How to Repair Cast Iron Pipe Cracks, Avoid Plumbing Fails

[@jeffostroff]

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[@Nairuulagch]

Thank you for saving my day!!

[@Nairuulagch]

Subscribed you!

[@stewartbruce2409]

I've done this repair many times. If you have a large hole, this is what I do. Cut a piece of wax paper, and piece of plastic or metal screen material a bit larger then the hole. Lay screen material on top of wax paper and coat both sides with JB weld regular or kwik depending on your needs for a fast cure. Next place and press the patch over the hole. When dry just peel off the wax paper, especially if a second coat is necessary. Of course preparation and cleaning the pipe first for good adhesion. I do hope this helps some of you students in the you tube classroom. All the best with much success!!

[@jeffostroff]

That is a good idea!

[@larrywarolin7215]

I have a large hole and I'll be damned if you're doing that to me.

[@steppingstonebiodiversity]

We tried this on a cracked cast iron drain pipe (2 feet long 1/4 inch wide crack). It seems to be working! Thanks!

[@jeffostroff]

Nice work!

[@weili9989]

Hi thank you for the information! May I know is that still working? I am also considering buying a Epoxy Putty rather than replacing the whole pipe system

[@greatbay1961]

JB weld the best ever made has got me out of alot of jams over the years don't use anything else

[@jeffostroff]

Yes this is some strong stuff

[@billriga2825]

Thanks Jeff got pin holes on my cast iron your remedy should work great. THANKS!!!

[@jeffostroff]

Excellent!

[@charcoalanderson8010]

How did it work?

[@darlenenelson364]

Thanks! My husband has been neglecting a similar problem. Watch you, I feel like I can do this myself. Your Tops!

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

[@freetolook3727]

I use Rustoleum Rust Reformer paint on a lot of projects. Spray inside of wheelbarrow once a year and it resists the hard use it gets with the coating lasting the whole season without rust inside the tub.

[@BETHEONE77]

Im going to try this and see if this helps me at least for a little bit.

[@jeffostroff]

Let us know if it worked for you

[@whatthehellimbored]

A multi tool with the sanding attachment works great for tight spots like that.

[@jeffostroff]

Yes, it was more the texture and raised shape of the pipe area, it felt better to do it by hand after the initial machine sanding.

[@michaelshawjr66]

JB Weld Water Weld Epoxy putty is great for problems like this. Sets under water.

[@limitby9]

You could have used a wire brush (mechanical and/or hand) to clean the cast iron. Also, you could have used a cleaning solution to remove the oil and gunk from the cast iron to ensure the JB Weld held to the pipe. I would have let the JB Weld cure overnight before painting, since you are going to seal the wall and not see the results of your repairs. I know, time is of the essence!

[@jeffostroff]

When I sanded at the spot of the crack, I was down to bare shiny metal, that's all I cared about, the rest of the pipe can still have oxidation. But hand sanding got most of the rest and the rust inhibitor keeps it from getting worse, and the new paint spray on there protects the whole thing from further corrosion any time soon.

[@mitchmoffitt259]

Here here...In fact...since its a drain....Not pressurized... Ive fixed these with rubber cement, like the goop products. They are all the same BTW... A drill (or a right angle drill or angle grinder with a flap disk)... with a brush wheel would have been better & then a course sanding block to finish off...then wipe with paint thinner or charcoal starter to de-grease the whole thing..and yes, you can paint any of the goop products once they are cured...So...yea, this works (not on my house tho) but that rust reformer likes to have a brushed and cleanish surface to polymerize the remaining rust...Otherwise without further cleaning the rust now has a chance to drill down into the cast Iron...Good thing its thick! more than one way to do drains...

[@robertmills4980]

Good stuff Jeff. I'll definitely remember this if I ever run into a similar problem. Thanks

[@jeffostroff]

Glad to help Robert!

[@weili9989]

Hi thank you for the information! May I know how long you expect the Epoxy Putty could last for a drain pipe? years? or months? Thanks!

[@wahbii]

I've used jb weld for these exact cases. Best stuff to use, even Project Farm has confirmed. I have never used this 2 part one only the tube.

[@jeffostroff]

You used the SteelStick?

[@wahbii]

@@jeffostroff Marine JB weld in the tube. I've had to use it on old cast iron, galvanized pipes, and lead. Great fix. I've even used the high heat jb weld on cast iron radiators and pipes.

