Chasing cast-iron pipes with your own hands - is it real? Quite! If you have a desire to repair old communications, or replace cast-iron pipes with plastic ones in your apartment, then you will certainly find an hour or two of time to study the issue. And, having taken into account our recommendations and having a set of tools, you will be able to realize your idea. So, what is the chasing of cast-iron sewer pipes and why is it necessary to caulk them during repairs?

What is pipe stamping?

Why, despite the abundance of innovative materials, good old cast iron is still used in the construction of sewer communications? Because this material has high strength, and its consumer characteristics make it possible to make strong and reliable pipes from it that can withstand high loads even in urban sewer networks, and not just in household ones at their summer cottage.

The socket connection guarantees a quick installation of the system. To ensure the sealing of the joints, the chasing of sewer pipes is used. It is one of the technological operations and is produced by ramming the sealant into the seam between the socket and the pipe. And in modern socketless SML communications, a cast-iron SML tee is used to organize branches, the tightness of which is ensured by special stainless steel clamps with seals.

Chasing of cast iron sewer pipes is carried out at the entrance of the intra-apartment riser to the apartment, as well as at the exit of the fan pipe - a communication element installed in residential buildings and having more than one floor level, designed to prevent odors from entering the room from the sewer.

But, if, for example, SML systems are designed for use in non-pressure networks, then traditional cast iron systems withstand hydraulic pressure up to 0.1 MPa. At the same time, high-quality chasing of sockets of cast-iron pipes is a critical operation in the process of installing the system, since the entire operation of the pipeline as a whole depends on the degree of sealing reliability. Chasing cast iron pipes can be done in several ways using different materials.

What materials are used

Chasing a pipe in a sewer system can be done using:

• cables;
• filling with gray.

And, if pouring with sulfur is considered the old Soviet way, then chasing pipes with a cable can be done by hand with minimal theoretical training and a set of tools.

Kabolka is a rope made of flax, hemp or jute impregnated with antiseptic and resinous substances. It is used for sealing joints and seams of sockets and, thanks to impregnation, provides high resistance to decay and biostability. The consumption of cable for chasing pipes is calculated based on their dimensions: the length of the strand must exceed the circumference of the pipe by 25%, and its thickness must be such that it fits snugly into the annular gap. In this case, the cable must be laid into the socket with three bundles so that the overlaps of its ends are in different places along the circumference of the pipe. In the construction of sewer systems, tarred strands are sometimes replaced with rubber rings.

The joint over the cable is sealed with different filler materials. They provide complete tightness of the connection, prevent the extrusion of the cable under pressure from the contents of the system. Used as a placeholder:

• cement;
• asbestos cement;
• lead.

The disadvantage of cement-based aggregates is their relative stiffness. If a leak forms at the joint, it is impossible to seal it without preliminary caulking, with minimal time and labor costs. Although asbestos cement is used to seal the joints of the sockets of cast-iron pipes, it has a higher elasticity compared to cement.

If sealing the seams of sockets with cement and asbestos cement is not difficult, then chasing cast-iron pipes with lead is a more complicated procedure and requires skills. After caulking the gap with a resin strand, a rope is placed in the socket gap, which is covered with a layer of clay on top. With the help of free ends, after almost complete drying of the binder, the rope is pulled out of the socket gap, and straightened lead is poured into the sprue formed in its place. In order for the vapors formed in the socket slot during its filling with lead to freely go outside, a hole is pierced in the side of the sprue.

Technology: main stages

Chasing the sockets of cast iron pipes begins with the identification of the type of sealant material. It can be cable or sulfur. After removing the waterproofing solution, you can determine which "seal" is in the socket.

If, after removing the waterproofing, when trying to loosen the joint, the process went quite easily, and the pipe began to swing or turn, we can assume that half of the work has already been done. This means that the socket is pressed with a cable and, in order to remove it, you just need to gently loosen the pipe, use a screwdriver to pick up part of the strand and pull out the entire roll. The procedure for dismantling a pipe installed on a cable is much simpler than caulking cast-iron pipes with sulfur.

If the nozzle is mounted on sulfur, the caulking procedure also begins with the removal of the waterproofing. But after that, the joint is heated with a blowtorch, as a result of which the joint sealant is completely melted. After the connection has cooled down, the pipe can be easily unscrewed from the socket.

Caution: chasing! Safety

When carrying out caulking, safety regulations must be observed. Personal protective equipment is especially important when removing a sulfur filling. When heated, sulfur releases a toxic gas that can cause poisoning if inhaled. Therefore, the caulking of the pipe on sulfur should be carried out in a gas mask.

When removing waterproofing - cement or asbestos cement - with a hammer and chisel, as well as when cleaning the pipe from sulfur residues, you should wear goggles.

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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.

