Recommend Repair Please?

[Bill]

My sweetheart wife, who I am trying to teach respect for things like plumbing, most evidently allowed a pan to knock a crescent shaped hole about

1/6 as large as a dime in a dark side of our electric garbage disposal (hopefully, there's not a crack I can't see). The disposal has a "plastic" case. Now, of course, comes through the hole when the water faucet is turned on

You folks are the most "handy" folks I know--in fact, practically the only ones! :)

What is a good way to repair this? Patch? Epoxy?

Thank you, Bill

[Bill]

fixed typo:

[BobS]

Go to your hardware store and get some JB Weld or a roll of a two part epoxy used on plastic and metal pipes (can't think of the name of it)

Bob S.

>

[krw]

New disposal.

[Lew Hodgett]

The only thing I'll add is to take a rasp, file or coarse sand paper (60 grit) and roughen up the plastic around the ding to provide a surface the epoxy can grab onto and provide a secure patch.

Lew

[Elrond Hubbard]

The epoxy or JB weld will work well, but since it's a drain, and not a pressurized supply line, some high-grade duct tape - not the cheap stuff - would probably be fine (Gorilla Tape is good stuff for this kind of thing). Just be sure to degrease and thoroughly dry the area to be patched.

Scott

[Bill]

Here are some details concerning the Gorilla tape:

Maximum Temperature (Fahrenheit): 150 F. Minimum Temperature (Fahrenheit): 33 F.

J-B Weld has a much broader temperature range (up to 300 F. as I recall).

I appreciate ALL of the suggestions! Thank you very much!

To krw, who suggested a new disposal, I would ask: Why replace when repair may be successful and done in 1/20 of the time? A new one might even have a leak in it, or another defect,..and where would I be then? I've just been a home-owner for a little over 3 months, no doubt I'll pick up some plumbing skills as I go along. I recently bought a "FloodStop" unit for the washing machine (which shuts off the water if water hits the ground)...I'll start by installing that! : )

Thanks again, Bill

[Brad Bruce]

"Bill" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Would YOU have bought the house with a patch on the garbage disposal?

Plan on any patch to be temporary. When you go to sell the house, you won't want the patched GD killing the deal.

By the way, if hitting the side with a pan (and what was a pan doing under the sink?) was enough to put a hole in the GD, the plastic may be getting weak with age and be ready for a replacement anyway.

Brad

[Ed Pawlowski]

If it is the plastic outer case, I'd do nothing. Many disposals have a plastic outer covering that is there for style and to cover some insulation and perhaps wire to the switch. In that case, just leave it or put a piece of duct tape over it.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Sure, it is cosmetic, not structural. Even if it was broken, I'n not going to walk away from a $300,000 house for a $150 disposal replacement.

Take a look at one and see how it is built.

can break away the plastic outer shell and have a perfectly working disposal.

[Dave Balderstone]

But the OP said water was coming through the hole...

[RonB]

I'll vote JB Weld Too. The motor/gearbox casting of my old faithful Ryobi surface planer have been held together for six months ago. I would guess they get a more stringent workout than a disposal (but maybe not as frequently). Don't be sparing with the stuff. A controlled glob is probably in order.

RonB

[Bill]

"Doing nothing", is not an option as plenty of water quickly finds it's way to the hole. Maybe there is more to the story then meets the eye. I'll post the "conclusion" later. Thanks! -Bill

[Ed Pawlowski]

Actually, he said "now" comes throughthe hole

[Mike]

I had used Gorilla tape to hold down an extension cord to the concrete garage floor (unheated garage in SW Pennsylvania). Didn't expect the tape to hold up with even light foot traffic. 3 years later, I had an extremely difficult time getting the tape off the floor. That damn tape held better than anything I've ever seen!

[Jack Stein]

I bought my first house w/o a garbage disposal, my second house had one, but it didn't work at all... Had it worked, but had a patch, I guess I would have passed on the deal? $200,000 house... $75 GD... Seems iffy...

Garbage disposals are temporary to begin with. Nothing lasts forever...

I'll say. I don't think I could put a hole in mine with a pan, even if I were trying... Have never really tried, but still...

[Phisherman]

Bondo.

[Phisherman]

I take back my recommendation of "Bondo" if there is potential for a leak. If you try an epoxy and/or it leaks, replace the disposal.

It's a good idea to put one of these inexpensive water alarms under there

[Bill]

I bought the house even though the garage needed approximately $2000 worth of cleanup (by doing the work myself, I think I can clean it nicely for about 1/4 of that)! "We" really liked the house and "likeable" ones in our price range are scarce in our neck of the woods. Of course, when I first looked at the grimey floor, I thought maybe $300--but there was a (fluid-leaking) boat, and ox-acetylene welding equiptment, etc. in the garage in the way the day I saw the house and made an offer.

The good news is the J-B Weld has been applied. Following Lew's advice, I roughed it up with some 80 grit first and cleaned the surface with 99% rubbing alcohol (it took off plenty of blue paint or plastic). I had to apply the stuff by reaching around where I couldn't see (used HF blue nitrile gloves)...the first batch seemed like it sank into the hole--immediately applied a second batch and it left more of a patch. It looked pretty good via a flashlight and my wifes mirror (my error not to have borrowed that before I applied the stuff)! There is a 15 hour set time, so I'll know more tomorrow. Coincidently, our hot water heater broke yesterday too..but somehow that doesn't bother me as much... Thanks again to everyone who helped me with this problem!

Bill

[Lew Hodgett]

Got any ideas how old the tank is?

Lew