I have to replace my house trap and vent (San Francisco 9th & Judah) . I am a handy home owner and not a pro and need to get this right the first time.
I exposed the trap and surrounding pipes and can see there is some concrete mortar around the joints (terra cotta pipe to cast iron trap). If i chip away what is left of the mortar can I then shake the trap off like I can do with a sink trap? Or do I need to break the trap in half to get it out? If I have to break it how can I get the new one back in? Someone told me I needed to have an angle grinder to grind off some type of collar.
The city wants me to use a new cast iron pipe to fix the problem. I know about those pipe clamps with metal on the outside and rubber on the inside. I just dont understand how I will get the new pipe in.
Thanks
Replies
They were refering to cutting the bell (hub) on the trap off with an angle grinder. I dunno... Whatever you do it's going to be somewhat difficult.
Probably better in my opinion would be to remove a section of the stack so the trap can be knocked off the tile. Then you would use a no hub coupling and a new section of pipe to connect the new trap.
Be aware that, if the trap is at the bottom of a stack, the stack may decide to slide down when you start monkeying with things. Make sure it's well-braced/clamped somehow.
CI to clay tile
Use the angle grinder to cut the clay tile waste pipe several inches behind the mortared hub. Rent a cast iron snap cutter to cut the soil/waste stach a foot or so above the trap. Support the waste/soil pipe durring and after the cut. Purchase CI nipples to make up the missing lenghts of pipe to you cuts in the existing pipe, and put everything back together with full metal bande no hub rubber boots.
Any good plumbing supply house will have everything you need and give you advice on meeting local codes so can pass your inspection.
Good luck.
updated with pictures
Thanks for the help so far. I took some pictures today so please have a look and let me know if you have any additional thoughts. It seems like I need to use my 4" angle grinder with a diamond blade to cut off the female end "bell housing" of the part of the clay pipe that is on the downhill side of the pipe and then put in a Fernco pro flex clamp or Fernco No Hub Coupling Clamp. Then build up the vent from the new CI trap.
Please have a look a the pictures and let me know if you think I on the correct path.
Thanks for the help.
Kent
That looks different than I pictured in my mind.
It looks like the clay tile is cracked already where the trap connects to it, so yes, it needs cut off. Then the iron pipe needs cut from the trap. You'll need a new section of iron pipe, and 3 fernco fittings if all goes right.
I don't know the overall length of the replacement trap, but if it's longer than the old one you may luck out and not need the new section of iron pipe. So with that in mind I would have all the parts on hand to do the job.
I can't figure out your pictures. Is the left the upstream side or the downstream side? Are we inside or outside the house? What is that wall to the right -- is that the foundation? How are you planning to make a connection to whatever's on the far side of that?
Passed inspection
Thanks to everyone for their help. I passed the inspection. Here are a few of my pictures.
Nice
Looks good.
You had to excavate a little more under the foundation didn't you? Got a good clean cut on the clat tile and after that it got easy,...right?