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I own a home which was built in the mid 50’s. During construction the contractor ran into a problem with the waste (sewer) line when he tried to exit the basement. He ran into a sizable rock. Rather going through the rock he installed an ejection tank to pump the water up over the rock. With some regular maintenance the ejection tank works OK. But it’s 50 years old, if the pump fails or we have a power outage (which we’ve had a few times) we can’t use the plumbing system in the house. We are a family of six…need I say more.
I’ve given thought to installing a backup pump and/or getting a portable generator. But it seems to me these solutions are like putting a Band-Aid on a cut, which needs stitches.
I can divert the waste lines from the kitchen and the master bath off the main line and redirect them to the waste line at the point where it exits the house. Hence I will bypass the ejection tank and let gravity do the work.
I’ve had several plumbers look at the job. Some want to use PVC and some want to use cast iron. Both are legal in our town.
Finally my questions: Is there an alternative I’m overlooking; and how do you connect PVC to cast iron and is the connection reliable? The one plumber who wants to use cast iron will join the pipes via the heavy rubber gaskets with the stainless steel clamp (you know, the ones that look like the radiator — hose connection on your car). Are these connections reliable?
Some good sound advice would be helpful.
Thank you
Replies
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You can connect cast iron to cast iron using a neoprene sleeve covered with a stainless steel band clamping it down on the cast iron. One trade name is Ty-Seal. They are very reliable. To connect PVC to cast iron you can also use a ty-seal or you can use a neoprene sleeve without the stainless steel band held on with stainless steel hose clamps. One trade name for these is Fernco. They are also very reliable. Do check with your inspection authorities though to make sure which of these is permitted to be used in your area. Here in WI you can use either.
Don't shy away from PVC. Installed correctly, it is as good or in some cases better than cast iron. It is also less expensive for both materials and the installation labor.
When I started plumbing in the late 50's, early 60's the only choice was cast iron with joints done with oakum and hot lead poured into the joints. I do everything I can to stay away from it now.
*Does one of your options include doing away with the rock that started this mess? If you have the time, or inclination, is this a project you could tackle safely? Rent a jackhammer? Or is it really a huge ROCK, impinging upon your foundation?If you've already determined that you can bypass the pump and let gravity do the work, then that is probably the way to go. I wonder why they didn't do that in the first place?Nobody I know of in our area of Florida uses cast iron. If it's an old cast iron system they just use a chain breaker and a hubless connector (like Fernco) and change to PVC.
*Hey Ralph,Thanks for the info.I thought about cutting through the rock. But I have a rather expensive blue stone patio built on top of the "rock". I certainly feel better about using PVC, thanks for the help.Bill
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I own a home which was built in the mid 50's. During construction the contractor ran into a problem with the waste (sewer) line when he tried to exit the basement. He ran into a sizable rock. Rather going through the rock he installed an ejection tank to pump the water up over the rock. With some regular maintenance the ejection tank works OK. But it's 50 years old, if the pump fails or we have a power outage (which we've had a few times) we can't use the plumbing system in the house. We are a family of six…need I say more.
I've given thought to installing a backup pump and/or getting a portable generator. But it seems to me these solutions are like putting a Band-Aid on a cut, which needs stitches.
I can divert the waste lines from the kitchen and the master bath off the main line and redirect them to the waste line at the point where it exits the house. Hence I will bypass the ejection tank and let gravity do the work.
I've had several plumbers look at the job. Some want to use PVC and some want to use cast iron. Both are legal in our town.
Finally my questions: Is there an alternative I'm overlooking; and how do you connect PVC to cast iron and is the connection reliable? The one plumber who wants to use cast iron will join the pipes via the heavy rubber gaskets with the stainless steel clamp (you know, the ones that look like the radiator -- hose connection on your car). Are these connections reliable?
Some good sound advice would be helpful.
Thank you