How to disconnect an old sewer pipe. Dismantling the old sewage system

When a person makes major repairs in his apartment, then this type of work, such as replacing the sewer system, is one of the main ones. This is due to the fact that in most cases, cast iron pipes are installed in residential premises.

Which tool will be used to dismantle sewer elements with your own hands depends on the material used for minting.

Basically, you should have at hand:

Decorating tool

• grinder - used to cut a piece of pipe;
• cutting, grinding discs;
• protective mask, goggles, headgear (in case of capping pipes connected with gray);
• blowtorch - required for warming up;
• hammer, screwdrivers of various lengths and thicknesses;
• pipe wrench;
• chisel.

Grinder and blowtorch

If you are dealing with cast-iron elements, then in the arsenal should be: a hammer drill, a chisel / steel wedge, a crowbar or nail puller, a pipe cutter, an iron bucket filled with water.

Before starting work, it does not hurt to draw up an action plan, which depends on how the sewer pipes are connected.

Puncher

How is cast iron disassembled?

If you are going to completely dismantle the cast iron structure from pipes in order to replace it with a plastic one, you can break it with a hammer.

This will not be difficult, because the material itself is very fragile. But if you plan to disassemble some specific part, then you should resort to more loyal methods.

Before disassembling cast iron sewer, you need to inspect the entire system and clearly determine which section requires repair.

After that, the water supply is turned off, respectively, no drains will enter the sewage system.

Cut off the desired section of the pipe

• a section is cut off that section of the pipe that is below the connection;
• then the pipe and socket must be disconnected. The capping methods will be described below;
• if the connection is difficult to dismantle, then a blowtorch can be used or the surrounding cuts are made 20 mm long.

Dismantling a cast iron sewer using a lamp

Considering that dismantling a cast-iron sewage system with your own hands can be traumatic, do not neglect protective equipment and safety rules.

Decorating pipes connected by sulfur

Replacing the sewage system, the components of which were connected with sulfur during installation, begins with the following actions:

Caulking pipes connected by sulfur

• disconnection of water supply;
• disconnecting the hose that leads to the toilet bowl;
• completely remove the plumbing fixture by unscrewing the bolts;
• free the bathroom from furniture and appliances.

Answering the question of how to stamp a cast-iron sewer connected by sulfur, it is worth noting that, due to its properties, this process is rather complicated.

The best way to determine if sulfur has been used or not is to hold a blowtorch near the pipe.

The peculiarity of sulfur is that at high temperatures it begins to melt, which is accompanied by the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

How to dismantle a cast iron sewer:

Removing sulfur residues and cooling the tee

As you can see, figuring out how to dismantle a cast-iron sewer is not difficult at all.

Most importantly, do not forget to remove the remaining sulfur from the riser and let it cool.

If the cast iron system turns out to be strong enough, you can make cuts around the pipe to be removed. This will make it easier to remove from the riser. Failed to disassemble the pipeline?

Just pair it with plastic pipes, and this can be done using transition couplings.

The process of dismantling pipes connected with cement and cable

Talking about how to disassemble an old cast-iron sewer connected with cement, it is worth noting that the process is not much different from the above, but it is safer.

This is explained by the fact that sulfur releases carbon monoxide during melting.

And it all starts with a cut of a certain part of the cast-iron pipe, for which you need to retreat from the points of separation by about 30 cm.

The frozen cement is knocked down with a hammer, which you need to beat on a screwdriver inserted into the hole.

Dismantling the connection with cement and cable

It is important to know that you should not rush in this matter, because you can damage the socket.

After breaking the cement at the joints:

• try to loosen the main pipe. If you are interested in how to disassemble a cast-iron sewer without warming up, then know that the removal of the cable is allowed;
• if it is not possible to loosen the pipe even without the cable, then strong heating will help or special key... For example, for pipes with a diameter of 50 mm, you need tools No. 3, No. 4, but for a tee you need another pipe.

7 minutes to read.

