Old school- lead joint and bath remodel (apartment)

GW

I’ve poured several lead joints in the last 20 years, almost getting rusty. This one was a beauty. You know you’re old school when a nice one-pour joint makes you smile. —-yes I need to screw this flange down 

PC7060

That is old school!  My experience is limited to chiseling out the old lead and mating in a new PVC pipe using a Fernco sleeve.

Jamie Hall

Nicely done. Pity you are so far away -- you could come and play with some of my plumbing any time!

realliveplumber

Looks good. Don't forget to caulk the joint,

mattmia2

I thought it had been caulked, I thought that was why the surface was all rough.

GW

realliveplumber said:

Looks good. Don't forget to caulk the joint,

Real---I lost my caulking irons (but I bought new ones today); I did fuss the oakum iron around the whole thing, I think it's tight!

mattmia2

So do you have a non-asbestos runner for horizontal joints?

GW

@Jamie Hall it's an embarrassment how much time it takes me to do basic plumbing tasks. I'm not set up for it. Maybe you can relate to all the trivial things a plumber has tucked away in his truck at ant moment. I know i did back in the day. My shop is 4 mins from this rental. 9:15 last night---I knew i had 6" of solder left, and i had two angle stops to go before i was "done with the torch".

You guessed it---I couldn't locate the stupid piece of solder. I was trying to clear stuff out of the apt (tenants were return a few hours later from their vaca) long story, they are to use the adjoining empty apt bathroom).

So, back to the shop for a roll of solder, kills me! I could go on.

My Turbo torch stopped working---back to the shop! This stuff never happens on a normal day.

3rd floor, (2 1/2 stories up). I am beat!. I dragged that new CI tun into position by myself (I have a stair climber, but still wasn't a picnic), had to roll it 4 times to get the exact position of the drain (another long story- joist was in the way) and a unit below me.

Not sure how many 55 year olds are dumb enough to set CI tubs by themselves😒

I found the piece today, if course.

GW

mattmia2 said:

So do you have a non-asbestos runner for horizontal joints?

It's one of those rope things, I'm pretty sure it's non asbestos. I haven't ran a vert joint in quite some time

GW

eagle eyes will see the old school tub drain hops up and loses its vent. I though about straightening the drain but zero chance the trap wouldn't pop through the ceiling below if i did that. New ABS pot wouldn't fit so I put on a basic P. The tub drains mint
Dig the male-female, no missions in the floor for me (if i can help it)

GW

any electricians out there see a boo boo? Larry the electrician to the rescue!

mattmia2

Where it looks like the romex to i think a bath fan below is hacked off?

GW

Yes! I nailed it 😆

Jamie Hall

Try being 80 plus, @GW .

PC7060

@GW - that bathroom looks much improved!
And yes, we've all have the missing 6" of solder situation. At least you weren't in a crawl space!

realliveplumber

I had one left that would leave the witness marks, and cant find it. No inspector will be looking for that, though.

I used a dull chisel the last time, flattened it out good.

GW

Jamie I’m closing in quickly😀

GW

I pounded the lead some more, Screwed the flange with some big suckers, good to go

The painter is coming in the morning, this little project is almost done

pedmec

lead and oakum closet flange looks great, but did you remove all the copper drains when the floor and walls were open and replace with pvc (or abs if your in western mass)?

GW

No- the copper was good. I guess we all have our own definition of what should get yanked what gets kept. 

I did, however, fix the upside down pitch lavatory arm. The Drain cleaning guy was causing me some time and energy

mattmia2

Steel waste rots out after 70 years or so but copper should be fine.

pedmec

i always upgrade when walls are open. to me its not worth the chance. copper will rot out. the pvc is cheap enough that its a minor inconvenience. i did it in all my homes and it was the best thing i did. peace of mind.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

I like the way they snuck the tub drain into the toilet trap arm and also wet vented the basin drain. Crafty. 

GW

Alan as you probably noticed the two fittings jump a little bit, losing the plane of the trap arm. I had no choice. I was not going to reinvent the wheel. The new p trap works wonderfully 

GW

pedmec said:

i always upgrade when walls are open. to me its not worth the chance. copper will rot out. the pvc is cheap enough that its a minor inconvenience. 

I hear that, my other rental property, hundred and something year old building, is 100% modern plumbing. I busted a couple knuckles changing every piece of pipe in the whole building. This building is early 70s, all the plumbing seems completely intact. The lavatory trap arm is type L. No signs of drain cleaner or acids. The copper seemed heavy. I know because I had to take the trap arm out and fix the pitch. He original Plumbers took a nap that day and had backwards pitch. 

GW

Finished product, and, I found the missing solder.

PC7060

Your tenants are going to be very happy!