Chasing joints of cast-iron sewer pipes. How to mint a cast-iron sewer with your own hands

Almost all Soviet buildings are equipped with cast-iron sewer communications, since such pipes are durable and resistant to wear. But the cast iron pipeline requires the right approach to use and dismantling.

Unlike drain pipes, which can last for decades, connections inside a home may need to be replaced sooner. Also, interventions in the sewer system may be forced during the installation of washing equipment or redevelopment of the bathroom. To do it according to the rules, it is not necessary to call and wait for the master, all the work can be mastered by the owner himself, if he knows how to handle elementary tools. Dismantling the sewer should not take much time, but dismantling old products is more difficult. Let's figure out how to properly dismantle cast iron pipes.

Step-by-step caulking of cast-iron pipes

In the process of repairing sewer communications with your own hands, the most difficult moment may be caulking a cast-iron pipe. Such manipulation may be required when repairing or reinstalling the riser. In this case, it is necessary to very carefully emboss the pipes of the cast-iron pipes. Step by step, this work can be done like this:

First, use a hammer to lightly tap the socket, while being careful not to break it, since carelessness can lead to irreversible consequences, for example, replacing the entire riser. It is better to use a wooden mallet.
If the previous blockage was made with the help of a cable, then after tapping the bell should wobble freely and it can be removed without additional effort. In such a case, do the following:
- swing the bell from side to side;
- pry with a screwdriver and pull the rope a little;
- hook it with pliers;
- slowly and carefully pull out the rope, swinging the pipe in the process.
If, after tapping, the pipe did not start moving, it means that the previous caulking of the sockets of sewer pipes was carried out by pouring sulfur. In this option, you will need to get rid of it by burning it. To do this, proceed as follows:
- gently heat the pipe at the joint along the entire diameter with a blowtorch or burner;
- lightly, trying not to break the walls of the pipe, then tap it with a hammer;
- if the bell starts to wobble, try moving it using an adjustable wrench.
Please note that when working with a burner and sulfur, it is imperative to protect the respiratory tract with a mask so as not to get poisoned by toxic fumes.
After successful dismantling, the walls of the socket must be well cleaned with a chisel and chisel. Pay special attention to the bell seat, as this is where you will place the sealing rubber.
Having previously coated the rubber seal with a special lubricant, place it in the socket.
Place a new structural element in the rubber ring.

Precautions in repairing cast iron pipes

When working with such pipes, be sure to remember that cast iron is a relatively brittle material with its endurance. If you hit the metal hammer hard or too hard, the wall will vibrate, which may cause cracks. If this happens, the replacement of damaged sections will be long and expensive. Therefore, when preparing for dismantling, stock up on the necessary tools in advance.

Don't work alone, it is unsafe and difficult. Better call someone for help.

It's important to know that sulfur fumes can be harmful to health, so use a gas mask, in extreme cases, a respirator and goggles. Also take care of good air circulation in the room where the repair work is taking place.

After removing the pipe from the socket, take the time and attention to clean the seat of this part. So you will ensure the installation of the sealing material without defects and distortions.

Immediately pack all dismantled material and garbage into construction bags, tie and throw away. An unpleasant smell will come from the old pipeline.

If you are caulking cast iron pipes for the first time and after reading this article, you still do not understand how to do it, be sure to contact a professional. For an experienced craftsman, the process of dismantling cast iron pipes will take 25-30 minutes, while a beginner can spend more than 3 hours and with an unknown result.

Something, but there was a lot of cast iron in the Soviet Union! All technologies were developed taking into account the use of this particular material. So in the laying of sewers, cast iron is still very much in demand. Of course, cast iron has many very significant advantages - it can withstand heavy loads, which allows you to assemble risers on many floors, it is durable, can perform its function for decades in damp or cold rooms, paint fits well on a cast-iron pipe, that is, it can be beautifully entered into design. In a word, a cast iron sewer pipe is a solid, durable thing. But in this thoroughness lies its main drawback. It is very difficult to disassemble, if necessary, a part of such a pipeline. And sometimes this is an urgent need. For example, you need an additional outlet or an existing outlet has become unusable. How to proceed?

hammered pipe before starting work

The best thing is when the work is done by a professional, a master of his craft. In this case, you can be sure of the quality and efficiency of the work performed. But this option is not always possible. Often, plumbing has to wait for weeks, and their prices, to put it mildly, are overpriced. It happens that this "master" has no experience in such works. Not all those who wear plumbing overalls are such.