Most of the houses old building have sewer networks of cast iron, sometimes of steel pipes... Over time, they deteriorate, rust and leak. From these leaks in the apartment appears bad smell... At a convenient opportunity, residents change them to metal-plastic or plastic materials. Earlier pipes were connected using cement mortar, twine, sulfur, cabbage. The old pipeline is difficult to dismantle. This requires a lot of desire, tools and patience.

Dismantling old cast iron sewer pipes

General progress of work

To decide how to disconnect the cast-iron sewer pipes, you need to carefully examine them and draw up a small work plan. If you have to completely replace the pipes, you can simply break the old ones with a hammer and take out the debris. This is easy to do, since cast iron is very fragile. If you need to disassemble and replace only part of the pipes, you will have to work carefully and slowly. It is necessary to turn off the water supply to the apartment, otherwise the drains will fall into the sewer. The following work is carried out in several stages:

• part of the riser below the connection is cut off with a grinder;
• the cut piece is disconnected from the socket;
• if you cannot pull out a piece, you need to warm up the joint.

Working with cast iron is traumatic, therefore it is necessary to use means individual protection: mittens or gloves, goggles, special clothing.

Tools Needed for Removing Pipes

To remove old pipes, you need to prepare some tools and materials. Regardless of the pipe connection methods, you will need:

• grinder for cutting out individual elements of the pipeline;
• cutting and grinding discs;
• gas torch or blowtorch for heating joints;
• hammer and screwdrivers;
• chisel;
• pipe wrench;
• respirator and goggles for disassembling gray-filled joints;
• puncher;
• pipe cutter;
• nail puller;
• steel wedge or chisel;
• pliers;
• bucket for water.

After preparing them, you can begin to dismantle the system.

How to dismantle a cast iron sewer

If the sewer system fails, it needs to be repaired or pipes replaced. In this case, it is necessary to stamp the joints. Without this, it is impossible to dismantle the system or part of it. The embossing technology is used differently in each case. It depends on the materials with which the joints were sealed. Previously used as a seal:

• cement;
• hot sulfur.

The old sewer is more difficult to disassemble. Over the years, rust and deposits appear at the joints. Without work experience, it is better to entrust this matter to specialists. If you decide to do the work yourself, you need to determine the degree of its complexity. For this, the joints are tapped with a hammer with a rubber or wooden tip and the method of sealing them is determined. The cement is gray, the sulfur yellow. They try to loosen the pipe. If this can be done, the seam is made using cement mix... If not, the seam is made in gray.

Dismantling of pipes connected with cement and cable

Cast iron is a durable material. Therefore, sewer risers were built from it in multi-storey buildings. It serves for decades, it is good to paint. But durability is a disadvantage when dismantled. It is better to use discs for the grinder with a size of 230 mm. You may need a hacksaw for metal with several spare blades. Work order:

1. To begin with, you should cut off the access of water to the apartment and agree with the neighbors that they also do not use water for some time.
2. Release workplace and disconnect the drain connections.
3. Particular attention is paid to the toilet. Previously, it was connected with a cast iron pipe using cement mortar. It will hardly be possible to remove such a toilet, you will have to break it.

Begin stamping with a hammer and a chisel. The riser pipe must be cut in several places. They retreat from the lower socket by 2-4 cm and make an incision with a grinder. You cannot completely cut the pipe, so you can use a hacksaw. Attempts to chip off an uncut area involve the risk of chipping off part of the socket, and this cannot be done. A cut is also made from above, then a piece of pipe is removed.

Frozen cement mortar removed with a hammer and chisel in small pieces. The work is carried out with care in order to keep the lower socket intact. If a cable was used during the installation of the riser, you need to get it out with pliers and clear the place of cement.

There is a cross at the bottom of the riser. It is removed with a hammer and screwdriver. It is necessary to knock with a hammer on the crosspiece body for a while and try to loosen it. After that, the tool is inserted into the formed opening, the tee is pushed on and removed.

Decorating pipes connected by sulfur

It is easy to recognize the presence of sulfur in a seam. You need to bring a blowtorch flame or gas burner and warm up the seam. If it contains sulfur, it will start to melt and give off unpleasant odors. It is recommended to start work from the far corner. The crosspiece, connected to the riser, is heated by a blowtorch and loosened. It is more convenient to do the work together. One person heats up the seam, the other shakes the structure. Do not forget to wear protective gloves.

