It was put together with a ****** and a 2" rubber coupler. The ****** has rusted away to nothing and the drain line isn't connected anymore.

Unless theres some other way to connect this, I guess I need to replace the Tee that has the corroded off ****** in it.







How the heck do you do this? Cut it out I suppose?



If I cut the horizontal ******, I'm still not sure I'll have enough room to remove the Tee from the Vent line with that water line right next to it.

 

[danfromsyr]

I found a rubber coupler that fits the Tee nicely. I wish I would have looked before chopping the ****** in half. Now I have to deal with that as well.

I realize the correct fix is to gut the house and re-plumb without iron/galv, but that ain't happening.

Seems I have PCV Cement but not ABS. Another trip to the hardware store in the morning...

Ohh it's happening.. right now..

piece by piece every random 16months.

 

[danfromsyr]

gut/cut the pipes back to a workable space and rebuild the junction.

if not
HydroNYC has some great shorts that show his techniques

HydroNYC

Welcome to HydroNYC’s Plumbing Chronicles. This is plumbing with a twist. Email: [email protected]

www.youtube.com

 

[pbon]

I would take this opportunity to fix everything in that photo properly rather than continue kludging **** together and kicking the can down the road.

 

[four.cycle]

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the OP for providing me one more incentive to empty this house and get out of here before these old galvanized pipes shut down completely.
I wish you the best of luck, sir.

 

[BurtEggley]

is that an old cloth covered electrical rubbing on the galvanized pipe?

 

[kbeefy]

is that an old cloth covered electrical rubbing on the galvanized pipe?

It is cloth covered wire, this house is 65 years old and full of it.

It's only touching because I had to pull it up and out of the way to get some other things out. I've routed it clear of the pipes now.

It'd be nice if it was above the plumbing.

 

[kbeefy]

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the OP for providing me one more incentive to empty this house and get out of here before these old galvanized pipes shut down completely.
I wish you the best of luck, sir.

Thanks, we are listing this place for sale next spring.

 

[whateg01]

Thanks, we are listing this place for sale next spring.

I would probably go ahead and fix a bunch of that so you aren't dinged by the next buyer because they'll "have to pay a plumber $10k to fix it right after they buy it"

 

[four.cycle]

Nope. This dump is being sold AS IS, baby.
Nobody cares about what shape the house is in.
They can expand this dwelling unit "on the existing footprint",
AND they can put TWO ADU's in the back yard.
$850K cash and it's yours.

 

[PoorUB]

No help from me, but I look at the pictures, see all that galvanized pipe and want to just blow up the house and replace it all.

 

[Innovate1]

If you can cut the vent line below the floor, I'd build it back to the tub drain with PVC, or ABS (the black plastic pipe you have) and get rid of the cast iron P-trap. If better access, I'd open the wall and cut the vent pipe above the floor.

I haven't read all the comments but this is what I would do. I'm guessing the vent pipe is supported farther up or it would have fallen already. Cut the tee from the vent line and replace the tee and trap with plastic using a fernco to join the plastic to vent line. Copper to galvanized is an issue too as others have noted.

 

[danfromsyr]

looks like the plumber was Dr Seuss

but the Drs aren't as convoluted

 

[MT800]

In the words of Hunter S Thompson, "My advice is to start drinking heavily".
I am sorry to see that mess.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

 

[Cobra5150]

In the words of Hunter S Thompson, "My advice is to start drinking heavily".
I am sorry to see that mess.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

I think that was Bluto

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

I'm not a plumber and I'm opening myself to my ignorance on the subject. If money isn't in the equation, why isn't copper used anymore? I can understand that pex will be easier to install. With that set aside, which is better?

 

[Beerhippie]

I'm not a plumber and I'm opening myself to my ignorance on the subject. If money isn't in the equation, why isn't copper used anymore? I can understand that pex will be easier to install. With that set aside, which is better?

PEX doesn't break when frozen, nor does it crack from repeated heat/cool stress. I've never encountered any situation where money is no object, and PEX is not only cheaper to buy, but MUCH cheaper to run.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

PEX doesn't break when frozen, nor does it crack from repeated heat/cool stress. I've never encountered any situation where money is no object, and PEX is not only cheaper to buy, but MUCH cheaper to run.

Fair enough.

 

[rawen2]

I'd worry about rodents chewing PEX in a crawl space compared to copper.

 

[Beerhippie]

I'd worry about rodents chewing PEX in a crawl space compared to copper.

Well, let's see: PEX has only been around for, what, about thirty years? Forty?

From the rash of You Tube videos and on-line rants about rodents eating PEX... oh, wait, there aren't any.