|
|
 Cast Iron Drain Piping Under-Floor Leak Diagnosis & Repair
Case Study
|
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
Cast iron drain pipes leak under a basement floor: this article describes Conrad's experience in tracking down a sewer gas odor that appeared in the building's (transite) heating ducts, finding a leaky sewer pipe under the basement floor, and repairing (or replacing) the in-floor cast iron plumbing drain waste vent piping, piping materials.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Cast Iron Drain Pipe Leak & Repair Case - Odors Lead to Discovery of Under-Floor Drain Leaks
 The articles at this website will answer most questions about water supply & drain piping, wells, & water tanks as well as many other building plumbing system inspection or defect topics. Reproduction of this web page electronically at other websites is prohibited.
Also see CAST IRON DRAIN PIPING. Other types of building piping systems are discussed at GAS PIPING, VALVES, CONTROLS and at OIL TANK PIPING DEFECTS.
Leaky Cast Iron Drain Pipes Under a Floor Slab Send Sewer Gases into HVAC Ducts
A reader (Conrad) provided us with the photographs and case history of the successful track-down of sewer gas odors in a building (SEWER GAS ODORS). The case began with a complaint of sewer gas odors in the building's heating duct work system. As you can see from the "before" and "after" photos, this case involved the following combination of circumstances:
- A transite heating duct was buried in a basement floor (below the slab) and located parallel to and immediately above a cast iron sewer pipe (photo below left)
- The sewer pipe deteriorated and developed leaks (photo below right)
- The transite (asbestos cement - see TRANSITE PIPE AIR DUCTS) air duct was also leaky
- Sewer gases leaked out of the cast iron waste line and into the heating duct line.
- The repair required breaking up the concrete floor slab and replacing the leaky sewer line. We recommended replacement of the transite heating duct as well.
Photographs of Finding, Excavating & Diagnosing Transite Duct & Cast Iron Drains Buried Under the Basement Slab
The photo at below left shows the basement floor slab cut open to permit replacement of the leaky cast iron drain line. At below right our final photograph shows
the new white PVC drain piping installed in the floor.
Photos of Repairs to the Leaky Cast Iron in-Slab Drain Lines
At above right and in more photographs below we show the sewer line break repairs and floor re-tiled kindly sent along by reader Conrad.
...
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
...
Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia
Questions & answers or comments about how sewer odors are traced, and how to diagnose & find leaky buried cast iron drain pipes and how to trace methane odors to a nearby HVAC duct in the floor slab.
Ask a Question or Enter Search Terms in the InspectApedia search box just below.
Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. Mr. Cramer serves on the ASHI Home Inspection Standards. Contact Mark Cramer at: 727-595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com
- John Cranor is an ASHI member and a home inspector (The House Whisperer) is located in Glen Allen, VA 23060. He is also a contributor to InspectApedia.com in several technical areas such as plumbing and appliances (dryer vents). Contact Mr. Cranor at 804-747-7747 or by Email: johncranor@verizon.net
 Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional home inspection services & home inspection education & publications. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides:
- Commercial Building Inspection Courses - protocol ASTM Standard E 2018-08 for Property Condition Assessments
- Home Inspection Education Courses including home study & live classes at eleven colleges & universities.
- Home Inspection Education Home Study Courses - ASHI@Home Training 10-course program.
Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on these courses: Enter INSPECTAHITP in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
- The Home Reference Book, a reference & inspection report product for building owners & inspectors.
Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
- The Home Reference eBook, an electronic version for PCs, the iPad, iPhone, & Android smart phones.
Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter inspectaehrb in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Illustrated Home illustrates construction details and building components, a reference for owners & inspectors.
Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Illustrated Home purchased as a single order Enter INSPECTAILL in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Horizon Software System manages business operations,scheduling, & inspection report writing using Carson Dunlop's knowledge base & color images. The Horizon system runs on always-available cloud-based software for office computers, laptops, tablets, iPad, Android, & other smartphones.
- Thanks to reader Conrad for discussing an under-slab sewer gas odor source traced to a combination of transite heating ducts in the floor slab and leaky cast iron drain piping - January 2010
- Other water supply and drain piping articles:
- Clearances Required for Septic Systems Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, property boundaries, Online Tables of Septic Distances
- Clogged Drain Diagnosis: Is it a blocked drain or the septic system? - A First Step for Homeowners
- CROSS CONNECTIONS, PLUMBING - bacterial contamination of building piping - sources
- PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSIS: may indicate defective or clogged plumbing: how to diagnose and cure drain sounds
- FREEZE-PROOF PIPES: how to freeze-proof plumbing in a building, how to avoid freezing pipes, how to thaw frozen pipes: how to winterize a building against freezing and frost damage.
- Plastic Water Supply & Drain Piping Failures, Leaks, Repairs, Lawsuits: Water Supply Piping Defects and Plastic or polybutylene
- Transite Pipe Water Supply Piping - what are the health hazards and other risks from cement asbestos (transite) water pipes?
- WINTERIZE A BUILDING: how to freeze-proof plumbing in a building, how to avoid freezing pipes, how to thaw frozen pipes: how to winterize a building against freezing and frost damage.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
|
- Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
- Don't Flush these things into a septic system
- Drain Noises: may indicate defective or clogged plumbing: how to diagnose and cure drain sounds
- Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
- Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results and Correcting Unsatisfactory Water
- Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum Allowed
- HOT WATER HEATERS - a detailed guide to all types of hot water sources, problems, inspection, repair
- Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: Testing & Correction - Advice (This Article)
- Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from Lead Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
- SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR The Septic Systems Information Website
- Sewage Odors in Wet or Cold Weather - Septic Odors or Sewage Odor Diagnosis & Repair Guide for diagnosing and eliminating cold weather sewer gas odors
- Sewage Levels in Septic Tanks - what are normal and abnormal sewage levels in septic tanks and what do they mean about tank condition, leaks, etc.
- Sewer Line Replacement diagnosing a clogged drain leads to drain line replacement - step by step photo-illustrated guide to drain replacement
- Water Pressure Loss - Diagnosis how to determine why water pressure has been lost or why there is no water at all in a building
- Water testing for Pesticides: comprehensive and pesticides-example parameters
- Water Testing: background comments on classes of water contaminants, & links to home buyer advice about water testing, drinking water, water supply
- When and How to Shock or Chlorinate a Well - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
- Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living
- Typical Water Tests & Fees this water test fee schedule applies when testing is combined with other onsite building inspection services
- Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost
- Water pressure tank failures & water pump short cycling diagnosis and repair
- ...
|
