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Cast Iron sewer -- Is it a hazard?
(WasteNotWantNot) wrote in
om:
"Steve Smith" wrote in message
...
Greetings,
I am hoping that some of the knowledgeable people on this group
can
answer some questions regarding older cast iron drain stacks. Some
months ago our insurance was non-renewed because the insurance
company refuses to insure homes with cast iron in them. The reason
given for this rule is that they "rot out from within and burst", we
weren't even covered for sewer backup/breakout under that policy
anyways. Fast forward to now, we have a new insurance company (a
farm mutual), and their inspector didn't even note the cast iron
drains even though he knew that was why the other company had dropped
us.
Is it possible the agent was trying to dump your policy for some other
reason?
Sometimes insurance companies just want to cut their overall exposure
in certain geographical areas. The pipe issue seems unreasonable,
especially since you were not covered for this risk anyway.
I'll defer to experts in the rate of deterioration of cast pipe.
However, a little research will prove to you that the vertical
sections rarely rot out. The below grade horizontal out to the tank is
the one that will go first. I'd say fix it when you need to or when
you replace the tank. Don't let other people spend your money. You
were not going to replace all this pipe before the insurance issue
came up were you?
Even when they happen, cast iron vertical stack failures are not generally
catastrophic. Usually you notice a sewer-gas smell, and on invsetigation,
you find a small corroded hole. Or you have a leak, call a plumber, and he
finds a section with paper thin walls. Fixing it might be expensive, but
usually not overly complicated, unless your wast plumbing is exceptionally
complex.
It might be worth contacting your state insurance regulatory office and see
what they have to say about this.
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