cement laundry sink leaks at drain
Nate Nagel
after this weekend's floor stripping extravaganza, I have an ugly but
eat-off-it clean cement floor in my laundry room, which makes me happy.
As a result of this, I think I've determined where the musty smell was
coming from - it's not the washing machine as SWMBO suspected (I think
she just wants an excuse to buy a new one, not that I'd need one if she
really wanted it) but from the drain of the deep sink. Due to the slope
of the slab, it was all running under the tiles to the corner under the
washing machine, thus incriminating the innocent appliance.
Upon investigation it appears that this cement deep sink, which is
absolutely huge, heavy, and otherwise in good condition, has a leak
around the drain assembly, which appears to be a piece of steel cast
into the sink, and the water is apparently running down the outside of
the drain assembly and dripping off the P-trap.
My plan, which is the best I could improvise on short notice, is to
chuck up a knotted wire wheel in my 4" grinder, knock off most of the
rust, prep with phosphoric acid, and smear some roofing tar around the
offending area, possibly including some scraps of screen for
reinforcement. Good plan? Bad plan?
I really don't want to replace this sink as it's enormous and quite
handy, and like most other ancient, huge, useful things probably
impossible to find a direct replacement.
I'd appreciate opinions and any experience as the faucet is leaking as
well, and rather than buy a new faucet for this sink (it clamps on the
edge of the sink and attaches to the water lines with unions from above,
quite unlike the faucets you'd use with a new sink) if the sink is
hopeless I may as well bite it and buy a new, modern sink and faucet to
match all at once.
thanks,
nate
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Speedy Jim
The faucet is a common hardware store item:
Central Brass # 465
http://www.centralbrass.com/results1.asp?productnum=0465&pnidx=0
Clean the drain as you plan (use protective gear and eyewear!),
but I'm thinking epoxy applied with a small, stiff brush.
An alternate might be silicone sealant.
Dry the area thoroughly first with a hair dryer
or even a (small) propane torch.
Jim
Nate Nagel
Actually mine looks more like this one:
http://www.usahardware.com/inet/shop/item/81220/icn/20-354977/union_brass_metal/42.htm
but the actual spout comes out the underside of the faucet not the top
(no big deal.) Your suggestion would require replumbing (extending the
pipes) but would probably provide for a more stable installation...
anyway my point was not that I'm having a hard time finding a
replacement faucet but that it would be pointless to rebuild or replace
my existing faucet (I'm leaning toward "replace" simply because the
clamp screws appear to be rusted solid, and drilling/tapping all those
holes looks like a PITA) if I'm going to end up replacing the deep sink
shortly anyways.
> Clean the drain as you plan (use protective gear and eyewear!),
> but I'm thinking epoxy applied with a small, stiff brush.
Hmm, maybe POR-15?
>
> An alternate might be silicone sealant.
>
That was my original thought, but then I thought Permatex No. 2 would
probably work better, which eventually led me to the roofing tar idea.
> Dry the area thoroughly first with a hair dryer
> or even a (small) propane torch.
>
Check. Propane torch at the ready, I'd already thought of that.
hal...@aol.com
>
> but the actual spout comes out the underside of the faucet not the top
> (no big deal.) �Your suggestion would require replumbing (extending the
> pipes) but would probably provide for a more stable installation...
> anyway my point was not that I'm having a hard time finding a
> replacement faucet but that it would be pointless to rebuild or replace
> my existing faucet (I'm leaning toward "replace" simply because the
> clamp screws appear to be rusted solid, and drilling/tapping all those
> holes looks like a PITA) if I'm going to end up replacing the deep sink
> shortly anyways.
>
> > Clean the drain as you plan (use protective gear and eyewear!),
> > but I'm thinking epoxy applied with a small, stiff brush.
>
> Hmm, maybe POR-15?
>
>
>
> > An alternate might be silicone sealant.
>
> That was my original thought, but then I thought Permatex No. 2 would
> probably work better, which eventually led me to the roofing tar idea.
>
> > Dry the area thoroughly first with a hair dryer
> > or even a (small) propane torch.
>
> Check. �Propane torch at the ready, I'd already thought of that.
>
> nate
>
> --
>
> - Show quoted text -
a new fiberglass tub is low cost, and nice.
break up the old tub in location, i buried the remants in my yard.
