ABS joint leak

[mattt19]

I think I know the answer to my question but hopefully I'm wrong. While remodeling my bathroom I managed to crack a fitting in the drain pipe that services my kitchen and washer. For the past week or two water from the kitchen sink, dish washer and washing machine has been draining into my crawl space. I didn't discover the problem until my house started smelling like a giant cat box. One of the pipes coming from a y joint had broken. I cut out the joint and replaced it. When I tested it I noticed there was a small leak. I ran the washing machine and a small amount of water leaked from the pipe. A tablespoon at most. Is their anyway to fix the leak without replacing the joint?

Thanks,

Matt

[Terry]

Is it plastic pipe?
ABS (black) or PVC (white)

It's better to replace the pipe if it's cracked.
There are ways to split out ABS from a fitting, and if you can do that, you might be able to save the fitting.

If you can remove the pipe from the fitting, it should be replaced.

[mattt19]

Hi Terry,

Its ABS (black pipe). The pipe cracked where it entered the wye. I removed the wye joint and replaced it. The cracked portion of the pipe was replaced. The leak is at the joint where the pipe enters the wye. This is in a different pipe and location than the first leak. If I put more cement around the joint would it seal the leak? It's very small.

Thanks

[Gary Swart]

We frequently get similar questions about small leaks in ABS or PVC pipes, either joints or small holes. Bottom line is there is no product that can be trusted to seal these leaks permanently. There are epoxies and patches that may work on at a temporary basis, but nothing that can be depended upon to be a permanent fix.

[hj]

There is no way a properly made joint would "crack", nor could you just remove it and put it back together. There is, or was, something else wrong with the connection, so we cannot tell if you tried to fix the right thing, or if you did it properly.