Replies

1. 
   David_Thomas | Mar 14, 2002 10:15pm | #1

   *
   It should work. I haven't epoxyied to lead, but I have to aluminium, stainless, copper and lots of other things. Get some fiberglass. The lumberyard has it as a type of drywall tape. Paint a thin later of epxoy first. Then wrap a few layers, and cover them completely in epoxy. Maybe wrap a few more times with fiberglass, embedding it as you go. Ought to stick well, be water tight, and have reasonable burst strength.

   If you have tighter-woven fiberglass cloth (i.e. 6 oz) or even matting, just use 1.5 to 2 wraps. But that drywall stuff is a pretty open weave, hence my suggestion to wrap it a number of times. -David

1. 
   Steve_Schefer | Mar 14, 2002 10:17pm | #2

   *Frank, penny wise pound foolish... Replace it now while you have the opportunity. An ABS replacement drain is cheap insurance against a leak that will cause major damage in the future.

1. 
   Dave_Richeson | Mar 14, 2002 11:13pm | #3

   *I have used epoxy putty on chilled water lines that run at about 30 psi with no problems. It has held for five years now. Replacing an 8 inch welded steel pipe reguires more chiller down time than we afford in our operation. A no pressure drain line should last forever.You could also use a dresser coupler to repait it. It is a steel clamp with a rubber membrain inside of it, that you clamp on the pipe. Looks like an open "C" with bolts to pull the two side together. Get them at a plumbing supply house, not a home center.Dave

1. 
   Brian_Smith | Mar 15, 2002 04:58am | #4

   *ditto. i've done it, just as dave describes. i've also made my own clamp with two pipe clamps, a piece of sheet metal and some hose off my dishwasher drain line to back the epoxy repair. when i did it, it was because the section of drain was so inaccessible and surrounded by a series of bends. the flexible repairs they sell weren't actually the right size to fit over a drain hub.be sure to clean the area well.brian

1. 
   Dick | Mar 15, 2002 05:55am | #5

   *There is a 2-part epoxy for patching metal that is often used on automotive cooling system parts (temp and pressure) to patch cracks and holes. It works very well and is thick and easy to trowel when mixed. Available at auto parts stores, under ten bucks.

2. 
   ken_hill | Mar 15, 2002 06:21am | #6

   *Frank- Lead corrodes/oxidizes readily, not only on the surface, but through and through. The repairs the other guys have suggested will work, but IMHO the fix and the pipe have a limited lifespan. Eventually the bond between the epoxy and lead will become non-existant due to corrosion- but since it is waste/no pressure I suppose it will be OK as long as the water is channeled in the right direction. That lead WILL at some point be toast. It's your call.......If it were mine, I would bite the bullet and do it right by replacing the bad piping. -Ken

3. 
   Brian_Smith | Mar 16, 2002 04:23am | #7

   *frank.you asked if we had done it. yes. just because i've done it doesn't mean i'm recommending it. i did it as an experiment on an apartment building that i supervised to see how valuable the epoxy repair material was in this case. i have done it recently in the case that i described in my previous post.if it's accessible now and will be inaccessible in the future, then now is the time to replace the bad section. typically, we would be talking about cutting out the bad section, cut ABS pipe to length, slip a couple of no-hub connectors back on the length of ABS, insert between the cut off line, and slip the connectors over the joint and tighten.brian

4. 
   Dave_Richeson | Mar 16, 2002 04:39pm | #8

   *Like brian, we repair when we can. The epoxy we use is a two part putty system. It comes in a package of two sticks the are a little stiffer than glazing compund. Cut off equal portions of each and knead them together untill the color is consistant throughout. We apply it in a thin layer, wrap f/g mesh tape, and another thin layer of epoxy putty. Set time is about two hours or faster.By the way lead does not oxidze all of the way through, only on the surface. PbO2 is acctually stronger than pure lead, but it is so slight you really can't tell. Pure lead is very reactive to even mild acides, and that is what ussualy causes it to fail. Acedic acid is common in most households, whether as vinegar or orange juice,not to mention urea acids found in urine. Given enough exposure and time any of them will dissolve lead. That is one of the resons, along with the health hazards that it was abandoned as a pipeing material.

5. 
   Bob_Walker | Mar 16, 2002 06:59pm | #9

   *I'm with the "replace it" folks. The other stuff "should" work (maybe) but what if it doesn't. How long will it take you to find out? Where will the waste water leak to until you find it?