The Best Ways to Fix a Leaking Waste Pipe

If you have a soil pipe or waste pipe leaking on your property, it can remain a relatively minor event if it is discovered quickly enough. However, it can also be a significant cause of water damage depending on where the leak appears, and how long it has been going on for. 

The waste pipe on your property is identifiable as a larger diameter pipe that connects the smaller household drain pipes. The waste pipe will usually receive water from amenities such as:

• Showers
• Bath tubs
• Sinks
• Washing machines
• Dishwashers
• Other similar sources

The waste pipe does not receive water from the toilet, as this uses a different system to prevent dangerous contamination. 

Your waste pipe will be found underneath the house or property, routed beneath the floor, crawl space, or the basement. It may also have many drain connections along the route to the main household sewer line. Considering the local building codes, the waste pipe may be a black ABS plastic that is specifically used for sewer piping, however, the pipes connecting to it from other fixtures may be a white PVC plastic to make them easily identifiable. 

Identifying Waste Pipe Leaks

Detecting and locating an external waste pipe leaking can prove to be quite difficult. Wastewater flowing through these pipes is not under any pressure, meaning that there is little sound causing the leak to be subtle, and not creating an obvious spray. To discover a leak, inspect the area around your waste pipe to find evidence of dripping – this means that wet spots or pools of water may have formed. 

This type of leak can go unnoticed for long periods of time due to its subtlety. This leads to water damage around the wooden structure and provides the perfect conditions for the growth of mould. 

Due to the lack of accessibility in the area beneath the property, and the multiple connections leading to various drains, locating the leaky waste pipe can prove to be a difficult task. Normally, this type of job is reserved for a professional plumber, such as our team of experts at Coastal Drains as we can provide 24-hour services for any sewage emergency.

Some areas where a leak may be identifiable are:

• Leakage from the waste pipe may actually be coming from a joint in a drain pipe in the above structure. Leaking water may run down the drainpipe, causing the impression that the waste pipe is leaking. 
• The junction where the waste pipe connects to the main sewer pipe on the property. A coupling or bushing in this area may have failed, causing the leak. This will require the services of an expert. 

However, in some cases, a waste pipe leaking can be fixed relatively easily. If DIY is not your forte, then please do contact an expert before accidentally making the problem worse. Our experts are always available for emergency call-outs such as leaking pipes. Contact us here. 

How to Fix a Leaking Waste Pipe

If the damage is a simple crack or a split, then there are multiple leak repair methods with products available on the market that are able to provide good quality DIY repairs. These include:

1: Waterproof Pipe Repair Tape

Waterproof pipe repair tape is one of the first tools that should be considered when it comes to providing repairs for a waste pipe leaking. There are many available on the market, however, the best solutions are those made from self-fusing silicone. 

When you wrap the tape around the affected area, it will form a strong, solid bond over the leak area; providing a high-pressure repair solution. 

Maximum pressure for this solution can be achieved by stretching the tape to three times its length. 

2: Plastic Repair Epoxy Putty

So depending on the location of your leaking pipe, it may not be possible to wrap around the cracked and damaged pipe due to space constraints. In this case, plastic repair epoxy putty can be used to fill in cracks and holes on pipes where the tape above cannot be applied. 

For toilet waste pipes, the best solution would be to use a specialist plastic repair epoxy putty stick: an easy to use solution that can be broken off and moulded into the space you require; unlike traditional two-part epoxy putties. 

Kneading the putty from the repair epoxy putty stick will start a chemical reaction, allowing the putty to become rock hard from its initial malleable state. Once the epoxy putty has fully become one colour, push it into the area needing repair. This will cause the plastic repair epoxy putty to cure and fully seal the leak. 

3: Pipe Repair Bandages

Though waterproof pipe repair tape and plastic repair epoxy putty both provide a long-lasting and durable pipe repair solution, you can reinforce the seal provided by these with an extra pipe repair bandage wrapped over the top. 

Pipe repair bandages come with a water-activated resin, meaning that once water is applied to the bandage; they begin to cure and harden. Wrapped around a pipe, they provide a rock hard and highly durable shell that creates a permanent repair solution. 

Contact Coastal Drains Today

If you’re suffering from an outside waste pipe leaking, and DIY isn’t your thing, then please do contact Coastal Drains before the problem gets any worse. Visit our page on our emergency sewage services to find out more.

If you need one of our expert drainage contractors to come out and fix a leak for you, we’re available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; so you can always count on us. 
Get in touch with Coastal Drains today.