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Author:
DougsterB (CA)
The linked photos show a mystery stain all around the circumference of the lead/oakum joint where my WC's closet bend enters its san.tee.
The stain is not damp. The toilet was pulled six months ago. And there's nothing dripping from above.
This is a 60 year-old house. The closet bend was never strapped under the subfloor, i.e. is currently free-floating along with the riser and the cast iron toilet flange.
I am rebuilding the subfloor and am inclined to simply add support to the cast iron to reduce further stress when the new WC is installed. I also intend to use the new floor to support the flange.
Please help me understand the cause of the stain, and whether I can leave the lead/oakum joint as is.
Edited 2 times.
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Author:
WJC (WA)
The "stain" is seepage. If you don't wiggle the joint, it won't get worse. If it loosens, you may have to pound in the oakum and repour the lead.
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Author:
PlumberLoren (CA)
I would caulk the inside and then support the bottom of the Bend across the joists as you suggested. When caulking, if the lead recedes you might try to pack it in further and re-pour it with lead.
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Author:
steve_g (CA)
It's odd-looking seepage. Why would the hub be damp on top? Are you sure that there isn't something slow-dripping from above, like the toilet tank? The seepage looks very uniform -- has there been a blockage in recent memory?
I'll wait to see if HJ weighs in, but I might start by caulking the lead inside & out, then cleaning it off & seeing if it comes back.
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Author:
packy (MA)
the staining is usually caused by the oil soaked oakum finding its way out of the joint years ago.
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Author:
DougsterB (CA)
Thanks gents for the confidence boost from your mentoring.
Sorry I forgot to say the toilet was pulled six months ago, and there's no H2O drip from above. BTW a GC with 35 years local experience said this is an oakum oil stain and just to add support. I'll first clean it and gently tap the lead with a well-rounded stick to see if there's any give.
My impression is switching to PVC/ABS using a donut gasket may be a good way to introduce true seepage.
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Author:
PlumberLoren (CA)
Now that I think about it there were many times when Oakum was oil soaked and it would come to the top when you poured the lead. That would explain the stain being all around the pipe. But this stain looks like it could be from a stoppage that put pressure all the way around the joint as opposed to the bottom half of the pipe. Just a thought.
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Author:
DougsterB (CA)
This may be somewhat off-topic but I also need help understanding the pros and cons of *voluntarily* switching to PVC or ABS and whether this potentially opens a can of worms.
My concern is the transition, either (A) at the San.tee hub (using a donut gasket), or ( further “upstream” using a banded rubber coupling (after cutting the closet bend’s horizontal arm).
E.g. in case (A), what is the probability of success (by an experienced plumber) in the task of opening the 60 year-old lead joint at the hub without breaking the hub, and then cleaning the hub out well-enough to receive the donut, as well as the durability of donut-gasketed joints of this kind in this situation (my goal is 30 years of service life)?
E.g. in case (, would a grinder be a dependable way to cut the cast iron pipe arm square and clean (so as to minimize internal snags at the subsequent butt joint between the PVC/ABS and the old cast iron pipe ends), and also, what is the service life of this kind of joint?
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