[@TheHobbyShopFilms]

If you have a 3d printer, you can make your own adapter for the sander. There are several files you can download that others have made that work great.

[@jeffostroff]

Maybe one day I'll have a 3d printer

[@flaviorodriguez4234]

Watching your channel I learn something new every day thank you sir 💯

[@jeffostroff]

Glad to help Flavio

[@bennytorres4557]

For a small spot like that to sand, I use my dewalt multi tool with the triangle sanding head

[@jeffostroff]

The texture of that pipe also dictated hand with sandpaper

[@johnburnitin1027]

I worked on old crap just like that for almost 50 years. I have tried everything and there isn't an easy, permanent repair for that old garbage. I always just cut it out and replace it with pvc. I used to cut out the garbage and lead in new fittings, before pvc. Now, repairs are easy.

[@jeffostroff]

How do you mate the PVC to the bottom of the stack? Do you cut it off the floor and leave enough cast iron stack to slip a mission connector over it?

[@johnburnitin1027]

@@jeffostroff They make transition mission clamps, if needed. Sometimes the old cast is close to pvc.

[@Yuliveandyulearn]

What do you guys think of this

[@njMay2012]

Very helpful video! Not sure if you can give me a little advice what to use to patch up a hole from inside the iron pipe. We are replacing the toilet bow, and saw this hole patched up by cement by the previous house owner. It is close to the sleeve. In this video, you use JB weld, not sure if it can be used to patch up a hole rather than a crack. It's about an inch wide round hole. Appreciated if you can see this comment and offer some help.

[@liamsumnicht]

Putty epoxy, like rectorseal 200 or oatey fix it stick.

[@IAMJJDM]

Just wanna say keep on going man. Came across you from a think media video, best wishes

[@jeffostroff]

Awesome JJay, glad you made the jump over from ThinkMedia, love Shawn and his channels

[@mc-sp8zr]

Lol I'm replacing doors in my house, and I too use those plastic shims for pretty much everything.

[@jeffostroff]

they are quite useful! Went through 4 packages of them installing the cabinets in this kitchen.

[@chrisc9389]

What is the white pipe sticking out at the end? WAs this added? What is the purpose?

[@MrGeoffois]

I just noticed drips of rust onto my car from a rusted cast iron drain pipe in my townhouse garage. I'll give this a try while I find a new pipe. Thanks. I'm Jeff also =)

[@jeffostroff]

The classic English spelling

[@russwelday]

I use paper plates and popsicle sticks when I use JB Weld.

[@jeffostroff]

Greta idea!

[@freetolook3727]

How long did that fix last?

[@MerchantNation]

im sure it wasnt in the budget, but from experience these are well past their life of usefulness and should be replaced. just pulled my old cast iron pipes in 2020. the inside was so corroded that the inner diameter was around 1". the upper part of their stack may not be as bad but wherever water was in direct contact with drain off, its for sure that corroded.

[@jeffostroff]

Luckily in this house they switched to copper pipes years ago as you can see in the video, and we also switched over the kitchen drain pipe shown in the video to white PVC pipe. And the plumbing stack is just there as a dry vent/wet vent at this point.

[@eegg6954]

Don't worry. If it is cracked, the crack will rust internally and run to each end of the pipe or fitting. Eventually a cracked pipe must be replaced. Fernco makes an epoxy bandage that wraps a cracked pipe and will work for several years...

[@Joethetoolguy]

Nice vid Jeff, I have a large cast iron sewage with my name on it.

[@jeffostroff]

Never name yourself after anything sewer related. Look what happened with John L. Crapper

[@Joethetoolguy]

@@jeffostroff lol too late Jeff 🤣

[@globetrotting2628]

I'm going to do this

[@SandMan50Kal]

Super helpful!!!

[@jeffostroff]

Glad to help Sandy!

[@mrbigcat9]

Did you fix the crack? No water test?

[@jeffostroff]

Yes we tested later

[@mingliao4312]

Detail matter. well done!

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks Ming!

[@shinigami1265]

This video started great with those milwaukee red gloves and Diablo sanding paper😂

[@jeffostroff]

If it ain't red, it stays in the shed!

[@flynnfranklin1887]

Thanks you!