After loosening the structural element and melting the substance, you need to pull the cast-iron pipe out of the socket and clean the place of sulfur residues. After completing all the work, allow the pipe to cool down. When performing work, you need to use a respirator or gas mask so as not to breathe sulfur vapors. Special work clothing should also be used. Compliance with safety regulations when working with open flames is mandatory. Then any pipe can be removed without any problems.

How to cut a cast iron sewer pipe

To work with a riser, you need to mark it. Marks are made at a distance of about one meter from the floor and 10 cm from the ceiling. In these places, you need to cut the riser pipe. First, an incision is made with a grinder. It is not necessary to cut to the end, it is better to leave a gap, which then breaks. Use a stepladder to go up and make an incision there. It is better to make cuts at some angle to each other. The dropped wedge is removed, the remaining jumper is broken by blows of a hammer and chisel. In this case, one person supports the pipe so that it does not fall.

After removing the main part of the riser, the remainder is removed from the socket. If it does not give in, you need to make several longitudinal cuts and loosen the piece. He will clean up without any problems. If you cannot cut the structure yourself, you will have to invite specialists.

What to do in case of unsuccessful dismantling

It is better to cut the cast-iron pipes with a grinder. Working with a hacksaw takes a lot of time and effort. If the dismantling is unsuccessful, don't be upset. You can connect plastic and cast iron pipes with a special adapter sleeve. If the riser is close to the wall, it will not be possible to cut it completely with a grinder. Then the cut is made up to half the diameter. The pipe needs to be given a rotational motion for it to burst. If the remainder is not removed from the lower socket, longitudinal cuts must be made in it.

After removing the old pipes, the places in the sockets are cleaned of cement residues, sulfur or cabbage. After thermal exposure, the pipes must be allowed to cool down. It is better to close the hole in the riser with a rag so that debris does not fall into it. The rags are tied to something so that it does not fall down. Remove the cable with a screwdriver or wire hook. You can pull on the end with pliers and unwind the old sealing tape.

Sulfur is removed by heating up to several hundred degrees. Visually, this is determined by the reddening of cast iron and by the appearance of a suffocating odor. In this case, you must use protective equipment: a gas mask or respirator, gloves or mittens, work clothes. The pipe is clamped with wrenches of the appropriate size and swung.

If you cannot immediately determine the method of connecting the sewerage elements, you just need to chop off a small piece of putty with a screwdriver and a hammer and set it on fire. Sulfur will ignite with an even flame and will begin to emit a characteristic odor. When burning old sulfur from seams, fire safety rules must be observed. Fire hazardous items must be taken out of the room or covered with screens made of sheets of metal or asbestos.

If the sewage system is simply clogged, it is not necessary to change the pipes. It is enough to clean the system. This is done with a rubber plunger. If it doesn't work, you need to try to pull the cork out of the debris into the sink. If this does not help, the siphon of the sink is disassembled, hardened accumulations of dirt are removed from it. You can use cleaning solutions. They are poured into a sink and left to sit for a few minutes. After that, the leftovers are washed off with hot water.

At overhaul bathroom one of the mandatory stages is the replacement of utilities. This process precedes the dismantling of the sewage system left after the construction of the house. V modern houses it's pretty simple to do this. But in the apartments of the old fund you will have to work hard. Sewer pipes in them, as a rule, are made of cast iron, and are sealed to last. How to remove them without disrupting the operation of the drainage system throughout the house - you can learn about this from this material.

The standard sewerage system in Soviet-built houses consists of the following elements:

• main riser running between floors;
• shaped bend (cross or tee) to connect the riser to the main line inside the apartment;
• intra-apartment wiring.

The main riser is not a one-piece pipe, but a set of cast-iron sections, the length of each of which is equal to the height of the ceiling in the apartment. All these sections are butt-connected. At the upper end, each has a socket, into which the straight lower end of the shaped bend is inserted. The latter is connected in the same way to the next section. All joints are reliably sealed with either sulfur, carbolic acid, or cement mortar.

