Worried about sweating kitchen HOT feed. How dangerous?

[jeffjot]

Well this building is a triplex, built in 1920. Cast iron piping that is a nightmare to get into. This is in the little downstairs unit that I'm cleaning up to re-rent.
Quite frankly I'm afraid to DO anything, and I definitely don't have the money to do it.
So here's the hot feed underneath the sink. As you can see, its rusted.
But a weird kind of red rust, almost like corrosion.
What causes this? As you can see it has traveled up and covered part of the shutoff valve, which I put on new a few years ago.

Also the pipe behind it is deformed. I'm afraid to start cranking on this, that I may end up with broken pipes and a spiraling disaster.
So what to do?
its sweating, but not dripping.
Just wrap it in Flex Tape, maybe, and not poke the bear?
Or try cutting into the wall and press my luck.
Why does the wall pipe look like that?
Can this burst open and flood the apartment, like this? Or am I overthinking.

 

[Twowaxhack]

All that needs to be replaced, don’t touch it until you’re ready to replace it all.

It could break and flood at anytime.

 

[jeffjot]

So.... cast iron water supply pipes like this just rust red by themselves, corrode and then bust open at any time?
I would think flooded houses would be a lot more common.
This sort of piping is in tens of thousands of older houses all over the nation.

 

[Twowaxhack]

So.... cast iron water supply pipes like this just rust red by themselves, corrode and then bust open at any time?
I would think flooded houses would be a lot more common.
This sort of piping is in tens of thousands of older houses all over the nation.

It’s steel piping, not cast iron. Yes, it’s in bad shape. Houses do flood from that.

Good luck

 

[breplum]

If I had a nickel for every flooded house leak caused by rusted steel, just in my 40 mile radius...
Oh wait, I did make more than a nickel, and that's why I can sit here in the middle of the day living off the dividends.

 

[Jim Jensen]

If I were homeowner, I would definitely at least replace all galvanized steel pipe that is ABOVE the floor......assuming there is a crawlspace, below, where the piping runs.....?? ( to prevent VERY costly flooding of what are likely wooden floors, if built in 20's ??? )

 

[jeffpas]

I have a pipe junction that was rusted at my own home and I wrapped the joint with steel flex tape thoroughly and its lasted 10 years so far. I know plumbers are always eager to rip everything out and spend a fortune but I think something can be said about not poking the bear in an old building. I can't afford to, and would never have gotten this far in life if I did.
I'm simply not rich enough.

And so, what about Flex Tape? Steel tape? The water flow is fine. Why not simply wrap the thing for safety reasons and go on, instead of creating a huge expensive job and breaking pipes.
My only concern is the rust. I have heard of different types of metals reacting with each other, is that what is going on here? In particular my 1 year old stop valve that has rust on it. This should not be rusting, its only a year old.

 

[wpns]

If you are going to (re)rent it, that's an investment, get a quote from a plumber and (if you have to) a loan from the bank, and crank up the rent by whatever it takes to pay it off.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

Plumbers fix things. I am a home inspector and I look at things.

I am here to tell you that almost every problem in a home inspection is related to water. It could be from a bad roof design, poor maintenance on siding or roof, or ancient plumbing. When I see crumbling foundations, peeling paint, rotting wood, and similar it is all related to water.

And I think every plumber will agree that it is considerably less costly to fix something before it breaks then wait for a flood and do it after. We have a number of exceedingly talented and professional plumbers here. Believe what they say.

As the old saying goes you can pay me now or you can pay me later but if you pay me later it’s going to be a lot more.

I don’t know quite how to react to a situation where you own a 1920 home you’re renting out with ancient plumbing in it that you cannot afford to properly maintain or replace. But it is trouble just waiting to happen.

In our litigious society, you may also be setting yourself up for legal issues. If water damage in any case injures a tenant and it was a potential problem you knew about you’ve got a legal issue. You may not be able to pay to update the home, but how’s your insurance? If the insurance you have as a landlord doesn’t cover all of this stuff they’ll be coming after you.

