Cast Iron Downpipe Replacement

Blocked cast iron downpipes can be difficult to unblock.

Cast iron gutters and downpipes can be dangerous.

Iron downpipe tend to start rotting at the back of the pipe first.

You wouldn’t want to be in the way if your cast iron gutter or downpipe were to fall off – Depending on the size and thickness, standard cast iron gutters and downpipes weigh approx 6kg per meter. This means a 5m downpipe could weigh 35kg! If the downpipe is blocked, the weight of the cast iron gutter or downpipe will significantly increase!

Cast iron downpipe replacement

Sudell gutter technicians Iain and Richard have completed a full cast iron downpipe replacement on two properties which shared the same problems.

The two downpipes were deemed dangerous due to the degeneration of the fixings and were not firmly secure to the wall. Over time its common for the original metal pins and wooden dowels to wear and perish, which can cause heavy cast iron downpipes to pull away from the wall and even fall off completely.

A blocked cast iron downpipe

To top this off, both cast iron downpipes were blocked all the way down and beyond deep into the soak-away drain.

Because the downpipe and drain was blocked, rainwater has been overflowing the hopper at the top of the pipe and running down the exterior of the property.

In this circumstance, the best resolution was to remove the dangerous blocked cast iron pipe and replace it with a new plastic downpipe. This would enable us to access the drain to unblock it before installing the new pipe.

Replacing cast iron with plastic

A plastic downpipe is much cheaper, lighter and easier to maintain than a cast iron version. Blockages in plastic downpipes can be removed easily by removing part or all of the downpipe.

Get help with your cast iron downpipe

Do you need help with your cast iron guttering system? Contact your local Sudell representative for a free inspection.