Most inconvenient leak...

We've developed a leak in a most inconvenient spot, and I am looking for advice on what to do. Okay, it's not buried in concrete, so I have that going for me!

I've attached a picture of the offending ABS stack. It's an honest-to-goodness crack in the fitting, not a joint leak - not that it matters. I guess this means there was inappropriate pressure on this thing at some point.

What is hidden behind the dryer vent is the horizontal run this stack drains into. There are several fittings effectively coupled together, so there is no pipe I can cut and simply rejoin with a union.

I have a total of six cuts I'd have to make: the vertical vent that's about center in the picture, the vertical waste from the second floor, the horizontal drain from the washing machine, and three horizontal spots on the main drain: upstream and downstream from the spot where the stack enters and one from the kitchen that is behind the camera in this shot.

I expect I can use a flexible coupling on the two vents I have to cut. That would help putting things back together. But then I have four drain connections that may need to be done at the same time. I may have a little play in the kitchen connection, but the horizontal drain I expect will be close to immovable.

I also think I may have to replace the footer on the wall due to water damage. I may or may not have all damaged section scraped out. This has to be a load bearing wall as it runs the width of the house on the foundation and effectively separates two halves.

So wise sages: is this beyond mere DIYers? How would you folks go about the repair?

Thank you,
Michael

leak

Your red markings effectively conceal some of the important features, but you do have a very difficult job ahead of you, starting with the fact that there are NO UNIONS for repairing this, even if you did have room. Considering the scope of it, and possibly the special skills and tools that might be needed, you may be looking at a job requiring a plumber.

Sorry about that!

Attached is the original image without the zoom.

Michael

As HJ points out, you have a mean job that you might want to consider professional help with. If you do tackle it yourself, you will need to use banded couplers, not the neoprene sleeves with two hose clamps. They do more or less the same thing, but the banded couplers provide a more ridged connection and are approved for above ground use. The neoprene sleeves are for underground use where the soil will provide the ridged support.

leak

You have to cut EVERYTHING where you have a long enough section of straight pipe to install a coupling or No-Hub style sleeve. A RamBit or FittingSaver bit would remove the spigot of the street tee from the bottom elbow, but everything else will need to be coupled back to give you room for the movement you need to reassemble it. I do not see this as a good DIY project.

If the footer is OK.. Can you not put solvent weld unions on ABS? it doesn't seem like it would be THAT bad. You'd have to cut the 3" abs and 1.5" abs above the blocking for the copper pipe, then probably temporarily remove the blocking. cut the 1.5" drain to the right, then cut the 3" at the bottom where it leaves the picture after the sweep 90 (assuming you can cut a straight run there). Get replacements for all the fittings you tore out in that section, use unions for the three cut pipe sections on the top, and one 3" on the bottom. I'd be tough to get everything back into position, but doable. Worst case you'd have to cut some of the copper going by and resolder in unions there as well. I'm not a master plumber or anything, but I would try to tackle this one as a fairly confident DIYer.