Leaky Joint in lead soil pipe

Yes, for a temp repair on this kind of thing I like silicone (RTV). It gives some flexibility and bonds well. Wire brush the crack as there likely is corrosion. It could be soldered but I think the risks are greater than any payback.

Jim

I suggest you find a professional who is old enough to have worked on a few such pipes. They are very repairable and long lasting when done right, but it takes a little experience to get it right and know how to do it. It may cost less than you think.

Did you say lead? Make sure it is lead. If it is, I am surprised it has lasted this long. I have a rental built likely in the 40's. At that time the toilet uses a lead bend. The lead bend in the toilet has been replaced by PVC bend in my rental. It goes into the cast iron stack. I did not remove the lead bend completely. Left a short stub section so I could connect the new PVC bend with a rubber connector.

I presume the longer term solution is to dig out the lead bend completely. That's a lot of work.

I guess that means me. I did plumbing for quite a few years and did repair lead pipes more times than I wanted. I am also OLD :)

I tend to be confused. If the floor is concrete, then I assume there is no basement. So how do you know about the leak? I also assume you are trying to repair with the toilet off, from the inside of the pipe. Tearing up the floor would be a major job. You can use JB Weld, and that stuff is great and lasts. However, you MUST thoroughly dry and clean the pipe, including inside the crack. (Not easy to do from the inside). But, that may be your only option.

Let us all know what you did.

Mark

Thanks guys. I talked to a couple of plumbers. I used my dremel and a wire brush to clean the pipe. I put an epoxy puddy on the outide, and an epoxy marine adhesive on the inside, and no more leak. We'll see how long it lasts though. After inspecting the rot and cieling damage it looks like this has been leaking for YEARS.

- Greg