Repairing Leak on Drain Pipe?

[Arnie Goetchius]

I have a leaky pipe from a shower stall in a 35 year old house. See pictures at

The pipe below the shower drain has corroded and is leaking onto the ceiling below. I'd like to get a plumber to fix this but have no idea what something like this would cost in central NJ. Can anyone give me a rough price range?

I assume the procedure would be to replace the riser pipe with a new piece of pipe and also put in a new shower drain at the same time.

A quick fix would be to thoroughly clean off the pipe and then clamp a rubber sleeve around the pipe to close the leak. I could do that myself.

[Mike Grooms]

Arnie,

If it's a simple hole in the copper, you could just clean it off, and put some epoxy-putty on it. If a plumber comes out, he'll probably change the entire trap and riser, putting in PVC in place of the copper. Are you sure it's not coming from the shower drain?

Given some of the prices I've heard from Jersey plumbers here, they might charge $2000 (I'm still reeling from a pricing discussion we had here a few weeks back). Call your plumber and find out how much he charges an hour. A repair like that might take 2 hours (but no more), and the material shouldn't be more than $25.00. If he charges any more than 2 hours plus materials, he's probably gouging you.

[Arnie Goetchius]

[Ned Flanders]

Is it a leaky joint?? If so a plunger to clear trap and some self cleaning flux and silver solder (.04%) you can also melt some solder over a "small hole". ( I drained some 2" once by drilling a small hole in the bottom of the pipe, then covering with solder). First YOU need to clean it off very well, get it spotless. Pinpoint the location of the leak(s).

[Arnie Goetchius]

I mis-spoke on my previous post. I had my wife pour water in the drain while I watched below. I identified two holes at the point where the copper goes into the trap. My dentist would call these gumline cavities.

There are two holes fairly close together in the copper riser: one 1/8" and the other about 3/8". Why not just use epoxy? There is no pressure because it's a drain so I don't see the need for solder.

Over the l> Is it a leaky joint??

[Ned Flanders]

I am not a fan of gobing some goo over things. I am a little suprised to hear that your copper drains are rotting. If you are going to replace everything soon anyway then go ahead with the goo. I would solder it and be sure it was fixed for life. Make sure the system is not worth keeping before you tear it out. I work on some pretty old copper systems that are in very good shape.

It is very common here to replace copper with plastic, usually with rubber fernco. You can use threaded adapter to make transition as well.

[Blackbeard]

------------------------------------------------------- Solution #1:

Take a shop vac and suck all the water out of the trap

Take a torch and heat the fittings (unsweat the joint)

Take your copper to the supply house and have them match up new fittings

When you get home, thoroughly clean your pipe and sweat it up.

------------------------------------------------------- Solution #2: Clean the hell out of those holes and patch with epoxy putty (not recommended fix and not allowed by code but it will work)

------------------------------------------------------- Solution #3: Clean the hell out of the pipe (especially where you have the holes) and BRAZE over the holes. Repair the holes by brazing. You'll just frustrate the hell out of yourself if you try to patch it with solder.

------------------------------------------------------- Solution #4: Cut out the bad part and replace the whole damn thing with PVC. You need to make your transition from copper to PVC by using a no-hub band (NOT a fernco as someone else suggested. Fernco is not an approved material.

[Arnie Goetchius]

Thanks for the great ideas. I've gone with solution #2 on a temporary basis so it is now usable. Will go with solution #1 when I'm ready or I'll get a plumber to do it depending how much the plumber wants.

[Mike Grooms]

"Blackbeard"

I suggested the ferncos, and I like using ferncos, and I don't have problems with ferncos. I wouldn't use them except for repairs like this, and I'm pretty sure they're OK codewise around here. As a matter of fact, I think it'd work better than a no-hub clamp. What possible problem do you see with a fernco here?

[Dale Wilcox]

Mike, I had an inspector tell me that an unshielded rubber coupling could allow the pipe ends to shift causing a ledge in the joint and possible tearing of the rubber. His theory as to why it is against UPC to use inside a building. Must use a mission band when transisoning dissimilar materials. Dale

[Ned Flanders]

makes me sad when people remove copper to replace with pvc.

Rubber fernco is NOT up to code. (pipes must be attached in a "rigid" secure manner)

I have seen more than one sewer line re-dug up because some jug head tried to rubber fernco some cast iron together.

The fitting you want (as mentioned) is a no-hub metal clamp. It is like a fernco but has a stainless band around the whole works. problem is with the diferent size pipe, if you go to pvc. There is available sheets of red rubber gasket material, cut a strip of that and wrap the copper; it will make it same as pvc. Now the no-hub clamp will work properly.

BTW this also is not up to code, but will work.

[Mike Grooms]

"Ned Flanders"

An idiot could mess things up with a fernco, I'm sure. I've never had a problem. If you'll look at the picture the guy supplied, you'd see it'd be impossible for the fernco to move once installed.

[Ned Flanders]

Sure it would all work. I personally would repair or replace with copper.

[Arnie Goetchius]

Your right it will never move. For the final repair see the 5th picture on

The fernco couplings are on the copper pipe right where it goes through the joist.

[Ned Flanders]

i am glad you did not use the rubber fernco the repair you made is better off with that style clamp. but...... the picture you show is wrong. that plumbing is not up to any code, its awfull and likely to clog.

[ilaboo]

i would have use automobile radiator hose and clamps

after cutting off the old trap

make sure you create a loop ( trap)

hth peter

[ilaboo]

Ned

is it possible to screw in small brass screws with a rubber (neopren/teflon etc) washer

they would act as plugs

hth peter

[Blackbeard]

I don't see any problem at all with using fernco. The only thing I said was that it is not an approved material. If you check your codebook, you'll find that to be true. Fernco installed in a vertical installation will work fine. And like you mentioned...you thought it would work better than a no-hub...and yes, you are right. With Fernco you get more bite on that pipe. In a pinch, I'll use a fernco. But strictly code, you can't use that material.

[Blackbeard]

I agree with Ned on that one. What the hell am I looking at here? It sure as hell doesn't look to be "code". Is that trap laying on its side in some weird attempt to make use of the tight space where you're working? And to the left of the picture, the trap that appears to be laying sideways - what fixture does that serve? I assume that is your lavatory and it is supposed to be wet-venting your shower. At first glance, I'd say you have some problems chief.

[Arnie Goetchius]