In the days of the Soviet Union, it was cast-iron pipes that were used for the manufacture of sewers. They have many advantages, such as long service life and high reliability. However, at the same time, they do not have flexibility, which is why they are overgrown with plaque from the inside, and are also susceptible to corrosion. Therefore, in our time, products made of polymeric materials are increasingly used. But, despite this, cast-iron pipelines still remain in most houses, because most buildings were built several decades ago. Therefore, gradually people begin to independently replace the failed sections. At the same time, they are faced with the fact that the pipes are minted. You should study the question of how to mint a pipe with your own hands.

To emboss a cast-iron pipe, people usually invite a professional. However, such work can be done by hand. At the same time, it is very important to act carefully.

The caulking of pipes is the separation of the elements of the sewer pipeline. This process requires care and accuracy, but it is quite possible to carry it out on your own.

Chasing sewer sockets requires careful preparation. The main stages of this process:

1. First of all, you need to prepare the tools. We are talking about a grinder, a hacksaw, a simple and rubber hammer, a chisel, an adjustable wrench, screwdrivers, pliers, a respirator and a blowtorch.
2. You need to open the valves. This will protect against the flow of fluid through the pipe with which the work is being done.
3. You also need to ask the neighbors not to use the water supply and sewerage. Especially seriously should talk about the use of the toilet. After all, this can lead to the fact that the drains will fall right on your head.
4. You will have to dismantle the toilet, sink, or the system whose sewer part you are going to mint.

Chasing pipes can only be done when you have completed all the stages of preparation for this process. Otherwise, you simply will not be able to cope with this process.

Cutting off an unnecessary pipe section

If you want to repair or replace the sewer or water pipe system, then you need to carry out each step in stages. After all, this process is different in that in case of failure, you can damage the sewer system of your neighbors.

Chasing the toilet outlet is difficult because in order to dismantle this element of plumbing, it will have to be broken. You won't be able to take it off completely.

Before you start caulking the sewer system, you must eliminate the damaged area. In this case, there are several recommendations.

The first stage of chasing a cast-iron sewer:

1. The end pipe is very easy to replace. Here you will not have to do any special work, except for the chasing itself.
2. If you want to replace the central part of the sewer riser, then this will be more difficult. This is where you need to make a cut.
3. For four centimeters from the common pipe, make an incision in a circle. Use a protective mask, goggles and gloves.
4. The unfinished part is carefully finished with a hacksaw. It is not recommended to hit the pipe with a hammer. The fact is that the fragility of the metal is unpredictable, upon impact, instead of a damaged pipe, the necessary part may burst, and in this case the next element will have to be changed.
5. Tie a large piece of rags to the pipe, then put it into it. This is necessary so that foreign objects do not get into the riser.
6. Now they go down some distance from the cut along the damaged element so that 20-30 centimeters remain to the place of caulking, and make a new cut. Carefully remove the cut piece.
7. The hole in the pipe is again closed with rags.

When cutting a pipe, all actions must be done very carefully. Do not cut the product flush, as this increases the danger of work.

It is very convenient to do this work in tandem with a friend. Then one person will be able to hold the element being cut off, and the other to cut.

Methods for caulking pipes and options for its neutralization

Chasing a pipe, that is, connecting its elements, can be done in three ways. However, each of them requires its own specific approach.

Nowadays, in order to connect the elements, it is not at all necessary to mint a pipe. This can be done using a special coupling-adapter. Moreover, with such an element it is possible to connect pipes from various materials, for example, cast iron and plastic.

Chasing pipes can be made from different materials. Various caulking of pipes and ways to eliminate it:

1. It will be easiest to separate the elements if they were minted with a heel. This is a rope that is wound around pipes and rammed. To check if this method has been used, you need to hit the bell several times with a rubber mallet, and then try to loosen it. If the pipe lends itself, then, most likely, it was the cable that was used. In this case, it is necessary to open the top layer of the rope with a screwdriver, find its end and pull it out. Throughout the work, it is necessary to carefully loosen the pipe. Shake it until you can pull out the necessary element. If the cable was covered with cement mortar on top, then it must first be knocked down. To do this, a screwdriver is placed on it at an angle, which taps.
2. In Soviet times, the cable was used infrequently. Sulfur was much more common. In this case, you will have to do quite a dangerous job. For her, you will definitely need to wear a gas mask, because sulfur fumes will be released, which are extremely poisonous. It is also necessary to ventilate the apartment. So, it is necessary to melt the sulfur with a blowtorch so that it acquires a liquid state. When heating, it is periodically necessary to tap the pipe until a noticeable stir appears. When the pipe itself heats up, it will need to be taken with an adjustable wrench and pulled towards you with effort. This will release the required element.

This is how pipes are caulked. It is worth noting that the option with gray is the most dangerous. Therefore, if you do not have a gas mask or a special construction respirator, then it is better not to start at all.

To dismantle the pipe from cast iron correctly, it is necessary to take into account all the rules of caution.