[@plamypetrov5695]

Do you know how to fix a small hollow in a cast-iron kitchen sink?

[@jeffostroff]

Virtually every time the plumbers will slice out the bed section of pipe and replace it with some type of a rubber boot and a PVC pipe

[@neailyb1]

❤🎉love this method

[@jeffostroff]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Progrocker70]

Cast iron drain pipe is funny, it can be 100 years old and in perfect condition or rusted and falling apart. The horizontal sections tend to rust faster than the verticals because of the water and gunk that will sit in there. I think a lot of their longevity lies in how well the outer pitch coating holds up over time. When it fails, the pipe rusts quickly.

[@jakeblack212]

My sewer pipe has a small crack on the top and not leaking but I thought i'd seal the crack before it starts leaking

[@jeffostroff]

That's a very good idea because the summer gas is kinda. Escape into your walls to those crashes

[@stanleykeith6969]

I would clean the pipe the best I could then, I would use 100% silicon and smear it all over the part that you think is cracked. Let it dry. If that pipe is wet it will not stick. You could also try some gorilla spray that looks like undercoating, I know that works great.

[@borys444]

Jb weld puts silicone and gorilla glue to shame.

[@jeffostroff]

Yes good for people who are broke or can't get to JB Weld. but JB Weld is much better and withstands over 5,000 PSI.

[@borys444]

As the old saying goes: Good enough for this neighborhood.

[@nick_the_greek77]

Steve Lav has entered the chat.

[@jeffostroff]

This neighborhood is jam packed with lead melted cast iron plumbing and old galvanized pipe plumbing, many of which have long since failed.

[@tomkinstle1925]

This video was good, up until putting something to reform rust on the outside of the pipe...... looks good from here. 🙄

[@BillAnon]

I once had a crack in the cast iron waste pipe. it was behind a 1st floor wall of a 3 floor building. The plumber replaced the cracked section with a piece of PVC. Can anyone tell me how that was possible? How do you cut a section out of a cast iron pipe without the whole thing collapsing because of the weight?

[@jeffostroff]

If there was enough adhesive and sealant up at the top where it hangs through the roof then it will hold. But the code usually tells the plumbers to use a strap to hold it in place. Because not every cast iron pipe is held in perfectly by the end of the adhesive

[@victoryfirst2878]

What would you do for copper 3 inch drain pipe leak Jeff ??? The plumbers who cleaned the pipes out inside used a metal spinner in the pipe and whore out the pipe from the inside. He then used electrical tape wrapped 1/8 inch thick. Now I have six leaks about an inch long and 1/8 inch wide. I guess I must be lucky. NOT!!!!

[@jeffostroff]

That does not sound like a plumber!

[@AL_Lopez_101]

Great job Jeff!

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks Warmonger

[@johnnykurplutzo8347]

Who does the drywall

[@jeffostroff]

I patched up the drywall afterwards

[@cinnamonsscent9803]

What is the name os the Epoxy patch used

[@jeffostroff]

This was what I used: homedepot.sjv.io/e4Qgkz

[@jamesmcginness9074]

If you had previous leaks in the past I would 1:04 think best thing would be to replace tht cast iron pipe..

[@kikibellebubba1248]

NICE CLEAN UP, THAT WILL EXTEND THE LIFE SPAN OF THE PIPE.

[@jeffostroff]

You got that right!

[@michaelplays2449]

Great video, Jeff !

[@jeffostroff]

Glad you enjoyed it Michael

[@michaelmansun6203]

Can I run an polyethlene pipe through my old iron service line instead of digging up the ground?

[@jeffostroff]

Never anyone try that, so not sure. Sounds like at least physically it would work.

[@michaelmansun6203]

@@jeffostroff yeah I was just thinking about trying that. this service line is really really old.and three feet down, maybe closer to four feet. That's a lot of digging.

[@larrywarolin7215]

No

[@michaelmansun6203]

@@larrywarolin7215 No what?

[@larrywarolin7215]

@@michaelmansun6203 no you can't run ...

