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poeda · Jan 23, 2005, 08:38 PM

1941 two-story house, working in 1st floor bathroom. While replacing a bathroom faucet, I discovered that the drain pipe going into the wall was broken in half, this is the piece behind the p-trap. The place that is broken is just behind the tile bathroom wall. I pulled one pipe half from the wall and noticed that it had some sort of chrome coating over another type of metal. I presume this to be a steel or brass drain pipe. I noticed in the basement a small leak that seemed to appear whenever someone was using the bathroom, but it wasn't until now that I found out what it is. I've put pipe dope around the pipe ends and put them together which for the very short term seems to be working (crossed fingers).

How best do I fix this? It is behind a tile wall with concrete and metal lath. The other side of the wall is the same, so I assume more than likely, I will be busting that out since there is not enough working room for a pipe wrench. This broken pipe goes into an elbow (which is rusted, btw) and from the elbow into what looks like a galvanized steel pipe (seemingly in OK shape), then into a cast iron soil stack. From the basement, I can see this elbow and piping, but it is about two feet from the basement ceiling opening, which is also only about 6 to 8 inches wide. So it looks as if there isn't enough clearance to work, unless there are some cool tools that I don't know about to do this type of work. The drain pipe from the faucet to the elbow looks to be somewhat smaller in diameter than from the elbow throw the galvanized pipe to the soil stack. Any ideas what size of pipes these are? If you can't tell, I'm pretty new at this.

TIA!!

speedball1 · Jan 24, 2005, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by poeda

1941 two-story house, working in 1st floor bathroom. While replacing a bathroom faucet, I discovered that the drain pipe going into the wall was broken in half, this is the piece behind the p-trap. The place that is broken is just behind the tile bathroom wall. I pulled one pipe half from the wall and noticed that it had some sort of chrome coating over another type of metal. I presume this to be a steel or brass drain pipe. I noticed in the basement a small leak that seemed to appear whenever someone was using the bathroom, but it wasn't until now that I found out what it is. I've put pipe dope around the pipe ends and put them together which for the very short term seems to be working (crossed fingers).

How best do I fix this? It is behind a tile wall with concrete and metal lath. The other side of the wall is the same, so I assume more than likely, I will be busting that out since there is not enough working room for a pipe wrench. This broken pipe goes into an elbow (which is rusted, btw) and from the elbow into what looks like a galvanized steel pipe (seemingly in ok shape), then into a cast iron soil stack. From the basement, I can see this elbow and piping, but it is about two feet from the basement ceiling opening, which is also only about 6 to 8 inches wide. So it looks as if there isn't enough clearance to work, unless there are some cool tools that I don't know about to do this type of work. The drain pipe from the faucet to the elbow looks to be somewhat smaller in diameter than from the elbow throw the galvanized pipe to the soil stack. Any ideas what size of pipes these are? If you can't tell, I'm pretty new at this.

TIA!!!

I'm a little confused about just exactly where the break is . In the first part of your post you describe the break as being in the horzontal line "behind" the "P" trap. This would put the break in the galvanized line going to the cast iron stack. However, later you describe a tub waste and overflow which comes out of the top of the trap and is a vertical pipe that's chrome over brass.
You post, "This broken pipe goes into an elbow (which is rusted, btw) and from the elbow into what looks like a galvanized steel pipe (seemingly in ok shape), then into a cast iron soil stack."
Is this elbo you describe part of a cast iron "P" trap? Because that's what you just described.
If the break you describe is in the vertical chrome over brass tub waste and over flow and you have a access hole behind the tub it can be replaced without tearing up the wall. But since you've described two different breaks I'm not too sure what I'm dealing with. Any way you can clear up my confusion? Cheers, Tom

poeda · Jan 24, 2005, 08:59 AM

Sorry about being so confusing. I hope this clears some of it up.

The break is in a piece of pipe behind the p-trap leading into the wall. The actual break in the pipe is just behind the wall. Inside the wall, I can see that broken pipe screwed into a rusty elbow fitting. That elbow allows a 90 degree turn which connects to another piece of pipe (probably galvanized). That galvanized pipe leads at a 20 degree or so slope to the cast iron soil stack. I can't quite see what type of connection the galvanized pipe has to the soil stack. I'm not sure what the broken pipe is made of, but when I pull it out (it is broken in two separate pieces) I can see that there are two layers of material. Layer 1, and outside chrome coating. Layer two, some other metal that the chrome coating was bonded to. It looks to me to be the same type of pipe I can buy at a hardware store for a metal drain, if I didn't opt for the plastic pipe.

speedball1 · Jan 24, 2005, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by poeda

Sorry about being so confusing. I hope this clears some of it up.

