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:

1. 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.
2. 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 start 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.
2. Coat the rubber seal with special grease and insert into the socket.
3. 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:

1. 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.

1. 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:

1. A dry mixture of asbestos fiber and cement is prepared by mixing them in a ratio of 1:2.
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.

Add to bookmarks

How to caulk a cast-iron pipe?

Boris Natanovich, Omsk asks a question:

Hello. In my apartment in the toilet, an old cast-iron pipe is leaking under the toilet. I want to solve this problem myself. Therefore, I appeal to those who know and can tell in detail how to mint a cast-iron pipe. How to mint it, I have a rough idea. I've been involved in this type of work before. But how you can mint, I have absolutely no idea. While there is time, I want to do this laborious process. Therefore, I am waiting for various recommendations with different ways of caulking cast iron pipes so that I can start working. Thanks in advance to everyone who will answer my question.

The expert answers:

Before you start chasing cast iron pipes, you need to choose the method that suits you.

The caulking of cast-iron pipes, which accompanies the change of a toilet bowl or a riser, involves caulking a pipe, which is performed as carefully as possible. The slicing procedure is as follows:

How to emboss a cast iron pipe?

1. First of all, the bell at the pipe is tapped with a slight effort of the hammer, trying to exclude its split, so that the riser does not have to be changed completely.
2. Feeling the free movement of the bell and that it can be freed from chasing with a cable, proceed to dismantling:

• loosen the socket in different directions;
• pick up with a screwdriver and pull the rope a little;
• firmly grasp the rope with pliers;
• without haste, they try to pull out the rope, while continuing to loosen the pipe.

1. If the tapping did not give results, the bell remains motionless, which means that the caulking was done by filling with sulfur. The burning method is used for the latter:

• by means of a burner or a soldering lamp, the cast iron is heated in a circle, trying not to harm the pipe, at the same time they are tapping with a hammer;
• if the bell moves a little from a place, it is loosened in different directions with an adjustable wrench.

1. After the successful release of the bell, it is cleaned using a chisel or chisel. With special care, the socket saddle is cleaned, on which rubber will be put on for sealing.
2. The sealing rubber ring is coated with a special lubricant, and then inserted into the socket.
3. Mount the new element in the seal.

Cast iron pipe caulking technology

When assembling a system represented by cast iron pipes, it is worth deciding in advance on the option of filling voids that necessarily occur during installation between the outer surface on the pipe and inside - on the socket. In other words, you should choose a method of how to mint cast-iron pipes in this case. In practice, two options are used, which we will consider.

Method 1: grouting

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. The installation of a resin sealant is carried out: the resin bundle is tamped into the hole of the socket and pipe at 2/3 of the depth. When the first ring of rope is formed, the end of the bundle is overlapped on top of the ring to prevent it from penetrating into the pipe.
2. Pouring cement content.

Cement grade 300-400 is mixed with water in a ratio of 9 to 1. The space free from the tourniquet (1/3 of the volume) in the socket is poured with a cement composition. The solution is minted as tightly as possible by caulking with a hammer until the caulking begins to bounce off the cement sealant. For a better setting of the cement, it is covered with a moistened cloth.

Tip: Broadened chasing and caulking will help increase productivity, which speeds up the procedure by as much as 30%. When performing work in winter, cement is kneaded in hot water, and after sealing the joints with it, mandatory insulation is carried out.

Method 2: embedding with asbestos cement

This procedure has some differences:

• in dry form, asbestos fiber and cement are kneaded, respectively, 1 to 2;
• immediately before use, the dry mixture is poured with water, the latter should be 10-12% of the total volume of the mixture.

The very procedure of chasing is performed by analogy with the first method.

That's all the subtleties of such a laborious process called chasing / chasing. Naturally, the best results in work can be achieved when professionals get down to business. Therefore, it is better to entrust the work to specialists. And then you definitely won’t have to redo everything, getting rid of old flaws.

Cast iron is a heavy-duty, corrosion-resistant, durable material that can withstand heavy loads. Its main purpose is the device of sewer and water communication. But you should not completely pin your hopes on the cast-iron sewer, since it also has disadvantages, they need special care and repair. In this article, we will look at how to caulk cast-iron pipes with your own hands.

In order to exclude depressurization of individual sections of communications, it is necessary to repair the internal pipes in a timely manner and take preventive measures, removing lime deposits, rust and other organic growths from their surface.

