Plumbing advice

[donheff]

I have a leak in a bathroom sink in an area that is integral with the sink so I believe the proper fix is to replace the sink. But I don't really feel like doing that until I remodel the bathroom in a few years. I am incompetent at DYI activities but I respect the skills of many of you on ER Forums I hope you can give me a plumbing consultation. Looking at the companion sink I see a plug of some sort of putty in the same spot as the leak in this sink. I vaguely remember putting the plug onto the area where the overflow connects to the bottom of the sink in the companion sink when I got a similar leak a few years ago. The current leak appears to be in the area below the overflow entrance but I am guessing I could get a few years out of the thing with a patch.

I am curious about what the best patch would be. Is this what is called "pipe dope," or is there a better patch material? The leak is in the discolored area just below the point where the overflow pipe comes in at the base of the sink in photo 1. It is the area just below the patch in photo 2.

 

[REWahoo]

Oatey 14 oz. Plumber's Putty-311662 - The Home Depot

or

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Oatey-9-oz-Stain-Free-Plumber-s-Putty-31177/203013821

Plumber's Putty...

 

[calmloki]

Plumber's putty is like glazier's putty or modeling clay - it tends to dry and crack over time and doesn't stick well. Think for that patch I'd clean like mad, assure dryness with a hairdryer, and use epoxy.

 

[45th Birthday]

This is the stuff you want. Easy to work with, and incredibly strong. I used it to seal a very thin crack in the bottom of a toilet tank. Worked like magic.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006945SS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[calmloki]

This is the stuff you want. Easy to work with, and incredibly strong. I used it to seal a very thin crack in the bottom of a toilet tank. Worked like magic.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006945SS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Was thinking more a thick paint on type to allow getting behind the pipe - or maybe Goop or Shoe Goo.

https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-GOOP...8?ie=UTF8&qid=1504884491&sr=8-8&keywords=goop

 

[Sunset]

Clean it very well, and use some silicone caulk, don't use the sink for 24 hours so it can dry.

Pretty much any caulking for outdoor use will last you a few years, silicone will last 20.

 

[travelover]

This is the stuff you want. Easy to work with, and incredibly strong. I used it to seal a very thin crack in the bottom of a toilet tank. Worked like magic.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006945SS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

+1 on the epoxy putty. This stuff really sticks and is very strong.

 

[Scrapr]

Ummm.......maybe it's too obvious.

duct tape!

 

[NgineER]

Clean it very well...

+1

Any of your attempts will fail unless you clean the surface well.
I might even suggest grinding or sanding the surface to have a fresh substrate to bond caulk or epoxy to. Being a porous surface it will be extremely hard to get it completely clean, but that is your only hope. You could probably also do this with a bathtub glazing product.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

What is the purpose of the hole to start with? Why would the sink have that spot?.

 

[Bamaman]

I have a small, slow leak in a kitchen drain at the threads. I am going to use a gray teflon tape on the threads.

 

[ERD50]

I have a small, slow leak in a kitchen drain at the threads. I am going to use a gray teflon tape on the threads.

I was having a heck of a time getting our drains threaded onto the kitchen sink flange, they kept crossing, no matter how hard I tried to keep it straight.

Then I used some kind of pipe thread sealant that I think was also a lubricant, it was like toothpaste consistency, or maybe thick grease? Slipped right on the first time, and never leaked.

I think the tape was maybe 'pulling' the flange crooked or something, I dunno, but that paste worked wonders.

-ERD50

 

[samclem]

What is the purpose of the hole to start with? Why would the sink have that spot?.

No purpose, the hole wasn't there to start with. It seems like an unusual place to have a problem--was it bumped/chipped from the outside?

+1 on the epoxy putty. This stuff really sticks and is very strong.

+2. The Rectorseal brand will work, but almost any other kind of epoxy putty should do the trick. Carefully grinding or sanding the existing porcelain to get an uncontaminated surface would be ideal, but just cleaning it very well with the usual solvents (soap and water, vinegar to dissolve scale/lime, and a once-over with acetone if you have any handy) would probably be enough. Make sure it is completely dry (e.g a day or so with no use) before applying the epoxy. Press a thin layer of epoxy putty very firmly into the mating surface of the sink to make sure it gets into every cranny, then quickly (before it starts to set) put the big glob over the top to bridge the hole. I think it will probably stay fixed for a long time if there are no immediate leaks.

 

[rayinpenn]

Plumbers putty is meant to fill the tiny ridges in a threaded fitting... not stop a leak. Get some epoxy. Temporary fix at best.

 

[btdt22]

Use a wire brush to remove loose stuff, rough sand, and then clean with lacquer thinner or equivalent. Apply a good name brand epoxy putty after mixing/kneading in accordance with the instructions and the repair will probably outlast you

 

[donheff]

To close out I used epoxy and it worked. Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[Sunset]

To close out I used epoxy and it worked. Thanks for the recommendations.

Thanks for letting us know..