Patching Lead Pipe

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Master Plumber Mark

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plumbers epoxy is the best

I have a lot of special plumbers epoxy that I have to use on occasion to fix nasty things like of what you got...

you clean the area off well, then put the epoxy on the area
and apply it on there liberally.....


another option that will work....for only 4 bucks.....

go out and buy a full tube of 100% clear SILICONE.....

simply clean the area up good and get it 100%dry...

then plaster the whole tube all over the whole area

apply it on liberally...

get a fan and help it to dry quickly....that will work...


if it is a sloppy enough job, you can post it to
my PIG SLOP PAGE when you are finished...
 

Xroad

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Maybe I am analyzing this a bit too much ...

Epoxy ... would the thermal property difference the lead and the epoxy allow the adhersion to separate over time as the two material expands and contract differently?

Epoxy ... Being hard, would vibration, not that I expect much, affect the adhersion?

Silicone ... starting to look good, although seems a bit unauthordox but practically speaking sounds good.

Like I said earlier, I have no intention of attempting the "proper" fix because of the complexity and skill level required. I sure like to know what this "proper" fix entails ... something about "wiping lead".
 

Cwhyu2

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Well like I said anything you do to that lead would be temporary,A wiped joimt is a way of connecting lead to brass,in your case you would goiing lead to lead.It is not easy to solder lead,I have done it but it is a learned skill.
Do a temp fix and when you are ready replace it.
Clay
 

Redwood

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Is this some kind of old world high tech secret that no one wants to talk about it? Now I am just so curious about what the big deal is. Not that I am believing it is simple job. I DO believe that it is beyond me, and most plumber. I am just curious, just like when I read an article on how a jet engine works, I had no intention to tear into one. For a usually chatty forum, this topic is pretty quiet.

Well the problem is most of the guys who did this stuff aren't doing it any more...

A lot of them are here...

cemetery013.jpg


What we are saying is that all the lead in that leaking section has to come out and be replaced. You cannot join the new material to the lead.
 

Cwhyu2

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Well the problem is most of the guys who did this stuff aren't doing it any more...

A lot of them are here...

cemetery013.jpg


What we are saying is that all the lead in that leaking section has to come out and be replaced. You cannot join the new material to the lead.
Hey I`m still here!I think.:rolleyes:
 

Xroad

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Thanks all for your help. I'll post photos later when I get a chance. Someday, when the opportunity presents itself, the lead will be gone for the bathroom remodel.

I think knowledgable steam heat professional is also becoming extinct. I have so many plumbers offering me at my house, my friends at their houses, and my mother at her house to replace the entire steam heat system, boiler and radiators, with hot water baseboard etc, etc. The steam heat system is working fine, once balanced. I think the plumbers are looking for a big job.

As for reliability, I have more of my friends and relatives looking to fix a hot air system & hot water system more than steam heat system. I think steam heat system have less stuff to go wrong. For me, only the millivolt generator needs replacing every few years.
 

Daddyblaize

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Well I joined looking for the answer to this conundrum and I came up with my own.... clean the snot out of the lead and drip a few drops of Benzomatic Silver Bearing Lead Free Solder into the crack, tear or joint. Use a soldering iron and a steady hand and work it into itself using the iron strategically pushing the solder where it’s needed. As long as that iron gets hot enough you just keep wiping it over the stuff smearing it into the void. Maaaaan....this stuff won’t even hammer flat it’s so hard. As long as you fill and smear/seal the whole void—you’ll be golden.....or silver....in a pinch anyway.
924368EB-5C46-454C-ABC3-BABCE29667B9.jpeg
7D939589-D20F-4AEA-9941-A8C10A006FA3.jpeg

Incidentally, I will follow this up with some good’ole JB Weld, “2 part”. I always go for the lifetime guarantee...lol. I should tell you I had to first bolt the flange to the floor securely with washers and nuts from the laundry room. The flange completely tore off of the lead bend when I realized my neglect for using any screws anchoring the thing. We’ve been here about 6 years and really had no trouble—at least we thought we didn’t. Apparently a leak started undetected for a few weeks and began to rot the subfloor. I found it to be the wax seal and while I hung an underlayment under the toilet from the wash-room, I neglected to nut and bolt it. Vwallah in the process of installing it....riiiiipppp...yeah!!!— I’m a monkey’s uncle.
 
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Reach4

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Nice work wiping the lead.
Incidentally, I will follow this up with some good’ole JB Weld, “2 part”
My luck with JB Weld has not been so good. I tried patching a cracked cast iron santee. Did not adhere well. I could pick off the stuff that hardened over two days. I know it gets raves from a lot of of people.
 

Daddyblaize

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Nice work wiping the lead.
My luck with JB Weld has not been so good. I tried patching a cracked cast iron santee. Did not adhere well. I could pick off the stuff that hardened over two days. I know it gets raves from a lot of of people.

Y’know what, I must say I’ve had pretty decent wear with “JB”(Not Jim Beam).... on one very redeeming occasion I used it to mend my Radiator and also my fan shroud which are markedly plastic. It has sustained adhesion and has held together under normal engine temperatures. Of course they sustained impacts including a violent bottoming out. Now I’ll admit, it’s not metal, but with as many fissures and craters in my soldered joint, I’m depending on my weld to keep the epoxy in one place.
 

Daddyblaize

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Nice work wiping the lead.
My luck with JB Weld has not been so good. I tried patching a cracked cast iron santee. Did not adhere well. I could pick off the stuff that hardened over two days. I know it gets raves from a lot of of people.
And again this is redundant
 
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Tuttles Revenge

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Not that it matters much, but I think that is soldering rather than wiping. But soldering lead pipe isn't super easy.

And while we're on the subject of repairing lead pipe. You can band on to lead pipe if you had to.. say in a vent situation. I wouldn't want to do it to a drain unless I had no other option. I learned to insert tubular brass into the lead pipe to act as a stiffener and band over that. Works in theory, but in acuality the lead may split while attempting to insert the stiffener.
 

Daddyblaize

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Well y’know I always see something else I like better than my own solution after the fact. “Oatey” has a flange that solves the “torn-lead-to-brass-closet-flange” issue with a PVC flange that’s got a compression fit throat. I feel like I was dreaming of it the day before being advertised by Lola Falana in a bikini. In sure you’re all saying.... keep up “Sparky”, but I’ll tell you...I only worry about this stuff, when I’m worrying about it...lol. But in retrospect, that would’ve been a clean fix. Only drawback I perceive is this. In 6 years I can’t remember ever having a clog at the toilet. With a 4” lead bend and flanged opening I think it’s an attribute. This “Oatey” flange appears to reduce that section to a bottleneck promoting possible clogs.
Hey guys sidebar:
Can anyone Tell me what they’d shim their toilet with? I mentioned before I’m going back with some 22ga. Stainless Steel sheet, cut to shape wrapped in some masking tape to protect against rusting/corrosion. Better ideas?
 
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Tuttles Revenge

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I use coins to shim toilets with. I always have an abundance of them in my pocket or truck seats.
 

Reach4

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