Failed Shower drain w/ Lead Joint Bushing or ????

[Mr_David]

Has anyone ever seen a fitting like this before.
Shower drain fittings typically have a neoprene bushing that that is used to seal the pipe to the drain fitting of a prefabed pan.
I toss the bushing and pack it with lead wool and oakum.
I recently replaced a shower drain that had a leaking poured lead joint.
I split the fitting with a hack saw and found this.
No oakum, which when packed properly, makes a water tight seal.

I have never seen a fitting like this before.

Well I guess that's not the way to do it.

 

[Mr_David]

This is what came out of the last picture

 

[havasu]

I hope you killed that spider before it wakes up and bites you!

 

[Mr_David]

The new shower drain with lead wool & oakum caulked joint.

 

[havasu]

Is that an ABS pipe? Doesn't the hot lead melt through the ABS?

 

[Mr_David]

That's one of the reasons I cut that thing in half.
I was curious as to why the pipe didn't melt.

Possibly the bushing was designed just for that.
Not realy sure.

 

[LiQuId]

that is a wild comfiguration, I am guessing the original "plumber" was more creative than practical. I have never seen anything like this.

is it possiblle that the lead was pounded in and not poured? at 635' F ( melting point of lead if memeory serves ) it should easily have melted the abs if poured ( abs max temp 175 ' F )

 

[johnjh2o]

When ABS and PVC came into use we still were using strainers that required lead joints. What we did was to use a female adapter and a galvanized nipple into the strainer.

John

 

[havasu]

When ABS and PVC came into use we still were using strainers that required lead joints. What we did was to use a female adapter and a galvanized nipple into the strainer.

John

I assume the nipple is used to hold the integrity of the PVC/ABS while the lead is cooling down? I just don't understand using lead these days since the rubber gaskets have always held up great for me.

 

[Mr_David]

The joint I took apart had to have been poured hot.
The one I did was lead wool that was pounded into the joint.

I have had several neoprene gaskets fail.
Mostly due to minor flexing of the floor of which eventually loosened the gasket

 

[LiQuId]

Glad to hear that "plumber" meaning "worker of lead" is not entirely lost in todays world.

 

[Mr_David]

Most of the old time "workers of lead" are dead from lead poisoning

 

[johnjh2o]

Most of the old time "workers of lead" are dead from lead poisoning

NO David I'm still here. To get my plumbing license I had to wipe a lead joint as part of my examination. My last year in trade school was for the most part spent on the lead bench.
That being said some of the finest work done with lead was done by the phone company lines men. The old phone lines were encased in lead pipe. Which had to be repaired in place quite often between the poles. Today these lines are plastic, much like are plumbing.

John
Old but still kicking.

 

[phishfood]

Guy I knew just died of cancer this summer. He was retired from a phone company up north, and talked about wiping lead joints, and giving pointers to plumbers trying to pass their exam.

 

[havasu]

One of my first jobs was to count used brake shoes before sending them in to be remanufacturered. In those days there was never a concern over asbestos but 40 years later I myself am concerned. I guess this is all in the hands of the big guy upstairs.