Chasing

The essence of the preparatory work is to inspect and determine the welded places. There are two methods for gluing cast iron pipe parts: gluing the elements with a welding seam and pouring with a mortar. Bonding of parts with a special solution is used if it is necessary to combine pipes of various configurations and diameters. And with a welding seam, fan pipes of the same diameter are mainly glued together. After a visual inspection of the sewer and determining the complexity of the work, you can proceed to the next stage - dismantling.

Most often, over the years, pipes grow together so strongly that it is very difficult to disassemble the sewer. In this case, you need a gas cutter, with which you can disconnect the spliced ​​sections in a short period of time and without effort.

Before proceeding with the caulking of pipes, it is necessary to turn off the water supply. If possible, it is necessary to shut off the water supply system.

The designated section of the pipe, which is to be replaced, is sawn off by a grinder. When sawing damaged areas, strong blows should not be made in order to prevent the formation of cracks in subsequent sections.
After the removal of damaged sections of the pipe is completed, they proceed to install a new pipe with a certain margin for its expansion.

The edges of the pipe, which are inserted into the pipe, are fixed together with a resin strand using a caulk.

Pipe branch

This process is very complex and differs markedly from the previous method. This is argued by the fact that this area is risky and if the caulking is carried out incorrectly, then the riser can be split along the drop line.

Before you start disassembling the pipe, you need to take a hammer and tap on the entire surface of the socket. When tapping, you can determine the method of embossing.

If the bell easily gives in and staggers, then it was minted with a rope and a camboca. In this case, you will need an ordinary screwdriver and pliers. When loosening, a rope should appear, which must be hooked with a screwdriver and taken out to the surface. To make it easier to pull out the rope, it must be grabbed with pliers at the same time, without ceasing to loosen the socket.

Caulking a cast-iron pipe with sulfur eliminates deformation and loosening, therefore, not a hammer or other percussion instrument will help with this. In this case, you will need a blowtorch or a gas burner to burn the sulfur seam. From a high temperature, sulfur will begin to dry out and fall off. After the sulfur has crumbled, take a hammer and follow the same procedure as described in the previous method of caulking a pipe with a rope.

Perform tapping until the bell starts to move, so that it is convenient to loosen the bell, take an adjustable wrench and begin to carry out oscillatory movements from side to side, pulling it towards you. The loosened socket is taken out with a chisel and cleaned.

The saddle should be flat without distortions so that the sealing gum lies tightly to the surface.

The surface of the gum is coated with silicone and inserted into the tee of the bell. At this stage, the caulking and caulking of the cast-iron pipe is completed.

Video

We bring to your attention a video dedicated to chasing pipes.

Before the advent of new materials, such as metal-plastic or plastic pipes, most houses had steel or cast-iron sewers. Before installing a new pipeline, it is necessary to dismantle the old one, which is not an easy task, because earlier cast-iron structures were connected with cement mortar, aluminum or sulfur. Such a pipeline is difficult to dismantle, so it is worth preparing for a laborious and protracted process.

When dismantling a cast-iron sewer, a wide variety of tools can be used, because it all depends on the method and material of chasing. However, the most important devices can be distinguished - these are:

• grinder, with which you can cut out a pipeline element;
• grinding or cutting discs;
• blowtorch;
• a set of different screwdrivers, a hammer;
• chisel;
• special pipe wrench;
• goggles, a mask, and when disassembling structures that were connected with gray, also a headdress;
• perforator;
• nail puller or crowbar;
• pipe cutter;
• chisel or steel wedge;
• iron bucket with water.

Before starting work, it is worth determining the connection method in order to sketch out a rough plan for how to disassemble the cast-iron sewer.

Moments of dismantling cast iron

With a complete replacement of the structure with a plastic one, you can not do extra work and just smash everything with a hammer. This is quite easy to do, because cast iron is considered a brittle material. However, if only part of the pipeline needs to be dismantled, the work must be done more carefully.

Before dismantling the cast-iron sewer, it is necessary to inspect the entire system to determine the area that will be repaired. Then be sure to turn off the water supply so that the drains do not enter the sewer. Further disassembly is carried out in stages:

1. The part of the pipe located below the connection is cut off.
2. The pipe is separated from the socket. The embossing methods will be discussed in more detail.
3. If you remove the connection just does not come out, use a blowtorch or make surrounding cuts 20 mm long.

