Check out some similar questions!

mechanickid · Oct 27, 2008, 05:20 PM

Hello again everyone,

Ok so I have had this problem for a while now, but I'm not sure if it's the waste stack leaking or maybe its condensation during the summer, because there only seams to be water on the floor in the summer, but not always, and its not anything among a puddle, it looks like sweat, its just a dampness, and I can never see a drip. Anyway I was doing some laundry and noticed some goo looking substance on the waste stack at a fititng. See pictures...

Any ideas as to what's going on here? Also the concrete has been breaking around that second pipe for about a year now and I don't know why? Any ideas for all of this,
Is my waste stack leaking? What's this new substance on the fittings?

Thanks

ballengerb1 · Oct 27, 2008, 06:18 PM

Looks like a leak to me and I also think your drain is partiallly clogged after this lead connection. You are getting some back pressure here so the water reaches the cast faster than it can pass. The only way this spot would condense is if cold standing water was back there but the whole pipe would also sweat then. You should clean it and seal with caulk or relead if you have the equipment, I don't. The clog must be rodded, can you easily open the copper to cast connection?

mechanickid · Oct 27, 2008, 07:54 PM

Sorry I meant condensation from water supply pipes which go up through the wall right next to this...

But what could the clog be caused by? There isn't a leak at the sanitary t connection only up here ( at least not that I saw)

ballengerb1 · Oct 27, 2008, 08:17 PM

To eliminated the possible sweat just dry the area and then wrap the supply pipe to isolate it from sweating, I thinks it really is a leak. Now why not at the tee, well the tee has not failed so even a back up won't spill out. The Wye has failed and a back up can spill out. You can't heat poured lead in place once it has cooled. You can caulk it or dig out the lead and oakum. I don't even have the equipment to pour lead anymore so you probably don't either. Caulking may appear to fix the outward problem but there is likely still a partial clog that will only get worse. Time to rod, where is your first good access point. Could be the toilet above.

massplumber2008 · Oct 28, 2008, 03:52 AM

Hi Brian...

Touch this stuff with your fingers Brian... is it sticky? If it's sticky then it may just be some oil surfacing up from the oakum under the lead rings. Oakum has an oily substance that helps to pack it in tight and is water repellent as well.

May be capillary action going on here... where two surfaces come together and create an area where liquid (oil in this case) climbs the area between the two surfaces (cast iron pipe and lead ring).

Hard to say on the concrete...

Anyway, see if this stuff is sticky... let me know...

MARK

speedball1 · Oct 28, 2008, 05:56 AM

Touch this stuff with your fingers Brian... is it sticky? If it's sticky then it may just be some oil surfacing up from the oakum under the lead rings. Oakum has an oily substance that helps to pack it in tight and is water repellent as well.
May be capillary action going on here... where two surfaces come together and create an area where liquid (oil in this case) climbs the area between the two surfaces (cast iron pipe and lead

Mark may be on to something here. Over the years due to small vibration and shrinkage the poured lead joints can, and do, pull apart. Does this mean that you have to make a new lead and oakum joint? No! I simply means that you will have to rent a set of inside and outside caulking irons,(see image Nos. 4 & 5) and recaulk the joints. All you have to do is lightly run the irons over the joint to reseal it.(see image) Good luck and thanks for rating my reply, Tom

mechanickid · Oct 28, 2008, 09:31 AM

Yes this is extreamly stickey, also today it seams to look dryer today? Maybe its just the lighting...

So I am to reculk?

Thanks

speedball1 · Oct 28, 2008, 11:26 AM

so I am to reculk?

Yes! I would recaulklightly all the joints you see moisture and discoloration on or around. Good luck, Tom

massplumber2008 · Oct 28, 2008, 06:26 PM

Yeah Brian...

Tom said it, "Recaulk the joints LIGHTLY"... wear goggles for safety sake... ;)

Let us know if this improves things...

MARK

ballengerb1 · Oct 28, 2008, 06:58 PM

Mark and Tom, do you think , like me, that he may also have some back oressure due to a partial clog? Could not think of another reason for water to run up hill.

mechanickid · Oct 28, 2008, 07:49 PM

Is there any kind of blunt object that I can use for this? Haha

massplumber2008 · Oct 29, 2008, 04:11 AM

Bob...

I see what you are talking about, but I think the floor issue may have more to do with the FURNACE on the right in one of the pictures... (Brian... is that a forced air furnace to the right of the pipe?).

I also see some work got done at the foundation (at least looks like a patch in foundation) and could be that work has been done on pipes above the copper pipe... or could be a leak at the copper/cast joint and we can't see it.

In terms of partial blockage... hard to say... Brian isn't complaining about any clogging/burping/bubbling fixtures and is not noticing anything obvious like discharge from pipe beyond what he has confirmed... a STICKY, OILY substance. I see this substance on old cast all the time in Boston's older homes and they are not really leaks as much as oil seeping up from oakum.

Brian...best bet would be to get an inside and outside caulking iron for this job... I think Home depot will have them for about$10.00 each. You don't want to use wrong tool and CRACk a cast iron hub here... ;) That would not make you happy!

Let us know what you can Brian...

Talk later guys...

MARK

mechanickid · Oct 29, 2008, 05:58 AM

Yes that is a Forced air furnace, but its brand new, its not leaked, the water comes from the pipes, not all the time though, the patchwork was there since we have owned the home and its allmost like its falling apart because of water, but there has never been a lot of water on the floor. Oh and this is a quad level home, the pipe that goes into the wall is for a lower level bathroom, that wall is only aprox 4ft.

The coper cast joint has a lot of oxidation and build up, but does not appear to be leaking, the shower is extreamly slow and all efforts have not worked to fix it, toilet flushes fine and the sink works fine.

Anything else?

massplumber2008 · Oct 29, 2008, 04:36 PM

Brian... your original question asked about the substance on pipe... think we got that one figured here... ;)

Now the water on the floor that doesn't puddle up but you see moisture but never from the pipes... right? Possible it's ground water seeping up? Look outside and see if gutters are up against house in this area and if so then you may want to divert flow away from home.

The new furnace has not leaked.. but I'll bet the old furnace or the old condensation pump leaked/failed... explains stains on floor coming from the furnace area anyway...

The shower drain pipe is a 2 inch pipe... what pipe does the shower pipe connect into... the copper pipe or the cast iron pipe? Have you tried to snake the drain line yet?

Back to you...

mechanickid · Oct 29, 2008, 06:20 PM

Yes I did try to snake it, and actually now that I think about it I don't think it drains into the coper pipe, but I can't get the snake past the bend in the p trap, it was a previous question,

I don't see moisture on the pipes but I can see the stains on the drywall from above where the pipes run