The break is in a piece of pipe behind the p-trap leading into the wall. The actual break in the pipe is just behind the wall. Inside the wall, I can see that broken pipe screwed into a rusty elbow fitting. That elbow allows a 90 degree turn which connects to another piece of pipe (probably galvanized). That galvanized pipe leads at a 20 degree or so slope to the cast iron soil stack. I can't quite see what type of connection the galvanized pipe has to the soil stack. I'm not sure what the broken pipe is made out of, but when I pull it out (it is broken in two seperate pieces) I can see that there are two layers of material. Layer 1, and outside chrome coating. Layer two, some other metal that the chrome coating was bonded to. It looks to me to be the same type of pipe I can buy at a hardware store for a metal drain, if I didn't opt for the plastic pipe.

OK! I understand a little better now. As I understand you have galvanized piping going into a cast iron "P" trap, ( How'm I doing so far? )
If this were my call I would remove the broken pipe from the threaded galvanized elbo and all the fittings up to and including the trap. I would then install a PVC male threaded adapter in the elbo and convert to PVC and hook the tub waste and over flow to the new PVC trap. More questions? I'm as close as a click. Tom

poeda · Jan 24, 2005, 11:12 AM

This is a sink faucet, not a tub, although that probably doesn't make a difference. The p-trap is made of the same chrome covered metal as the broken pipe.

You gave me a good idea with the threaded PVC, didn't know they had this. My real problem, however, is how to get the broken pipe out of the elbow. Because of where it is broken, I can't get a pipe wrench around it. It is behind a wall. I assume I will have to break out the metal lathe/concrete and tile wall to get to it. Do you also know what the most likely size of pipe this is? The plastic drain that came with the new faucet I installed fits it just fine, I'm just not sure what size it is. I will ask the guy at the hardware store when I get back to them to verify.

BTW, thanks for all the help so far!

speedball1 · Jan 24, 2005, 12:21 PM

OK! Now it makes sense. MY take is that you were stubbed out with a galvanized nipple (The broken pipe) that is most likely 1 1/4". You shouldn't hyave to open any walls. You remove broken threads from a threaded fitting by taking a small sharp chisel and CAREFULLY getting under the broken thread. Once under the thread began to pry it up and out. From there just peel it out of the elbo. Now replace with a PVC male threaded adapter and convert the rest of the way to PVC. Good luck and sorry that I was so dense. You said "bathroom faucet" and I made the wrong assumption. Tom

poeda · Jan 24, 2005, 01:19 PM

That sounds SO much easier than ripping open a concrete wall. Thanks for the advise. I'll stop by the local plumbing store to find out what kind of chisel I need and get the male threaded PVC pipe. I assume the chisel is just a small cold chisel? Or would I be better off with a small wood chisel that I wouldn't mind sacrificing?

Again, thank you so much for the tips. You've made me feel a lot better about this repair not being as hard as I thought it was going to be.

tommytman · Jan 24, 2005, 07:01 PM

Do you have enough room to get a rubber coupling on it?? Then you could go from the steel to the coupling to PVC.

poeda · Jan 25, 2005, 07:34 AM

No, unfortunately there is no room for a coupling. The break is sitting right on the conrcrete part of the wall, just behind the tile. There is about 4 inches of clearance above the pipe, two inches on each side, but no space below. If there was enough room, I would have taken a hacksaw to it and put on a coupling, then gone PVC to the sink from the coupling. Thanks for the idea, though!

speedball1 · Jan 25, 2005, 09:49 AM

I waited to see if you thought Tommys solution was easier for you. But since it's not let me tell you the way I would go about getting it out.

I would take a saws-All, (reciprocating saw) and put a metal blade long enough to reach the end of the threads. I would then make a cut through the bottom of the nipple just to the beginning of the female thread in the elbo. You may cut into the female threads a bit but this is drainage without too much pressure and you may load up the PVC male threads with teflon tape to offset this.
Then I would take a sharp narrow chisel and go in next to the split and start to peel it up. Once you get one side peeled up go a peel up the other side. Once both sides of the split are peeled up from the bottom place your chisel at the top and drive it in. This should force the nipple down so you can pull it out with a pair of pliers. Good luck and don't forget the teflon tape. Tom

tommytman · Jan 25, 2005, 09:34 PM

Speedball,
I like that idea!! I'll have to remember it in case I get in a jam like this.

poeda · Jan 27, 2005, 08:34 PM

That is a great idea! I believe I will try that as soon as I get a chance. I have a virgin sawzaw that I got for Christmas which is itching for its first use. Or maybe that is me itching to use it. In any case, on a good note, my temporary pipe dope fix seems to be holding. I know this is low pressure, but I have to say, I really didn't expect to see my basement bone dry after that. At least this should buy me enough time to wait until I can get at it again.

Thanks so much to the both of you for your help!