In my bungalow, I would like to rotate a 4" cast iron "Y" 180 degrees, which is inserted on a verticle wet/dry vent. Can this be done by heating the lead and turning the "Y" in the position required. All the walls have been removed to remodel the bathroom. So I can use leverage to turn the "Y"

Thanks

Luc

Hey luc,

I can use leverage to turn the "Y" And that's just how I'd get that sucker turned. Take a long chunk of 2 X 4 and place it in the branch of the wye. Now, with a series of small, bouncy pushes and pulls ,( don't try to muscle it over, you'll crack the cast iron.) After a few bounces the lead joint should begin o loosen and the fitting will start to give. Keep it up until you have it in the desired position.
You now have the wye in the place where you want it but you have loosed the lead joint. You will have to rent a set of inside and outside caulking irons,(see image) and lightly began to recaulk the lead joint. It won't take much, simply tap around both the inside and outside of the joint. Good luck, Tom

Hey luc,
And that's just how I'd get that sucker turned. Take a long chunk of 2 X 4 and place it in the branch of the wye. Now, with a series of of small, bouncy pushes and pulls ,( don't try to muscle it over, you'll crack the cast iron.) After a few bounces the lead joint should begin o loosen and the fitting will start to give. Keep it up until you have it in the desired position.
You now have the wye in the place where you want it but you have loosed the lead joint. You will have to rent a set of inside and outside caulking irons,(see image) and lightly began to recaulk the lead joint. It won't take much, simply tap around both the inside and outside of the joint. Good luck, Tom

Thanks Tom...

I needed to hear this. Can I ask you 1 more thing? Would you heat the lead before turning the "wye" and would it be a good idea to heat again once it in place.

Thanks Again

Luc

Would you heat the lead before turning the "wye" and would it be a good idea to heat again once it in place. I have never needed to heat up a lead joint to turn it. The first few minutes of pulling and pushing on it will loosen the joint. After that it will began to give a little. No heat,just recaulk the lead joint after you get it turned. Good luck, Tom

I have never needed to heat up a lead joint to turn it. The first few minutes of pulling and pushing on it will loosen the joint. After that it will began to give a little. No heat,just recaulk the lead joint after you get it turned. Good luck, Tom

Great...

Promise this is my last question!! Can you take a look at this picture I took, and let me know if the vent stack is required... I would love to remove, to make more room.

Luchttp://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr236/Joanneluc/Drain.jpg

What is that smaller pipe on the left, anything draining into it? Most vent stacks must remain, they were installed for a reason unless you are removing all the drains in this part of the home. Also what is above that vent stack?

let me know if the vent stack is required Doesn't look liike a "vent stack" to me. What you have looks like a working stack vent to me with fixtures draining into it from above. Here's another little bit of bad news. What ever fixture you pick up with that wye will have to be vented out the roof or revented back in to a existing dry vent. By the way. Stack vent= a stack that carries the drainage from other fixtures. A vent stack= the portion of the stack vent that's above the highest fixture and is dry. This is the stack that exits out the roof. Good luck, Tom

What is that smaller pipe on the left, anything draining into it? Most vent stacks must remain, they were installed for a reason unless you are removing all the drains in this part of the home. Also what is above that vent stack?

The pipe on the left was sink drain, that I am removing. This is a bungalow (vent runs to inside attic and is attached to stack. Once the "Y" is turned, it will be used to drain washing machine. So do you think this new drain will need venting, since the main stack is a vent?

Since you have it all exposed is there any reason why not to replace what you can with PVC?

Since you have it all exposed is there any reason why not to replace what you can with PVC?

I thought about that... but there is more then meets the eye, in the attic all the vents are connected to the main stack, and money is an issue also.

I have removed the cast iron pipe down to the floor(see photo) with rubber type coupling, I reinstalled a new abs stack. The new abs meets the cast iron at the floor. Now I have a bit of a leak. I see a small hair line crack down the cast iron pipe. Since it would be a very big job to remove the remainder of the cast iron, my question is... is there some type of coupling that would be long enough to cover the part that is cracked.

Joanneluc...

Photo missing..?

Is this pipe accessible from underneath?

There is no coupling that will help here if I understand your situation. That crack is a longitudinal crack and could go down the length of the pipe for any unknown distance. You will need to access that 4" cast from below and make a new cut into the pipe below the crack.

Use sawzall with diamond or graphite blades to make this cut.

Then you can install the washing machine into a 4"x2" sanitary tee fitting off the vent stack as there are no other fixtures that drain into this pipe from above... right? If that is the case, the 4" will act as the vent for the washer. It is OK if other vents connect into this vent stack from above.

Let us know if I understood this...

MARK

Joanneluc...

Photo missing...??

Is this pipe accessible from underneath??

There is no coupling that will help here if I understand your situation. That crack is a longitudinal crack and could go down the length of the pipe for any unknown distance. You will need to access that 4" cast from below and make a new cut into the pipe below the crack.

Use sawzall with diamond or graphite blades to make this cut.

Then you can install the washing machine into a 4"x2" sanitary tee fitting off the vent stack as there are no other fixtures that drain into this pipe from above...right?? If that is the case, the 4" will act as the vent for the washer. It is OK if other vents connect into this vent stack from above.

Let us know if I understood this...

MARK


Your right... it is a longitudinal crack... it start from where I cut the pipe and runs about 6 inches below and stops. It doesn't actually leak, but the crack becomes wet, when washer is draining. No water runs out of the crack. This part of the pipe is about 12 inches long, sitting in the hub below the floor, and cannot be accessed. If the coupling that I installed there, attaching cast iron and abs, was longer, it would probably seal the problem. Any suggestions?

Thanks Mark

That crack will only get bigger due to temp. fluctuations over time. They simply don't make longer clamp.

Best will probably be to drill out the old lead and remove the oakum and cast iron pipe ans then install new fitting/pipe into hub and PLASTIC LEAD the pipe in place.

Let me know if this is something you need more info. On...

MARK