# exalted plumbing materials



## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

As a few members here have stridently told us, when using antiquated material, the exalted craftsman were perfect, every installation was perfect and we who dare use new materials are hacks. 
Well, what happens is that if a measurement is blown, it doesn't get a do-over, because it's such a PITA, it goes in anyway, and who needs sweeping fittings in their proper orientation? These guys were so good that they could use tees on their backs and command the waste water to flow properly.
I didn't break the rod, I was hired to retrieve it and repipe the urinal. The 1st pic shows a tee with minimal sweep, the elbow off it was a vent pattern, and the lookout from it to the urinal spud was backpitched. The 2nd pick is a tee on it's back, no sweep whatsover. 3rd pic shows how much rod I pulled out, and 4th pic just shows the general suckitude of this job. We eneded up cutting into the main vent stack that was to the left of the urinal tee. This ended up taking most of two days, because of the rodding involved.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

that cable still looks good, did anyone call dibs on it?


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

Where's the after pics ?


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

Looks like to me the biggest problem here is that the urinal line was never properly cleaned out.It should of had a clean out tee installed over top of the urinal tee and brought out to be flush with the wall to make it easier to cleanout. How old is this building?


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Threaded galvanized DWV, wow, I never see anything like that. Old school for sure.


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

See it all the time here in the older buildings.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Iv seen it here in a military hospital


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

My parents house has galv dwv. Replaced kitchen sink line and really didn't want to attempt to take the galv out of the tapped CI santee but the way my dad cut it, I had no choice...

Don't know how long it was there. House is circa 1895 (originally owned by the Secord family) but man, was it in there!!!

Had to use a little help from the gas wrench and a 24"... Telling my dad "if I crack that stack, you and mom are moving!" :laughing:

I like new constr!


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

422 plumber said:


> These guys were so good that they could use tees on their backs and command the waste water to flow properly.


Worked didn't it?


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## James420 (Nov 14, 2012)

Tommy plumber said:


> Threaded galvanized DWV, wow, I never see anything like that. Old school for sure.





justme said:


> See it all the time here in the older buildings.





TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> Iv seen it here in a military hospital





ChrisConnor said:


> Worked didn't it?


You guys are lucky, what was used for drains in your area? Threaded galvanized is all that was used in houses where I learned plumbing for 1 1/4 and 1 1/2.

Copper was used in some places but most of the houses in this area were built in the 40s and 50s and galvanized was used. The 1 1/4 stub outs for lavs are a PITA, especially for cleaning the drain.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

justme said:


> Looks like to me the biggest problem here is that the urinal line was never properly cleaned out.It should of had a clean out tee installed over top of the urinal tee and brought out to be flush with the wall to make it easier to cleanout. How old is this building?


This is the guards' locker room on the 2nd floor of the Main Access Facility to a nuke, built in 1985.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

ChrisConnor said:


> Worked didn't it?


Not really, the guards told me it's been an issue since they moved in.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

justme said:


> Looks like to me the biggest problem here is that the urinal line was never properly cleaned out.It should of had a clean out tee installed over top of the urinal tee and brought out to be flush with the wall to make it easier to cleanout. How old is this building?


The biggest problem was backpitch and non sweeping fittings that didn't let the cables make bends. I put two drop downs in front of any number of cutting tools and none could negotiate the last tee.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

James420 said:


> You guys are lucky, what was used for drains in your area? Threaded galvanized is all that was used in houses where I learned plumbing for 1 1/4 and 1 1/2.
> 
> Copper was used in some places but most of the houses in this area were built in the 40s and 50s and galvanized was used. The 1 1/4 stub outs for lavs are a PITA, especially for cleaning the drain.


 






New construction is PVC for drainage. Older homes are cast iron with DWV copper waste arms. Once or twice I have seen wiped lead waste arms in c. 1920's homes. But around here we don't see galvanized for DWV.

Are you saying that even the trunkline (main drain under the house) is threaded into fittings? Doesn't that cause all kinds of stoppages?


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## mccmech (Jul 6, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> New construction is PVC for drainage. Older homes are cast iron with DWV copper waste arms. Once or twice I have seen wiped lead waste arms in c. 1920's homes. But around here we don't see galvanized for DWV.
> 
> Are you saying that even the trunkline (main drain under the house) is threaded into fittings? Doesn't that cause all kinds of stoppages?


If I understand his post correctly, galv was all that got used for the 1 1/4 and 1 1/2. Usually in the older homes with galvanized DWV it's just for branches or vents. The branches thread into tapped cast iron fittings, which the house drain & sewer are made of.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

I've seen a few houses with 1 1/4 galv stubouts for lavs. But lots like you say. Y go to galv for the vent. Was it the price diff??


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## James420 (Nov 14, 2012)

mccmech said:


> If I understand his post correctly, galv was all that got used for the 1 1/4 and 1 1/2. Usually in the older homes with galvanized DWV it's just for branches or vents. The branches thread into tapped cast iron fittings, which the house drain & sewer are made of.


Yea, nothing bigger than 2" galvanized. Copper for DWV in the area that I live was really only used in Delaware County, PA, and still is. I don't think PVC is legal yet.
We also have lots of lead tub and shower drains, heck most of the water mains in the city (Wilmington) were wood till the '70s and '80s.

My parents house was built in late '77 in Chester County, PA and ABS was used for all the drains, they never have had a problem with it and they still have the Original Jackson water heater (elec). No elements or T stats have ever been changed. I have fixed a few pin holes in the copper supplies though.


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## James420 (Nov 14, 2012)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> I've seen a few houses with 1 1/4 galv stubouts for lavs. But lots like you say. Y go to galv for the vent. Was it the price diff??


This was before PVC, the kitchen vents were usually stubbed out with galvanized and the rest of the vents were usually back vented into a 4" cast iron vent through the roof.


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