I found the drain pipe rusted thru, withn no easy fix.
it broke off in my hand
Nate Nagel
I am not entirely nuts about replacing this sink with a new 'glass
one... it's bigger than anything I've seen at my local Big Box; it's
heavy (read stable,) and also the plumbing coming down from above is
preferable in my opinion (allows plumbing to drain completely if
required as the spigot is the low spot.)
I just got a brainwave - how 'bout if I have the same problem as you, I
simply take a plastic kitchen sink strainer, bust out the center of it,
and attach it to the underside of the sink (after grinding the old steel
piece flush to the underside of the sink and smoothing the area) with
construction adhesive or similar? The only downside to this is that a
standard sink strainer is about 4-1/2" and the steel piece is about 6"
wide so I'd have to improvise a plate of something in between.
beecrofter
You can probably run new fittings through the concrete and use
hydraulic cement to imbed them in the original concrete. A bit of a
chore to do but worth the effort.
Around here "Rockite" was a brand that worked for such tasks.
Nate Nagel
forgot to mention, it's a double sink but the drains are connected
within the concrete to a single tailpiece. I'd have to core drill both
sides to do as you suggest, and I'm not sure that I have enough room to
bring two p-traps together and hook up to the exiting drain stack (tees
out of the stack above the slab) but thanks for the idea, it is
something to think about if all else fails.
Pete C.
I hate to say it, but it sounds like you're going to end up putting a
lot of effort into what will still be a patched together antique. If
that drain section has failed, there are probably other parts about to
fail. Installing a new fiberglass laundry tub, or even a pair of them
epoxied together would probably be a lot faster and easier. Or go all
out and go to a restaurant supply house that deals in used equipment and
get a beautiful triple basin stainless sink :)
Nate Nagel
oh, let's not go there. Last time I went to one of those places I ended
up spending lots of money on some stainless Metro-style freezer shelving
for the garage... chrome is nice but stainless is forever :)
SWMBO still refers to that place as "that scary place you dragged me to"
but even she has to admit that those shelves are the right tool for the job.
nate
(if they can hold up tons of lard, butter, cheese, etc. they can hold up
tons of transmissions, cylinder heads, etc...)
Pete C.
Metro is wonderful stuff. I have a 24x60 Metro setup in my living room
as a TV stand (and DVD, cable box, etc.). In my office I have a 18x36
Metro clone that holds a FAX, a laser printer, an inkjet printer, paper
for the printers, a UPS and some boxes of envelopes. In my shop I have
the Metro clone 18x36 rolling bin rack that Sam's carries, and I'm
teetering on buying a second since it really helps organize nuts, bolts,
rolls of tape, plumbing and electrical bits, etc.
Just think how nice that gleaming stainless triple basin mega deep sink
would look in place of the concrete monstrosity, and how well the
hanging commercial spray head would work cleaning tools and parts :)
Joe
Get it clean, dry and warm and patch it with Bondo. Remember to work
fast. And the stuff really is waterproof, ya know.
Joe
Jmox34x
https://www.homeownershub.com/img/2l94
https://www.homeownershub.com/img/2l96
https://www.homeownershub.com/img/2l98
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Marilyn Manson
> Can’t get the pipe to tighten back onto this, bought a new one metal and plastic
> https://www.homeownershub.com/img/2l94
> https://www.homeownershub.com/img/2l96
> https://www.homeownershub.com/img/2l98
>
sit tight on the sink. Is that the case? Is the whole drain and
threaded portion loose?
If so, can it be removed and replaced with all new parts? I can't tell
the condition of the sink itself. Would a new drain, with properly
applied plumber's putter, even seal properly?
*If* the only problem you are having is threading on the new drain pipe
under the sink, a Fernco connector might help with that. Fernco makes
a number of different shapes and sizes and they work great for drains
since there isn't a lot of pressure.
https://www.fernco.com/plumbing/flexible-couplings
FWIW, years ago I replaced my beat up concrete sink with a fiberglass unit
and never looked back. They come in Polypropylene also but I think that
fiberglass would be more rugged.
https://www.acehardware.com/departments/plumbing/sinks/utility-sinks/44726
trader_4
can see, the latter sounds like the better idea.
Marilyn Manson
that was beginning to seep. I could barely call it a leak, but it sure wasn't going to
get any better, so the replacement decision was a no brainer.
Fun fact: If you tip an already weakened concrete sink so that it falls forward onto
a concrete slab, it turns into pieces that are a lot easier to carry. ;-)