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Official Pit Home Improvement/DIY thread

Meh, "excavation" makes it sound like they are going to tear up your entire yard with a trackhoe. It's just following a drain line, it'll likely be an amigo with a shovel, especially if the ground is already wet. He'll put the dirt back and the grass will grow back in a few weeks.
 
2&2 Slider To Leyritz said:
Meh, "excavation" makes it sound like they are going to tear up your entire yard with a trackhoe. It's just following a drain line, it'll likely be an amigo with a shovel, especially if the ground is already wet. He'll put the dirt back and the grass will grow back in a few weeks.
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You are right they are not tearing up the yard because the work is in my basement. I am trying to decide do I want to play the game of follow the line when it seems like I can avoid that with a reroute. Deciding between these two options is why I posted because I am looking for advice as to which is the best combination of cost effectiveness/risk mitigation/permanent fix.
 
discdude said:
I have a infiltrated cast iron pipe that runs off a my kitchen sink/dishwasher/clothes washer waste line. It is below the concrete. It looks to be clogged at the 7 ftish mark, and the floor drain links past the clog/infiltration. My ground is super saturated and I am leery of having to excavate and follow the line out. I have the option of rerouting to the main line above ground, but the last (of many plumbers) spooked me by saying that rerouting and cutting into the main line could cause other problems, and he would prefer excavating. I really would prefer to just reroute and avoid the excavation and line chasing. Should I trust my gut and go with the reroute?
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Infiltrated implies that something from outside the pipe got inside the pipe to clog it. If so, then when the pipe is bypassed, stuff could possibly flow back from other entry points to where the infiltration occurs and then it could become exfiltration, more commonly known as a leak. How old is the cast iron (house)? It should last decades. Is there an access point in the basement near where the kitchen drains etc tie in to the CI in the floor? If so, can somebody get a camera in there to see what the problem really is. Is it the pipe gone bad, or too much junk from the washing machine etc. down the drain?

I am a bit puzzled by some of the statements in your post. By "rerouting to the main line above ground" do you mean installing new drain line above your basement floor and connecting it to the existing line where it exits your house, or somewhere along the line between the kitchen and the exit point?

Does Mr "dig it up" plumber propose digging up just the seven or so feet to the clog and replacing that, or is he planning to dig from the kitchen etc. to where the pipe exits your house, and replace all of it, and tie in everything else (bathrooms etc,) to his new line?

Did the guys who want to run new line talk about how they would recommend managing the bypassed portion of cast iron, so that there isn't back flow to the area that is clogged (infiltrated).

Maybe you have asked all these questions and had them answered. I need to hear the answers before I venture my humble pinion about your situation. No matter which option you choose, it will probably be expensive.
 
Quick plug regarding smart light switches: the Lutron Caseta is a good option when your circuits do not have neutral wires. WeMo for instance requires a neutral but a lot of older houses don't have them. The Caseta is technically a dimmer switch which doesn't need a neutral.
 
discdude said:
I have a infiltrated cast iron pipe that runs off a my kitchen sink/dishwasher/clothes washer waste line. It is below the concrete. It looks to be clogged at the 7 ftish mark, and the floor drain links past the clog/infiltration. My ground is super saturated and I am leery of having to excavate and follow the line out. I have the option of rerouting to the main line above ground, but the last (of many plumbers) spooked me by saying that rerouting and cutting into the main line could cause other problems, and he would prefer excavating. I really would prefer to just reroute and avoid the excavation and line chasing. Should I trust my gut and go with the reroute?
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I have heard that working on old galvanized water lines can cause leaks in other areas, but never for cast iron drains. The only concern for cast is if when they are cutting the cast to open it up and make a new connection, if not done properly, the cast iron can split, causing you to replace a larger section. Having said that, they make abrasive sawzall blades now specifically for cutting cast that are much better than the traditional cast iron cutters.
 
All 110V has a neutral. Older wiring may not have a dedicated ground.
 