Important! When dismantling the pipeline, the main difficulty is not to damage the bell of the section located below. It will remain in operation after replacing the riser section, so no cracks or chips should form in it.

The easiest dismantling option

The ideal option for replacing sewer pipes is to negotiate with the neighbors in the riser and replace the pipeline in several or even all apartments at once. In this case, there will simply not be any difficulties with how to dismantle the cast-iron sewer. The stand can be cut into pieces or, in extreme cases, gouged with a sledgehammer, without worrying about its safety.

Another good option is when the upstairs neighbors don't mind unblocking the hole in the floor between your apartments and doing work in their bathroom. In this situation, you can remove the entire cast iron section up to the tee located one floor above. But alas, it is not always possible to implement these options. Further, an action plan is proposed in the most difficult version - when the work site is limited to only one apartment.

We advise you to find out what breakdowns can occur with and how to fix them yourself.

Read on: What are the benefits for bathrooms.

Stages of parsing the sewer

Dismantling the sewer system in an apartment includes the following steps:

• preparatory work;
• removal of wiring inside the apartment;
• dismantling the sewer riser;
• removal of the fan tap.

The last stage is the most critical. But, as experienced plumbers say, the main thing during it is to act confidently and be patient. It will take a long time to carefully remove the tee / cross from the flare of the lower section. Typically, the process takes 4-5 hours, depending on what methods of sealing the pipes were used by the builders of the house.

What you need to work

Before proceeding with dismantling, stock up on the necessary tools and workwear. As with any construction works, it is better to choose a robe that you will not mind throwing away after the end of the process. In addition, you should take care of personal protective equipment:

• gloves: rubber and fabric;
• protective glasses;
• a good breathing filter or gas mask.

Of the tools you will need:

• saw-grinder with a set of discs for metal;
• chisel or thick screwdriver;
• sledgehammer or heavy hammer;
• scrap / nail puller / pull-out;
• thin durable screwdriver;
• chisel;
• blowtorch or powerful hair dryer.

These things will come in handy anyway. But besides this set, other tools may be required. This will depend on the progress of the work.

Advice: you do not need to start dismantling the sewer system alone. Be sure to find yourself a mate for this event.

Preparatory stage

Before starting to dismantle the cast-iron sewage system with your own hands, you need to do a little preparation. Turn off the water in the apartment and disconnect from drain pipe all the plumbing available in the house. Clear the area around the riser and intra-apartment wiring. In some houses, the drainage pipes are recessed into the floor screed or hidden in niches in the wall. If this is the case, then you will have to work with a puncher to ensure free access to them.

Next, you should shut off the water throughout the riser. It will also be useful to warn all the neighbors from the upper floors that plumbing work is underway in the apartment, and they should not use the sewage system yet. Remove furniture, textiles and household appliances from the bathroom. If water pipes in the apartment have already been replaced, you need to close them with a shield made of heat-resistant material so as not to damage in the process. After that, you can start your main work.

We disassemble the inter-apartment wiring

This stage usually takes the least time. There is no point in keeping the pipeline inside the apartment intact, so it does not need to be disassembled. It is enough just to cut off the branch leading to the bathtub, sink and other plumbing with the help of a grinder, and then saw or split it into smaller pieces and take it out of the apartment.

Attention! The first cut should be made as close as possible to the funnel of the funnel.

Dismantle the riser

Dismantling the riser must be done with extreme caution. First of all, you need to make a couple of horizontal cuts in the upper part of the pipe, at a distance of 10-15 cm from the ceiling. It is not necessary to cut the pipe completely, it is better to leave a whole area of ​​3-5 cm in size. Then carefully knock out the ring obtained between the cuts with a sledgehammer.

Important! After this operation, it is worth plugging the rest of the pipe sticking out of the ceiling with rags and plastic wrap.

Further, the section is sawn from the bottom at a distance of about half a meter from the tee / cross. After that, the clamps are removed that secure the pipe to the wall. Then the section is split off along the notch line, removed from its place and removed from the room.