Therefore, if you have at least some manual skills, then you can disconnect or, as they say, emboss the cast-iron sewer pipes yourself. Let's try to decide on the algorithm of actions.

Preparation for caulking pipes

First of all, you need to stock up in advance with all the necessary tools so that it is at hand. It is necessary to prepare an angle grinder (grinder), preferably adapted to work with 230 mm discs. For those places that cannot be approached by a grinder, you need to stock up on a hacksaw (it's good to have a few spare blades). You will also need: a simple hammer and a hammer with a rubber or wooden sole, an adjustable wrench, a chisel, pliers, several screwdrivers of different widths, a blowtorch and a respirator. And, of course, glasses, gloves and rags.

warming up the pipe before caulking

Depending on the way the pipes were minted, the condition of the minting and your skill, the operation could take several hours. This must be kept in mind. Of all plumbing repairs, caulking cast-iron pipes is perhaps the most time-consuming job. But don't let that scare you. Thousands of people have done this job successfully, and so can you.

First stage

So, we begin dismantling the cast-iron sewer with our own hands. First of all, we close all the valves, thereby eliminating the possibility of water flow through the disassembled pipe. It is desirable (but not necessary) to agree with the neighbors from above to temporarily limit the use of water supply, and hence sewerage. We free ourselves as much space as possible, disconnect all drain pipes. Special mention must be made of the toilet. This plumbing product, as a rule, is located as close as possible to the riser. Modern toilets are connected to the sewer system using corrugations, while the Soviet ones were connected directly to the pipe socket. And since they were also attached to the floor by cement pouring, it is impossible to disconnect such a toilet bowl from the pipe and the floor at the same time. If such a rarity is installed in your bathroom, but you need to chisel the sewer, then you will have to say goodbye to such a toilet. It can only be broken and dismantled in parts.

the beginning of caulking a cast-iron pipe with a chisel and a hammer

After removing the toilet, disconnecting the pipes, we get directly to the connection that needs to be minted. If you need to replace the final pipe, this makes the task much easier. If the problematic part of the pipe is located in the middle of the common pipeline or has additional branches, cutting is indispensable. Such a pipe cannot be moved, and without this it will not be possible to remove one pipe from the other. Therefore, the pipe is cut a few (2-4) centimeters from the socket of the previous pipe. By no means flush!

The incision is made by a grinder (in compliance with all safety regulations). If the location of the pipe does not allow it to be completely cut, then we finish the rest with a hacksaw. Do not try to break the undercut with a hammer or pry bar. It is very important to remember that cast iron is a brittle material. This fragility is unpredictable, you can hit it several times in vain in one place, and suddenly crack in another. The pipes that you are changing are already worn out, they may have shells and microcracks inside, through which the pipe can burst. And the danger lies precisely in the fact that a part of the bell can break off, which must be left intact. Otherwise, the next pipe will also have to be changed, and it can be part of a common riser or pass through an interfloor ceiling. Agree that this is a completely different level of problems.

Correctly executed partial caulking of the pipe

Therefore, we carefully cut the pipe. You can make several longitudinal incisions on the rest of the pipe to the socket. To prevent foreign objects from entering the pipeline, plug the hole with a rag.

By the way, it is better to tie it to something just in case, to be sure that the rags will not fly into the riser.

Chasing pipes minted in different ways

Gently make a few blows with a hammer on the socket and try to loosen it. If there is slight movement, then the method of caulking is simpler, consisting of a rammed rope (kabolka). In this case, you should try to dig its top layer with a screwdriver of a suitable width and find the end. Then, having hooked the edge of the cable with pliers, we try to pull it out all the way, while shaking our rest of the pipe. Having pulled out the entire rope, we continue to shake the pipe in different directions, while pulling it towards ourselves.