[@MartinLDeLoach903]

What about Crack in sewer line under concrete foundation, under the toilet

[@jeffostroff]

For that they chisel up the foundation in that spot and run new PVC pipes, and pour concrete over it

[@MartinLDeLoach903]

@@jeffostroff sheet that be expensive 😬

[@martygarcia]

@@MartinLDeLoach903 $6k for my sewer repair (full line repair, not patch).. Wasn't covered by insurance. Snaked the line and found two bad sections ... Old line went through a neighbors property and had to get their permission to dig. Major pain.. but my line was "crushed" under a tree on the neighbors side. Fortunately, neighbor allowed me to fix. But what a pain!

[@mpmarvin999]

I came in live just as the chick was underneath the car. Late because I had my own plumbing issue to deal with.

[@jeffostroff]

Love those moments!

[@dalesworld1308]

Cast iron rots from the inside out.

[@jeffostroff]

It can rot from either direction. In this case you can tell there was a lot of moisture at the bottom of this access space from previous galvanized plumbing that failed.

[@bennytorres4557]

Tho I might be “crossing the streams” as the ghostbusters say by using a dewalt multi tool with a Milwaukee sanding head

[@jeffostroff]

Yes, those little sanding heads are always forgotten in my multitool bag

[@brianeyman316]

Do you think this will work on a hole the size of a pencil eraser head? That is right on the threaded part?

[@jeffostroff]

This should work on any size opening

[@codybersicc7939]

*j b weld tho*

[@jeffostroff]

It's the best

[@peterboissiere9684]

U shouldn't be teaching plumbing fixes, it shouldn't cost 1000 to fix it right.

[@jeffostroff]

What do you think is wrong with this? Do you have the $1000 to give to this widow to repair her cast iron stack?

[@greatbay1961]

I been repairing new to old for 40 years my customers budget decides how much replacement I do, to replace this stack would be a extra 1000.00 for me to do it and thats cheap when this simple repair added maybe 50.00 to his bill and will last him another 20 years.

[@peterboissiere9684]

@@greatbay1961 It's not going to last 20 year, because the cast IRON is rusting away. And there going to have a leak in the wall,with mold growing their.

[@jeffostroff]

@@peterboissiere9684 Your " my way or the highway" mentality here is completely ignorant and insensitive of the scenarios that poor people face every day, so keep getting snooty against those who can't afford your ivory tower repairs. The iron is not rusting away right now, it looks like there were incidents of water leaking in the past due to old galvanized pipes that are not longer used and must have ruptured inside the wall. So far the rust inhibitor we added will at least help, and look this stack lasted from 1946 until now, and we still don't know if this crack goes all the way through. But Peter if you'd like to donate the money to this retired widow to have her entire cast iron plumbing stack pulled up out of the concrete, and have her roof torn apart to get at the top of it, and tear down the concrete block walls in the kitchen to get at it, as there are no stud drywall walls in this house, then replace with a SCH 40 PVC, I'm sure that would help her, then maybe this repair would be up to your standards oh plumbing Lord..

[@kikibellebubba1248]

Peter, How can you honestly tell what the true condition of the pipe is from short clips of video? Problems with the cast iron were never discussed or reported to be causing problems, it was just discovered when the wall was opened up and discovered other water pipes were leaking causing the rust stains. If the pipe was horizontal I'd probably inspect it more carefully. Good day sir

[@mynonameyt]

Just use an old sock and rubber band for your sander.

[@johnowens178]

It really just needs to be replaced

[@jeffostroff]

You got the cash? We'll do it.

[@timothygingras6939]

I turned the video off if you didn’t have the vacuum hose that you said you had before goodbye

[@CarStudio-p1o]

Xello Ukraine

[@jeffostroff]

What's up Ukraine!

[@konamanstudio2447]

👍🏼😆🍻🍺😊👍🏻

[@jeffostroff]

Thanks Konaman!

[@mikejones-ss7rt]

Never a good idea to sand old lead based paint---paint stripper first

[@jeffostroff]

I was wearing a mask

[@ericm.bright9105]

So you're doing a how to video. You are a professional showing non professionals how to properly do somthing. You do not have the proper vacuum or vacuum adaptor in order to connect you sander to a vacuum. Yet... You proceed to use the sander anyway trowing what had to be a reasonable amount of iron oxide dust everywhere. Engineering disaster? Why didn't you just get the correct tools to get a vacuum hooked up to your sander before proceeding with making the video? 😢 Also... JB Weld and Bondo are NOT anywhere close to being similar products. Bob Vila, Mike Holmes and Norm Abrams would all be shaking their heads right about now... 😮