More pipes

I removed much of the plumbing today, going down in the basement to expose the pipes by taking away great sections of the drop ceiling. While I was there, I cut away the pipes I knew would no longer be used, and removed others that needed replacing. They will all go, eventually—I would just like to retain an idea of how the pipes ran—by leaving some of them in place for the moment. I disconnected the water heater, which will be replaced, and took away the gas line to the old stove that I already discarded. I’d already capped off the line, but could not remove the actual pipes before. Now, with the ceiling gone, it was fairly easy. Most of the pipes I simply cut away with my metal-cutting blade. Attached to the reciprocating saw, it makes quick work of removing the ancient and corroded plumbing. The few pipes I tried to remove with a wrench simply snapped at the nearest connection. Inside, the old steel lines are a lesson in arteriosclerosis, old-house style. Rust and scale had built up over the past fifty years or so, and many of the pipes were probably older. I threw them all in a pile to be carted off to the scrap-metal processing place. I look forward to another visit there. The water heater and refrigerator—still lying outside the basement door—will also make the trip. Everything will go together. It will be fun.

Upstairs I disconnected the hot-water radiator in the bathroom, watched the water pour from both ends, and couldn’t do much about it. I had no way to catch it, so I just put some rags around and let the old radiator gush. Now it is freestanding, able to make the trip out into the dining room while I get the bathroom rebuilt. It will go back in another location, since I plan for the tub to occupy the space where it was standing. These things are fiercely heavy, as are most fixtures in old houses. Made of cast iron, they were meant to be put in place and stay for a while. The only thing remaining is the bathtub. I’ll need help to move it, no doubt. I don’t know how I can budge it on my own. It is only hooked up to the drainpipe still, but not for much longer. It will take only a minute or so to cut off the pipe and leave the tub free and clear. I will cart it out into the main living area while I rip up the floor, replace it, then make the space ready for the tub again. Its hiatus from the bathroom will be lengthy, no doubt.