A cast iron bathtub, according to professionals who do professional renovation work, is the most durable accessory. However, there comes a time when it needs to be replaced. Many owners of old bathtubs try to delay this moment as long as possible by covering the product with new layers of enamel. Some take a radical approach to solving this issue. This category prefers to completely remove old bath from the house, and not in its place to install a new one. It can be dismantled with or without preservation. Having tried to take out this accessory intact, beginners encounter difficulties and wonder whether it is possible to break it. cast iron bath. Or will I have to take it out whole? In this case, you will have to hire a team or call someone for help.

How to break cast iron This question becomes very relevant for those who have decided not to use the old accessory anywhere else. Coping with this task will not be difficult. You will find information on how to quickly break a cast iron bathtub in this article.

About dismantling methods

There are two ways to replace an old bathtub:

• With saving. The bathtub is carefully disconnected from the rest of the communications in the house and taken out. It can be used in the future. Judging by the reviews, this method is complex and time-consuming.
• No saving. IN in this case you can either break a cast iron bathtub or saw it using a corner grinder. The bath pieces are then taken out. Due to the fact that the product now weighs much less, one person can handle this work. As they say experienced craftsmen, if necessary, they preferentially resort to this method. The disadvantage of this method is that the procedure is accompanied by a very large roar.

What is special about the method?

Based on reviews, we can conclude that the procedure for breaking a bathtub using a sledgehammer is the most proven dismantling method in practice. However, it requires considerable physical effort. Destroying a bathtub into several parts is not possible for everyone. The work must be performed by a physically trained person. In addition, the procedure itself should be performed during the day. Otherwise, a scandal with neighbors is inevitable.

Preparation

Before you begin dismantling, you need to prepare the room in which the work will be carried out. It is advisable that there is nothing superfluous in the bathroom, namely various cabinets and bedside tables. In order not to damage the toilet, if the bathroom is combined, it is better to remove it from the room. The floor should be covered with a rubber mat. Otherwise laid on tiled surface the cast iron product will slide.

Tools

Since the bathtub will first need to be disconnected from the pipes, the master will need to acquire the following:

• Adjustable and regular wrenches.
• Screwdrivers.
• With pliers.
• A hacksaw and a grinder.
• With a crowbar.
• With a sledgehammer.

Due to the fact that rough physical work will be carried out, the master should worry about protective equipment. It is necessary to prepare special gloves and safety glasses.

Where should I start?

Before breaking a cast iron bathtub, it must first be disconnected from all communications. The first step is to disconnect the overflow. According to experts, cast iron pipes were installed in many old houses. Therefore, after many years, they become very rusty, covered with scale, and the master may have difficulties dismantling cast-iron plumbing fixtures. The situation is better if communications are represented by metal-plastic components. In this case, they simply unscrew. The master only needs to prepare the pliers. There are often cases when the overflow grate gets very stuck.

Before breaking a cast iron bathtub, you need an element. Many craftsmen clamp it with pliers and turn it counterclockwise. If it is not possible to dismantle the overflow in this way, it is cut off with a grinder. Judging by the reviews, fasteners often have heavily rusted threads, which can only be dealt with after cutting them. First, several cuts are made on the grate, and then the overflow is knocked off with a chisel. Then the crosspiece under the grille is knocked out. As a result, the siphon should hang freely, connected to the rest of the sewer line. To remove it, the master needs to get rid of the coupling. Some beginners wonder if it is possible to break a cast iron bathtub with a sledgehammer. According to experts, this is quite possible to do. You just need to adhere to a clear sequence of actions.

About the weak point of the bath

For those who have never done anything like this before and don’t know how to break a cast-iron bathtub with a sledgehammer, experts recommend finding the most vulnerable spot in a given plumbing product. Judging by numerous reviews, it is located in the bottom, namely near the drain hole. This is where you should hit it with a sledgehammer.

