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Attaching PVC to Cast Iron Clean Out
08-05-2022, 07:01 PM
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#1
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,101
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Attaching PVC to Cast Iron Clean Out
I’m trying to figure out how to attach a PVC pipe to my existing sewer clean out.
The treads are rotted out at this point so I cannot just buy/use a typical screw in clean out plug. I did but something that works to seal it which works fine. This isn’t the exact model, but it’s similar:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/JONES-ST...1004/100141500
The reason I want to attach some PCV is because I want to raise the opening up a couple feet to make it easier to use. I drain the excess water from my pool into the sewer. If I can raise it up a bit and put a better (easier to put on and take off) cap/plug . . . on it, it would work better for my needs.
Problem is that the opening is 3-3/4 inches. And, while there’s a lip on the top outside of the opening, it’s not enough to put a outside diameter rubber reducer coupling on it. So I need something that will go inside the opening and create a reasonably good seal. The clean out is right next to my house, under an eve so exterior water is not really a problem.
Here’s a picture of the clean out. It looks like the cast iron is in worse shape in the picture than it actually is. It does have some rust but the picture makes it look like the rust is about ready to scale off inside the pipe. Actually, it’s pretty solid for 65 years old.
Any ideas how to make this connection? I’d be happy with either 4 inch or 3 inch PVC.
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08-05-2022, 07:06 PM
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#2
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
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The OD of 3" PVC should be a pretty close fit. Maybe wrap a little electrical tape. I'd put a 3 inch coupler on and then as much extension you want in the pipe and as much rise as you want on the other side of the coupler.
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08-05-2022, 07:09 PM
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#3
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: South central PA
Posts: 3,469
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I know nothing about this but I bet you’ll find a dozen YouTube videos that answer this problem.
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08-05-2022, 08:32 PM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Independence
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Fernco fitting. Have had some exposed to the sun and weather for over ten years w/o issue. Does that white collar come off, leaving you just a cast straight pipe?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fernco-4...B&gclsrc=aw.ds
Or maybe stuff this in your pipe and stick a 3" pipe in it.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fernco-4...-305/100201710
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"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
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08-05-2022, 08:39 PM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Laurel, MD
Posts: 8,309
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I searched flexible PVC coupling and there are a variety of items that could work including this "bushing"....
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fernco-4...-305/100201710
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...with no reasonable expectation for ER, I'm just here auditing the AP class.Retired 8/1/15.
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08-05-2022, 08:42 PM
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#6
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by calmloki
Fernco fitting. Have had some exposed to the sun and weather for over ten years w/o issue. Does that white collar come off, leaving you just a cast straight pipe?
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I'm not sure. I'll tap on it a little and see if it moves. Obviously, I don't want to break anything and turn this into a project I'm not ready/able to handle. A straight pipe would be a lot easier to deal with.
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Every day when I open my eyes now it feels like a Saturday - David Gray
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08-05-2022, 08:44 PM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Independence
Posts: 7,281
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jazz4cash
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Ayup. two votes for this part.
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"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
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08-05-2022, 09:12 PM
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#8
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 16,543
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OD of 3" PVC is 3.5" (I think). So that would leave an 1/8" gap. I'd attach some 1/8" thick weatherstripping to the outside of a piece of 3"pvc. Push it down into the clean out and fill the 1/8" gap from the weatherstripping on up with hydraulic cement. The weatherstripping will prevent the hydraulic cement from falling into the cleanout. And it should be fairly solid and waterproof when the hydraulic cement dries.
The Fernco fitting would work if the sizes work, but I don't think that the size will work out.
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08-05-2022, 10:42 PM
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#9
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Puget Sound
Posts: 3,223
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there are ferncos and mission band type fittings that can manage those sizes.
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Class of 2023
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Operating Engineer for a commercial plumbing contractor
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08-05-2022, 11:28 PM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,395
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Somehow I just lost everything I was going to post
Too late to re-do.
In your pic I think I'm seeing a cleanout adapter that was Oakum and leaded into a hub end. To verify its a hub end, dig down in the soil just to one side of it. If it is a hub, it should go straight down a couple inches, and then with a smooth curve, it will turn inwards to the body.
Years ago, I had to handle this situation under a house in a crawlspace with only room to squat, with temps in the 30s.
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Two fools dancing on the hands of time
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08-06-2022, 12:04 AM
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#11
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Anytown
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronstar
OD of 3" PVC is 3.5" (I think). So that would leave an 1/8" gap. I'd attach some 1/8" thick weatherstripping to the outside of a piece of 3"pvc. Push it down into the clean out and fill the 1/8" gap from the weatherstripping on up with hydraulic cement. The weatherstripping will prevent the hydraulic cement from falling into the cleanout. And it should be fairly solid and waterproof when the hydraulic cement dries.
The Fernco fitting would work if the sizes work, but I don't think that the size will work out.
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The old way to "weld" iron pipe was to fill the gap with iron filings and pour in sulfuric acid. I have never done this but I have seen a procedure in a very old "Handbook for Mechanical Engineers." You may be able to weld in a modern fitting this way.
