Repairing Screw Hole in ABS

**nsblue** · 01-20-2008, 05:31 PM

OK, I'm dumb. There I admitted it but I assume that some one else has done it as well. I put a gyprock screw into a 2" ABS drain pipe in a wall. Is there an easy way to repair this? The hole is just below a fitting and I don't believe there is enough space to put a joiner fitting. Any ideas??

Thanks,

Dean

**jimbo** · 01-20-2008, 05:45 PM

Open the wall up a little, get some Rectorseal epoxy putty.

Others will recommend cutting out the fitting and replacing it all. Sometimes I say " you gotta do what you gotta do". That epoxy putty should hold the life of the building.

**Marlin336** · 01-20-2008, 06:15 PM

The correct method is to cut it out and replace it. If the pipe is horizontal I'd worry the epoxy may fail someday. If it's vertical defiantly stick some epoxy on it and you'll never have to worry about it. In any case clean the pipe well before applying the epoxy, hitting the area just a little bit with some 300 or so grit sandpaper would help it stick.

**nsblue** · 01-21-2008, 02:23 AM

Thank you both. The pipe is vertical so I will go with the epoxy.

**gardner** · 01-21-2008, 06:19 PM

Cut a 1 inch by 1 inch or slightly larger patch from another piece of ABS. Use a piece of the hub from a fitting, or a piece of pipe of the same diameter. You can warm it in boiling water and then use a hose clamp to force it to conform to the O/D of the pipe you will be patching.

Sand the inside of the patch and sand around the hole. Use ABS solvent to solvent-weld the patch in place. Secure with a hose clamp for 24 hours while the solvent weld sets up. The result should be as solid as any ABS joint.

**Herk** · 01-21-2008, 07:42 PM

I have my own oddball way of patching this type of hole. I use a woodworker's plug cutter to cut pieces of ABS, the same size as those used to cover screws in wood. Then I use a drill that has the same size as the plug I cut to dress out the hole in the pipe, and glue in the plug. Seems to work. It's a tight fit.

**Lakee911** · 01-22-2008, 02:16 PM

I like gardner or Herk's idea.

Could one wrap a very small stainless screw in some teflon tape and screw it in?

**mikept** · 01-22-2008, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by Lakee911

I like gardner or Herk's idea.

Could one wrap a very small stainless screw in some teflon tape and screw it in?

It would have to be very short so it didn't cause an obstruction in the pipe if it did even work.

**master plumber mark** · 01-22-2008, 05:32 PM

If you are not going to cut the pipe ,
install a fernco fitting and do it right,

why not just use about 5 feet of
duct tape....???

or how about a whole roll of black electrical tape??

as long a s the pipe is dry when you apply the duct tape
it should last 5 to 10 years......

**mikept** · 01-22-2008, 10:05 PM

Wouldn't self fusing silicone tape work better than ductape? thats sold as super emergency repair stuff.

**Dunbar Plumbing** · 01-22-2008, 10:30 PM

My band-aid kit smokes all the responses in this thread.

I win!

**Cass** · 01-23-2008, 03:13 AM

MPM, You're slipping... You forgot about squirting 1/2 a tube of silicone on the pipe B 4 wrapping with duct tape...

Originally Posted by master plumber mark

If you are not going to cut the pipe ,
install a fernco fitting and do it right,

why not just use about 5 feet of
duct tape....???

or how about a whole roll of black electrical tape??

as long a s the pipe is dry when you apply the duct tape
it should last 5 to 10 years......

**master plumber mark** · 01-23-2008, 03:15 AM

Having my morning coffe.....

I think that they had already come up with epoxy and silicone...

Of course they could do the silicone, then wrap it with the
electrical tape......

then for good measure put that SS band clamp over the
whole thing and tighten it down