Help with my dodgy plumbing needed.......

[wolf63]

I have been having problems with my bath water draining away from my bathroom which is situated on the third floor. I have had a company out this morning cleaning the pipes - they said that they were chocked full of gunk.

However the initial guy who came, a plumber, said that a joint between old and newer pipe-work in my bathroom is a bad joint (there was water pouring out of it due to the blockage). I will get the pipes changed later in the year but need to put in a temporary sealant.

As the drains are clear there is no water gushing through this joint, but I would prefer to seal the joint.

Long story - here is the question. Will this stuff do the job or do I need something else?

http://shop.ebay.co.u...gories#item2c5ac21ba4

Hopefully if I order it today I will get it tomorrow.

[alavahalf]

A photo of the leaking joint would be good ... I'd imagine the joint in question is a compression waste fitting. If it is'nt tightened up properly, the water will come out of it if there is a blockage further down the pipe. As your water is now draining away I'd concentrate on keeping your waste pipe clear by using a waste cleaner on a regular basis.
PTFE tape is'nt used on plastic waste pipes... they are either glued with solvent or tightened up by large plastic nuts either side of the fitting. (compression fitting)

[Old_Geezer]

You could cover it all over with Plumbers Mait and put a sheet of paper under it. Probably hold it until you get it fixed properly. Or just stick a dish under it to catch the drips until then.

[Old_Geezer]

PTFE tape ? Usually for brass fittings rather than plastic waste pipes. Anyway you can get that at any DIY shed.

[wolf63]

It is a not really a join as much as a new pipe has been fed down an old metal pipe. The plumber said that under normal conditions it would not have been a problem - it is was just a weak joint and the water took the path of least resistance.

No photo - it is wedged behind a sink in a totally inaccessible place (for me anyway). The plumber said to stick some sealant on it but I want to be sure that it stays sealed for a good few months. This year has been pretty costly and I really need to put this job off until later in the year.

[wolf63]

old-Geezer - join is almost at floor level and it would be impossible to put something under it. We have no DIY shops within our town centre - (Woolworths is missed) and I have no car. If I am going to get something it will have to be ebay.

PS - how did you find your avatar picture? I know an old gentleman of the road who looks like you and just wondered where you got it. ;-)

[pops91710]

I don't know how much you know about plumbing, but if it were so simple as putting teflon tape on the pipe joint threads, any qualified plumber would have done so already.

The fact is, teflon tape is used upon assembly to facilitate installation as well as assure a good seal on the pipe"s threads where they are prone to leak. I say all this assuming your pipes are made of metal, not plastic.

Teflon tape is also not a temporary fix, either. Also, it has no adhesive on it to make anything seal. It works only when trapped between the male/female threaded
fittings. Applying it to your situation would require pipe disassembly, wrapping the tape on the threaded portion of the male pipe section, and reassembling it. Doing that midstream on a pipe is impossible unless you are lucky enough to be very close to the end of the plumbing or have a union fitting right there.

Hope this helps. Cheers and good luck!

[scotman]

I am a bit lost here. Are you saying the join is where the plastic bath outlet pipe has been fed into an open end of a metal pipe with the gap between them sealed up with something which is now leaking?

[alavahalf]

All seems a bit clearer now .. something like this will fix it..
http://www.flexseal.c...productpage.php?ID=14

[scotman]

Alavahalf

That looks like the solution as I understand the problem. If access is as bad as Wolf says I don't see how that can be fitted without major dismantling.

[wolf63]

I typed all this up so will post it. Thanks alavahalf and scotman - I am sure that I can get my 'curvaceous' body into the corner, not sure how I will be getting out again.

Thanks all

Susan

*******************I am getting confused too now.

(1) For a few weeks now the water from my bath and sink has been slow to drain away. I ignored it - my usual way of 'fixing' things. The water would eventually go away on its own.

(2) Plumber visited yesterday to service boiler and I asked him to look at the bathroom to see if there was a problem.

(3) He filled the sink, pulled the plug and the water gushed out of the pipe and down into the stairwell.

(4) He said that it was a bad join but under normal circumstances would have caused no problem - so he guessed the pipe was blocked.

(5) Drain Master came and have cleaned the pipes from the bathroom end and upwards. They have unblocked them and they said that the were chocked full of hair and stuff.

(6) Drain Master guy said to stick some sealant or something on it. Plumber had previously said that once pipes were clear I should have no problem.

(7) I just want to be extra safe and get the right type of sealing stuff for the pipe.

A plastic pipe has been fed, vertically, down an old metal pipe. There is no sealant there just now - not sure if there was ever sealant though.

I admit to knowing nothing about plumbing or anything else useful about anything practical.

[alavahalf]

If you feel that you may get stuck ..get naked and spread vaseline all over your body ... but not on your ankles ... as the firemen will want something to get hold of ...!

[wolf63]

I would traumatise the poor firemen.

Thanks.

[scotman]

What size of gap is there where one pipe enters the other?

[wolf63]

It really is a small gap - maybe 1cm.

I ran water earlier and there was no leakage - but I was just going to be double sure that there was no leak.

Better go - cats are demanding to be fed and pampered.

[The Builder]

Susan, I hope you don't mind me butting in when the other guys are on the case. It sounds like the plastic pipe is "sleeved" into a slightly larger diameter metal pipe. Ordinary bathroom silicone sealant is ideal for this. The joint needs to be "caulked".
Just make sure the pipes are bone dry or the silicone won't stick to them.
If caulked well, it should last for ever and a day........ even if the waste water backs up again.

http://www.screwfix.c...-Silicone-White-310ml

It's put on using a cheap metal "gun"


http://www.screwfix.c.../P-C-Cox-Easiflow-Gun

[smudge]

Sorry wolf - but I was rubbing my eye when I read this question & thought it said "Help With My Doggy Plumbing Needed..." ! ;o}

[pops91710]

If the gap is accessible, two-part epoxy putty works well, and instantly. We use it in hazardous-materials spills where say a diesel fuel tank may be punctured and is leaking fuel out onto the pavement and into a sewage drain/ditch. It plugs the hole instantly.

[wolf63]

Guys

I read all the answers that you have posted to my help me with my problem. I decided to do the only thing that made me confident that the pipe would leak no more. The plumber is coming back on Friday.

More expense to add to the £300 Drain Master bill, £1000 roofing bill and the £250 vets bill. ;-)

Smudge - my last dog died of dodgy doggy plumbing. He had bladder cancer. I still miss him and it was nearly 10 years ago that he died. I have been employed by cats since this time.

[Old_Geezer]

I AM that old gentleman of the road. Got the price of a pint, er I mean cup of tea ?

[smudge]

Ah, so sorry to hear about you dog wolf....

Liked the 'employed by cats' bit! They certainly keep you on your toes - love 'em to bits. ♥