Question for all those at home DIY plumbers

[MichaelB]

The ejector pit in the basement is sealed with a lid, and some type of rubber or latex sealant around the holes where the pipes come through. The sealant around one of the pipes is broken, all dried up and has fallen off. I went to home depot to find some replacement and they only a new lid kit. They could offer no option just to seal the small area where the pipe runs through the lid.

Anyone here have any suggestions?

 

[HFWR]

I'd suggest a silicone caulking material.

 

[braumeister]

Yep, a tube of silicone caulk should fix you up nicely.

 

[Animorph]

We never had a basement, but an ejector pit sounds cool.

 

[samclem]

They could offer no option just to seal the small area where the pipe runs through the lid.

Anyone here have any suggestions?

How big is this gap you're trying to fill? If the hole is 3" and you have 1" pipe, the use of silicone sealant alone might work, but you'd obviously need to support it from the back side so the sealant can set up (some duct tape put back there would work).
It might make a more substantial repair if you could slip a boot or reducer over your pipe and then seal that reducer to the lid using silicone. Again, depending on the pipe size you might find a good candidate in the rubber/galvanized boots used to flash vent pipes that come through a roof, or you might be able to use a PVC reducer.

I spend a lot of time cruising the aisles of Lowe's looking for little bits that can be made to work for projects like this.

Two notes:
- Obviously, make it possible to take all this apart and get to the sump pit again when needed. Paste wax or wax paper can be a good way of keeping the caulk/sealant from sticking where you don't want it.
- If you've got radon in your area and if the sump pit is within the air envelope of your house, sealing it is very important. This is a prime way that soil gasses find their way into houses.

Good luck.

 

[MichaelB]

HFWR and Breumeister, thanks for the quick responses.

How big is this gap you're trying to fill? If the hole is 3" and you have 1" pipe, the use of silicone sealant alone might work, but you'd obviously need to support it from the back side so the sealant can set up (some duct tape put back there would work).
It might make a more substantial repair if you could slip a boot or reducer over your pipe and then seal that reducer to the lid using silicone. Again, depending on the pipe size you might find a good candidate in the rubber/galvanized boots used to flash vent pipes that come through a roof, or you might be able to use a PVC reducer.

I spend a lot of time cruising the aisles of Lowe's looking for little bits that can be made to work for projects like this.

Two notes:
- Obviously, make it possible to take all this apart and get to the sump pit again when needed. Paste wax or wax paper can be a good way of keeping the caulk/sealant from sticking where you don't want it.
- If you've got radon in your area and if the sump pit is within the air envelope of your house, sealing it is very important. This is a prime way that soil gasses find their way into houses.

Good luck.

This is an ejector pit little used, put in when the basement was finished. It is approx. a 2 1/2 inch pipe and a 3 inch hole. I don't think there's room for a boot. Wax first makes sense so the silicone doesn't stick to the pipe. Think I'll head over to Lowes tomorrow and see how they can help.

How is the silicone applied? How do I keep it from falling into the pit?

We never had a basement, but an ejector pit sounds cool.

When you find out what it is ejecting, it gets gross pretty quick. Think - sewer, pit, bathroom, and ejector. You get the idea - that also explains why keeping it sealed is important.

 

[sailor]

As a victim of two ejector pump switch failures earlier this year and being a designated plumber in the household I concur - use silicone caulk.
If you need to support it from the bottom - can you find a rubber boot or an o-ring and slip it on the pipe? You might need to cut the boot or o-ring
if you need to put it on a pump outlet pipe (vs. the vent pipe)

I think I opened my sump pit six or seven times in recent few months, every time cursing the DPO (in sail-speak Dreaded Previous Owner) who commissioned such a hare-brained setup He could have the s..t flowing down using gravity, but no, and not even one, but two ejector pumps were added
Now too costly to remedy - although if the pump or switch keeps failing I might consider digging under the foundations and connecting to the other sewer line on the property.

 

[ls99]

Sikaflex or gutter seal. Either one sticks to nearly everything.

 

[ERD50]

My ejector pit lid looks to have some kind of rubber gasket for each 2" in/out pipe held in place by a ring with tabs that screw down to the lid. Looks like if you loosen the screws, the gasket would release so it could all come apart pretty easily.

Something like that would be much better than silicone. If that silicone sticks and mushrooms out to the inside, getting it all apart could be a big job.

No, I'm not going to take imine apart to see

-ERD50

 

[HFWR]

If the gap is large, you might try to roll up some plumber's putty into a "snake", then [-]cram[/-] place that in the gap...

 

[braumeister]

It is approx. a 2 1/2 inch pipe and a 3 inch hole.

How is the silicone applied? How do I keep it from falling into the pit?

From your description, you have a 1/4 inch gap to fill between the pipe and the hole. Even if it's not even all around, no problem. Open the tube of silicone caulk (get the good stuff, basically the kind that goes for over $3 a tube), put it in a caulking gun, and squeeze out a healthy sized bead all around the pipe.