Sometimes there’s just no easy answers.

 

[Jessyluv11]

I agree completely... water problems create ALOT of damage.... some damage isn't noticed immediately. It's ALWAYS better to keep an eye on and maintain all water pipes of a home to avoid problems rather than try to clean up afterwards.

Also, I can't stress this next part enough.... DONT have handymen do plumbing/gas work... UNLESS you are 150% confident that they know what they're doing... I see damages from handyman "so-called" plumbers everyday... because the problems aren't always noticeable immediately... (the average homeowner might not notice a leak until a week or 6 months down the road, when the ceiling eventually falls through, brand new hardwoods ruined, or worse... structural integrity of foundations can be compromised with consistent long term water problems). I wouldn't trust the typical handyman with plumbing, gas, electric, roof, or hvac... you shouldn't either.

*** As the saying goes...."Skilled labor doesn't come cheap and cheap labor doesn't come skilled"

**This below is something interesting I found awhile back...

CUSTOMER: "How much will it cost to do this job?"

CONTRACTOR: "$2,800 Dollars."

CUSTOMER: "That's WAY too expensive for this job!!"

CONTRACTOR: "How much do YOU think it would cost?"

CUSTOMER: "No more than $800 Dollars - MAX!! It's a simple job!"

CONTRACTOR: "I can't prioritize my time for so little."

CUSTOMER: "People in your line of work are so greedy."

CONTRACTOR: "Sorry you feel that way. Why not do it yourself?"

CUSTOMER: "But... but... I don't know how to do any of this."

CONTRACTOR: "For $900 Dollars, I'll teach you EXACTLY how to get this job done. Then you can spend $800 to do the job and you'll still be saving $1,100 Dollars - PLUS... you'll get the knowledge and experience for the next time you want to do a job yourself."

CUSTOMER: "Deal!! Let's do it."

CONTRACTOR: To get started you'll need tools. So you'll have to buy a welder, a grinder, a chop saw, a drill press, a welding hood, gloves and a few other things."

CUSTOMER: "But I don't have all this equipment and I can't buy all of these for one job."

CONTRACTOR: "Well then for another $300 more I'll let you rent my tools... and you'll still be saving $800 Dollars."

CUSTOMER: "That's cutting into my savings. But I'll rent your tools."

CONTRACTOR: "Okay! I'll be back on Saturday and we can start."

CUSTOMER: "Wait. I can't on Saturday. I only have time today."

CONTRACTOR: "Sorry, I only give lessons on Saturday, because I have to prioritize my time and my tools have to be at other jobs with other customers all week long.

CUSTOMER: "Okay!! I'll sacrifice my family plans on Saturday."

CONTRACTOR: "Yeah... me too. Oh... and I forgot... to do your job yourself, you also have to pay for the materials. Everything is in high demand right now, so your best bet is to get your truck and load up at 6AM before everyone else gets there."

CUSTOMER: "SIX AM??? On a Saturday??? That's way to early for me. And also... I don't have a truck."

CONTRACTOR: "I guess you'll have to rent one. Do you have a couple of strong men to help you load and unload everything?"

CUSTOMER: "Ummm... ya know... I've been thinking. It's probably best if YOU get this job done. I'd rather pay someone to get it done correctly than go through all the hassle.

CONTRACTOR: "Smart move, sign this and please get out of the way so I can work." THE REALITY IS THIS... When you pay for a job, especially handcrafted, you pay not only for the material used, but you are also paying for: -

Knowledge -
Experience -
Tools -
Services -
Time -
Punctuality -
Accountability - Professionalism -
Accuracy -
Labor -
Sacrifices -
Safety and Security - Payment of tax obligations -

No one should denigrate a professional's work by judging prices - ESPECIALLY when they don't know all the elements or costs necessary for the production of such work.

