Cast Iron Pipe Replacement

If your house is more than 40 years old, the plumbing system might consist of cast iron pipes. Originally constructed to last at least 50 years, the plumbing pipes recently have experienced a dramatic decline in lifespan.

Several causes can damage cast iron pipes.

Corrosion

Time is not a friend to cast iron pipes, as the development of corrosion confirms. As a scientific process that degrades cast iron due to exposure to air and/or chemicals, corrosion can eventually lead to breaks in a cast iron plumbing system. Using powerful drain cleaners and pouring bleach down drains to eradicate foul odors represent two frequent factors that cause corrosion to develop. If your home’s tap water contains excessive sodium and/or other minerals, prolonged exposure to the tap water can initiate the corrosion process.

Homes constructed in areas dominated by clay soil are vulnerable to the corrosion of cast iron pipes. Acidic sewage sent through the drain system builds to a level that damages cast iron. A construction project underway near your home can leach chemicals into a water source that taps into your home’s plumbing system for eventual discharge.

Rust

Iron oxidizes over time, which forces flakes of rust to peel off a pipe one layer at a time. As a slower degradation process than corrosion, rust is difficult to detect because peeling layers do not reveal holes until the final couple of layers peel off a cast iron pipe. Lining cast iron pipes instead of completing a cast iron pipe replacement project delays the inevitable permanent damage done to your home’s plumbing system.

Water Pressure

Constant bombardment by high water pressure slowly damages cast iron pipes. Fluctuations in water pressure from low to high in a matter of seconds pound sensitive cast iron until pieces of the pipe start to dislodge. The municipal water supply system typically is the culprit if your house’s water pressure fluctuates from one extreme to the other extreme.

Tree Roots

Tree roots can destroy strong cast iron pipes after a few growth cycles. Maple trees are especially known for causing cast iron pipe damage. If your cast iron pipe system has started to corrode, tree roots have no problem punching through the significantly weakened pipes. Tree roots that invade within cast iron pipes quickly break apart a home’s plumbing system.

Because cast iron pipes now experience much shorter lifespans, many home improvement experts recommend homeowners update their plumbing systems with PVC pipes. Even if your home is younger than 25 years of age, you should conduct regularly scheduled inspections to detect any signs that indicate the time has come to complete a cast iron pipe replacement project.

Leaks

Water leaks represent the most obvious and frequent sign of a compromised cast iron pipe plumbing system. The leaks often start in the basement where water has damaged your home’s wood floor and stairway. Check under the bathroom and kitchen sinks once a month to spot water stains or water that has puddled near a cast iron pipe. Water leaks indicate corrosion has cracked open holes in your home's cast iron pipe plumbing system.

Discoloration

Mint condition cast iron pipes possess a black finish that when it starts to fade, displays a brown or yellow discoloration that indicates the development of rust or corrosion. Unlike leaks, discoloration does not mean your plumbing system is significantly compromised. What discoloration means is you must pay close attention to additional signs that you need to start a cast iron pipe replacement project.

Foul Odor

Cracked cast iron pipes can allow sewer gases to escape, which leaves behind an easy-to-detect foul odor. Not only is the odor hard to handle, but it is also a potential health hazard. Smelling a foul odor coming from your plumbing system indicates your house’s plumbing system is in serious trouble.

Mold

Mold developing at the top and bottom of a wall might tell you that you have one or more leaky cast iron pipes behind the wall. Placing both hands on different sections of a wall can verify the presence of moist materials that can be the source of unhealthy mold growth. Mold needs just 55 percent humidity in an area for it to grow.

Insect and/or Rodent Infestation

Insects and rodents gain access to homes by entering a cracked cast iron pipe and then traveling through the plumbing system until they find another crack large enough to allow them to enter a room. An insect and/or rodent infestation is not a direct sign of damaged cast iron pipes. Instead, any infestation should be considered a red flag that deserves further investigation.

Whether you are planning to file a homeowners insurance claim for the first time or the 10th time, working with one of the experienced insurance dispute attorneys at Morgan and Morgan can help you navigate the process.

Conduct a Property Survey

With the help of one of the insurance lawyers from Morgan and Morgan, you should survey the property to take photos of the damage done, as well as present the primary sources of the water damage. Photographs of compromised cast iron pipes demonstrate the extent of the damage done to your home. Do not throw anything away, even if some items are beyond salvageable.

Contact Your Insurance Company

Contact your insurance company after hiring an insurance attorney from Morgan and Morgan. After retaining legal support, contact your insurer and start completing the forms requires to initiate the claim process. The sooner you submit a homeowners insurance claim, the sooner you can settle any disagreements that arise between you and the insurance adjuster assigned to your claim.

Complete Repairs

You can afford to live in a home that includes damaged cast iron pipes. Whether you complete the home improvement project or hire an independent contractor to do the job, you want to act with a sense of urgency when it comes to a cast iron pipe replacement project. Save every receipt, from the cost of labor to the price tag associated with new PVC pipes.

Negotiate With the Insurance Adjuster

A denied homeowners insurance claim does not mean you receive nothing for cast iron pipe damage. Your insurance dispute attorney can request negotiations to determine whether you can find common ground with the insurance adjuster. After submitting an offer, the insurance adjuster either accepts or rejects it. If the insurance adjuster rejects the initial offer, the insurance adjuster can end negotiations or submit a counteroffer.

Several rounds of counteroffers can ensue before settling or ending your homeowners insurance claim.

Before you search for the right insurance dispute lawyer, you should write down a list of factors that describe the most accomplished litigator.

Experience

The number of years an attorney has practiced law matters, but how successful the experience has been matters much more. At Morgan and Morgan, our insurance disputes attorneys have worked on cases for many years, with a vast majority of the cases ending in highly favorable outcomes for our clients. Experience is also helpful when developing friendly professional relationships with insurance adjusters.

Specialize in Homeowners Insurance Cases

Morgan and Morgan hires litigators that handle every type of insurance case. When you meet with a Morgan and Morgan lawyer for a free case evaluation, you can expect to meet with a litigator who specializes in handling homeowners insurance claims. Even better, your legal counsel will be familiar with the legal and financial issues surrounding cast iron pipe replacement projects.

Legal Support Every Step of the Way

Morgan and Morgan's attorneys provide legal support for clients from the day of the free case evaluation to the day when a homeowners insurance claim gets resolved. Many law firms assigned an accomplished lawyer to a case, only to have the attorney disappear for the remainder of the case.

You deserve the best legal support from start to finish of your claim.

We encourage you to read the positive reviews left by our clients on sites such as Yelp and Google. Our commitment to integrity and transparency separates Morgan and Morgan from other law firms operating in the area. Schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation to learn more about how your homeowners insurance policy can compensate you for a cast iron pipe replacement project.