Help With Busted Sewage Pipe!

[Johnny_Dearborn]

Driving from California to the East Coast. My alignment was off so I took it to an alignment shop and as I left the shop I bottomed out and busted my sewage holding tank pipe. So I fixed one problem and now I have another. It's the big 3 inch pipe and it's got a hairline fracture in it. Is there a way to repair it without taking it into the shop and having them replace the whole pipe? Is there some way to fix it from within the pipe? Some kind of repair glue or patch kit?

Thanks! John

[Snowman9000]

For any future reader with the problem, buy a Plasti-Mend ABS kit. I've used it more than once and it works great.

[Bordercollie]

Some RV repair places have ABS plastic repair equipment and could probably fix crack permanently at a fair price, call around.

[time2roll]

It is just ABS with almost no pressure. Mix some ABS shavings in with ABS glue should work. JB Weld should do fine also. If you think the crack may continue just drill a 1/8" hole at each end before you slap on the JB. Worst case you can cut the pipe out later.

[soren]

Johnny Dearborn wrote:
What does the primer do?

Not much on the black ABS plastic, since it doesn't need primer.

[NRALIFR]

That's what I was going to recommend: two part epoxy putty. It works like modeling clay and sets up like concrete. The shower p-trap in my TC has been fixed with that stuff for 10 years.

BTW- Dolly Parton is "busted". Your pipe was broken! :B

:):)

[Johnny_Dearborn]

So we headed over to Home Depot and picked up a putty like epoxy in the plumbing section. The section of pipe where the cracks are is short so there's a 3/4 inch groove that we filled with this putty. Leaking stopped. I doubt I'll need to replace the pipe. Thanks for the suggestions!

[PSW]

I go with gbopp's solution posted above. Rough up the crack surface a bit with sandpaper or for field repair just scrape a little with a pocket knife. In the field you may not have a drill. Put the JB extra heavy in that area and spread it out on the pipe a bit. I doubt if you will have to do anything else as long as you have the rig. JB is a "never leave home without it" for me.

[3oaks]

Plastic welding is not a "do-it-yourself" project for armatures. To hire it done certainly isn't worth the expense for a sewer line repair.

To negate the possibility of the crack growing, simply drill and 1/8" hole at each end of the crack and plug it with PVC glue or what ever glue, resin, etc. you use to seal the crack with.

[Shadow_Catcher]

Dakzuki is correct, cracks tend to propagate the pipe can be plastic welded.

[Kit_Carson]

According to the commercial, Flex Seal will fix anything!!! LOL

[gbopp]

If you have access, stop drill the ends of the crack. Use JB Weld to repair the crack. Cover the repair with a strip of Eternabond.

It's not a pressurized system, the repair will stop any leaks.

It's nice to replace the broken pipe. Sometimes it's just easier to do a good repair, especially if you're on the road.

You may not want to bother replacing the pipe when you get home.

[Johnny_Dearborn]

What does the primer do?

[3oaks]

soren wrote:
My first move would be to grab a small can of ABS cement, and run a big bead of it, right over the crack. If that fails, there are kits made to repair broken plastic pipe.

Be sure to use primer on it first before applying the cement.

It's not a pressure pipe, it's worth a try before replacing the whole pipe.

[Dakzuki]

Any existing crack in it will be prone to propagating and any repair leaving the crack in place should be considered temporary. Permanent fix is to replace that section of pipe. It's not that hard to do if there is reasonable access.