Im replacing a 1920s vintage toilet with a modern 1 in one of my upper apartments. I was surprised to find that underneath the old toilet was a lead closet bend attached to cast iron pipe. It looks to be sealed with oakum. The lead pipe is corroded & I popped a hole in it with my sawsall while replacing some damaged flooring. I need advice on replacing the bend & attaching it to the 4" ID cast iron pipe.
Welcome to the wonderful world of owning apartments. You've got a big job ahead of you. First, you have to open the wall above & below where the closet bend joins the stack. Rent a c.i. pipe cutter (it looks like a link-belt chain w/ cutting disks, used to crack the circumference of c.i. pipe). Take out the old fittings, including any bell/ oakum connections. Replace what's removed w/ new c.i. pipe and no-hub couplings. Working w/ c.i. & no-hubs is kind of fun, once you get the hang of it.
-or- If you are new to this, pay a plumber and see how it's done for the next time....... and there will be a next time. c.i. has a habit of growing from the inside - replace whatever you can, whenever you can.
You don't want to use ABS. It may be cheaper and look easier, but the noise will drive people crazy every time the toilet is flushed.
Just replace it witha cast iron closet bend. Or don't they still make them? Last one I installed was bout 20 yrs ago. ...lew...
That's probably the best way, but that's not the way that I'd do it. I speak as an apartment owner, not as a plumber. Our fall-back mantra when choosing the less-than-ideal option for an apartment: "It's only rental".
What I would do is replace just the bend and use PVC. I'd epoxy it into the old bell. I've done this on other PVC-ci joints, it's not just a wild-assed suggestion. I know PVC is not as quiet, but for this short a piece and "It's only rental", I'd do it. And where will the extra noise be the loudest: in the bath below this one! Big deal.
My 2c and YMMV, of course, Bob
I speak with no direct expertise on this exact issue, but can't you just soft-solder the hole closed? I mess around with several different soft solders and silver solders and I know that, for instance, 50-50 lead/tin melts at a lower temp than pure lead. If you go to 63-37, I think you can even get down to about 386 degrees F.
Pete Stanaitis
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Wwj2110 wrote:
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