The most undesirable, but, unfortunately, the most common method of minting in Soviet times was pouring sulfur compounds into the cavity. How to disconnect cast iron sewer pipes connected in this way? To do this, you will have to use the only effective method - heating. Be sure to remember a simple thing: sulfur, and especially its vapors, are poison! Use a respirator without fail, and if possible, a gas mask! The process of heating sulfur with a blowtorch will take a long time, so if you do not have personal respiratory protection equipment, even if you have a good ventilation system, it is better not to start it at all. Health is more expensive!

connection of a embossed pipe with a plastic pipe

So, we heat the sulfur. Periodically tap on the pipe until it begins to noticeably move. This suggests that the consistency of sulfur has changed and it has become viscous. The pipe also got very hot, so we clamp it with an adjustable wrench and, just as in the previous case, we pull it towards ourselves, loosening it. Everything, the bell is free!

After the pipe is removed from the bell, it is necessary to clean it from the remnants of sulfur or kabolka. This is done with a chisel, screwdrivers and a chisel with a rubber mallet. Then everything inside is thoroughly wiped with a rag, especially the saddle of the bell, as the main working surface. The embossing process has been completed.

If the description of the process did not clarify everything, and you need to visually see how the caulking takes place, then try to find a video on the Internet on how to caulk a cast-iron sewer.

Since chasing cast iron pipes is a very laborious job, as any specialist will tell you, it is wiser to carry out preventive inspections than to wait until a large-scale sewer is required. Since cast iron is still mainly used for external sewer networks as the main material for pipes, which cannot be completely replaced by modern plastic counterparts, prevention should be treated with all due attention. In our article, we will talk about two types of pre-repair and post-repair work - caulking and caulking of cast iron pipes.

Chasing cast iron pipes

Preparation for repair

Sometimes it becomes necessary to repair some part of the sewerage system. However, such repairs can not always be made without disconnecting the pipes. When it is required to replace a pipeline section, you should first inspect the place of future work in order to determine how they were among themselves at one time.

Often the main difficulty is that pipes, especially those located in the ground, are filled with a special compound that prevents them from separating. In this case, the question arises of how to emboss a cast-iron pipe without much effort and time.

It is possible to quickly disconnect the pipes by using a gas cutter to remove the composition, which fastens the elements of the system.

Pipe chasing technology

Do-it-yourself caulking of cast-iron pipes, carried out when replacing a riser or changing a toilet bowl, can create no less of a problem. In this case, it becomes necessary to caulk the branch pipe of the cast-iron pipe as accurately as possible. The embossing process looks like this:

The first action to be taken is to tap the socket of the pipe with a hammer, being careful not to split it, in order to avoid a complete replacement of the riser.
After making sure that the bell moves quite freely and can be released without any problems, since it was caulked with a heel, you can proceed with dismantling:
- slightly loosen the bell from side to side;
- pry with a screwdriver and pull the rope a little;
- firmly grab the rope with pliers;
- gently, slowly, pull out the rope, while continuing to loosen the tube.

In the case when the bell does not budge after tapping, that is, the caulking of cast-iron pipes was carried out by pouring sulfur, you will have to use the method of burning it out:
- carefully heat the pipe in a circle with a blowtorch or burner;
- trying not to damage the pipe, continue gently tapping the pipe with a hammer;
- when the bell starts to move, slightly loosen it from side to side with an adjustable wrench.

When performing an operation to burn sulfur, it is imperative to wear a respirator so as not to be poisoned by harmful fumes.

After the bell is safely released, it must be cleaned using a chisel or chisel. Particular care should be taken to clean the socket seat, where the sealing rubber will be placed.
Coat the rubber seal with special grease and insert into the socket.
Install a new part in the seal.

Video of the caulking process

How cast-iron pipes are caulked - the video below will show even more clearly.

Chasing pipes

When carrying out, consisting of cast-iron pipes, it is necessary to foresee a method for closing the gaps that invariably remain between the outer side of the inserted part of the pipe and the inner surface of the socket. That is, you should think about how to mint cast-iron pipes. There are two ways to solve the problem, let's consider them in more detail.

Sealing of sockets with cement mixture

The chasing technology looks like this:

Resin seal installation.

caulk the resin tourniquet into the socket up to 2/3 of its depth;
when forming the first rope ring, wrap the end of the bundle over the ring so that it does not fall into the pipe.

