How should I fix a leaky PVC joint?

[K-Diddy]

Hi Folks.
I have a small leak in a PVJ joint. I was wondering if I could use standard Kitchen & Bath Silicone III sealant to fix this.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
K-Diddy

[scottfarcuz]

I would be afraid to put a baind aid on it with silicone. I think your best bet would be to cut it out and glue in a new piece.

If you do use silicone be sure its safe. Some contain a chemical to kill off mildew.

[K-Diddy]

Problem with replacing is that it is below two other section of pipes, so I would need to basically re-cut three pipes. This would also mean draining my sump completely.

[Drix]

I just finished plumbing my new sump. Had to fix a ****eload of leaky holes. Two things were my friends:

1) Schedueled Unions: Gave me the ability to remove sections for cleaning and utility purposes:
a)Put one before my pump, one after, one before my upflow shutoff

2) PVC Glue: Since the PVC glue is fish safe it's not worth risking contaminent of other glues. What I did was shut down my system, capped my sump bulkhead fittings with FUJIFILM film containers (Shoved em right in, they work great) ask your local Ritz Camera or other photo place for some (the plastic containers)
then I just covered the entire joint with glue like a paint over the pvc. Worked great.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Originally posted by Drix

then I just covered the entire joint with glue like a paint over the pvc. Worked great.

The problem here is that you're creating a thin film to seal the joint, instead of a big wide solid joint.

I'd reccomend just re-plumbing if you have a leak. IMHO it's not worth the risk to save an hour or two of work and 59 cents in fittings.

[atreis]

I agree with der wille. If you try to seal it from outside the pipe, the water pressure will force it's way through as there's nothing to hold the glue in place. If you could reseal them from inside it might work, but that wouldn't be any easier than just replacing the bad joints.

You could use Drix's film can trick to keep from having to drain the sump while you replace the fittings. (Any worry about chemicals from the film cans? Could probably use something else to seal up the bulkheads to have to keep from draining the sump.)

[baamf]

If you can't replace it, use "Plumbers Goop". The stuff works great....

[abfleck]

Replace the leaky section and put unions in for easy cleaning and repairs!! I am getting ready to make a fuge for my 75 and I am going to use unions for the above purposes. Once the
pipes are glued and they leak, you have to start all over again and re-glue the joint with new PVC. Good Luck!

AJ

[K-Diddy]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm going to do the right thing and redo the leaky section.

Turns out that even though I want to advance to putting in liverock, I still have a few obstacles to overcome.

My 15 amp circuit breaker needs to be upgraded to 20 amp (at least I hope 20 amps is enough) so I can actually run my lights.

Also from my short little trial run I think I'm going to have issues with microbubbles.

Finally my wife thinks the system is too loud as well so I'm sure that I'll be working on some sort of dampening system for the pumps.

BTW - I'm sure glad this community is here, as it looks like all the above issues are not unique to my tank.

Thanks again,
K-Diddy

[Scuba Oz]

The true and only wat to fix this is take it apart and re-seal it correcly, (I know a PITA) but a bandaid will just leak down the road and casue more problems. Guess it depends on the leak size and pressure it has on it, still not worth the gamble to me, I would try to stop the flow and just fix it, Good Luck!