Hello,

My mom lives in a pre-1900 house with add-ons built in the 1940's. The plumbing was added sometime after the 1940s additions. The kitchen sink when she moved in was from the 50s. The plumber she hired just scratched his head and did patch-up jobs, and the plumbers she's called since don't want to touch it due to its age. This winter was the final straw as the temps dropped low enough that the pipe that passes through the old stone foundation cracked (looks like the crack may have been there some time as there was old electrical tape wrapped around the junction from iron pipe to pvc).

What I'm looking to do is just remove out the sink she had installed, and replace it with a single drain sink (she doesn't have a disposal, and for some time when she'd try and plunge the one sink the waste water would just pass to the next sink). Where I'm stumped is the pipe in the foundation. What is the best method to replace something like that?
Thanks for any help.

To first replace the pipe you have to remove it. Can you do this? What material is the pipe? Cast iron? Galvanized? Other? I would tear out all the old piping and replace with PVC. Why wouldn't you want Mom to have a double compartment sink? That's our normal installation. Good luck, Tom

I think that the pipe that is mortared into the foundation is cast iron. It is difficult to tell as it is almost entirely corroded under the electrical tape. I may have to chip out the mortar around the pipe in order to remove it.
She is thinking about a single compartment sink as she has had nothing but difficulty with the two double-compartment sinks (the original which was dual compartment but was only plumbed on one side, and the sink which she replaced the original).

Quote:

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the original which was dual compartment but was only plumbed on one side,

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But that's stupid and no plumber would ever install a double compartment with out connecting both tubs with a continuos waste. (see image)
As for the cast iron pipe beat it out of there and replace all the piping and trap with PVC. Good luck, Tom

Thank you Tom!