Iron DWV pipe situation - what should I do about this, if anything at all?

I bought a 1972 house and it has original iron drain/waste/vent plumbing. None of it seems to be leaking, except for maybe this one section. This is the final straight run that goes through the foundation wall to the street. It looks like at some point this 2 or 3 ft section got cut out, then put back in place with large 4" rubber hose clamps. The cut section is supported only by these hose clamps, which seem to be sagging due to the weight of the 4" iron pipe. It doesn't seem to be actively leaking, but it's a bit worrisome. There is dried evidence of past dripping at the hose clamps and the ground below. The crawlspace is very accessible and easy to work in.

First, what was this for? I assume it was cut to make way for a rooter machine for a past cleanout, then hose-clamped back together after the service. 

Second, what should I do? Suspend the section with strapping to take the weight off the hose clamps? Replace the hose couplings with stronger no-hub couplings? Replace the section with PVC? Any tips, tricks?

Disclaimer: I'm not a plumber or qualified in any way. 

The fernco fittings are fine for the repair. I would suspend the pipe with strapping to take weight off and call it good. Maybe check occasionally to make sure nothing is leaking. 

Same as Evan. Fernco couplings are the appropriate tool for the job. I'd replace them with fresh, wire wheel the sealing surfaces, and use some metal strapping to better support the pipe and go on with your life. 

If I undo the coupling, will poop fall everywhere?

Maybe a little. Don't be scared. Try not to let anyone poop and flush while you're working on the pipe. 

Your other question about why it's there: you're correct, someone cut it open to clear a clog or inspect the line. Be glad that it's there for you should you ever need to do the same. 

While you have it out and open you may want to do something to clear out the line, water blast from a hose sort of thing.  If it clogged up before, it may do so again so it seems like cheap insurance to try to clean it again while it is open.  

You can get newer/better versions of the couplers that have a metal bands around the rubber to help prevent sagging. I'd look for the ones with metal bands and then replace the couplers and add support to the iron pipe as the simple fix  

What's on the house side of that section?

I'm a glutton for punishment, so depending on what it looks like upstream of that section I might consider replacing that section further into the crawl space with PVC. The decision would depend on if the tie ins are vertical and there isn't more than a couple.  Then you could add a Y with a clean out near the block wall and reduce the horizontal fernco coupling to just one with less weight on it. 

maschinenbau said:

If I undo the coupling, will poop fall everywhere?

Not everywhere, just on you.

In reply to No Time :

It's all iron upstream and throughout the house. A few feet to the right it Y's up to the upstairs bathrooms and kitchen. It could all use more strapping support to be honest.

I think I'll try strapping it up first and tightening the existing hose clamps on the Ferncos, but I'll buy those metal band couplers to have on hand just in case. And maybe a leave a bucket or two down there.

Since you have good access we would replace that whole run with pvc to prevent future problems.  You should have no problem doing it yourself and it would be cheap. 

Toot said:

Since you have good access we would replace that whole run with pvc to prevent future problems.  You should have no problem doing it yourself and it would be cheap. 

This^^^ Replace as much as makes sense with PVC,Support more than it needs to be supported, put it back together, and call it good. If you have to tear the cast iron out at any point, hit it with a BFH. Shatters into pieces. I', pretty sure when I did my house, the weight of poo helped me get a better scrap value. Not fun, but also not an every day occurrence.

If you do anything more than just support the pipe, I'd add a real clean out fitting so that future cleanouts are really easy.

Like this, with a screw on cap.

If you take any more of the cast iron pipe out, rent a snapper to make the cuts. It's the  quick and easy way to get a clean cut.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Cast iron can last 100 years. 
 

Strap it up, call it done. Get back to work on the Lotus. 

Mezzanine said:

Maybe a little. Don't be scared. Try not to let anyone poop and flush while you're working on the pipe.

