| Retrofitting Pipe |
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Steel pipes usually aren’t used today except to replace a section for repair. In such cases, purchase a pre-cut and pre-threaded length of pipe. Some plumbing shops will cut and thread a steel pipe to length. You can retrofit steel pipes with special couplings that will fit between old steel pipes and new copper or plastic pipes. For these, make a drawing of your existing plumbing along with your new plumbing and take it to a plumber or plumbing supply store. Most such couplings are banded couplings similar to those on an automotive radiator hose. Retrofitting an iron drain pipe with new plastic pipe can be challenging. The connection isn’t that difficult to make—similar to the coupling for a steel pipe (above). The hard part is getting to the pipe itself. In some cases it is buried in dirt near or under the house. In the worst cases it is located under a concrete slab in a basement or under a patio. Either situation requires some searching and digging. You sometimes can find the path of an unseen cast iron pipe by using a metal detector and some logic. If you know where it enters the house or the room and where it probably is a metal detector can help you determine its exact location—much easier than tearing up an entire concrete floor.
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