It is not uncommon to see cast iron or galvanized pipes used for waste disposal systems in older properties built before the 1970’s. These systems typically have a useful life expectancy of around 50 years or so. As a licensed professional inspector
for the State of Tennessee, I explain to my clients and to the real estate professional the reason that the buyer needs to budget for eventual age replacement of older cast iron systems. I also explain to the buyer, that these situations are inherent to older properties and these situations are very common. Kinda like buying a used car. I hope that this slide show will help.
Taped Repair
- Cast iron and galvanized steel and get sclerosis - very similar to what happens in your arteries and rust from the inside out. At first, small leaks will form and typically, the home owner will tape these leaks as an easy “fix” to the problem.
Burst waste line
- Rust expands. As the lines continue to rust and trap impurities such as soap scum and the like, more pressure is put on the weakened walls of the pipe causing it to burst. Often times, this goes unnoticed for years, causing a health condition under the property.
Cross Section
- A cross section of a waste line left under a property shows years of build-up in the line. This generally is the cause for slow drains in older properties. Typically, the cost of replacing the pipe under the property will be reasonable depending upon the amount of pipe in the system. However; repairs to lines between the property and the main sewer lines will be more costly as the old lines must be dug up and replaced.
This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property of Michael Thornton an ASHI Certified inspector with Complete Home Inspections, Inc.providing Nashville home inspections for Davidson county and Brentwood home nspections for Williamson County and other areas of Middle Tennessee. The views and opinions expressed are just that - views and opinions of Michael Thornton and those who comment. This post is included in the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, which is a social network for real estate professionals. Information and is provided with the intent of educating and assisting home owners, home sellers, home buyers and real estate investors with information they can use to make better real estate decisions. Visit my other posts on blogger - real estate 411.
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