I worked for my dad - a master plumber - when I was in high school and college.  There was a S/D we did work in that the owner wanted to put in a swimming pool and the septic tank had to be moved.  We had a hole in the ground getting ready tu move the system.  Some of us were in the hole and we heard the 'stuff' coming.  One of the kids thought it would be a good idea to use the bathroom.  We watch as the water 'etc' came flying out of the pipe - missing us by inches.  So, yeah,  try not to let anyone flush the toilet while you are working on the pipe.

I was doing a commercial job a few years back.  The job included replacing the main sewage trunk line, which ran 150' through the showroom of a fancy car dealership, under a marble floor.  5 days of digging a trench through the showroom with a mini excavator. 
 

Before starting, I talked with the plumber to coordinate to shut down all the bathrooms that fed into it. He said "Font worry about it. We do this all the time".  I thought he had a method of pumping, or diverting. 
 

He didn't.   He meant SOME of them had trench boots.  Open trench full of sewage with the pipe completely gone and active bathrooms upstream with guys wading through it. 
 

At some point the plumber says, "I don't know what everyone's problem is. An hour and a half ago this stuff was hamburger."

The was 8 years ago. That plumber has never worked for us again. 

In reply to SV reX :

LOTO on the water supply main valve? 

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

Did I say the guy was smart?  My bad. 

New development. Now that we've been living here for a week, the sewer backed up into the downstairs shower (lowest branch of the system). Isn't that nice. To be fair, it was after simultaneous showering/laundry machine/doing dishes. 

Now we have active slow dripping from those hose clamps. 

The main sewer line in the original post is pictured here on the right. It goes into the wall on the left, which has a moisture barrier attached. The backup eventually drained out, but now you can hear a creepy cave-like water dripping noise behind this wall. I lifted up a portion of the moisture barrier and the concrete wall is in fact moist. This is directly below the den, which has a musty smell since we moved in. We did not notice the smell when shopping for the house and due diligence, in fact it was a huge plus that this house had such dry air compared to others we saw. This is probably because it sat for a few months, meaning dry sewer, therefore no leaking, and dry foundation.

My theory is the sewer pipe is broken, clogged, and/or leaking into the yard just outside the foundation wall. This may be soaking the foundation wall with water, which may explain the dripping sound. It was gone this morning after not using water all night. The grass just outside this wall was soggy after a dry day, when the rest of the grass was dry. 

Plumber en route this morning. I leave the country for work tomorrow, leaving my wife home alone. Hoping they can solve this before I leave. 

berkeley homeownership.

"creepy cave-like water dripping noise"...

Nope. Shouldn't be anything like a cave behind that wall. 

They ran the camera and rooter, and yep it's blocked by roots and soil. Which implies a broken or collapsed pipe about 60-70 ft out. They're coming back today with the water jet to hopefully blast it clear, but it sounds like a big expensive hole is in my future. They're not sure which direction the sewer goes underground, but they are coming back with a locator too. 

Hopefully, it just needs routed and is not collapsing. If there are roots, then there are cracks, which is a worry.

If it was my house, I'd tear the entire house out and replace with PVC. I'm currently working at an apartment complex built in 1972ish and literally every single joint in the 3 buildings (150 units) are held together with those 50yrold dried out rubber bands. Non-stop leaks and backups. Absolutely hate it. Like, seriously considering looking for another job, just for that 1 reason, hate it.

In reply to hobiercr :

Roots=cracks= eventual replacement. Eventual replacement= digging up the yard and replacing with PVC. 
 

Collapse= replacement now. Digging up the yard and replacing with PVC. 
 

The only difference between roots and collapse is how long you can defer the maintenance.

Sorry to hear of this!

In reply to 90BuickCentury :

That sounds like a REALLY expensive solution to something that may not be broken. Like the movie "The Money Pit".
 

I understand your frustration, and full replacement is sometimes called for.  But the vast majority of the time that is completely unnecessary. 
 

Vertical pipes are almost never the problem. Most cast iron is sealed with lead, not rubber.