I own an old property in the city which has a cracked soil pipe. It is encased in concrete for some crazy reason. And there is a hole in it about the size of a pencil. I used a product called Speed Seal which doesn’t work. Is there some way to repair this pipe? Can it be soldered? It needs repaired on the bottom so there usually some waste in the pipe. HELP! ! ! A $2400 estimate was given to remove concrete and replace with PVC.
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I've worked with "JB Weld" two part repair epoxy. It sticks to all kinds of stuff, kind-of like mixing two colors of silly putty, then apply and let cure. Of course, I recommend this as an emergency only repair, sounds like the long term solution is demo and re-install. Good Luck.
Scott
That's probably cast iron pipe. If the area with the hole is adequately exposed, you can cut it out and splice in a new section. Or more specifically, a plumber can. You need at least a foot from where the break is to where the concrete starts. If you have that much, call a plumber and ask them if they can snap out the broken spot and put in a short patch using no-hub couplings.
don't know what it was... but on monster garage he used some stuff on a leaking diesel fuel tank (alum) that expaned as it dried... that worked... if it will stick to alum it will stick to anything.... but no i don't know what it was
pony
What do you mean by "encased in concrete"? Could the concrete have been used as a repair material? I've heard of this. I sounds like the proper repair would be to replace as much of the drain pipe as possible. Most old drains are cast iron. If this one is really lead, it might be REALLY old. $2400 might be a bargain, or it might be a rip-off. It's hard to tell without more information. I suggest talking to a highly recommended and trusted licensed plumber.
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
I have been working in a 1920 building that has had many plumbing changes over the years. In a few large drain pipes, there are actual plugs screwed in (NPT tap), directly into the pipe, not a cleanout. Most of them are 1 1/2".
I don't know why you couldn't tap it out and put a stainless screw in. It would last a looooong time.
rg
If it's really lead, you could melt new lead on to repair it. Or epoxy.