Need your expert advice guys - unexplained pipe going into my wall..

[Jennifer1991]

thanks all for the answers!

 

[Dotty]

Croppie ticks both boxes there!

Why I'm gonna.............

 

[Jennifer1991]

Hi guys!
the latest on this:

- i had the management company plumber around to take a look - he said he couldn't guarantee that the pipe terminated in my wall, and thought that it could potentially be feeding elsewhere in the block of flats.

I'm pretty sure it terminates in my wall though! is there any way to prove this, beyond opening up the brickwork on the other side of the wall to check where the pipe is going?

- he said as the pipe is cast iron, it's not easy to cut off and seal, and that the whole stack would need to be replaced - is this right? i would have thought there is some way of sealing off a cast iron pipe

thanks

 

[Ermintrude]

No sounds reasonable. Camera or rodd it or even cat and genny?

 

[Jennifer1991]

Hi Guys,
Just a quick recap of this thread, I have an unexplained pipe going into my wall, that I wanted to have removed.

The only problem is that someone said it's cast iron, so:

- once i've cut it off, how does one seal the ends of a cast iron pipe? is it difficult? I take it you can't just squeeze it together?
- is this a job for a plumber, or more of a general trademan (not sure what the name would be, sorry!)

Jenny

 

[kris]

No Jennifer im afraid cast iron wont bend even if you hit it with a hammer, if its cast iron it maybe an old drain or down pipe for rain water on the other hand it could be a mild steel gas pipe so before cutting i would defonatly get someone to check it out incase

 

[kris]

Soz forgot to say if it is a cast iron drain pipe then it can be cemented up if unused but like i said previous please get someone just to check before cutting just incase its gas , good luck

 

[kris]

My appoligees i just read your previous thread

 

[kris]

If someone has checked it out and it is part of a stack on a block of flats then usually a stack will be vented so it would be better to find out where it terminates first either using a snake camera or using smoke , the camera is best bet but the smoke will let you know if it and where it terminates , sorry for confusion b4, Kris

 

[missplumb]

Hi Jenni, the pipe is definately an old vent pipe used to stop the traps in the toilet and basins from being sucked away when you flush. Looking again at the pics i think its more likely that the pipe coming out of your wall is lead and the connection into the vent stack is cast iron. it would take some doin to get a cast iron pipe to bend like that!! It should be ok to take out but it will be quite heavy and not the sort of thing to leave dangling from a height so probably best to get someone in to do it for you.

 

[Jennifer1991]

Thanks for your useful advice guys!

I actually have scaffolding up now, so have easy access to the pipe 🙂

Is this something I would ask a plumber to do, or just a general handyman?

Also, if anyone has any ideas about how much this would cost, I would be interested to hear!

Thanks