The use of cement mortar.

mix cement marking 300-400 with water (by weight) in a ratio of 9:1;
the place remaining after compaction of the bundle in the socket should be filled with cement mortar;
firmly strike the cement with a chasing and a hammer until the chasing rebounds from the cement;
for a better setting of the solution after caulking, cover it with a wet rag.

To increase work productivity, it is worth using broadened caulking and embossing, which will speed up the process by about 30%.

If work is carried out in winter, cement should be mixed with hot water, and the joints must be insulated after sealing.

Sealing of sockets with asbestos cement

Another way to caulk a cast-iron pipe is to use an asbestos-cement mixture. The process has two differences:

A dry mixture of asbestos fiber and cement is prepared by mixing them in a ratio of 1:2.
Before direct use, the dry mixture is moistened with water: from 10 to 12% of the initial mass of the mixture.

The chasing technology itself looks similar to the first method.

On this, a rather laborious work - chasing and / or chasing cast-iron pipes - is completed. To achieve the best result, however, such work should be entrusted to qualified specialists. Only in this case, you can be sure that everything will be done correctly, and you will not have to deal with more complex repairs, eliminating the flaws of poor-quality installation or dismantling.

Cast iron is a high strength material with a lot of weight. From it, objects are usually made that are required to withstand heavy loads, as well as elements for arranging the sewerage and water supply systems. Caulking pipes is not an easy job, and therefore, in order to avoid costly and complex repairs, it is recommended that facilities be regularly inspected for deformations.

In what cases is chasing performed?

This work is justified when it is necessary to replace a damaged cast-iron element of the system. It is also carried out in the case when the deformation cannot be corrected at the accident site. Damage to cast iron pipes is a fairly common problem, despite their increased strength. This material is very sensitive to water, chemical processes, temperature changes. As a result, the elements of the system cease to withstand the previous loads, and a decision has to be made on repair work.

If a crack has formed in the pipe, measures must be taken without delay, otherwise a small problem can lead to an emergency. Patching cracks with special solutions is only a temporary measure, so it is better to immediately pay attention to more reliable methods.

Training

Correct chasing

First of all, it is required to inspect the place of work, the pipes themselves. In this case, you need to see how they are connected to each other. The fact is that it is not always possible to do chasing with your own hands without disconnecting the pipes.

The problem arises if the cast-iron elements are located in the ground and during installation were filled with a composition that promotes gluing. The difficulty lies in the fact that often the structural elements grow together with each other so firmly that they can be separated only with the help of additional tools. Usually, a gas cleaver is used in this capacity, which contributes to the effective removal of the bonding solution.

It may be necessary to turn off the water in the entire house during repairs. If repairs are made on an important site, this may entail turning off the water in the entire area. Preparation for caulking is carried out using the following tools:

Bulgarian. Required for cutting the deformed area;
New piping element. Installed to replace the damaged one;
Construction bandage and cement mortar. Needed to close the seam.

How is chasing done?

Repair work on repairing cast-iron pipes should be done very carefully. It is better to entrust this important matter to professionals, but if you still decide to do the chasing with your own hands, the following instructions will help you:

Now you know how to do-it-yourself cast-iron pipes. If something remains unclear to you, on our website you can always see a photo that shows the described repair work. A video has also been published, from which you will learn how professional caulking of cast-iron pipes is performed.

