remove cast iron sewer vent pipe

by raymond nonn
(janesville wi. rock)

A wall separates a toilet from the rest of bathroom.... it has a sewer vent pipe running up through it... one of the old cast iron ones from the fifty's in a plaster wall.

How do I remove it and the wall?




Our Answer
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When you are remodeling, so many questions are running in your head. Some of the remodeling procedures can be done on your own, while other require professional assistance. How will you know which one’s which? Well, for one bathtub refinishing requires assistance of a professional whereas the procedure to remove cast iron sewer vent pipe can be done on your own.

The next question then is, “What is the purpose of the vent in plumbing in the first place?” Here is what you do. Look at your roof. Surely, there are pipes that are sticking out of it. There is a “formula” here – for every pipe that’s going down, one has to go up. The main reason why there are vents is that the sewer gases must be vented outside of your home. When liquid goes down any kind of a pipe, the air follows it. When you don’t have a vent pipe, the liquid will just suck the air through the plumbing fixtures such as the tub and the sink. This will result to a smelly living space. You wouldn’t want that, now would you?

The next concern is, “how do you add plumbing if the sewer line is higher than the fixtures?” This is where the sewer ejector pump comes in. Kits such as these come with the sump basin, check-valve, and sewer ejector pump. The waster line runs through the sump basin, pumps through the check valve and then into the sewer line. This is why you have to remove cast iron sewer vent pipe over a long period of time of using it. You need to clean the sewer vent pipe because imagine all the wastes that had gone through that pipe.

But how exactly do you remove cast iron sewer vent pipe? Do you have to be as strong as Hercules to do so? Cast iron weights about 300 pounds. These are hard to install when these are new and impossible to remove. But it can be done if you know what you are doing and are patient enough to do so....

1. Remove the waste and then overflow the drain fittings. The top part is held on with a number of screws. You can remove cast iron sewer vent pipe by using the right tools to accommodate you in loosening the screws surrounding these pipes.



2. Put a plastic sheet over the area you are working on. It is also smart to put on eye protection just in case shards of glass flies up and hurts you. You can also wear clothes that protect your body, just in case these shards cut your skin.



3. You can use a sledge hammer in order to remove cast iron sewer vent pipe. Carry out the pieces after you are able to remove cast iron sewer vent pipe


But the job does not end there. Just because you were able to actually pull of the task which is to remove cast iron sewer vent pipe, it does not mean that your work is done. You have to install a new waste overflow drain to replace the one that you removed. If you decide to use a tub train that has slip joint nuts, go with the one that has the brass body ones.