How can you tell if you have a steel or cast iron tub? any techniques other than opening a wall and looking underneath?
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Chief of all sinners.
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give it a good rap with a sledge, if it cracks it is cast, if it dents its steel. :)
Wise guy, eh?AitchKay
Lol!
A real wiseguy.
"Why you, I oughta..... Remind me ta moiduh you laytuh."
I rapped a tub with my knuckles just yesterday to find out if it had the solid, cast-iron sound (it did), or the thin, tinny steel sound. There's a distinct difference.
If you have any doubts, go to a showroom to check out the known products there. Give both materials that knuckle-rap, and you'll see for sure.
AitchKay
Great suggestion! Thanks!Chief of all sinners.
Rougly speaking, cast iron will "thunk" and steel will "boing"
Somehow, they look different, as well, but it's pretty subtle. Sort of like the difference between a plaster ceiling and a drywall ceiling
"Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman
http://rjw-progressive.blogspot.com/
Edited 4/25/2009 4:09 pm ET by rjw
If you're removing the tub you're going to whack it with a sledge anyway so the answer is no joke (cast). If it doesn't break (steel) it is going to take more work (but less noise). Maybe you want to have the tub refinished in place if cast or ........ You didn't ask why you wanted to know and got many good answers. Case closed. Tyr
unscrew the screws holding the bathtub overflow/tub drain trip lever and examine the lip of the tub around the hole. Cast iron should be visibly different from steel
Karl
Just tapping it will tell you, listen to the sound, steel is #### compared to cast iron. The steel will sound real light weight, you'll recognize it.