Installed the waste pipe for the new bath today - solvent weld. Testing it all out I find I've got a little leak (a drip every 10 seconds type thing) on one elbow joint.
Not had a leaky solvent weld before. Any tricks to seal it - dab a bit more adhesive around the joint? or just whack on a dab of LSX?
Thanks
Can you get one or two "wraps" of white PVC tape around the area, preferably with a bit of tension on the tape? Can make a near invisible repair which should last forever.
newshound wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:
For what they cost - wouldn't it be better to remake the joint. Any external solution is likely to fail. The stuff you apply is not an adhesive
- it is a solvent that causes the plastics to weld together. Applying it to the leak is not a good idea.
chris French scribbled...
As it's under a bath and will be hidden from view, best remake the joint for the sake of a new elbow and 2 straight connectors.
When you made the joints, did you give them a twist? Doing that ensures the solvent is spread all around the joins.
PVC tape as in insulation tape? I wouldn't expect that to stay watertight.
Access is fine at the moment, and not to bothered about appearance as it's under the end of the bath (double ended - waste is in the middle of the bath) where the pipe from drops down under the floorboards. Though will soon be behind some boxing in at end of the bath.
On Monday 16 December 2013 22:51 Artic wrote in uk.d-i-y:
I also clean the pipe and the inside of the joint with some alcohol first to remove any wax or grease.
On a similar theme, is there a way I can glue down a small bit of loose silicone sealant? Obviously, needs to be a water-proof flexible glue, so a superglue-alike (sets brittle) or PVC (washes out) won't work.
In the past I've tried slipping a bit more sealant into under a loose bit, but that doesn't glue it down, as you press down the loose bit it squeezes out, and when you release pressure the gap opens up again.
jgh
Also, did you apply solvent to outside of pipe & inside of elbow?
snipped-for-privacy@mdfs.net wrote in news:c7104f97-0813-4d6b-bb2a-bb2136662885 @googlegroups.com:
I think you need to review your approaches. Putting stuff on the outside is not a good idea. Cleaning and preparation are the key. Bodge this and the process fails. Clean thoroughly.
Both, yes, and twisted , but must have just missed a little bit somewhow
snipped-for-privacy@mdfs.net scribbled...
Once something like that comes apart, it also get dirty and/or damp. It will never glue together as you can't clean it.
Tim Watts scribbled...
That should be automatic.
Clean with MEK (Methyl ethyl ketone) that is what the primer is that is supposed to be used before the solvent glue.
On Tuesday 17 December 2013 00:53 Artic wrote in uk.d-i-y:
?
If you are adding a joint to a bit of pipe that is already fixed, it is a good idea to do a dry assembly first and mark lines on both pipe and joint, so you know where to stop twisting.
Colin Bignell
You need to keep it under pressure for a day or so before silicone will have cured.
When you insert the pipe into the fitting you are supposed to rotate the pipe in the socket to "wipe" the solvent around the joint to prevent exactly this problem. Also good to put solvent on both pipe and socket.
It will be very hard to retro fix a leak.
In message , chris French writes
Self amalgamating tape should work fine. Ensure it's kept under tension (stretched) as you wrap it around the joint. For belt and braces, add a couple of jubilee clips - or even simply cable ties - either side of the wrap.
Yeah, did that as well. The leak is just one of those things I guess. Maybe a didn't twist enough, maybe I missed a bit of pipe with the glue, who knows. It's just a bit annoying really.
The section of pipe is 2 bends taking the waste pipe below the floorboards. I'll probably just remake that section. hopefully there is enough waste pipe spare on the length that I won't need to extend it with a coupler as well.
Thanks for your comments folks
I always roughen both the mating surfaces with fine sandpaper before applying the solvent, but nobody else has mentioned that. Is it frowned upon?
Robert
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