Plumbers epoxy putty ? anyone have any comments pro or con need help


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Old 01-17-10, 09:57 AM
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Plumbers epoxy putty ? anyone have any comments pro or con need help

I have used this epoxy putty on a toilet 3" sewer pipe to plug a hole in the soldered joint iin this pipe. Would like some advise from someone who has had experince good or bad with this epoxy plumbers putty????. Please anyone need help Thank you.
 
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Old 01-17-10, 10:28 AM
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I've had great results with JB Weld, if that answers your question.
 
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Old 01-17-10, 11:02 AM
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When I was in the navy we use to repair low pressure (200-250 psi) steam lines with epoxy, rubber gasket material and a hose clamp. Seemed to work. I would never use epoxy except as a very temporary repair on a pressure line in my own home but that's just me.
 
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Old 01-17-10, 11:12 AM
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How is 200 psi low pressure? NYC fire & building depts. consider anything over 15 psi high pressure.
 
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Old 01-17-10, 11:16 AM
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I'm sure ray will answer...but when yer talking about 600 or 1200 lb plants...200 is considered low....lol.

Torque...if its the stick type stuff that you knead to a consistent color..and this is just a drain...it will prob be ok as a temp repair. Clean the area very well and keep an eye on it. If this is in a hidden area..I wouldn't leave it like that for long. Better off cutting the area out and using a proper Fernco fitting if allowed.

btw...what kind of hole would you have in a soldered joint...and why a soldered joint in 3" pipe? Whats the pipe made out of?
 
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Old 01-18-10, 06:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Pulpo
How is 200 psi low pressure? NYC fire & building depts. consider anything over 15 psi high pressure.
Steam lines -of industrial magnitude.

Ever hear those stories how a pinhole leak in a high pressure steam line causes person who walks through it to be cut in half? Don't know if true or not. But in theory, sounds plausible, since high pressure steam or water can be used to cut like a laser.
 
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Old 01-18-10, 06:35 PM
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Torque,

Are you asking your question after the fact you just tried it?, and now are uncertain if it will hold up? I've had even GOOP hold up, when filling/around holes in cast drains or 1 1/2 inch galvanized drain rotted at the threads. Patches made years ago as good then as today. 4 inch cast drain even has withstood the pressure from 2 story drop of waste water.

I have never used plumber's epoxy to fix pressure lines, but in rental trailer, I spotted it in the cutout in a wall under the vanity, gobbed around a copper fitting. I never put it there. And have owned the trailer for like 18 years or more. Do not know if the epoxy is the prime holder of this joint, or if there was a pinhole leak, or if someone was leery about the way it sweated and did it for insurance. Looks formed around the pipe in same fashion one would take bubblegum out of mouth and do it.
 
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Old 01-18-10, 07:03 PM
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Originally Posted by ecman51`
Steam lines -of industrial magnitude.

Ever hear those stories how a pinhole leak in a high pressure steam line causes person who walks through it to be cut in half? Don't know if true or not. But in theory, sounds plausible, since high pressure steam or water can be used to cut like a laser.
This was "saturated" steam often called "hotel service" Used for things like steam kettles in the galley and running winches and steering gear. For the kitchen reducer valves were used if I recall correctly. Winches and steering engines used it full force.

The engines ran on superheated steam and yes you were taught in B school to look for a leak with a broom. When the broom was cut into you had found the leak.

Actually according to what we were taught in B school supper heated steam was first used for propulsion in the 1700's but the religious leaders believed a ship that could travel 17 knots with out wind power was a work of the devil so it was a couple of hundred years before they tried it again.
 
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Old 02-01-10, 12:39 PM
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Ecman51
Thank you for responding to my question. I had a leak in a toilet sewer pipe beneath the flooring two years ago. The leak was small so i used the apoxy plumbers to stop it. Just recently I had another leak in the same area which I thought was the same leak. The sewer pipe is not under pressure. I had to open the ceiling to get to the sewer pipe and found the small leak I plugged was fine but found a second leak actually a hole in the same sewer line in a 4 way junction fitting (vertical ) This junction fitting connected an adjouining toilet on the same floor, the vent pipe, and the common sewer down to the cellar sewer lines. All the pipes 3" were copper and the hole was located in the soldered joint of the common sewer line. The first epoxy patch worked so I plugged this hole with the epoxy. I waited several days and used both toilets checking for any sign of a leak before I closed the openning in the ceiling below the bathrooms. I wanted to find out something about the track record of the epoxy plumbers sealent. I also want to thank everyone else for their comments as well. Thank you all
 
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Old 02-01-10, 12:57 PM
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Gunguy45,
I appreciate your advice and your response to my question. The epoxy plumbers fix I used is exactly the one you described comes in a tube and must be mixed to a uniform color and applied like chewing gum to the leak. It is a sewer pipe not under pressure. The leak was in a 4 way junction of the sewer pipe. This was a three inch copper fitting servicing two toilets back to back (master bathroom and middle hall bathroom) a common sewer line and the vent to the roof. The pipe and the fitting looked to be in good shape however the hole was in the soldered joint of the common 3" sewer line going down into the cellar and joined to a cast iron sewer pipe. I do not know if it was soldered or brazed. My knowledge of plumbing is very limited and not familiar with the methods of joining 3" copper to a fitting. I plugged the leak and it hasn't leaked yet!! Thank you all again goodbye for now. Sorry I took so long to get back here.
 
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Old 02-01-10, 05:36 PM
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Originally Posted by ray2047
Actually according to what we were taught in B school supper heated steam was first used for propulsion in the 1700's but the religious leaders believed a ship that could travel 17 knots with out wind power was a work of the devil so it was a couple of hundred years before they tried it again.
I gotta look that one up. That's interesting!

So many of the principles that have lead to modern technology had been realized and existed as subjects of correspondance among the first scientists far far long before they were implemented, for the most part because of this very same reason. Of course there are other factors that subdue real innovation even in these modern times. I know, shocking ain't it?
 
 

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