Helpful Hints:

1. Don't work alone. It is not safe. It's best if a friend helps.
2. If the pipes were minted with sulfur, then after removing the necessary element from the system, sulfur residues must be wiped off the pipe.
3. Do not use an iron mallet to chisel pipes. It can lead to the formation of cracks throughout the system. If there is no rubber, then you can use a wooden tool.

Such simple rules will help to produce chasing without trouble.

It is difficult to mint a cast-iron sewer with your own hands, but it is possible. However, keep in mind that even with perfectly correct execution, a non-professional will take several times more time to do this work than a master. Dare!

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 two-thirds of the depth with a resin strand (cabole). 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 cast iron pipes: process features

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 DZ socket sealer. 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.

A modern sewer system is a complex structure that at times increases the comfort of life for the inhabitants of a country house or an apartment in a multi-storey building. In order for the sewerage system to function properly, during the installation process it is necessary to ensure that everything is done correctly, otherwise you may encounter trouble during operation.

Over time, sewer pipes fail and need to be replaced. Considering that in most buildings of the Soviet era, mainly cast-iron pipes were used to install the sewer system, now it is necessary to carry out either a complete replacement or a partial one.

Chasing and chasing sewer pipes

Note! Cast iron pipes under the influence of aggressive factors from the outside can lose their functional abilities and fail in exactly the same way as plastic products and steel pipes.

An important place in the process of repairing sewer pipes made of cast iron is their caulking and caulking - procedures that are carried out using special technologies and building materials.

The one who assumes that it is easier to dismantle a sewer pipe than to install is mistaken. The first stage on the way to replacing an unusable element is the chasing of sewer pipes, or rather chasing. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to do this job. This job is quite dirty and unpleasant.

Chasing a sewer pipe is required if the socket method was used during installation work.

Note! Chasing is performed in different ways, depending on which method was used to give strength and reliability to the connection.

To figure out how to caulk a sewer pipe, it is necessary to determine whether a sealant or sealant is used to connect cast iron pipes to each other.

• Chasing the pipe on the seal begins with the fact that it is tedious to beat off the waterproofing layer with a special rubberized hammer. After that, the joint is loosened, the camboca is removed, the sewer pipe is removed from the socket.
• The caulking of the pipe on the sealant is performed a little differently. First you need to tap the joint, then remove the waterproofing layer, burn the sealant with a blowtorch. Once the pipe has cooled, it can be easily removed from the socket.

Note! After the caulking has been done and the damaged part of the cast iron sewer pipe has been removed, it is not recommended to install a replacement from that material. It is better to replace the cast iron pipe with a plastic counterpart. Plastic is in no way inferior to cast iron, but is a lighter and cheaper material, and besides, it does not corrode.

Methods for caulking sewer pipes

When installing a sewer system using cast-iron pipes, which are connected in a "bell" way, voids are formed at the joints, which can adversely affect the functioning of the sewer. In order for the connection to be reliable and durable, caulking of sewer pipes is required. It can be made using different materials. Most often it is cement and asbestos cement.

Use of cement mortar

First you need to mount the resin seal in its place. The tarred rope must be tamped into the hole of the sewer pipe and the socket. After the formation of the first ring of the tourniquet, we overlap its end from above so that it cannot penetrate the pipe in any way.

Methods for caulking sewer pipes

Now you need to prepare the cement mortar. To do this, cement is poured with water, in a ratio of 9: 1. As soon as the solution cools down a bit, they need to fill in the junction. Using a hammer, we drive the cement into the joint. For a better fight between the solution and the tarred rope, it is necessary to cover the cemented joint with a damp cloth afterward.

Note! If you use extended caulking and embossing in the course of work, the installation speed will increase by 30%. If caulking is performed during the cold season, the cement mortar is prepared not in cold, but in hot water. After completing the work, it is necessary to take care of the insulation of the joints.

The use of asbestos cement

The asbestos-cement mixture is also suitable for performing work on the sewer cast-iron pipe. In this case, the workflow will be slightly different.

Chasing pipes

• First you need to make a solution. To do this, in a container, mix a mixture of dry asbestos fiber with cement. For one part of the mixture you need to take two parts of cement.
• Now the resulting mixture needs to be slightly diluted with water so that it adds 10-12% of the mass, stir until smooth.

There is no fundamental difference in how the sockets of sewer pipes are caulked with asbestos-cement mixture or cement mortar.

Note! Cast iron is a rather fragile material despite all its technical characteristics. During operation, it is exposed to water, solid waste, aggressive chemicals. In order to extend the life and improve the quality of service of sewer pipes made of this material, it is necessary to caulk the connections.

Before you start doing the work with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with all the nuances of caulking. The procedure is quite complicated and time consuming. Without even the slightest experience in carrying out construction work, you should not even take on the execution of caulking.