Progress

Once the most vulnerable point in the product has been found, the following steps must be performed:

• The first step is to move the bathtub a little away from the wall. To complete this task you will need a chisel and a hammer, with which sanitary product get rid of cement mortar along the perimeter. Optimal distance baths to the wall will be from 100 to 150 mm.
• Using an angle grinder equipped with cutting wheels, make several cuts on the bathtub. The master's task is to deprive the product of its strength. The cutting areas on the bathtub should be its curved edges on both sides. They are used as If the work is done correctly, then strong blows to the bottom of the cast iron product will cause it to fold.
• Break through the drain hole. There is no need to turn the bath over at this stage. The master only deals very strong blows with a sledgehammer to the drain from inside baths. Judging by the reviews, after these steps the bath is divided into two separate halves. If this does not happen, then you will have to deal with its sides.
• Turn the bathtub on its side and cover it with old rags. Burlap also works well. The blows are applied to the outer part of the cast iron product. As a result, the previously broken drain hole in the bathroom should become even wider. After several blows in the bathtub, a long strip forms along its entire bottom.

Completion

At the very end, the cast iron bathtub must be completely turned over. The bottom of the sanitary ware should be directed upward. At this stage, the sides are processed with a sledgehammer. As a result, the bath is broken into several pieces, which will then be convenient to take out. In addition, the bath can be divided into smaller pieces. To do this you will have to work with an angle grinder. The gas cutting method is considered quite effective.

For those who do not know how to break a cast iron bathtub, professionals recommend following safety precautions. Mostly this work is performed by two people. Since the procedure involves a grinder and a sledgehammer, you can protect yourself from injuries if all actions are coordinated.

Due to the fact that particles of broken cast iron can get into the face from strong blows of a sledgehammer, the plumbing product should first be covered with burlap. This will also protect the bathroom itself. The speed of dismantling and safety directly depend on the proper organization of work.

A cast iron bathtub, along with its strength and reliability, has one significant drawback - its heavy weight. And when it comes to dismantling a cast iron bathtub, the owners have to face a number of difficulties - getting the product out of the apartment onto the street is not so easy, and in some cases, due to tight passages, it is completely impossible to do this. There is only one way out - to break the bathtub.

Ways to break a cast iron bathtub

In order to break a cast iron bath you will need:

• sledgehammer,
• Bulgarian,
• gloves,
• reinforced bags for construction waste,
• sound-isolating headphones (optional),
• old blanket or other soft material(optional).

It is customary to break a cast iron bathtub with a sledgehammer. Of course, a man should be entrusted with the matter. Even a person with an average level of physical fitness can do this task. Keep in mind that you will not be able to break the bath quietly, so this work must be carried out during the daytime. If possible, warn your neighbors so as not to scare or cause discomfort to anyone. Now you can get down to business with a clear conscience.

Before starting work, prepare a tool (sledgehammer), free up space around the bathtub to make it easier to collect the fragments in the future. If you're afraid of hurting flooring, lay an old blanket over the work area or soft cloth. To avoid accidentally cutting your hands, be sure to wear gloves. As we already said, breaking cast iron bath accompanied by a lot of noise, reminiscent of bells, so it is advisable to have sound-isolating headphones.

To make the cast-iron bathtub easier to crack under the influence of a sledgehammer, cut its sides in several places with a grinder. If desired, you can divide the bath into several parts only with the help of an angle grinder. But this procedure is labor-intensive, time-consuming and is accompanied by a large amount of debris, or rather construction dust. Therefore, it is easier and more convenient to break a cast-iron bathtub using a sledgehammer.

5-6 persistent blows should be enough for the bath to break into at least two parts. If necessary, break large pieces again, then removing parts of the bathtub from the apartment will be easier and more convenient.

Carefully collect small fragments along with the remains of tiles or other finishing elements, if any, and pack them in special reinforced bags designed for construction waste. This way you can get rid of your old cast iron bathtub without any problems.

During a bathroom renovation, the question of updating old plumbing often arises.

The first candidate for replacement is always a bathtub, especially if it is a cast-iron model that has been there since Soviet times.

