I’ve noticed some pin hole leaks in an 80 year old cast iron drain pipe. The drain is 3″ cast. The leaks are in a small area in the center of a vertical 5′ section between leaded unions. Suspect years of drain cleaner used here, but don’t want a complete demo.
Is this fix as easy as saw-zalling and removing a couple feet. Like cutting iron pipe?
I’ll be replacing the section with PVC and sleeved/rubber connectors.
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I'd go to the rental yard - they rent CI pipe cutters - a chain similar to a bicycle chain with cutter wheels and a ratchet to go with it. Snaps the pipe in two. It'll take longer to go rent the thing than to use it, but well worth it, IMO.
What greg said.... BUT... Make sure you support the upper section of the pipe before you go cutting it with any thing.
Weighs a lot and you don't really want to find out how well it isn't supported after the fact.
If the pinholes are in an area where visible (as in a basement) and not going to be put behind a wall, and is in you own house where you can take a look at it about once a year, I'd go the really easy way -- maple or teak plug.
Drill out the pinhole with a 3/16 dia drill, then you can tell if it is just a pinhole or the whole inside in about gone. Whittle and drive a tight fitting tapered dry maple peg into the hole that only goes in a 1.4 inch or so.
My grandma's 100 YO house has some wood plugs in the CI pipe. I've kept a cold water tank functional for 10 years with wood plugs.
Have you considered drilling out the holes a little to get clean metal and filling with "epoxy liquid weld" type material from the auto parts store? After all, it's a vertical section of drain pipe, so there's no pressure and won't sit full of water for any time either.
Second that.I had a leak the size of a pencil lead on a vertcal pice of cast iron waste,hit it with a wire brush, then a two part marine puttyNot the thick tube of cla-like putty, but something from a boat store called marine-tex(?)