I live in a very old house and now have a hole in our bathtub drain trap. Our local plumber said that replacing only the trap is impossible without replacing the whole drain system. Is there any way for us to patch the hole? It is near the bottom of the trap and is about the size of a dry pinto bean. Please help! Any advise?

If it is actually made of lead you can solder it shut.

Hi all...

Califdad0f3... you've never actually tried to solder a lead pipe/trap... have you? It's just not possible. Here, the wall of a corroded lead pipe is simply too thin to be heated and melted to make repairs... never mind that solder won't adhere to the thin lead (lead has lower melting point and would disintegrate).

Ashleigh: you have three options:

1) Scuff up the lead pipe/trap with a coarse grade sandpaper and then apply a plumber's EPOXY PUTTY... see image. You'll knead the two-part epoxy to a uniform consistency and then apply it to the hole in the pipe. Use water to feather the edge into the lead pipe for a solid repair. This may or may not work depending on how good a seal you can get between the lead and the epoxy. I have some repairs in place almost 10 years now!

2) Cut the lead pipe about 12" away from where the leaking pipe/trap is and join to the lead using a fernco coupling (see image). This usually works but you need to be real careful in cutting the pipe and in joining all the piping to the lead pipe.

3) You can cut everything out like the last plumber suggested... *OUCH*.

Be clear, option #3 is common answer, but most plumbers will attempt a repair using #1 or #2 as long as you don't expect a warranty on the work.

Let us know if you'd like to discuss more... O.K?

Mark

Hi all....

Califdad0f3....you've never actually tried to solder a lead pipe/trap...have you? It's just not possible. Here, the wall of a corroded lead pipe is simply too thin to be heated and melted to make repairs...never mind that solder won't adhere to the thin lead (lead has lower melting point and would disintegrate).


To answer your question; no I wasn't the one doing it I was helping someone who had done the work. I was a kid at the time. And this guy took sheet lead and cut a strip then used a electric soldering iron ( the kind that look like a branding iron ) and sealed it to the pipe.

My two cents: It is not such a big deal to replace overflow assembly including P-Trap. Traps are inexpensive and all you need is a handy man for 1/2 hour to do it. By the time guy sets up to patch your old trap - plumber could be finished with replacing it with new one.

Hi Califdadof3:


Not to bust your coconuts, but in a plumbing forum, soldering doesn't mean to pull out an electric soldering iron to melt lead to lead... ya know? Sounded like you were suggesting that Ashleigh just take a torch and melt it all back together. Her plumber would have loved that suggestion... ;)

And Milo, I'm not thinkin' Ashleigh's plumber was suggesting just replacing the trap and the overflow, but more so that he was suggesting, as she said, "replacing the WHOLE DRAIN SYSTEM"... certainly no job for a handyman! Heck, just cutting into a lead branch and trying to save the plumbing is no average handyman's job... as I am sure you know, of course! Ashleigh is better off trying the patch or cutting out the lead pipe and hoping all goes well as suggested earlier.

Hey, just my 4 cents... :)

Good day all!

Mark

I didn't say to use a torch for that application. Geez you would blow a hole in the pipe in a heartbeat. But as you know with any job your doing using the proper tool to get the correct result is the first step.

You guys are talking about wiping a lead joint. Not a task for the uninformed. Back in the 40's we had to wipe (solder) two pieces of lead together to pass the test for a journeyman ticket. I doubt that it's that way today. If the bell of the lead trap's so thin you can poke your finger through then you have no choice.
Replace the lead all the back to the cast iron with PVC.
Convert to PVC from cast iron with a shielded coupling, (see image) Good luck, Tom

I agree with Speedball. If you only bandage the problem it will come back. Replace it.