After all, the industry offers the consumer a wide choice of other, more modern materials: acrylic, wood and even. Products made from them are often more practical than Soviet cast iron. But, of course, also.

But the question arises: how to dismantle and remove such a colossus? As they say - “break, don’t build.” Let us consider in detail all the nuances of this labor-intensive process.

There are 2 main ways to carry out work:

1. dismantling while maintaining integrity:
   • only the body itself (when it is not important to preserve the coating)
   • font enamel (when the bathtub is planned to be used further for its intended purpose, for example, after restoration)
2. destruction.

The first option is simpler from the point of view of the dismantling itself, but it delivers big problems when removing the product. After all, such a font weighs on average about 100 kg.

This method is worth using if you decide to restore the coating or do something with your own hands from the case itself.

You can breathe new life into an old cast iron bathtub. Craftsmen have come up with many options for its alternative use: flower beds, ponds, garden furniture and much more.

Tools

To carry out the work efficiently, you will need the following tools:

• perforator;
• chisel;
• chisel;
• hammer;
• gas key;
• Bulgarian;
• sledgehammer;
• respirator;
• protective glasses.

The work ahead will be very dusty and dirty, so you need to take care of protective equipment.

At a minimum, you should take a respirator and safety glasses.

How to dismantle it correctly with your own hands?

Below, we have provided detailed instructions for carrying out the work with all the nuances.

Remove the old siphon

The first step is to disconnect the siphon. As a rule, in old houses these siphons are made of cast iron, and under the influence of moisture and time, all connections sinter and corrode, so it is unlikely to be possible without special compounds that corrode rust. You can use, for example, WD-40 - popularly known as "Vedashka". You need to spray the connections and leave them in this state for 1 hour.

Then, using wrench it is necessary to unscrew the nut, thereby disconnecting the siphon.

The diameter of the nut is most often very large, so for this work you will need a gas wrench.

If the nut does not give in and the “century-old layer” of rust is not corroded by any means, all that remains is to cut off part of the pipe with a grinder. Or not? There is one interesting life hack:

• insert the chisel into the hammer drill chuck (this is a special blade-shaped attachment);
• switch it to the “impact without drilling” mode;
• Press the chisel against the end of the nut and press the start button.

Most likely the nut will give way. Do this procedure several times until you can unscrew it with a key or by hand.

Release the sides

Often tiles in the USSR were laid from the side of the bathroom, or even a corner was made from it along the entire perimeter of the wall. In this case, pulling out the bathtub is simply not possible; first you need to knock off the tiles from the sides. For this, an already familiar hammer drill with a chisel is suitable, in impact mode without drilling.

Just go over the edges one by one. If you don’t have a hammer drill, it doesn’t matter. A hammer and chisel can also handle this, but the work will take much longer.

If it is built into the wall of a room?

It also happens that the font is built into the wall, for example, as in the photo. In this case, you will need to remove the legs from the side of this wall. If you can’t unscrew them with a key, or they are firmly embedded in the floor, you can cut them off with a grinder.

Then under the freed space put wooden boards or sheet of plywood so as not to split the floor. All that remains is to press hard on the side of the bathtub; you may need the help of a second person, and it will fall down, falling onto the boards. If you can’t push through, you can try using a hammer drill to knock down the part of the wall on which the font rests.

Is it worth cutting off the legs?

Sometimes the legs are dull and deeply embedded in the floor. In such cases it remains cut them with a grinder. Take a metal disc and carefully file the back legs first, and then the front ones. This is important because if the order is different, there is a chance that the font will fall on you.

It is better to file the legs at the base (floor). In this case, you will have additional handles that are convenient for transportation. Of course, you should first check whether they are firmly attached to the font.

How to take it out of the apartment?

Once you have released the bowl, place it in an upright position - firmly grasp the upper legs. Then tilt it slightly to make it easier for your partner to grab the lower ones.

The doorway in the bathroom is usually quite narrow. Therefore, it will not be possible to simply endure it. You must first place the front legs behind the doorway. Then move the font diagonally and only then insert the rear legs.

