replacing cast iron any suggestions

[Nicole W.]

Hello,

I bought a fixer upper, and found out that the cast iron will have to be replaced. Has anyone had any experience with the trenchless repiping and lining? pros and cons? If you have any recommendations on companies in the Tampa area that would also be helpful.

[Andrew S.]

Originally posted by @Nicole W.:

@Andrew S. I had plumbing backed up and had the camera and they have already clean out. I was told they have about no more than two years of life best case. 

Did they happen to capture the video when they scoped?  That would be extremely useful.  As I said, there can be a number of different reasons for the backups.  If it is just a very choppy (rusty) inside of the pipe, it may well be possible to simply descale (hundreds to maybe a couple of thousand dollars, depending on length of the run).  Or, if there are just a few cracks where roots invade the pipe, then you can just have someone come by and "roto-root" the site on a regular basis (once a year should be fine for most situations - this will cost maybe $300-400 each time).  If you have major collapsed sections,, then you have to dig it up and replace (can be thousands to 10's of thousands, depending on the situation).  The re-lining procedure only makes sense in very select cases where the pipe structure is still sound, but the surface is very far gone, or the pipe is under massive tree roots.  It will probably be about half the price of the "full dig".

So, that initial inspection is very important.  That plumber should be able to tell you WHY he thinks the pipe has only 2 years left and exactly WHAT the reason id for his concern.  THEN you can get additional quotes for the work.  Keep in mind that any plumber who will give you an estimate for re-lining the pipe will attach several disclaimers to the quote, including "if we find that the technology is not workable for the particular situation while we attempt the repair, we reserve the right to switch to full replacement".  

I get it, overflowing sewage is extremely unpleasant to deal with, but this is a very significant investment and you want to get it right.  These are the types of expenses that are the most painful because nobody ever sees/appreciates them and they can take many years to amortize.  Obviously, you will do what you feel is best - I'm just trying to provide options.  I have dealt with exactly this problem myself, so I know how it feels.