Fixing crack in cast iron pipe

Hey Leon there is a product available from GOOD plumbing supplies or a decent welding supply company.

This product is called Black and White and it is torch applied.
High Sulpher content welding/product used with a propane or acetylene torch NO need for oxyacetylene flame as it melts at low temperatures

Fantastic for repairing cast iron radiators and drainage pipe even cast iron under pressure like cast Iron condensate tanks.

If you cant get this try Hercules Pro Poxy as most of the handymen who are not professional plumbers resort to this for piping repairs with decent results.

You honestly should consider rmoving this old section and replacing in kind for a really good job using Mission couplings designed from extra heavy cast Iron to no hub cast Iron piping.

Even a crack on vent pipe could allow dangerous fumes nto the building.

Doing it right is always the cheapest way to go.

If you have a crack in a cast iron drain line it wont be your last.These quick fix products should only be used to buy some time until a plumber can replace the bad line.Anyone suggesting that these products will give you lasting results must have stock in the company.

quote:

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Originally posted by Wallingford Plm+Htg:
If you have a crack in a cast iron drain line it wont be your last.These quick fix products should only be used to buy some time until a plumber can replace the bad line.Anyone suggesting that these products will give you lasting results must have stock in the company.

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WOW a real GENIUS has spoken

I guess the 36″ CAST IRON Strom line I welded over 20 years go should have been replaced because of a split.

YUP I must own stock in the welding rod manufacturer (union carbide)

The Black and White I used to repair radiators are still in service 26+ years of continuing service BUT of course these 37 section CEILING rads should be taken down from a land mark building as wall HTG said it wont last.

Amazing no formal education in heating or welding or plumbing and this guy gives advice.

A properly welded joint will out last the base metal.

I want to thank SylvanLMP and Wallingford Plm+Htg for replying. I had the info from a pretty credible source, but one who hadn’t seen it done in years and whose memory of the product had faded, but knew of good results. While I see the pros of replacing this line, it has plenty of cons as well, including the fact that it would cause quite invasive architectural changes to the 108 year old structure. If it can be fixed I think I will try my luck and hopefully match that of my elderly friend and SylvanLMP.

Thanks.

L Edward Martin
[email protected]

Your very welcome.

About “invasive architectural changes” God do I know where your coming from.

Here in the big apple a lot of my accounts are brown stones well over 125 years old with works of art like inlaid wood ceilings and marble bathroom floors.

The name of this game is try to keep everything in the original condition.

OK now in this case get Hercules Propoxy and using water while working it you can fill small voids and also build up a large gap with no chance of doing any smoke or chemical damage.

The key is removing as much scale build up as possible.

I have seen “jobbing” plumbers use this product on lead/steel/cast Iron and all ferrous and non ferrous piping including steam systems.

The epoxies of today are a lot stronger then the base materials and do not shrink or peel or burn.

If you want our more then welcome to send me a private E mail as I a lucky to have on my list not only chemists working in the plumbing field but several Licensed plumbers who are also professional engineers.

We kick these kinds of problems around constantly looking for the best possible approach for each job.

Working and keeping these older systems going is a real challenge and fun as it keeps you active.

The best heating job I have worked on was a steam system in NYC with 15″ steam mains and get this 7″ condensate piping.

Talk about trying to keep a system going.

TRY securing 7″ pipe today.

You have to call these older houses on a per job basis and knowing you don’t have the luxury of simple replacement.

Good luck and the main thing is be happy

PLEASE

Be careful using a naked flame in a house 108 years old, the building will go up so fast. And after comleting the work, do a 30 mins fire watch on the area worked in. that doesnt mean come back 30 mins later to see if the building is still there, it means pretend its a TV set for the next 30 mins and dont take your eyes of it

bungie

I guess I was absent the day my instructor taught the class about propoxy.In fact I don’t remember propoxy being on my tool list.

quote:

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Originally posted by bungie1:
PLEASE

Be careful using a naked flame in a house 108 years old, the building will go up so fast. And after comleting the work, do a 30 mins fire watch on the area worked in. that doesnt mean come back 30 mins later to see if the building is still there, it means pretend its a TV set for the next 30 mins and dont take your eyes of it

bungie

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Bungie our licensed “Fire watch” is supposed to stay 2 hours after any welding or cutting jobs.

One of the questions on my welding test was “Can a welder be his own fire watch”? if you said YES your test was now over LOL

Thought Sylvan might get a kick out of this.
A lot of our houses here are built on timber stumps, the idea is that air can circulate under the building to help keep it cool during summer.
I was called to a house late last week where the cast iron stack up the outside of the building had a large crack down its length. Getting ready to cut it out and replace it, I got a bit suspicious and looked closer. Kicking the bottom of the two stumps, one either side of the stack. The base of both of them had been eaten away by white ants. The reason the stack cracked was the weight on it, it was the only thing holding up that section of the building.

Should have got a photo

Bungie isnt construction a Marvelous thing LOL

About 20 years ago this company Eutectic made welding rods to your specifications, Not Cheep but a fantastic rods for welding dissimilar metals.

What they did develope was a process of “Spray on metal” particles like when I made repairs to pump shafts for steam condensate tanks and sewerage ejectors.

They even had one that would seal cast Iron cracks without the usual need to drill a hole then preheat then weld or braze and then heat slowly for a proper cool down so the welded joint wouldnt split.

With Decent labour no lnger possible to find here I can fully understand why folks seek out plastic and other short cuts.

I just hired a bloke who said he was a “plumbing mechanic @ $55 per hr and told him he had to take a written 3rd year apprentice test and just weld one piece of aluminum or lead wipe or caulk a join or braze copper medical gas lines his choice.

HE couldnt even pass the bloody written test.

This is so typical today.
discusting huh?