my house is about 95 yrs. old in northeastern pennsylvania, my sewer pipe is large and black, can you tell me what material it's made of? i can't tell if its cast iron, or cement, etc. Where there are connections, at the joints, it seems to be rusting. can i patch or paint this? thanks, m.h. near scranton, pa.. usa

The WB

I think those old pipes are iron. I wouldn't worry about the rust right now unless you see cracks or they show signs of leakage. Yes, you should be able to sand the rust off and paint them.

speedball1

Wb gave you good advice. In a house that old the sewer pipes are cast iron in the house and terra-cotta outside. Some rust is normal in cast iron pipes that age. regards, tom