When carrying out procedures, it is imperative to use all protective equipment due to the injury risk of this work.

Caulking of the pipeline with sulfur compound

Regardless of how the cast-iron sewer was connected, it is imperative to carry out some standard preparatory work before replacing:

• turn off the water;
• disconnect the hose leading to the toilet;
• remove the toilet itself by unscrewing the bolts;
• clean the bathroom of appliances and furniture.

To determine whether sulfur was really used when connecting pipes, you need to bring a blowtorch to the seam. Under the influence of high temperatures, sulfur melts, accompanying this process with an unpleasant odor.

When disassembling cast-iron sewer pipes, work begins from the farthest corner. The element must be broken with a hammer. It is better to use a tool with a plastic or polymer base, because the sewer can become clogged due to metal nozzles. Having found the cross leading to the riser, it is necessary to loosen it as much as possible.

Then you need to prepare a blowtorch or gas burner. At least two people should be involved in heating up the connections. While one warms up and melts sulfur, the other must loosen the structure. When doing this, be sure to use gloves and other protective equipment.

When the connecting substance is completely melted, the crosspiece can be removed from the riser. At the same time, you should be very careful, you need to remember to remove the remaining sulfur, and then let the riser cool thoroughly. If the cast iron structure is too strong, you can always make a few cuts near the pipe that needs to be removed. This will make the extraction process easier.

Cement bonded pipeline caulking

Dismantling cast iron pipes that have been connected with cement is practically the same as the above-mentioned option with sulfur, but it is much safer. This is because when sulfur melts, a lot of carbon monoxide is released.

To start dismantling, you need to cut off part of the pipe. In this case, it is worth retreating at least 30 cm from the junction. The hardened cement is removed with a hammer, which must be beaten with a screwdriver or a chisel inserted into the hole. All procedures should be performed as carefully as possible so as not to damage the socket.

When the joints are freed from cement, you need to try to loosen the main pipe. In order not to process the sewer with a blowtorch or a burner, it is necessary to remove the cable, but if this cannot be dispensed with, it is necessary to heat it up strongly or use a specialized key. For example, for a 50 mm pipe, tool Nos. 3 and 4 are used.

The crosspiece is located below on the main riser. To remove it, you can simply use a hammer with a screwdriver. At the same time, for some time, you need to lightly tap on the tee itself in order to form a small gap between it and the pipe. Then you need to penetrate this opening, pry off the tee and remove it. It will take a lot of time to carry out these manipulations, in addition, this method is ineffective.

The next option is to use a blowtorch or burner. Dismantling is much faster, but the price for this is an unpleasant smell that takes a long time to disappear. First of all, you need to cut the socket of the cross. Then a heating device is placed in the pipe. A metal shield is applied to the upper part of the pipe in order to be able to regulate the draft inside the riser. When heated, you need to start swinging the pipe and, as soon as possible, remove the dismantled tee.

You can also use a grinder. To do this, you must first cut off parts of the tee, leaving a small piece in the pipe. Then put a medium-sized disk that could freely get inside, and cut through the remaining parts of the structure with a grinder, knocking them out with a hammer.

What to do in case of failure?

The dismantling of the pipeline is carried out to the permissible limit, because it is better to cut the pipe before it passes into the socket. At the same time, joining a cast-iron pipeline with a plastic one will take much less effort and time. It is better to cut the structure with a grinder, but if it is not there, you can use a hacksaw to work with metal. The use of this tool can greatly increase the duration of the dismantling process.

If the dismantling failed, do not be upset, because you can simply purchase a specialized transitional coupling, with which cast-iron and polymer pipes are connected.

If you have difficulty cutting the pipe, you can cut it in half. Then you need to apply slight pressure or rotate so that the element bursts. If it cannot be removed from the socket, you just need to make several cuts in a circle with an interval of 20 mm, after which it can be removed from the riser.

Before starting the connection of the cast-iron and polymer pipeline, it is necessary to clean the first option of sulfur by heating. After removing the substance, it is necessary to leave the pipes for several hours and allow them to cool.

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:

1. 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.
2. If the previous blockage was made with the help of a cable, then after tapping the socket should wobble freely and 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.
3. 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.

4. 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.
5. Having previously coated the rubber seal with a special lubricant, place it in the socket.
6. 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.