Old Drain fitting Cracked repair options ??

heathead

At my In-laws house built in the 1930's. Drain From sink and tub Group leaking from cracked 45 degree Cast threaded fitting. The Fitting ties into the toilet wyee fitting on other side. They make a 90 degree quick connection rubber fitting that I normally wouldn't use but if they made it in a 45 degree option I am all in. But can't find anything. They have one bathroom in the house and when they move the house is a demo. The fitting that is cracked has no room to turn so I am going to have to break the fitting to remove. The crack looks like it's all around, but might try JB Weld or other products??? What am I missing ???

Larry Weingarten

Hi, I bet you can find a radiator hose in the size and shape needed... probably at a truck parts store... or ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/175321948567?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:1mq0ypcSaS06elva55jru8g79&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=175321948567&targetid=4580153136941813&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=437225722&mkgroupid=1224856224320848&rlsatarget=pla-4580153136941813&abcId=9300906&merchantid=51291&msclkid=3a43df3a5b431b4fa6e1bc0ace2d183a

That might be one drain not to use a big snake in, once it has a rubber 45 in it!

Yours, Larry

heathead

Larry,

Thanks for the idea. Would one try JB well first or is that a waste of time?

mattmia2

I'd try epoxy putty, not jb weld. you will need to clean it up really well to get it to stick.

pedmec

Call a plumber. You have the wall open. Have it repaired the correct way and you can prevent further damage

heathead

Ok so i'll bite what would the right way be. I keep trying to think of cracking fitting then thread female to PVC then street 45 PVC then to PVC further back then a metal sleeved fernco on straight section if ripping out more ceiling. I have to see how it all lines up. Or maybe to ferncos on each end to PVC to splice the middle leaking 45. The main problem is this is only bathroom in the house. The right solution is have then move out for a month and gut everything and repipe all old steel water supply pipe and all drain lines, and completely redo the whole bath. That might be the right way to do it, but to not the right solution for them.

HomerJSmith

Clean the crack and around the fitting with a dremel tool with a diamond or abrasive tip and then clean with lacquer thinner. Grind a groove where the crack is and fill with JBWeld.

pedmec

The best way is to cut the galvy pipe where you can get an approved no hub clamp on the galvy. Your going to transition from galvy to pvc. They are both schedule 40 in size. Preferred method is to take it back to the tapped wye at the closet bend. Remove the galvy pipe. Install a pvc adapter into the tapped wye and to pipe it till it reaches the galvy and connect with clamp. I prefer using husky 4 band no hub clamps as they are beefier.

But i must warn you that you are dealing with very old piping. Cutting galvanized pipe is very tricky. the threaded portion of the galvanized pipe is most likely corroded. The only reason its not leaking is because the corrosion is acting as the seal. Any vibration is going to cause more leaks in the piping system as the threaded portion of the pipe will just fall apart. This is why i recommended you call a plumber. Its not really a DIY type of job. This type of repair can get out of hand fast even for a seasoned plumber. i have lots of experience doing this repair and its why i'm not enamored of plumbing ( even thou i'm a master plumber). i prefer working in the mechanical side as i do 99% of the time now.

although galvy pipe was used somewhat on drains back in the day it became evident very early on that it corroded very fast. it was mainly used on the vent system side of the plumbing system and the drainage was cast iron.

feel free to try and patch. you have a lot of great suggestions here. what ever you feel comfortable with. but it would not be my recommendation.

heathead

Just following up wasn't feeling lucky enough to take it all the way to the threads. Cut the the pipe an inch out. Was really overly worried about the cast iron falling when cutting fitting loose only held up with toilet flange bolts. Just blocked off. Are the stories of people cutting cast iron stacks and then having parts crash to the ground? The fitting was cracked all the way around, looked like it was that way a while. Now new PVC next to galvanized pipe that has about 1 inch for the water to flow. All full of who knows what. I didn't press my luck by scraping it clean, though is was all rust and gunk built up. Now water flows from gunked pipe to clean PVC back to gunked pipe. I am not sure what that will do, long term. But with one bath room this just bought some time. Thanks again for all the comments.

archibald tuttle

yeah, i was wonder why nobody said no hub. cause you had the access to cut it off. nice fiddle.