Parsing the tee

The procedure for dismantling the tee / cross will depend on how its joint with the lower section of the sewer pipe is sealed. If cement is used as a sealant, the fan outlet is gently loosened with a scrap. In the process, you can try to chip off and remove small pieces of cement putty using a narrow screwdriver. If the layer of cement is very thick, it is knocked down with a hammer and chisel. After removing the bulk of the putty, the cross is carefully removed from the socket.

Important! When chipping off cement, you need to try so that its pieces do not fall down the riser.

If the tee is sealed with sulfur, to remove it, it is necessary to heat it up for a long time with a blowtorch or hairdryer. During the heating process, the sulfuric putty will melt. The outlet must be constantly loosened a little in order to speed up the melting process. As soon as possible, it is removed from the socket.

Attention! This procedure is accompanied by a very unpleasant odor... It is recommended to wear a gas mask.

If the funnel bend does not lend itself to any manipulation, it is simply cut off with a grinder at a distance of 5–6 cm from the lower bell. The rest of the riser is then cleaned, and new pipes are attached to it using special adapters.

In the process of repairing the sewage system, it becomes necessary to remove part of the elements of the spillway system. To do this, you need to disconnect the PVC pipes without damaging the product. This material is quite fragile, therefore, the dismantling operation is carried out without the use of super-efforts.

Defective area identification

The need for repair PVC pipes for outdoor sewerage systems occurs according to a number of signs:

• there are leaks on pipes or fittings;
• there is an unpleasant odor in the room;
• liquid does not go well;
• a blockage has formed, which must be cleaned with known and available ways fails.

The places of malfunction of the drainage system inside the room are located in the outlet pipes from the plumbing fixtures to the main riser. The latter may be damaged. Outside the premises, in private housing construction, this is an underground highway from the building to the storage device ( cesspool, septic tank). For the arrangement of the external drain, PVC sewer pipes (red) are used.

Dismantling of internal sewerage

Discharge pipes from plumbing fixtures have a diameter of 32, 40 or 50 mm. Sewer pipe joints are the joint of one end of the product into the socket of the other. O-rings and plumbing grease are used for sealing.

Indoors are used the following types sewer products:

• polypropylene parts;
• PVC products (gray);
• polyethylene material.

Dismantling begins with undocking elements of household devices - a corrugated hose, cuffs. Disconnecting the sewer parts is quite simple. It is necessary to give the detachable part a rotational-translational movement. That is, turning a few degrees in both directions, pull in the opposite direction from the main structure.

It is not required to make sudden movements - with a certain effort, the dismantled part will smoothly move from its place. Thus, the whole internal structure... It is necessary not to forget about the removal of fasteners - clamps.

The situation is more complicated with the separation of the main riser, assembled from polymer parts. If expansion joints were installed in the project and in fact, then dismantling will not create any special problems. But, it should be remembered that the riser is a common property. Therefore, all actions with him are performed with permission from the outside management company(ZhEK, ZhEU, ZhREU, etc.). Otherwise, for the consequences that have arisen, the culprit is responsible - the owner of the premises, who started the unauthorized repair.

Dismantling the riser

It is necessary to follow the rules when disconnecting a vertical drain pipe:

• management services are notified, permission is issued to conduct renovation works;
• riser users living higher on the floor are notified;
• repair operations are underway.

The presence of a compensator allows the product to be displaced in one direction or another up to 10 cm. It must be remembered that the vertical structure has a certain mass. Therefore, it needs to be fixed.

The joints are treated with machine oil. Making rotational-translational movements, the part is removed from the general structure. The absence of a compensator forces one to resort to radical methods, - cut the fan pipe.

PVC plastic sewer pipes are processed by most locksmith tools:

• a hacksaw with a fine hardened tooth;
• a hacksaw for metal;
• file;
• with a sharp and durable knife and other tools.

Mechanized device - grinder, reciprocating saw.

When carrying out work, it is required to pay attention to the presence of a number of other elements of communications:

• pressure water conduit;
• electrical cable;
• storm runoff.

