ABS Pipe Repair

L

lyle11

501 Club
I have a 4” ABS drain pipe in my basement that started seeping water at a clean-out. It’s clear what happened. Somebody over-tightened the clean-out plug and the result is 3 cracks radiating out through the threaded area. Not sure why it started leaking now since I never touched it in the 5 years I have lived in this house.

It’s in a difficult place to replace the Tee. I would like to at least attempt to fix it with tape or epoxy. I know JB Weld makes plumbing repair products which I’ve used successfully in the past.

What I am thinking about trying is to over-tighten the plug and spread the cracks wider. Then find an adhesive that I could squirt into the cracks and then remove the plug allowing the cracks to close on the adhesive.

Second option would be a waterproof tape that wraps around the outside. The cracks go through the threaded area so, I can’t do much on the inside without gluing the threaded clean-out plug in place or ruining the threads.

Just wondering if anyone has used a product that worked in this scenario. I have used the JB Weld pipe wrap product on a freeze cracked pipe. Looks terrible but works. But this us a 4” pipe. Also, if there is any type of way to heat the crack and flow in new compatible material into the crack. Kind of like welding plastic.

Maybe I can get that miracle fix stuff they show on TV. Spray it on and the problem is solved.

Thanks
 
Peter Person":1byedugt said:
If you can spread the cracks wider, try injecting ABS Pipe Cement into the crack.
Click to expand...
This seems like the best approach for repair material. For procedure, I try something like this:
Get a worm drive type hose clamp large enough to go around the outside of the damaged area. Adjust it to loosely fit the part.
Screw in the plug to open the cracks as much as reasonably possible.
Use an air hose to blow out any moisture from the cracks.
Dribble a little ABS primer into each crack.
Get some ABS cement into each crack as well as possible. Maybe a syringe of the type used with adhesives etc. would work well. I might experiment with one before the project gets to the primer step.
As soon as the cement is in place, remove the plug and tighten the hose clamp. Work quickly, ABS cement only gives you seconds to work with. (If you can find a slower acting version, use it.)
Check for cement that may have oozed out into the threads. Remove it as quickly as possible.
Let it cure according to the cement instructions. Leave the hose clamp as a permanent reinforcement.

One additional thought comes to mind. Maybe it would be good to drill a tiny stop hole at the end of each crack. It would help ensure the adhesive gets to the end of the crack.
 
I like Jim's idea except I'd be tempted to wrap the threads on the plug with Teflon tape to make sure it didn't get welded in. I'd only back the plug out enough to close the cracks with the clamps and put it back finger tight after the clamps are snug to help keep excess cement out of the threads.

Another option would be to temporarily use an iron or brass plug, I don't believe the ABS adhesive will adhere to a metal plug.

One more thought - do the cracks one at a time. It'll be easier to keep focus on them individually, you can get it clamped down before the cement starts to work and you're less likely to get your plug welded in.
 
All else fails
4x3 threaded reducing bushing
Thread it in with wet glue
Then use a 3” plug

If you have room
4” s x mpt adapter
Thread in with wet glue
Build new cap assembly on top

Have done such repairs with sch 40 and 80 pvc
Work fast have pipe wrench on hand to keep it moving
Be generous with glue
Radiator hose clamp entire length of break and a bit past
Drilling holes At end of cracks will help if they don’t leak
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I have used these flexible couplers successful at my farmhouse with no problems. I’m not sure if plumbing codes here would allow me to use them. I’m betting it would be flagged for replacement by an inspector when I sell the house although I didn’t actually check.

I also like Smallfarm’s reducer idea. I guess I’d use PVC and glue it with ABS to PVC glue. If it fails in the future I’ll look into that as an option. The clean-out Tee is about 1/2” above the concrete floor so there isn’t much exposed pipe to work with if I replace the entire Tee, without chipping away concrete and trying to get any concrete residue off the pipe for a clean connection.

Anyway, the big hose clamp Jim Becker suggested stopped the seepage without glueing the cracks. But, I still wanted to glue the cracks so I backed off the clamp and used ABS Cleaner (like primer I guess because there was no mention of ABS primer on any of the Oatey containers) followed by ABS glue. Cracks could only be opened up a slight amount so I’m not sure I got much glue into the crack. I probably should have used a small paint brush. Without a primer there may be a little more time to work than with PVC.

I had cracks at about 1 o’clock, 2:30, and 5:30 so I’m sure the 5:30 crack was the biggest problem so I pushed it open with the plug out and slopped the glue on heavy from the inside where gravity would take it into the crack and then quickly clamped and wiped up the excess. There are no more leaks but I’m leaving the clamp on so I’m not really sure how much the glue did. It’s kind of a syrupy consistency and I didn’t want to create a bigger problem by forcing the crack wider.
 
ABS pipe glue is a solvent with filler to fill gaps. I didn't think about the difficulty of getting it into a clean crack like you have.

Hobby stores sell model glue that is just the solvent. It will wick into a clean crack like you've got and "weld" the crack closed. You would do that with the clamp on and the plug not installed. Wish I'd thought of that earlier.
 
I’m betting it would be flagged for replacement by an inspector when I sell the house although I didn’t actually check.
Click to expand...

Never had a reject by an inspector on real estate punch list job using a Fernco fitting. Matter of fact the inspector recommended one on a specific job I did.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top