Patching "sleeve" in exterior wall?

Question

Me again... was running some wire to the kitchen last night and when I got down to the breaker box I felt a draft (last night was the first really cold night we've had since moving into the house.) Apparently this @#$%^$^& solar water heater has even more issues than I knew about, there's a freakin' hole in the wall for the piping between the tank and the panel, and I can stick my fingers in it and wiggle them around! This is a basement wall, cinder block with brick facing on the exterior. What to fill the hole with? I assume probably something similar to the firestop that I'm used to using at work for sleeves that are core drilled through concrete decks, but what exactly is the product that I want to buy for this? Please don't tell me I need to use concrete as it is probably way too cold for it to set up properly right now.

thanks,

nate

professorpaul · Accepted Answer

There is some insulation stuff that comes in a caulking tube and foamsin place. My son used some once to seal up a house from a squirrelinvasion. Should do the trick here, I would think.

Jim Tiberio · Answer

How big is the gap? When I had central AC installed once they busted out a brick, ran the smallish pipe and hose and left a fair sized hole. I was able to fill it with this caustic foam that came from an aerosol can and expanded.

N8N · Answer

I've got big but slender hands, so it's not a HUGE gap...  probablysomething like two 3/4" copper pipes running through a rough 2" openingnate

Jim Tiberio · Answer

Sounds like the stuff will work, hopefully someone here knows the name of the stuff I'm talking about because I can't remember. These may be the same thing though. I picked mine up at Home Depot so maybe you could ask there:

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Mikey S. · Answer

"Great Stuff' is a common brand around here..just go to any hardware store, HD, Lowes, anything like that and ask for a can of expanding foam. Squirt a good amount in the hole, it will expand greatly as it dries, fill the gaps, and ooze out the excess..now here is the trick..DON'T try to clean up what oozes, it's a sticky mess..just let it dry, THEN you clean it up with a knife, it cuts easily and cleanly. There you go..the hole is all filled and weathertight. not fire rated like the firestop stuff used for penetrations through fire rated floors, but you don't need that for this application.

kitchens etc. · Answer

hydraulic cement is what you want to use in an opening in concrete block or cement wall. not spray foam that is flammable and not UV protected. (that would be the hackers way)

do it right or just go back to sleep

| >>> > thanks, | >>> >

| >>> How big is the gap? When I had central AC installed once they busted | >>> out a | >>> brick, ran the smallish pipe and hose and left a fair sized hole. I was | >>> able to fill it with this caustic foam that came from an aerosol can and | >>> expanded. | >>

| >> I've got big but slender hands, so it's not a HUGE gap... probably | >> something like two 3/4" copper pipes running through a rough 2" opening | >>

| > Sounds like the stuff will work, hopefully someone here knows the name of | > the stuff I'm talking about because I can't remember. These may be the | > same thing though. I picked mine up at Home Depot so maybe you could ask | > there: | >

| >

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Patching "sleeve" in exterior wall?

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