How do they carry it out if the legs are completely cut off? In this case, it will be easier to place the bowl on its long side on its side and gradually move it along the floor, pointing it diagonally into the doorway. After you have taken it out of the bathroom, you can grab one person by the front end, the other by the back (as if you were carrying a stretcher), this will make it easier to pull it out. Further removal is a matter of technology. What to do if there is no partner?

Is it possible to split or break it with a sledgehammer at home?

If you work alone and there is no one to help you clean the whole building, rational decision will carry out removal in parts. To do this you need to break the font. What is the best way to do this?

The fastest, but noisiest and messiest solution would be to use a sledgehammer:

• cover the font with a damp sheet or other large piece of cloth. This will help avoid dust and scattering of fragments.
• Then apply swipe with a sledgehammer into the side of the bathtub.
• If the cast iron does not crack, you can use some kind of wedge, for example, a crowbar. And hit him already. The font will definitely split.
• You can cut cast iron into pieces of almost any size.

The main disadvantage of this method is that it will take a long time to clean the space from small fragments and dust. And the noise, of course, will be very loud, because the shape of the bath vaguely resembles a bell.

Is it really possible to break without noise?

Many people often ask this question, because not all neighbors are sympathetic to repairs. Of course, you won’t be able to get rid of the sound completely, but you can make the work a little less loud:

• make several cuts on the body with a grinder;
• insert a piece of ground scrap into them;
• hit the crowbar with a sledgehammer.

The tub should crack.

Is it better to cut it with a grinder and break it?

There is another way to divide the font. It was cut with a grinder. Here, of course, you will have to suffer longer than with a sledgehammer. But there will be much less dust and fragments:

While working, pieces of enamel and scale will fly around, be sure to wear safety glasses and a respirator.

• install a metal disc on the angle grinder (grinder) (it is better to use 230 mm models, with them the process will go much faster);
• start cutting in the middle, sequentially moving from the sides of the bathtub to the bottom;
• when the matter comes to an end, you are already going to go to the bottom and close 2 cutting lines from the front and rear sides - ALWAYS place it under the bathtub wooden blocks , otherwise the halves will come together and bite the disk.
• When the cut closes, the work can be considered complete. If the halves do not open, you should press lightly on the bottom and it will immediately break.

During operation, the disc must be allowed to cool, so pause every 1-2 minutes.

The procedure can be carried out until the size of the parts satisfies you. What else can you saw and how to cut? It’s difficult to find an alternative to an angle grinder; you can, of course, make cuts along the sides using a hacksaw, but you won’t be able to cut further.

Where to put it with benefit?

You will be surprised, but even from an old, rusty bathtub you can benefit; see how to do this below.

Removal for scrap metal

You can scrap it and get some good money. Some companies even offer free dismantling and removal services, this will save you a lot of time and effort. Read more about.

Second Life

If you apply a little imagination and “direct hands”, you can make truly amazing things from cast iron baths. Furniture, ponds and even barbecues. More useful inventions from a cast iron bath in our article.

Useful video

We have prepared for you interesting video about dismantling:

Conclusion

As you can understand from the article, dismantling a cast iron bowl is a difficult and troublesome procedure. But we have put everything in order, so you can cope with this difficult task without any problems. Be sure to pay attention to the fact that by selling the hot tub for scrap metal, you can not only get rid of unnecessary problems with takeaway, but also get extra money.

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How to break down and remove an old cast iron bathtub?

As a rule, a cast iron bathtub is the most durable item in any apartment. But sometimes during the repair process it is necessary to replace it. Some try to carry it out entirely, although this is a very difficult task due to its enormous weight. Very often our apartments have such narrow passages that it is simply impossible to remove the bathtub due to its bulkiness. And after thinking a little, you decide to break the bathtub and take it out in parts. This is where the question arises: how to break a cast iron bathtub? This article will tell you the answer.

When dismantling a cast iron bathtub, begin by removing the fastening elements.

