How to disassemble cast iron sewage system by yourself?
To dismantle the old sewer, the following tools will be needed:
- Gas burner or blowtorch;
- Chisel;
- Bulgarian;
- Gas mask.
First of all, before dismantling the cast-iron sewer, you need to make sure that the pipes are "planted" in sulfur. To do this, it is necessary to peel off a piece of sealant and set it on fire, if it is sulfur, it will burn with an even, blue flame. There will also be a characteristic smell that can not be confused with anything. The chisel breaks the pipes, leaving only the node that connects to the riser. If there is such an opportunity, it is desirable to cut the cast iron to the maximum in order to free the path to the connection.
Pipes are warmed up so that sulfur is liquid. This is done by open fire of a blowtorch or torch. Depending on the features of the sewage system, the entire process can take more than three hours. Note! For greater convenience, it is better to do the work together: one person warms up the pipes, and the second removes them.
After clearing all connections from sulfur, we loosen the cast-iron sewer tee. If all the sulfur has flowed out, then it will be easy. Further, all residual sulfur is removed, and the tee is left to cool. This will take about an hour, after which it will be possible to begin the installation of new pipes.
Sewer repair
Repair of cast iron sewerage is often performed in "grandfather" ways. However, modern methods of repair are much more effective. If a small crack or chip has appeared on the pipes, then it will be sufficient to use a bandage, a jar of liquid glass and cement. To begin with, the surface is prepared according to the standard procedure( cleaning and degreasing).Then mix the liquid glass and cement until a thick mass is obtained. The finished mixture is spread on the pipe and turns into a bandage, with each turn being treated with a mixture.
Note! The mixture dries quickly, so all work must be carried out too quickly.
If the crack on the pipe went from above, then it is possible to apply a rubber band in the longitudinal direction. The overlap is bent and pulled together by two clamps. If there is a financial opportunity, then you can fill the entire surface with silicone. For some time, the silicone will be effective, but since it is not intended for application to large areas and has weak adhesion to cast iron, the benefit from it will not be for a long time.
Repair works on the street
If it becomes necessary to repair a cast-iron pipe that is located on the street, then the same methods as described above can be used. However, it is desirable to make additional fixation of the joined cast-iron pipes, so that deformations in the ground do not open the cracks. If the pipe is adjacent to the septic, the above methods may not work. The design of the septic tank undergoes seasonal fluctuations, and this can destroy the integrity of the repaired connection.
In this case, first of all, a liquid glass is used, which is poured over with a large amount of mastic, which is used for gluing joints in panel houses. In principle, the mastic also perfectly seals the cracks, so if there is no liquid glass available, then you can do without it. However, it is better to seal with it, so it's safer.
Note! With large cracks, such repair methods are not suitable, it will be necessary to replace the entire section of the pipe.
