Overhead sewerpipe problem

14 years ago

The sewerpipe in the basement from the kitchen sink has to be replaced and it is located in a tight space near the basement ceiling (and electric box and wires and water pipes, etc, etc. and right over my central vac canister. There was a garbage disposal when I moved in but was taken out a few years ago. I have been afraid to pour boiling water from cooking or any cleaner down there so just spraying the sink with Clorox Clean Up. Pipe not dripping yet but in bad shape. Hopefully if I pour 10% bleach water down the drain before he gets here it will clean the drain somewhat.

Plumber said he could not use his "whatever neat slicer" so has to actually saw through the cast iron pipe and admits it will make a big black dust mess. Am putting up 2 mil plastic over all I can but I have not outside access door to the basement and the only way to get the plastic full of black iron (and probably germs) is to go upstairs through the hall and out the front door or push it through the basement window which is partly underground with a window well around it. Which do you think is the better way to go? It will be all over the sides of the window and in the window well from pushing the plastic out or if he rolls it into itself and takes it out the front door....I know the sewer pipe will have to be taken out through the front door - won't go out the window because of the angle.

What about clean up? He has a shop vac that I BOUGHT a HEPA filter for so it won't go in one end and out the other. However, there is just so much a plumber will do and I don't even know if he will take the plastic with him or leave it for me. ugh. I wouldn't be so worried about it but had a mastectomy and low immune system. Do I have to wash down the basement with bleach before I re-vacuum as he thinks the dust will go right through the plastic but it will be less than if nothing was put up. Hopefully, the dust sticks to the plastic. There also is a "shaft" from the basement to the attic that can not be closed up because of the water pipes and electric wires in the way plus a space I can not get to which is open to the back of downstairs 1st level shower so will have to somehow get plastic over these areas. I think I am more worried about the cast iron dust than anything in the pipe itself as it is all being brought upstairs and out the front door. There is paneling there and hard to clean that.

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks.

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Comments (3)

alphonse
14 years ago
Having gone through the cancer arcade myself, I relate to your concerns. Your oncologist should be able to determine from a CBC whether you're neutropenic or otherwise immunocompromised. The longer the time from chemo/rad, the better your odds, assuming one is otherwise healthy.

The actual job should not involve large quantities of gray water, only the trap contents, at most a pint. Careful work = no spills.

Cast iron cutting swarf is very heavy and will likely stick to the plastic.

In short, don't worry so much. Although the innards of kichen drains can be disgusting, very few, if any, plumbers suffer from working on them or blackwater piping.
You're not doing the work, right?

Any glop that's spilled gets aerobic in short order and presents minimal hazard. Dosing with bleach seems overkill.

You can ask the plumber to remove the waste materials, not an unusual request. There may be a fee.
zl700
14 years ago
Cutting the pipe with a sawzall makes minimal dust, especially if kept wet.

However, if he used a cast iron pipe cutter, there would be no dust.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ridgid Soil Pipe Cutter
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hendricus
14 years ago
The sewerpipe in the basement from the kitchen sink

Is this really cast or could it be galvanized?

Overhead sewerpipe problem

Comments (3)

alphonse

zl700

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hendricus

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