List of materials and tools:

• Bulgarian;
• sledgehammer;
• bags for construction waste;
• an old blanket or other soft cloth (place under the bathtub);
• burlap or other durable fabric(cover the bathtub to reduce the impact force of flying fragments);
• thick clothes, closed shoes, headgear, construction gloves, protective mask (to protect the body from flying fragments);
• Soundproofing headphones (optional).

Technological process

First you need to disconnect the old bathtub from the fastening elements with which the bathtub was attached and dismantle the drain. If the drain cannot be disconnected, it is cut with a grinder. You should also remove all objects that may interfere with dismantling the bathtub (both under and above the bathtub) and remove the faucet. To dismantle a bathtub, the edge of which is embedded in the wall, you need to dismantle the legs of the bathtub (starting with the farthest ones) and, after that, pressing on it from above, “drop” it onto the floor. Before dismantling an old cast-iron bathtub in this way, you need to place a thick layer of some soft material under it to soften the impact of the bathtub on the floor.

Breaking a cast iron bathtub will not be easy. This job requires strong man and a sledgehammer. Before you begin demolition, you need to clear the space around the bathtub, lay a soft cloth on the floor (to protect the floor), and lay the bathtub itself on its side so that it can be easily accessed from both sides. Breaking down a cast iron bathtub is enough dangerous job: There is a high risk of injury from flying bathtub fragments. To protect yourself from these fragments, you should wear thick clothing, shoes, a hat, construction gloves and a protective mask. To protect your ears from fairly loud noise, you can wear sound-isolating headphones.

To minimize the risk of injury from bathtub fragments, remove household members from the premises.

How to break a cast iron bathtub without using extra effort? The weakest point of the bathtub is near the drain hole. To break it, you should apply a series of blows from the inside to the bottom near the drain hole.

Lay the bathtub on its side, this will make it easier to break.

Once the bottom has been broken, the bathtub should be covered with burlap and struck with a sledgehammer, widening the gap along the entire bottom. Do not forget that the bathtub should lie on its side during the entire process of breaking through the bottom, because the vibrations of the bathroom, which, when the bottom is broken, lies upside down, can contribute to the fall of the plaster in the apartment located below you. All blows must be struck from the side.

Once you have managed to break the bottom, turn the bathtub upside down and continue to strike the walls from the side, trying to break it into pieces. If necessary, large pieces can be broken into smaller pieces: the smaller the fragments, the easier it is to remove them from the apartment. At the end of the work, collect the fragments in bags: they can be taken to a scrap metal collection point.

The need to cut a cast iron structure arises when dismantling communications. You will learn about how to cut cast iron and structures made from it from the material.

Most often, the need to cut a cast iron structure arises when dismantling outdated communications. The hope for a speedy completion of the work collapses immediately - in the Soviet Union, pipes were connected with cement, sulfur and aluminum, so cutting them is incredibly difficult. But a couple of working methods are known. You will learn about how to cut cast iron and structures made from it from the material below.

As with any metal, methods for cutting cast iron are divided into thermal and mechanical. The choice of a specific tool depends on the design features. The following is equipment that saws (or cuts) cast iron:

• pipe cutter;
• angle grinder;
• chisel;
• hacksaw for metal;
• jigsaw
• plasma installation;
• gas cutters.

Now it’s worth evaluating cutting using the mentioned tools with objects made of cast iron.

Pipe cutter

This is a special device for cutting pipes from different materials. There are manual (mechanical) and electric tools. Both types are suitable for diameters 15-360 mm.

First, a carbide disk is mounted on the device. The removable element has a number of advantages over classic abrasive ones. For example, the cutting speed is increased by 4 times, there is no sparking and no need to add any substances to the cutting zone. Apply on top of the cutting edge diamond sputtering, extending the service life of products. Examples of pipe cutters for cast iron pipes are portable Exact Pipecut products for diameters less than 360 mm.

Alas, it is rare that a home pipeline can be easily cut with a pipe cutter. It may be difficult for a tool to access it, or the cutting area may be bent so that it cannot be grasped by the device. Therefore, it is worth considering other options.

