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Just out of curiosity... it is a cast iron stack, there is only a small chance of someone or something having dumped such material down it... have you tried putting a strong magnet taped to the bottom of a section of pipe or a tall water glass on a string and down to the clog? (A loose magnet would just stick to the pipe.) It might simply be years of accumulated spalled rust.
Since you now have caustic chemicals in the mix, you will need to be super careful with further cleanout attempts. Rubber gloves, eye protection, covering any area with plastic and newspaper or rags to blot, etc.
Its right at the 90 degree in the basement, where the pipe goes up, its built up about 3-4ft thick (vertically)...if I cut a 3" hole right on the outside of the 90, all of it could be dug out easily.
Just out of curiosity... it is a cast iron stack, there is only a small chance of someone or something having dumped such material down it... have you tried putting a strong magnet taped to the bottom of a section of pipe or a tall water glass on a string and down to the clog? (A loose magnet would just stick to the pipe.) It might simply be years of accumulated spalled rust.
Since you now have caustic chemicals in the mix, you will need to be super careful with further cleanout attempts. Rubber gloves, eye protection, covering any area with plastic and newspaper or rags to blot, etc.
It is a 4" old black cast iron pipe. As long as I have lived here, the exit stack on the roof has a screen on it, but this house was built in the 1950s, I have no idea when that screen was put on, or how all this crap built up in the pipes...its like a stinky, sandy mud,that is jet black in color.
Oh yes, if i cut a hole, Im going to have plastic everywhere, as well as wearing gloves and mask.
Its right at the 90 degree in the basement, where the pipe goes up, its built up about 3-4ft thick (vertically)...if I cut a 3" hole right on the outside of the 90, all of it could be dug out easily.
“...cutting a hole...” is not a sound remedy. Yes, you will most likely be able to remove the sediment but the “plug” will most likely fail sooner rather than later.
How far is this obstruction from the clean out? There is a clean out in the basement, right? Have you by chance put a level on the section of pipe past the ell? I’m betting that the pipe supports have weakened over the years and the pipe has settled/fallen making the ell a low area- not enough fall to the clean out/out of the house.
If there is a clean out and it’s either too far or going in an outward direction this would be a good time to cut out the ell, remove the obstruction, reassess the fall of the pipe, and add a clean out.
“...cutting a hole...” is not a sound remedy. Yes, you will most likely be able to remove the sediment but the “plug” will most likely fail sooner rather than later.
How far is this obstruction from the clean out? There is a clean out in the basement, right? Have you by chance put a level on the section of pipe past the ell? I’m betting that the pipe supports have weakened over the years and the pipe has settled/fallen making the ell a low area- not enough fall to the clean out/out of the house.
If there is a clean out and it’s either too far or going in an outward direction this would be a good time to cut out the ell, remove the obstruction, reassess the fall of the pipe, and add a clean out.
Yes, there is a large cleanout, but its right near the basement floor, Thanks for mentioning the level of the pipe, that is something I didnt even think about, I will definitely check that
Most insurance companies (h/o policies)today are not accepting claims that are the result of cast iron failures- so, keep this in mind when you realize that you’ll be replacing pipe.
Most insurance companies (h/o policies)today are not accepting claims that are the result of cast iron failures- so, keep this in mind when you realize that you’ll be replacing pipe.
Why would you file an insurance claim for what appears to be an end-of-life phenomenon in the drains of a 70 year old house?
I climbed on the roof and stuck a 20 foot painter's pole down the stack vent. Once the pole reached and removed the clog, I used a garden hose to flush the vent. No issues 4 years later.
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