I have a 4 inch plastic dwv T pipe dripping in between my second and first floors.The T is tight to the wall with another directly above it.I think the joint was not glued correctly.The problem is the isn’t any room to work.Is there anything I can put on the outside to stop the leak.I’ve tried pvc cement without any luck.I really want to avoid cutting pipe and using ferncos’.Any suggestions?
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I once heard of a plumber heating a big screwdriver with a torch and using the hot tip to melt the plastic to weld a leak shut.
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
That's a great idea. rg
I had a similar problem. Watched the plumber take a can of cement and pour it slowly on the joint line where the leak was. He moved the can so the cement flowed down either side, combining at the bottom, sealing the joint. Before he tried this, he dried the pipes and put a heat gun to the joint to try and remove all moisture from the joint. It's held for 18 years.
I had a couple DWV joints that leaked and would have been a huge pain to replace. I did a quick fix to keep things operational. There's a plumber's epoxy. White, the stuff you knead together. Its not a good fix, but it did work. 5 years and holding. In my case the pipes are in the basement and accessible. I would be very reluctant about doing anything except a cutout and replacement if the joint will be buried in a finished wall.
Also, another trick that may or may not work. At the nearest cleanout below, remove the plug, install an inflatable pipe plug in the waste side. Duct tape a shop vacuum onto the cleanout. The slight vacuum just might pull some glue into the joint if you put a lot of glue on the fitting. If you can put a plug above and below, so you don't suck air from vents and traps you should definitely be able to suck glue into the joint.
The fumes from PVC cement are super violative. When the fumes hit the motor. Please stand back. Or this could be your chance to upgrade vacs.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
"The fumes from PVC cement are super violative. When the fumes hit the motor. Please stand back. Or this could be your chance to upgrade vacs."
I'm not saying whether you could get the proper mixture going or not, but there was more than one explosion incident this year where folks were vacuuming up spilled gasoline.
I was using a shop vac to pull a mouse thru some PVC conduit.
WOW! The vac came up off of the floor, made some really wierd noises, spewed a very interesting fire ball, disinagrated and what little was left caught fire.
Not a good thing to doo in doors.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
I can't stop laughing. You must have some incredible insurance rates.
I never met a tool I didn't like!
That was the service feed to my new shop...
Knock on wood... Never had a claim...
Now that we mentioned it... AAARRRGGGG!!!!
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
My sawzall accidentally found the back edge of a 1 1/2 ABS pipe drain once, and I mixed up a little Bondo. There was limited room to work, and I didn't want to perform pipe surgery. This bath is in my house, and has never leaked since. I use Bondo for a variety of creative solutions.
rg
Once, I was doing carpentry on a project where a homeowner was doing his own plumbing. He had scheduled a rough plumbing inspection prior to testing the DWV to see if it held pressure. Prior to the inspector getting there, he discovered he had leaks at almost every joint. Before I realized what he was doing, he ran out to the auto parts store. He purchased numerous cans of Fix-a-Flat and proceeded to shoot them through his lines. Shockingly, this did not work. The scary thing is, at the time, this idiot was an inspector for the Toledo sewer department.
Don't know if you have or can make enough room between your pipe and wall to use this stuff, but …………..
There's a product for making repairs of this nature called Quick-Seal (made by Nu Calgon). It consists of a polyurethane resin impregnated gauze-like fabric which you dip in water and then wrap around the pipe and allow to harden. Works on plastic, copper or iron pipe. Comes with a pair of disposable gloves…………….better use 'em or you'll be wearing the stuff forever. You should be able find this product at your local plumbing supply house. Around here it's about $20 for a kit.
This product calls for about 15 wraps (1/2" thickness) on high pressure lines, but I think just a few wraps would suffice on a DWV line with a slight leak/drip.
http://ftp.nucalgon.com/ftp/prodlit/3-19.pdf
Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
Edited 11/7/2003 1:27:15 PM ET by GOLDHILLER
Edited 11/7/2003 1:33:35 PM ET by GOLDHILLER
Plumbers epoxy or JBWeld. Just be sure to degrease with a solvent, the cleaner you use before gluing up PVC would work well for this. Once clean rough up the area. You might do well to go all the way around the joint for the leak may not be right where you see the water. I would go with a rasp or some 60 grit paper. I once used a small wire wheel chucked in a drill. Once clean and rough go all the way around with a fillet of epoxy.
This sort of repair is considered temporary but well done and with a little luck it will last for decades. Consider installing a access panel screwed into place instead of a less forgiving finish. It will make inspections, admiring your handiwork, and any needed repairs a lot simpler.