We have a corroded soil pipe in our basement. How difficult is this to fix?

Question

The house is 100 years old, and the current soil pipe is made from cast iron, I believe. We're afraid that we may end up tearing up walls in our house to replace with PVC. Is there any easier, less expensive way to fix this problem?

Well, we had the house inspected and the inspector seems to think it's corroded right a the basement level, which is exposed. I'm not sure about the extent of the corrosion, but I know that we're afraid that if it's corroded there, when we go to replace it, it may crumble all the way up the wall.

Answer 1

You don't mention the extent of the deterioration. The soil stack that rises up vertically may have connections from fixtures on each floor. If you don't have leaks tracking down this vertical section, leave it alone. If the exposed potion in your basement is leaking then you could replace it with PVC or ABS piping. If you do have leaks in the walls you don't have other options. Opening some portions of walls, ceilings and or flooring may have to be done. It is hard to estimate how much without actually seeing the problem. I recommend getting an estimate from a few plumbers. This will give you an idea of what your expences might be and also if it is something that you might not want to tackle yourself.
I have seen leaks that apeared to be a leaking stack, but actually came from a deteriorated tub drain that tracked down the soil pipe and repaired much cheaper than replacing the entire soil pipe. You need to determine the exact nature of your problem and then make a plan for repairs. hope this info helps.

Answer 2

You may have to bite the bullet and tear up the house to replace the pipes. So, you need to be prepared for that. However, right now you should replace the pipe that's easy to replace and see what happens. It might also be possible to insert PVC inserts into the existing pipes up to the point at which the pipe makes a turn, while you're replacing the exposed pipes.

Answer 3

cut out bad section of pipe with sawsall, go to home depot have new pipe cut. use no hubs to install, no hubs are rubber couplings with screw type bands to secure pipe to other pipe. this to fix your bsmnt. if you think your plumbing is bad all over then get est. from a licensed plumbing contractor, or call dept. of building & safety for list of contractors.