Then take your thumb and smooth it down all around. It won't fall in. Wash it off your thumb with soap and water (it comes off easily). You're done. Put a cap on the tube, release the pressure on the gun, and put it away for another use.

 

[samclem]

If the gap is large, you might try to roll up some plumber's putty into a "snake", then [-]cram[/-] place that in the gap...

This is a good idea. The plumber's putty comes in a little tub, works like Pla-Do, and will never harden up so you should be able to get everything apart again in the future without much swearing.

The silicone will work, too. This isn't much of a gap, but you still might need to wad up a something to put into the space to keep the silicone from sagging down while it sets.

Put a cap on the tube, release the pressure on the gun, and put it away for another use.

Then, when you need it again in six months and all the hardware stores are closed, it will be as hard as a stone. At least that's my experience. I've tried all kinds of things--the supplied cap, golf tees, aluminum tape, etc and haven't had much success. The aluminum tape seems to be the closest thing to effective for me.

 

[Ronstar]

Dont go to home depot for something like this. Go to a plumbing supplier and get the proper gasket. Caulk won't work. Plumbers putty won't work. If caulk or putty worked, them it probably would have been sealed with caulk or putty originally.

 

[MichaelB]

When the lid is sealed and the pump cycles on it draws in some air - I would be concerned that it might suck in the plumbers putty. The silicone option sounds safer. Once it sets it would need to be broken, and that might be a PITA, but that should be years from now. The lid only should be removed if the pump fails, and then breaking the seal and damaging the lid of the pipe would not be an issue.

Ronstar, I cannot find the gasket anywhere. Even if I could, to install I would need to remove the lid, disconnect the pipe, run the gasket over the pipe, reconnect it, then rebolt the lid. This is beyond my limited reach into home plumbing. Just because silicone isn't used doesn't mean it won't work.

 

[ratto]

It sounds like the ejector pit is not internally pressurized. The OD of a 2-1/2 inch PVC pipe is about 2.875". The gap between it and the surrounding 3" hole is small enough to be filled in with silicone caulk. I agree with Braumeister said, get a good caulk, like the GE 100% silicone one, since it stays flexible after cures. I would probably try:

1. cut a rectangle cardboard large enough to have a hole with ID about 2.875" in the middle.
2. Splice the cardboard and put a small dab of caulk at each corner, slide it into the ejector PVC pipe, with small dabs of caulk facing the underneath of ejector pit lid, press the cardboard evenly and firmly against the lid (make sure PVC pipe is centered in the 3" hole). Let it settle for about 24 hrs. The cardboard serves as a base holding more caulk later on.
3. Now apply more caulk to fully fill the void between the PVC pipe and 3" surrounding hole in the ejector pit lid. For cosmetic reason, a spade or similar shape tool can be used to make the caulk flush with the upper side of lid. Let the caulk cure and settle.
4. Peel off the cardboard from the underneath of lid, and put everything back together. You're done!

Total cost should be just a few dollars.

 

[MichaelB]

It sounds like the ejector pit is not internally pressurized. The OD of a 2-1/2 inch PVC pipe is about 2.875". The gap between it and the surrounding 3" hole is small enough to be filled in with silicone caulk. I agree with Braumeister said, get a good caulk, like the GE 100% silicone one, since it stays flexible after cures. I would probably try:

1. cut a rectangle cardboard large enough to have a hole with ID about 2.875" in the middle.
2. Splice the cardboard and put a small dab of caulk at each corner, slide it into the ejector PVC pipe, with small dabs of caulk facing the underneath of ejector pit lid, press the cardboard evenly and firmly against the lid (make sure PVC pipe is centered in the 3" hole). Let it settle for about 24 hrs. The cardboard serves as a base holding more caulk later on.
3. Now apply more caulk to fully fill the void between the PVC pipe and 3" surrounding hole in the ejector pit lid. For cosmetic reason, a spade or similar shape tool can be used to make the caulk flush with the upper side of lid. Let the caulk cure and settle.
4. Peel off the cardboard from the underneath of lid, and put everything back together. You're done!

Total cost should be just a few dollars.

Thanks for the suggestion. I can't get under the lid. That is, the seal above the lid goes on after the lid is bolted into place. What I need is to lay a thick line of silicone, not force it in but let it lay on top, just make sure it completely covers the space.

 

[travelover]

I'd buy a Fernco type coupler, split it and attach it to the pipe with a hose clamp. A little sealer on the bottom edge and split would seal it nicely.

fernco, fernco couplings, fernco coupling, flexible pipe connectors, fernco fitting, flexible couplings | Fernco

Available at the big box stores or a plumbing supply.

 

[REattempt]

Longevity and Quality...

Please think carefully about using any type of caulk or sealant.

Please find and use the appropriate gasket. You can see the gasket here:

Sewage Ejector pumps and up-flush toilets, purchase from Terry Love's E-store

and here

http://www.hancor.com/pdf/SewageEjector.pdf

Using the appropriate parts for your system will extend the longevity and you will feel proud of the quality of your work.