Angle grinder

Working with an angle grinder is quick and convenient, but not without its drawbacks. For example, it only cuts in a straight line. Trying to do figured cut will lead to “biting” of the disk, its breakdown, and possible injury to the user. Therefore, the machine is used for straight cutting. Another disadvantage is the fire hazard of the method (abrasive disc + metal = sparking). Before work, you will have to wear goggles, protection for your face and hands.

Cutting with a circle is more efficient than with a jigsaw, which is why users often choose a noisy grinder. When buying a cutting wheel, prefer products with a bakelite bond, because they are much stronger than their ceramic counterparts.

Hacksaw for metal

The operating principle of the device is similar to an angle grinder. You will have to tinker with it for more than one hour, especially if you cut it cast iron pipe large diameter. Disadvantages of the method - time costs, physical effort, inability to work on limited area. But the method is safe.

Working with a chisel and hammer

This pair of products will help separate cast iron in hard-to-reach places. Dismantling work begins with pipes remote from the riser in places where a grinder or hacksaw cannot be inserted. Since cast iron is brittle material, it is easily destroyed after point dynamic loads.

A good impact tool has a rubber or polymer attachment to slightly soften the impact. This is necessary so that pieces of cast iron do not fly around, get into the riser and create a blockage.

The chisel and hammer work great with Soviet-era cast iron, that is, combined with sulfur, aluminum and cement. As you move towards the riser, there is usually more free space for work, so further cast iron can be cut with a more efficient device. As with the grinder, when working with a chisel, it is recommended to cover areas of the body into which cast iron splinters may fly off.

The productivity of work is extremely low, but sometimes you can’t do without them.

Electric hacksaw

It is much more convenient for the user to work with an electric hacksaw than with a grinder, although the principle of operation is not much different. Lightweight device with smaller dimensions than an angle grinder, the blade is consumed slower than the disk if it is correctly selected (HSS or BIM marking, and the length is also taken into account).

Less risk of injury, the speed of the process is something between an angle grinder and hand hacksaw, the low cost of consumables and their availability are the advantages of cutting cast iron with an electric hacksaw.

Plasma cutting

The method relates more to production than to household use, so it will not be discussed in detail. If the goal is minimum consumption material, speed of operation, noiselessness, there is no better equipment for cutting cast iron. The plasma will make cuts in workpieces with a thickness of more than 200 mm, and the sawn material will hardly have to be processed at the end of the work.

Method used large enterprises metallurgy, industry, where there is a need for cutting and transporting cast iron scrap. Plasma installations are indispensable for large-scale work.

Gas cutting

There are two methods of gas cutting of cast iron:

• oxygen gas;
• oxygen-lance.

In the first case, the workpiece is exposed to a thin jet of flame supplied under high pressure. The combustion product is usually a mixture of oxygen with kerosene or diesel fuel. By the way, effective method when eliminating man-made accidents.

The second method resembles the oxygen gas method, only the cutting element is a thin tube made of hardened steel. Its tip is heated to almost 1500 degrees (welding/soldering iron/lamp), then oxygen is supplied through it, ignited at the outlet and heated to 2000 degrees. The resulting burning mixture easily copes with thick cast iron.

Both methods are good, but there are disadvantages - it is important to have experience working with gas equipment. Responsible and precise cutting only performed by a professional. The second drawback is the release of gas that is harmful to health during operation of the cutter.

The method is suitable for working on fresh air or in the garage. For example, the need to eliminate a cast iron lock with swing gates. The cutter works quietly, you won't disturb anyone.

Conclusion

Based on opinion experienced builders and repairmen, in the best ways cutting cast iron perform:

• for home - grinder, hacksaw;
• in the garage - a gas cutter;
• in production - plasma installations.

Experienced people advise taking several tools into service when working at home, starting with a chisel and ending with a jigsaw.

Do you know how to quickly saw off a cast iron lock or pipe? Share your experience with readers in the comments.