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08-06-2022, 02:19 AM
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#12
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skyking1
there are ferncos and mission band type fittings that can manage those sizes.
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I’ll call Fernco on Monday.
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Every day when I open my eyes now it feels like a Saturday - David Gray
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08-06-2022, 04:18 AM
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#13
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,594
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You may need to cut off the top connector so that you have straight Cast Iron pipe and then use a rubber connector (Fernco etc.) to mate with the PVC.
I would probably start digging down to see what you have. It may simplify the issue. In my case I found the CI pipe loosely fit into Orangeburgh "pipe" (ie the paper/tar material that was popular mid century before the age of Plastics).
-gauss
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08-06-2022, 04:52 AM
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#14
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gauss
You may need to cut off the top connector so that you have straight Cast Iron pipe and then use a rubber connector (Fernco etc.) to mate with the PVC.
I would probably start digging down to see what you have. It may simplify the issue. In my case I found the CI pipe loosely fit into Orangeburgh "pipe" (ie the paper/tar material that was popular mid century before the age of Plastics).
-gauss
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That makes sense but the current plug I have is working fine. This is just for convenience. Therefore, I’m not going to do anything that would cause this to grow into a bigger job. There’s bushes near this and it’s pretty old. Not something I’m willing to get into right now. I’ll just keep using the plug I have rather than make a mess.
The gas company was out last year and before they horizontally drilled, they mapped out all utilities. In that process, they scoped out my drain. They said it looked good (no cracks and no roots). So, a light touch is in order here given that the pipe is over 65 years old. Learned a long time ago to leave well enough alone.
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Every day when I open my eyes now it feels like a Saturday - David Gray
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08-06-2022, 05:41 AM
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#16
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,101
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That may work. I didn’t think about the 3” pipe having on outside diameter of about 3-1/2 inches. I’ll measure that this weekend when I go to HD. Probably could get some rubber gasket material to fill I the gap so that I really don’t have to do anything permanent with the original pipe.
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Every day when I open my eyes now it feels like a Saturday - David Gray
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08-06-2022, 06:22 AM
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#17
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Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,101
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Well thanks for all the advice but the answer ended up being right under my nose. After njhowie posted, I looked at my current plug. I was going to take the rubber gasket off my existing plug to see if it would make up the gap to put in a 3” adapter. I do think that would have worked. Here’s a picture of my current plug. They call them test plugs because their typical use is to plug a pipe and do a pressure test.
Well, before I ruined my current plug, I went online to buy another one (backup) and in reading the specifications it said that the top of the plug can be cut off in order to fill the pipe you’re testing (the stem is hollow). So I just went out and checked and sure enough, the threads on the stem are garden hose threads. All I need to do is cut off the top of the stem and hook a couple feet of garden hose to it in order to make it easy to make the connection to drain my pool.
It took a different path than expected, but thanks for leading me to a great answer to my problem. Not only a better solution, but easier and cheaper.
__________________
Every day when I open my eyes now it feels like a Saturday - David Gray
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08-06-2022, 08:39 AM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,821
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry1
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It took a different path than expected, but thanks for leading me to a great answer to my problem. Not only a better solution, but easier and cheaper.
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Sounds good! After you explained you didn't want to mess with the existing pipe, for fear of creating another problem (smart), I was thinking about that plug, and if you could somehow drill it out to provide the drainage you need.
Looks like it was designed in - and if garden hose size is all you need, looks like an almost perfect solution for you.
I rarely win against the plumbing gods, but it does happen occasionally. Congrats!
-ERD50
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08-06-2022, 08:43 AM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Location: Independence
Posts: 7,281
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry1
Well thanks for all the advice but the answer ended up being right under my nose. After njhowie posted, I looked at my current plug. I was going to take the rubber gasket off my existing plug to see if it would make up the gap to put in a 3” adapter. I do think that would have worked. Here’s a picture of my current plug. They call them test plugs because their typical use is to plug a pipe and do a pressure test.
Well, before I ruined my current plug, I went online to buy another one (backup) and in reading the specifications it said that the top of the plug can be cut off in order to fill the pipe you’re testing (the stem is hollow). So I just went out and checked and sure enough, the threads on the stem are garden hose threads. All I need to do is cut off the top of the stem and hook a couple feet of garden hose to it in order to make it easy to make the connection to drain my pool.
It took a different path than expected, but thanks for leading me to a great answer to my problem. Not only a better solution, but easier and cheaper.
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Do you drain your pool with a sump pump? (I do) My sump pump has male threads I screw the female fitting of a garden hose to - which means I have male threads on the hose at the output side. Do you have a double female connector hose? If you don't want to elevate your existing 4" pipe why not just use the plug you bought and remove it to stuff a foot or so of the drain hose down the pipe on the rare times you drain the pool. It won't leap back out and I've noticed no odor doing that.
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"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
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08-06-2022, 09:23 AM
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#20
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 16,543
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Excellent! I love it when a plan comes together.
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