Repair lead caulked drain joint or switch to hubless pipe system?

Question

The vertical shaft of the main drain in my house is cast iron and uses lead caulked drain joints. There is a hole in the pipe closest to the ground, aproximately 1 inch above the concrete floor. Should I change the system to the more ridged hubless pipe system or should I stick to my current system? If I change to the hubless system, how do you secure the cast iron pipe below ground level. You don't actually clamp the old pipe to the new pipe with a clamp when that clamp will be below the ground, do you?

Thanks for all the responses. Although it is slightly confusing, I selected Stargazer as providing the best answer because it seemed the most complete. I thought plumbers tape was a kind of sealing tape but it turns out it's a metal ribbon with holes allowing you to secure a patch to the pipe. JB Weld turns out to be a kind of an epoxy patch. So, reading between the lines, everyone had the same idea of securing a patch with metal coupling. Hillybilly had the clearest answer and pram74 answered my question concerning underground connectors in a no hub system.

Answer 1

thas sum old plumbing bro heh...havent seen in a while...to correctly repair that shtuff back in the day one would crack it w/ a cast iron pipe cutter and repour the joint...uber amt of work...I would just throw sum plumbers tape around it and cut a pipe band aid and wrap it around the hole and clamp it...if you can somehow keep the pipe from being used you could fill the hole w/ jb weld..(i would suggest the quick set type) if the hole is small enough...then if yer feeling ambitious wrap the plumbers tape around it and use the bandaid clamp...shouldnt leak after that but no guarantees unless you repour the joint...consider your estimate cost of replacing the joint verses replacing the whole system before you decide to change over to pvc...another option is to break the pipe before and after the leak and replace it w/ another piece of iron or pvc...this is a code accepted repair and should be guaranteeable...I'm a building maintenance engineer w/ a degree in the subject of 15 years in the field btw ;) gl..

Answer 2

I would go hubless, and you'll have to do that for the repair of the hole at the bottom if you plan to cut out the old pipe. You may need to break out some of the concrete around the pipe to give you enough room to attach the coupling. Do this carefully so you don't put another hole in the pipe.
You may want to think about installing some additional support pipes between the floor and the upper coupling hub. The two rubber joints you will install will not be as stable as the old hubbed pipe was.

Answer 3

I would stick to a hubless cast iron pipe. The advantage is that it is easier to make repairs with the no-hub bands. The bands connect one pipe to another. When you connect the original pipe to the new pipe be sure to connect underneath the concrete slab. Be sure to use a heavy duty no-hub connection which will make for a water tight seal. Be aware that you might have the same situation below the slab line as you do above. (holes in your line). If all else fails call a licensed Plumbing professional.

Answer 4

go get a fernco no hub connector the right size and split it down the side and use it as a patch....no big deal. if your leak is in the lead/oakum joint you can dig out the lead and oakum , clean the joint as good as you can get it and seal it up with some urethane caulk.

Hope this helps,
Possum

Answer 5

improve TO PLASTIC! forged iron plumbing is out of date, the interior partitions are tough, joints become worse and it is not common to artwork on. Plastic is problem loose and lasts continuously, is inexpensive and easy to artwork with. No specific procedures required. cut back the solid pipe and fasten plastic with a rubber coupling.

Answer 6

leave as is, use silicone sealant and fill hole... no big deal