You want a grommet like the last one on this page:

http://www.electriduct.com/Large-Rubber-Grommets.html

Since you don't have access under the lid, you will have to slit the seal so it breaks the circle, and install it from the top. There will be a groove and it will go in nice (with a little work). The slit will seal itself nicely.

See if you can find the manufacturer of the ejector and/or ejector well, or alternatively call a local ejector installer/repairman (plumber) and they will find the right gasket for you. If you can't find it, you can probably order the one above on electriduct.

Your system will work as designed! Good Luck.

 

[ERD50]

Please think carefully about using any type of caulk or sealant.

Please find and use the appropriate gasket. You can see the gasket here:

Sewage Ejector pumps and up-flush toilets, purchase from Terry Love's E-store

and here

http://www.hancor.com/pdf/SewageEjector.pdf

Using the appropriate parts for your system will extend the longevity and you will feel proud of the quality of your work.

Travelover had the right supplier, but the wrong part. You are looking for a gasket that LOOKS like this: (yours will be smaller and flatter).

Fernco Flexible Donuts, fernco, fernco donut, fernco donuts, Sewer Pipe Compression Joint Donut Seal, Donut Shaped Compression Seal, Sewer Pipe Joint Seal, Pipe Compression Seal, Plumbing Donut Seals | Fernco

See if you can find the manufacturer of the ejector and/or ejector well, or alternatively call a local ejector installer/repairman (plumber) and they will find the right gasket for you.

Your system will work as designed!

True, but I think the parts that travelover mentioned are more readily available. His approach is exactly what I was thinking after I read some of the other ideas.

It allows for easy removal, and the coupler will fill the gap - only a little caulk/sealer will be needed. Next best thing (and probably good enough).

-ERD50

I'd buy a Fernco type coupler, split it and attach it to the pipe with a hose clamp. A little sealer on the bottom edge and split would seal it nicely.

fernco, fernco couplings, fernco coupling, flexible pipe connectors, fernco fitting, flexible couplings | Fernco

Available at the big box stores or a plumbing supply.

 

[HFWR]

Or how about a hack that's the best of both worlds?

Get a grommet to fit, then snip it on one side. Slip it around the pipe, and snap it into place in the opening. Pookie with silicone.

No need to take the whole thing apart. Unless, of course, your friends have a propensity to inspect your basement plumbing for aesthetics...

 

[ERD50]

Or how about a hack that's the best of both worlds?

Get a grommet to fit, then snip it on one side. Slip it around the pipe, and snap it into place in the opening. Pookie with silicone.

No need to take the whole thing apart. Unless, of course, your friends have a propensity to inspect your basement plumbing for aesthetics...

Unless I misunderstood, I think the travelover's post described something like that. No need to take it apart, the split sleeve would fit over and fill most/all of the gap.

-ERD50

 

[HFWR]

Unless I misunderstood, I think the travelover's post described something like that. No need to take it apart, the split sleeve would fit over and fill most/all of the gap.

-ERD50

True, except grommet <> split sleeve...

 

[ratto]

If split sleeve or grommet can be found cheaply and easily, then it is a better choice than caulk alone. But I doubt it will make that much difference for a [FONT=&quot]1/16” – 1/8” gap comparing with caulk only solution. Ejector pit pump will go sooner or later, and probably it's best time to redo everything when the new pump is put in. Personally, I probably would give the [/FONT][FONT=&quot]GE brand 100% silicone clear type caulk a shot at first. It's very [/FONT][FONT=&quot]versatile and it hurts nothing to have one tube at home anyway. It [/FONT][FONT=&quot]can also be used as your tent seam sealer after getting mixed with mineral spirits.[/FONT]

 

[Ronstar]

When the lid is sealed and the pump cycles on it draws in some air - I would be concerned that it might suck in the plumbers putty. The silicone option sounds safer. Once it sets it would need to be broken, and that might be a PITA, but that should be years from now. The lid only should be removed if the pump fails, and then breaking the seal and damaging the lid of the pipe would not be an issue.

Ronstar, I cannot find the gasket anywhere. Even if I could, to install I would need to remove the lid, disconnect the pipe, run the gasket over the pipe, reconnect it, then rebolt the lid. This is beyond my limited reach into home plumbing. Just because silicone isn't used doesn't mean it won't work.

If yours is like mine, the discharge pipe vibrates a little when the pump is on. I don't think silicone would work on mine due to the vibration. My comments on silicone and putty not working are based on the vibration. And I wouldn't think of trying anything different than the gasket due to possible sewer gas escape. I checked all over online and I can't find the gaskets sold separately either.

 

[ratto]

Maybe what Michael has been looking for is something like this: polyethylene waste holding tank fittings, Ameri-Kart 3" Rubber Inlet Grommet - Holding Tank Fittings - Black Water Tanks - Plumbing. Apparently, its installation does require the removal of the existing tank lid. If so, it's a good idea to apply some Vaseline to the inside of the grommet, and the gasket (if any) between holding tank body and tank lid before the final assembly.