Rusted pipes

TomH42

So if the working of our system was not dysfunctional enough, here is a new issue to throw out to those who know much more than I.



There are two pipes that supply water to the boiler that are rusting from the inside out (so I am told). The lowest pipe is leaking. The pipe that provides water to the boiler is also quite corroded. I had an HVAC guy look at them and is suggesting $150 in materials and up to 8 hours in labor (depending on severity of corrosion at boiler). That 8 hours translates to about $750. Total project to cost $900.



While I think the pipes need to be replaced, I am not sure how much materials should cost. Can a couple elbow joints, pipe and connectors cost $150 in materials?



Is this a job I could do with some elbow grease or am I better handing this off to the experts?



Thanks for all the help!!

ChrisJ

cost

We are not suppose to discuss cost here and I'm a homeowner, not a pro.



However, I will tell you it cost me over $500 in pipe and connectors to build the drop header for my boiler.  Some larger elbows are $30-50 a piece.



So yes, $150 is perfectly reasonable for material.



If I were you, I'd let a pro do it because messing with joints like that needs experience.  If you try to do it chances are you will end up really unhappy in the end.

JStar

Leak

There's usually a reason why pipes start rotting out at the same time. Is the leak real bad? Can you make it through the winter? Are you planning to replace the boiler?

Hap_Hazzard

I'd call it a "best case" estimate.

I'm also an amateur, but I had to replace that same pipe on my boiler a few months ago, and I can tell you it's no piece of cake. I wouldn't recommend it to the average homeowner, but since I'm a former mechanic and machinist and have a decent assortment of tools on hand, and I'm certifiably insane, I thought I could tackle it. Everything turned out all right, but I know from experience they could easily have gone very bad, and I was prepared for that.



Here's the problem: You have what was once a two-inch pipe threaded tightly into a heavy piece of cast iron with the threads sealed with pipe joint compound. That pipe has now rusted to the point where its wall thickness has been reduced--to zero in some places, but probably about the thickness of a beverage can on average. Meanwhile years and years of heating have made that pipe joint compound as hard as rock.



Breaking these threads loose requires a lot of force. You might think of you boiler as an immovable object, but one of the problems I faced was trying to keep the boiler from tipping over as I jumped up and down on the handle of my 48" pipe wrench. We're talking a lot of force here, and it's being applied to a thin, fragile remnant of a steel pipe. The odds are very good that, instead of unscrewing, the pipe will twist and break off. Then the real fun starts.



If the pipe breaks off, you have to remove what's left of it from the tapping with a machinist's hammer and an odd collection of punches and cold chisels--without damaging the tapping! The pipe was made of mild weldable steel, which is fairly malleable. The threads are made of high-carbon cast iron, which is very brittle. To say that you need to be careful, and extremely patient, would be an understatement. If you damage the threads or crack the casting, it's new boiler time.



So his estimate is to cover what it's likely to take, exercising due care, to remove that pipe, clean out the threads, and replace the pipe and the associated fittings. He's probably done this a few times and knows the odds, but if things don't go well, it's just because it's a very difficult operation, and no amount of skill can guarantee success.



Since having to replace the boiler is not a remote possibility, I would echo Joe's suggestion to let it get you through the winter if at all possible.

Hap_Hazzard

I'd call it a "best case" estimate.

I'm also an amateur, but I had to replace that same pipe on my boiler a few months ago, and I can tell you it's no piece of cake. I wouldn't recommend it to the average homeowner, but since I'm a former mechanic and machinist and have a decent assortment of tools on hand, and I'm certifiably insane, I thought I could tackle it. Everything turned out all right, but I know from experience they could easily have gone very bad, and I was prepared for that.



Here's the problem: You have what was once a two-inch pipe threaded tightly into a heavy piece of cast iron with the threads sealed with pipe joint compound. That pipe has now rusted to the point where its wall thickness has been reduced--to zero in some places, but probably about the thickness of a beverage can on average. Meanwhile years and years of heating have made that pipe joint compound as hard as rock.



Breaking these threads loose requires a lot of force. You might think of you boiler as an immovable object, but one of the problems I faced was trying to keep the boiler from tipping over as I jumped up and down on the handle of my 48" pipe wrench. We're talking a lot of force here, and it's being applied to a thin, fragile remnant of a steel pipe. The odds are very good that, instead of unscrewing, the pipe will twist and break off. Then the real fun starts.



If the pipe breaks off, you have to remove what's left of it from the tapping with a machinist's hammer and an odd collection of punches and cold chisels--without damaging the tapping! The pipe was made of mild weldable steel, which is fairly malleable. The threads are made of high-carbon cast iron, which is very brittle. To say that you need to be careful, and extremely patient, would be an understatement. If you damage the threads or crack the casting, it's new boiler time.



So his estimate is to cover what it's likely to take, exercising due care, to remove that pipe, clean out the threads, and replace the pipe and the associated fittings. He's probably done this a few times and knows the odds, but if things don't go well, it's just because it's a very difficult operation, and no amount of skill can guarantee success.



Since having to replace the boiler is not a remote possibility, I would echo Joe's suggestion to let it get you through the winter if at all possible.

TomH42

If there is good reason

to believe we can make it through the winter (two more months here in St. Louis) I would prefer to do that. The leak is only on the pipe close to the ground and it is very slow. I guess there is a chance either could spring a major leak at any time but getting this fixed after heating season seems prudent..



I will let the pro handle it when the time comes. Having said that, the boiler is 19 years old. I would like to get 4-5 more years out of it but realize we are on the downslope of life expectancy. I would hate to spend considerable money to have two pipes replaced and then scrap the whole system in two years.



How do you know when a boiler has reached the end of the line?



BTW, info on cost of materials was helpful.

ALIGA

i am not an expert

but i would not touch it, until you are prepared to spend on a new boiler.  that is the worst case scenario.  i have a similar issue on mine, and its a ticking timebomb.



i meant to say i would not touch the one immediately connected to the boiler.