You can't haggle over a service that you don't actually have the skills or knowledge to do yourself. You can't get a high quality gourmet dinner party for the same price as a Happy Meal from McDonald's. And you can't be mad when skilled people actually KNOW their own worth.

Be smart. Trust a reputable professional. And never forget... that you ALWAYS get what you pay for.

 

[Twowaxhack]

A good plumber has insurance because every good plumber knows there’s liability with water,etc. and no matter how careful you are, things can happen.

 

[Jessyluv11]

True true true. U never know if the tape is 100% sealed, If the wax ring or flange will settle properly or shift some after the homeowners sit on the toilet several times. Some equipment is faulty from the get-go... many many things CAN go wrong and occasionally it does happen to anyone BUT someone with experience usually knows what to look out for (cheap faucets and/or appliances, knock out plugs on dishwashers, bad tile jobs, putting a pan w/ drain under a water heater, not replacing drywall until 100% certain that nothings leaking, how important it is to check that appliance shut off valves (especially the main water shut off valve) are working and 100% operable BEFORE attempting to fix anything).

All of these plumbing pointers to watch out for, usually come from experience (when it's happened personally or someone warned you) and/or education.

***Licenses and insurance are definitely a MUST for plumbing!!!

 

[MicEd69]

Well this building is a triplex, built in 1920. Cast iron piping that is a nightmare to get into. This is in the little downstairs unit that I'm cleaning up to re-rent.
Quite frankly I'm afraid to DO anything, and I definitely don't have the money to do it.
So here's the hot feed underneath the sink. As you can see, its rusted.
But a weird kind of red rust, almost like corrosion.
What causes this? As you can see it has traveled up and covered part of the shutoff valve, which I put on new a few years ago.

Also the pipe behind it is deformed. I'm afraid to start cranking on this, that I may end up with broken pipes and a spiraling disaster.
So what to do?
its sweating, but not dripping.
Just wrap it in Flex Tape, maybe, and not poke the bear?
Or try cutting into the wall and press my luck.
Why does the wall pipe look like that?
Can this burst open and flood the apartment, like this? Or am I overthinking.

jeffjot, jeffjot, jeffjot! As others have said, this is a disaster waiting to happen. You do not have the knowledge to understand what is going on here. As Twowaxhack said, this is steel pipe, NOT cast iron. You said, it's "a weird kind of red rust, almost like corrosion." That is exactly what rust is! You said this is a hot water line and "it's sweating, but not dripping." Hot water lines do not sweat. Cold water lines can sweat when the temperature of the cold water is below the dew point of the surrounding air, which usually only happens in the winter. What you have here, jeffjot, is hot water seeping through the corroded steel pipe. I would venture to say that should you scrape away at the rust, the water will start dripping, or spraying, or break off completely. It is likely the layers of rust that are keeping it from spraying right now.

Does your 1920s house have hardwood floors? Just wondering.

 

[ESTIMATOR]

Shall we now talk about BLACK MOLD?

Get a loan, rob a bank, sell yourself on a street corner or whatever it takes to have a REAL PLUMBER/CONTRACTOR to fix your plumbing issues. I think everyone here has given a load of advise to you and this project is way above your skill level. I would never try rebuilding my transmission on my vehicle, due to the fact I have no skills in that area....so I pay the piper.

In your case, you are renting this space and you are opening yourself to a potential lawsuit or a complaint to your local/state health department.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I’m immune to black mold or any kind of mold

Rodent droppings too, I use to rip into walls and it would pour out

I’d be dead if I wasn’t,

 

[ESTIMATOR]

I’m immune to black mold or any kind of mold

Rodent droppings too, I use to rip into walls and it would pour out

I’d be dead if I wasn’t,

I could say the same thing when I was working on some of these 50 year plus residential and commercial buildings. The roaches in the thousands would pour out of walls that were freshly opened. It was the apprentices job to spray poisons in the walls and elsewhere. In commercial buildings with concrete walls they would burn the roaches with their propane torches. We would all wear Tyvek suites and boots while working in these rodent and roach infested sites.