- Bill

Bill, you may have two separate problems. It might be best to first determine if you have a leak in either your water service or a partial plug of your sewer line (with a sewer back up, you would typically experience the back up directly into your home). I would suggest getting a pressure test on your water service to determine if it has a leak. Make sure it’s performed by someone reputable and that they have the right equipment. This is the best place to start –determine if this is the problem (and repair it), it may take care of the seepage issue. If not, and water is coming in from the outside, you probably have a subsoil drainage problem where ground water is not being displaced by your basement’s waterproofing. In that case you should consult a waterproofing company.

-Brian

-Dave

Dave, a crack in PVC pipe will continue to spread –much like a crack in a car windshield. Rather than replacing the entire length of pipe you can dig down and cut out a section to replace, I’d recommend at least a foot length.

-Brian

-Gigi

Gigi, because Orangeburg pipes are made of layers of wood pulp and pitch they’re not repairable. Epoxy lining is not an option, but if enough of the Orangeburg pipe is intact, it’s possible that sock lining might be. Sock lining consists of a felt sock being pulled through an existing pipe and then inflated/expanded to fill the width of the old pipe. The sock cures in place and you have a new pipe inside of your old one. I recommend contacting a reputable trenchless technologies company that offers sock lining services. You may be able to find someone through the website of the North American Society for Trenchless Technology, www.nastt.org.

-Brian

-Jennifer

Jennifer, since I’m not an insurance expert, I’ll defer to a qualified insurance agent –Tim Eckley of Elite Insurance Coverage, who has a simple explanation:

Seepage usually occurs slowly over time and may be the result of normal wear and tear or deterioration which is not covered by most insurance policies. A broken pipe is sudden and accidental and is covered by most policies. Whether or not your insurance will cover the repair of the affected pipe(s) or the damage to property or structure is something you’ll need to find out from your insurance agent.

-Brian

-Correen

Correen, I’m not sure if you’re referring to your shower head or the other end of the shower head arm. I suggest that you remove the arm, apply some Teflon tape (the yellow type which is approved for gas is much better than the white type and you’ll need less of it because it’s thicker) to the threads –wrapped around clockwise 2-3 times. Gently press the tape into the threads and reconnect. Tighten first by hand and then with a wrench –use a piece of heavy cloth, rubber, or even duct tape around the surface of the metal to protect from scratching it with the wrench. Carefully tighten but make sure not to over-tighten, and then test to see if it’s leaking. If it is, try tightening it a little more. You can try the same thing with the shower head.

-Brian

-Janet

Janet, the answer depends on where the damage is –it it’s a leak at the joint with another pipe or if there’s a hole in the line. To repair a hole in a cast iron pipe, you can try a good two part epoxy or simply large hose clamps and a piece of rubber. If it’s a leak at the joint of a cast iron pipe, then you’ll need a plumber to come in and repair as it may be a poured lead joint. If it’s at a threaded section of the pipe, taking apart and resealing the joint may work, but after 51 years the pipe is probably in very poor shape.

The best way of dealing with a leak, especially in a sewer drain pipe, is to replace the section that is damaged. The last thing you want is the damaged pipe to have a major failure (leak or break) at some future date and spill sewage all over your basement.

-Brian

-Tejas

Tejas, epoxy pipe lining can be the perfect solution for pipe problems in apartments, condos, and commercial buildings. It’s gaining popularity as an effective alternative to the more traditional repipe because it’s safer for drinking water than unlined metal or cement pipes; is often less messy, costly, and time-consuming; and eliminates the corrosion that leads to blocked or leaky pipes.

-Brian

-Tejas

Tejas, epoxy lining can certainly be used in both types of pipes. For example, CuraFlo’s sister company, RLS Solutions, offers coatings for restoring and rehabilitating water mains (drinking water delivery), as well as deteriorated wastewater infrastructure.

-Brian

-Jan

Jan, if there is a crack in a part of the fixture, especially in a part that’s plastic, you should replace at least that part. Repairing the part might work, but plastics can be difficult to repair and the potential damage the leak may cause if it reopens may not be worth it. The epoxy we use is only for lining pipes, but there are other epoxies and compounds that can be used in plastic repairs. I would contact the store where you bought it, or the manufacturer, to see if a replacement part is available.

-Brian

-Jay

Jay, When the flow of water coming into your bathtub is shut off, it becomes stagnant and comes into contact with tuberculation in the pipes. Tuberculation is the buildup of deposit (scale or rust for example) in a pipe -possibly from corrosion. It can cause water discoloration and even low water pressure if builds up too much. Having someone clean out the pipe will take care of the discoloration and epoxy lining it will prevent it from happening in the future.

-Brian