cast iron drain help needed

[Melissa]

I asked a week or so ago about installing a washer and dryer into a closet. As mentioned before, hubby tends to do things first, ask questions later. He says plumbing is easy, but yet here I am asking for ideas. He's opened the wall and this is what we find.

We believe the vent pipe (stack?) is cast iron. You can see the T that connects to the guest bath sink, as well as those water lines. In the third picture you see wood horizontal on either side of the drain stack. To the right is the wall behind the closet the washer and dryer are being moved to. Is there a part that can replace the existing T and form a cross or 4 way pipe so the sink from the bath and the washing machine can go in at the same spot? If not, are there T's that can fit together stacked to accomplish the same thing. The washer drain needs to connect at the same height or just above (about even with the horizontal wood) to the main pipe. I can find the no hub couplings that were already in place, but can't find anything else (online) that will fit our needs. I don't know what to call these pieces, but I imagine they exist. You can see in the last picture that he's been able to seperate the T from the stack, we just need to figure out what part(s) will go in it's place. Thanks for any guidance.

-- Melissa Please remove (yourshoes) to reply by email

[SQLit]

Yes and that IS the correct way to do this.

as a picture only.

You do not need to maintain the cast iron unless you want to. You can use minunium schedule 40 PVC fittings or ABS. As long as the connecting pieces are tight against each other (unlike your picture) The banded connectors will do the job.

If not, are there T's that can fit together stacked to accomplish the

See above you do not want to stack the draings.

. I don't know what to call these

The banded metal with rubber in side are known to me as Tyler no-hub fittings. They are commonly available and should be tightened down with a torque wrench. They make special nut drivers that plumbers use.

You can try the box stores for what you need. You might need to go to a real plumbing supply store for these parts

[Speedy Jim]

Yeah, that's cast iron all right.

There is a cross (actually Dbl San TEE) made. I would be leery of them, especially with the high flow dischg from the washer; may cause disturbance in the lav trap.

Better would be to install a San TEE below the existing one. If the only flow from above it is the lav sink, you may get away with it although it may raise some eyebrows with the inspector. This new TEE will have a 2" P-Trap feeding into it. Note that you can mix PVC fittings with the CI using the No-Hub couplings (if allowed locally).

Doing that means, of course, that you either have to cut the cast iron, or uncouple another section down below.

Also note that you *must* support the stack above when you remove any part of it. Depending on how much is above, that stuff gets heavy.

I hope you have gotten guidance from your town/city on this project....

Jim

[Kathy]

I would add the washer drain above that T I wouldn't have disturbed that union in the pipe. Did you put it back together like in the last photo? Fernco is the name of those rubber fittings. I learned about them last year. Excellent save, in my case. Are you going to tap into the hot and cold water right there at the tub? if you are you might want to look at temperature regulating shower faucets. I have one and now we don't have to worry if the washer or dishwasher is running. Look at the booklet to your washer. It may have to have the drain above the tub for the tub to empty.

[PhotoMan]

Tell Phil to get some help if he has to cut that iron pipe - it's heavy.

[Michael Baugh]

Got that right. There have been crashes at midnight because of failure to do that. I advise avoiding it, or full replacement with well supported PVC throughout.

[trader4]

"I hope you have gotten guidance from your town/city on this project.... "

Yeah, that's good advice. Get the inspectors involved in a simple do it yourself home job. At that point, they might as well get a plumber.

[Michael Baugh]

Also, get an angle grinder, and a couple of good discs. Makes an extraordinarily difficult cutting job so easy.

[Melissa]

Thank you to all who replied to my question about the drain for our washing machine connecting to the cast iron pipes. Hubby who I explained does first, asks questions later, has agreed he will no longer attempt plumbing work. His attempt which began slowly on the 10th, ended disastruously on the 17th with a flooded bedroom and master bath and emergency call to a real plumber. Turns out there is a problem with the water turn on at the street and it's not possible to completely turn off the water to my home. Utility company will be repairing shortly. When hubby discovered this, he decided instead of waiting til that's repaired, he'd just have to be quick at cutting into the existing water lines, but of course was not. He thought he needed to souter? in the new fittings, which now he knows were not necessary, and tried to do the soutering? with a trickle of water still coming out of the pipes. This of course did not work. As a result, unkown to me until I stepped in cold soggy carpet in the morning, water continued to trickle out of the unattatched fittings the entire night. He left for a business trip the following morning, I dealt with and am still dealing with the mess. A plumber came that morning and made the repairs, shaking his head the entire time. He will return later to correctly attach the washing machine drain and water lines. I think now that having to ask for the name of a common part, the cross drain piece, should have been an indicator that he was far over his head on this. We still have so far to go in our hurricane repairs and remodelling, I'm sure I'll have other questions here. But plumbing will not be one of them. We'll be paying the pros to come out to do any of that sort of work in the future. Hubby is suitably humbled and I am past anger and can now laugh at the absurdity of it all. Thanks again!

-- Melissa Please remove (yourshoes) to reply by email