CORAL ROCK PLUMBING INC.
321-361-8582
1-888-726-7257
Melbourne, Indiatlantic, Sebastian, Vero Beach
Rockledge, Plumbing License CFC1427683
Cast Iron Pipe,
The Good, the Bad and The Ugly !
Cast Iron Pipe is currently used only for commercial applications due to its Fire Resistance durability and Sound Reduction.
According to pipe manufacture Charlotte Pipe "Cast Iron soil pipe and fittings will expand .745" per 100 feet of pipe with a 100 F temp change. The movement of cast iron is close to that of structural steel and concrete, meaning it literally "moves with the building" and usually requires no compensation for expansion or contraction.
Cast Iron pipe has many benefits for commercial applications and may not be the best choice for residential applications.
Cast Iron pipe can crack all the way through from beginning to the end of a straight piece of cast iron pipe. Cast Iron pipe for drain lines must be cleaned by a water jetter called Hydro Jetting to remove all debris that stick to the inside walls. If cast iron pipes are under a concrete slab, yard, or house, they should have a camera inspection at least every 20 years or more. Cast iron pipe can be lined or replaced, however, once a small break occurs, calling a plumber to run a sewer drain machine will only make it a bigger hole or crack. If a water jetter is used, it will remove the foundation sand under the concrete slab and create a pocket for Black water to accumulate and deteriorate. When that happens, further foundation sand causes serious structure concerns.
Roaches Love Cast Iron Pipes
Roaches love cast iron pipes because they can crawl on the top surface of the pipe and travel through the entire plumbing system upsidedown from the City man holes where they nest or Septic Tanks that have cracks in them where they nest also. A Backwater valve can stop them from traveling because they can not get past the door that closes after water has passed through. Roaches can not crawl on PVC pipes because it is too smooth a surface to crab onto.
A customer called when they had over 50 roaches under their sink and could not see any broken pipes above their concrete slab, so CRP broke the concrete slab under the kitchen next to the VTR Vent Through Roof and found an open pocket with no sand, so we dug further and found a 90 bend fitting which had no bottom and was allowing Sewage, Black water to wash away all of the foundation sand and allowing roaches to pass through. The septic tank also had cracks under the lid allowing them to enter from the yard.