Sewer pipe connections that have served for 10 years or more can "stick", "grow" to each other. A number of recommendations can help in such cases;

• processing of the joint with WD-40 grease;
• wrap around the pipe sandpaper; make rotational movements through it, - the hands will not slip, the circular effort will increase;
• if the product is being scrapped, then it is necessary to make through hole across the detail; by inserting a tube or metal rod, we get a lever;
• apply the "barbaric" method of dismantling - cut the pipe into pieces, break it out piece by piece.

The methods for disconnecting the PVC pipe parts used for the external line device are exactly the same. But, it is necessary to determine the place of damage and carry out earthworks.

How and what methods of pipe undocking should be chosen by the home owner or invited specialists. The main thing is to determine the feasibility of this or that method of dismantling faulty parts.

Almost all Soviet buildings are equipped with cast-iron sewer lines, since such pipes are durable and resistant to wear and tear. But a cast iron pipeline requires the right approach to use and dismantling.

Unlike fan pipes that can last for decades, internal connections may need to be replaced earlier. Also, interventions in the sewer system can be forced when installing washing equipment or redeveloping a bathroom. To do it according to the rules, it is not necessary to call and wait for the master, all the work can be done by the owner himself, if he knows how to handle elementary tools. Dismantling the sewer should not take much time, but dismantling old products is more difficult. Let's figure out how to properly dismantle cast iron pipes.

Step-by-step caulking of cast iron pipes

In the process of repairing sewer communications with your own hands, the most difficult moment may be the embossing of a cast-iron pipe. Such manipulation may be required when repairing or reinstalling the riser. In this case, it is necessary to very carefully emboss the nipples of the cast iron pipes. This work can be done in stages like this:

1. First, use a hammer to lightly tap the bell, while acting carefully so as not to break it, since negligence can lead to irreversible consequences, for example, replacing the entire riser. Better to use a wooden mallet.
2. If the previous blockage was made with a cable, then after tapping, the bell should wobble freely and can be removed without additional effort. If so, do the following:
   • swing the bell from side to side;
   • pry with a screwdriver and pull the rope a little;
   • hook it with pliers;
   • slowly and carefully pull out the rope, swinging the pipe in the process.
3. If, after tapping, the pipe did not start moving, it means that the previous caulking of the sockets of the sewer pipes was carried out by pouring sulfur. In this option, you will need to get rid of it by burning it out. To do this, proceed as follows:
   • gently heat the pipe at the joint along the entire diameter with a blowtorch or torch;
   • lightly, trying not to break the walls of the pipe, then tap it with a hammer;
   • if the bell begins to wobble, try moving it using an adjustable wrench.

   Please note that when working with a burner and sulfur, it is imperative to protect the respiratory tract with a mask so as not to get poisoned by poisonous fumes.

4. After successful dismantling, the walls of the socket must be well cleaned with a chisel and chisel. Pay special attention to the flare seat as this is where you will place the sealing rubber.
5. Having previously coated the rubber seal with a special lubricant, place it in the socket.
6. Place a new structural member in the rubber ring.

Precautions in the repair of cast iron pipes

When working with such pipes, be sure to remember that cast iron, with its endurance, is a relatively fragile material. If you hit with a metal hammer harshly or too hard, the wall vibrates and cracks may appear. If this happens, replacing the damaged sections will be time-consuming and costly. Therefore, when preparing for dismantling, stock up on the necessary tools in advance.

Don't work alone, it is unsafe and difficult. Better call someone for help.

It is important to know that sulfur fumes can be harmful to health, so use a gas mask, as a last resort, a respirator and goggles. Also, take care of good air circulation in the room where renovation work is taking place.

After removing the pipe from the socket, take the time and attention to clean the seat of that part. This will ensure the installation of the sealing material without defects and distortions.

All dismantled material and garbage should be immediately packed into construction bags, tied up and thrown away. An unpleasant odor will be emitted from the old piping.

If you are embossing cast iron pipes for the first time and after reading this article, you still do not understand how to do this, be sure to contact a professional. For an experienced craftsman, the process of dismantling cast iron pipes will take 25-30 minutes, while a beginner can spend more than 3 hours and with an unknown result.