The main advantage of cast iron is durability, its main disadvantage is brittleness. These two features must be taken into account when maintaining and repairing cast iron pressure pipes.
The brittleness of cast iron imposes certain requirements on the connection of cast iron pipes. On the one hand, it must be strong and tight, and on the other hand, it must be sufficiently elastic. The fact is that pipes laid in the ground do not lie motionless. The soils are also characterized by shrinkage and blurring. When freezing, the water in the ground expands. All this leads to the movement of the ground. The pipe, as they say, "walks". Traditionally this problem is solved chasing pipes- connecting pipes in such a way that there is a margin of elasticity at the joints.
The smooth end of one pipe is inserted into the socket of the other. A small 3-5 mm gap remains at the junction, which is caulked with a resin strand (kabolka) two-thirds of the depth. The strand is a thin rope, which is inserted into the gap in layers. After each turn, the strand is compacted with a caulk - a special tool. Such a connection allows you to connect the pipe hermetically, but with a margin of elasticity.
To increase the strength of the joint, the remaining third of the gap is cemented or filled with lead. The second option is more reliable and preferable, because. connections in pressure pipes experience significant loads. Both procedures are quite complex and time-consuming. Cement behaves capriciously at high or low humidity, work with the melting of lead requires dexterity and additional preparations.
More advanced methods of connecting cast-iron pressure pipes are currently being used. For example, a socket with a rubber sealing ring and a socket-screw connection. But these compounds began to be used relatively recently. Recall that the advantage of cast iron is durability. The service life of cast iron pressure pipes is more than a hundred years. And, therefore, pipelines made according to old technologies are still actively exploited.
Chasing socket connection can be safely called the weakest point of the cast-iron pipeline. Under the influence of moisture, temperature changes and soil movement for decades, the coinage is destroyed. Typically, accidents caused destruction of coinage, are eliminated for a long time. Procedure minting time-consuming, requiring a certain skill. But even high qualification does not guarantee the absence of marriage. The liquidation of an accident is often carried out in difficult conditions: low temperatures, difficult access to the damaged area, watering of the pit, humidity that prevents the solution from hardening. Fussing with molten lead in such conditions is generally more like a repairman's nightmare. Alas, this dream often comes true. It is almost impossible to perform high-quality coinage during the liquidation of a complex accident.
Our company's product range includes a special type of fittings that can significantly reduce the time required to eliminate this type of accident and improve the quality of repair work on a cast-iron pipeline. This is a socket sealer DZ. With him, all work comes down to installing the product on the socket connection and fixing it with a conventional wrench. The rubber gasket securely seals the joint, without depriving it of the necessary elasticity, and the design itself firmly fixes the joint. Work can be carried out even without completely shutting off the pressure, but only by lowering it so that the leak does not interfere with the repair team. The reliability of the connection of cast-iron pressure pipes with the help of a socket joint sealer is several times higher than the reliability of traditional caulking. And, therefore, once the work is done, the problem will be eliminated once and for all.

Step-by-step caulking of cast-iron pipes

First, use a hammer to lightly tap the socket, while being careful not to break it, since carelessness can lead to irreversible consequences, for example, replacing the entire riser. It is better to use a wooden mallet.
If the previous blockage was made with the help of a cable, then after tapping the bell should wobble freely and it can be removed without additional effort. In such a case, do the following:
- swing the bell from side to side;
- pry with a screwdriver and pull the rope a little;
- hook it with pliers;
- slowly and carefully pull out the rope, swinging the pipe in the process.
If, after tapping, the pipe did not start moving, it means that the previous caulking of the sockets of sewer pipes was carried out by pouring sulfur. In this option, you will need to get rid of it by burning it. To do this, proceed as follows:
- gently heat the pipe at the joint along the entire diameter with a blowtorch or burner;
- lightly, trying not to break the walls of the pipe, then tap it with a hammer;
- if the bell starts to wobble, try moving it using an adjustable wrench.
Please note that when working with a burner and sulfur, it is imperative to protect the respiratory tract with a mask so as not to get poisoned by toxic fumes.
After successful dismantling, the walls of the socket must be well cleaned with a chisel and chisel. Pay special attention to the bell seat, as this is where you will place the sealing rubber.
Having previously coated the rubber seal with a special lubricant, place it in the socket.
Place a new structural element in the rubber ring.

Precautions in repairing cast iron pipes

Don't work alone, it is unsafe and difficult. Better call someone for help.

After removing the pipe from the socket, take the time and attention to clean the seat of this part. So you will ensure the installation of the sealing material without defects and distortions.

Immediately pack all dismantled material and garbage into construction bags, tie and throw away. An unpleasant smell will come from the old pipeline.

Since chasing cast iron pipes is a very laborious job, as any specialist will tell you, it is wiser to carry out preventive inspections than to wait until a large-scale repair of the sewer system is required. Since cast iron is still mainly used for external sewer networks as the main material for pipes, which cannot be completely replaced by modern plastic counterparts, prevention should be treated with all due attention. In our article, we will focus on two types of repair work - caulking and caulking of cast iron pipes.