A few months ago, water started seeping through my downstairs bathroom wall whenever the upstairs shower was being used. After cutting into my bathroom wall, we found that the cast iron waste pipe was installed inside the wall and had a 6 inch vertical crack in it. The crack is on a 5 foot piece of pipe located between the 1st and 2nd floor. Can this portion be replaced by PVC? If so, how do you get the cast iron pipe out without the top portion falling down? Does the top portion have to be braced somehow?

Any suggestions would be helpful!

Thanks!

You have options here. If you can put pressure around the crack and not have the pipe crumble and if the crack's not too large then you might be able to repair the crack with a metal bonding product such as J-B Weld. If not you will have to rent a set of cast iron ratchet cutters and cut out the bad poice. Before that you will have to brace the cast iron above the cut with a raiser clamp,(see image) which can be picked up at any plumbing shop. Place the clamp on the pipe before you make the cuts and prop that clamp up with a couple of bumper jacks. Hey! Nobody said it was going to be easy. Once the bad piece is cut out cut a piece of PVC a 1/4 inch shorter then the opening. Install the PVC using two banded couplings,(see image) Good luck, Tom

Thanks Tom! The pipe didn't crumble when we applied pressure, so we are going to try the easy route and try the JB Weld first! I'll let you know how we make out tomorrow!