I have an old house and recent found a spot on my ceiling where there is a watermark. upon prodding through i see that the spot where the large cast iron drainage pipe that runs to the basement that connects to the 6 PVC bathroom drainage pipe upstairs has developed a small leak. There is a small spot where this white stuff (looks old) has chipped off and that is where the leak is coming from. Nothing major, but still a drip....drip....drip...enough to ruin the drywall, and enough to be fixed. I need to know what kind of material (pvc cement, caulk, etc) i would use to seal up that joint, as ripping it all out isnt an option. Something that preferrably would set when its wet (if possible) as it seems to be nonstop dripping.thanks for the help!
The most reliable way to join cast iron to PVC is to use a no hub connector. This is a rubber boot with band clamps on either end that you can get at your local hardware store. You will have to separate the pipes enough slip the boot into place but once you tighten the clamps it should stop the leak permanently. Silicone and epoxies will not bond well in a wet environment and will eventually leak again.
Try using a repair sleeve made for water lines. It's just a metal clamp with a rubber pad, you tighten it around the pipe with a wrench. You can also try a radiator patch kit. It's putty in a tube, you pinch off a piece, knead it together til it gets warm, and push it in the hole/crack, gets hard as steel in a couple on minutes. Good luck
bang of all the loose stuff around the hole the squeze some silicone caulk into it and then cover a large area of the pipe with JB Weld (a two part epoxy found at harware store) Nothing lasts forever Save up some money and get a plumber where there is a will there is a way
The correct way to transist from existing cast iron female tapping to new pvc drain line is with a male pvc adapter. This fitting screws into cast iron fitting and has a female hub on the other end for pvc. Galvanized drain lines usually develop leaks at male threads. When a pipe is threaded the wall thickness is diminished at the thread and thinner. It is always best to eliminate all the galvanized drain line back to the larger cast iron drain if possible. This will eliminate any future galvanized drain problems.
