Bathroom Sink Drain Buried in Wall

[Puddin' Man]

Re: Bathroom Sink Drain Buried in Wall

Hi, I belong to a little 50 year-old brick bungalow in the midwest. There's a small bathroom that's never been remodeled. A small sink with a U-trap, drain running horizontally thru tiles into the wall maybe 14" above the floor.

The portion of the drain that runs from the pvc U-trap into the wall is badly rusted and has started to leak.

I can't see anything of the sink drain from the basement. I figger it does a bend and runs (inside the wall and under the floorboards) into the toilet drain.

There's about 4" of horozontal pipe, then a flange that's flush with the tile.

It sprung a leak by the flange. I shine a lite inside the pipe, it *looks* like only one (rotten) piece, all the way to the toilet drain line (maybe 4 ', all inside the wall).

I'm not well equipped to rip thru the tile, plaster, etc, lead-solder (or whatever) the pipe, then rebuild the wall, and I can't afford $1500+ to hire contractor(s). I'm thinkin' maybe some flexible pipe I can insert thru the rotten pipe and an adapter to go from the smaller diameter flex pipe to the 1.25" p-trap fitting. Do such things exist?

If you have any idea how to repair something like this without the proverbial small thermonuclear device, C4 explosive, etc, please help.

Any/all suggestions welcome.

TIA, Puddin'

[John Hines]

PVC plastic pipe is now the preferred material for residential waste plumbing, much easier to work with than metal.

The wall will have to be opened, and the rotten pipes replaced with PVC, which is coupled with a rubber coupling (ak a fernco) to remaining solid piece of metal pipe.

[Puddin' Man]

Here is a little update.

There is a definite lip on the inside of the rotten pipe segment. But not on the outside.

The flange appears to be a lead alloy.

The rotten pipe segment appears to be brass.

I guessing that the pipe is lead inside the wall and the plumbers in 1954 joined a short brass pipe segment (maybe 6 ") to it with lead.

Does this make any sense?

Can anyone see the attached photo? I've never sent a pic attachment via usenet.

Thanks, Puddin'

[Speedy Jim]

In 1954, lead pipe was no longer used. But...a brass bushing or brass solder sleeve could have been leaded into a cast iron fitting; this was quite common. Neither the bushing now the lead would rot out, but a thin tubular brass trap arm could well have dissolved.