Yeah jacked up terminology. Meant that the switch box doesn't have a neutral wire, not the circuit.
 
deacfan78 said:
I have heard that working on old galvanized water lines can cause leaks in other areas, but never for cast iron drains. The only concern for cast is if when they are cutting the cast to open it up and make a new connection, if not done properly, the cast iron can split, causing you to replace a larger section. Having said that, they make abrasive sawzall blades now specifically for cutting cast that are much better than the traditional cast iron cutters.
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That brings to mind, if they do have to cut the pipes, make sure anything you don't want to have little rust particles on is covered with sheets. I realize it's in your basement, and I realize that is probably common sense, but my landlord had to cut (I think) the main pipe which went through my bathroom wall, about 3 years ago, and the shavings went EVERYWHERE. They're dark and hard to clean, so I was dealing with it for months after. Light switches, inside electrical outlets, the little space between the wall molding and the tile floor... etc. Just cover anything you don't want to turn dark reddish brown.
 
discdude said:
I have a infiltrated cast iron pipe that runs off a my kitchen sink/dishwasher/clothes washer waste line. It is below the concrete. It looks to be clogged at the 7 ftish mark, and the floor drain links past the clog/infiltration. My ground is super saturated and I am leery of having to excavate and follow the line out. I have the option of rerouting to the main line above ground, but the last (of many plumbers) spooked me by saying that rerouting and cutting into the main line could cause other problems, and he would prefer excavating. I really would prefer to just reroute and avoid the excavation and line chasing. Should I trust my gut and go with the reroute?
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So do we get an update, or are you still trying to figure out what to do?
 
Deaconblue said:
So do we get an update, or are you still trying to figure out what to do?
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Chiseled out the concrete and followed the cast-iron piping until I found a solid spot. Ended up going about 8 ft. Pulled the p-trap and replaced everything with plastic. The bottom part of a majority of the cast iron was completely corroded. Someone laid and set everything like a moron, so it was no wonder the cast-iron was completely fucked. Mixed up some crete and things are working as good as new. Shitty weekend project and cut into some great pow, but it was worth doing as opposed to hiring some fucking extortionist plumber.
 
discdude said:
Chiseled out the concrete and followed the cast-iron piping until I found a solid spot. Ended up going about 8 ft. Pulled the p-trap and replaced everything with plastic. The bottom part of a majority of the cast iron was completely corroded. Someone laid and set everything like a moron, so it was no wonder the cast-iron was completely fucked. Mixed up some crete and things are working as good as new. Shitty weekend project and cut into some great pow, but it was worth doing as opposed to hiring some fucking extortionist plumber.
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Glad to hear it wasn't as bad as originally expected. Even so, eight feet of basement floor removal is no picnic.
 
Switched out some incandescent bulbs in the walk-in closet for LED and then put on a LED dimmer switch. Have a light in the kitchen I might use the old fashioned dimmer switch on.
 
Works great. Thanks Home Depot. Also, thanks Biff for being able to follow directions.
 
ImTheCaptain said:
good luck with LED + dimmers
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There are two different kinds of LED light bulbs being made. Some work with dimmers. Some do not. Read the packaging for the bulbs and make sure it specifically says "dimmable" if that is your need. The dimmable bulbs are slightly more expensive.
 
Deaconblue said:
There are two different kinds of LED light bulbs being made. Some work with dimmers. Some do not. Read the packaging for the bulbs and make sure it specifically says "dimmable" if that is your need. The dimmable bulbs are slightly more expensive.
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WRONG

but seriously, don't believe everything you read. Signed: multiple electricians over multiple projects at my house + anecdotal experience

to be clear: they'll work, usually. They may also hum and will most likely burn out faster than on non-dimming switches.
 
I don't know man. I slide the dimmer up and down and the light gets brighter and darker. Maybe it's a placebo from the installation.
 
discdude said:
Chiseled out the concrete and followed the cast-iron piping until I found a solid spot. Ended up going about 8 ft. Pulled the p-trap and replaced everything with plastic. The bottom part of a majority of the cast iron was completely corroded. Someone laid and set everything like a moron, so it was no wonder the cast-iron was completely fucked. Mixed up some crete and things are working as good as new. Shitty weekend project and cut into some great pow, but it was worth doing as opposed to hiring some fucking extortionist plumber.
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That is the nature of cast iron, unfortunately. It is great for vertical drops, but horizontal runs, especially underground, wreak havoc on cast iron.
 
Deaconblue said:
Glad to hear it wasn't as bad as originally expected. Even so, eight feet of basement floor removal is no picnic.
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deacfan78 said:
That is the nature of cast iron, unfortunately. It is great for vertical drops, but horizontal runs, especially underground, wreak havoc on cast iron.
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It sucked but could have been worse, and yes, 50 years later I bear the burden of ignorance past. I wonder if plastics will present some future issue 50 years from now...
 
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