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Hi, The toilet in my house was moved from the side of the house to the front around 40 years ago.

The original cast iron stack has not been used since but I am wanting to move the toilet back and reinstate the original stack.

I have cut a 30 cm section out of the vertical stack at a height of 3m where I plan to fit a branch to connect the toilet.

When I shine a torch down the stack it looks fine but when I poured a 2 gallon bucket of water down, to test it, it took about 40 seconds for it so clear the bottom bend.

I was expecting the water to clear in a few seconds and I'm a bit worried that solids from the toilet, once connected, are going to block it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Thanks snowhead, I was thinking that would be the answer.

I have a drain unblocker that I've used on my ground level drainage It's a 10m long 10mm diameter hose that attaches to my power washer and jets water backwards at the tip to force the hose through.

Is it just a case of feeding it down the stack to try to clear it?
 
I think you have solved you own problem , the other option is to take the stack down clear the blockage and replace with a modern plastic soil stack that would look better .
 
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Why not look for the original inspection chamber and look inside that.
What you need to do is test the rest of the drain as well as the stack.
Blockage could be due to roots under the ground
 
Thinking stack was going to be abandoned, care would not be taken, and anything could be stuck in bend. Rather than rod from stack and risk compacting debris, rod upstream towards stack.
When flushing from stack,plug outlet of downstream manhole so debris can be removed at that point. Cut off cast iron stack at or below ground level to aid removal of debris and replace with PVC stack compatible with branches, bends and fittings.
 
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Thanks king of pipes. I did think about replacing it but I'm working on my own and its very heavy.

Luckily the cast iron stack looks to be in very good condition.

Was kind of hoping someone would mention some magic solution that I could pour down to clear it, but didn't think it would be that easy to sort :D
 
Thanks Frog67 and joni os.

That's a good point about "care not being taken" joni os, as the original lead pipe that connected to the old toilet pan appears to have been capped with mortar, some of which could easily have fallen down the stack.
 
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Thanks for all the advice yesterday.

I tried clearing the pipe with my pressure washer drain cleaner today. I fed it down the 3 meters of vertical stack bit it wouldn't go past the turn at the bottom.
It wasn't a total waste of time as I gave my paths and small border walls a thorougher clean while I had the pressure washer out. :grin:

Tomorrow I'm going to take down the 3 meters of stack to ground level to give me better access.

Disappointed the pressure washer didn't work as it only looks to be a few feet from the stack to where it joins the large bore sewer pipe.
 
Take it down in short lengths bud did you jet it from the manhole back to the house if not try that first you need to have a good flow back to sewer
 
Weather was OK to take down the soil stack today. Got one of my lads to give me a hand.
It cut easily, if slowly, with a 4" 1mm cutting disc finished off with a bow hacksaw.

I left about 8" of pipe above ground for connecting to a new plastic pipe.

I cleared about a foot of what I'd describe as "cast iron mince" from the bottom of the pipe and was able to reach the bend at the bottom with my arm inside past my elbow.

I guess after nearly 40 years with no use the inside of the pipe has been corroding and falling to the bottom

After scraping everything I could reach out with my fingertips I fed my power washer unblocker hose down and the pipe appears clear.

Now to connect up my new toilet. :smile:

Thanks for all the support and advice. I've not been on this forum much but have always had a friendly and helpful response to my queries.
 
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