Need Plumbing Repair Suggestions for this Cracked Gray Tank Pipe.

[RonCindy]

Thank you in advance for your suggestions, tips or experience with this gray tank cracked pipe repair.  2003 Dynasty

The kitchen sink drain pipe exiting the ceiling of the waste tank bay has cracked where the elbow curves exiting the floor.  See photos below.  Space access for repairing this pipe is very limited as you can see.  I removed the top panel cover in the wet bay to expose this cracked pipe. I estimate there is approximately 3 inches from the cracked elbow of the pipe (once the foam insulation is removed) to the ceiling where the pipe disappears up into the floor.  I can see this pipe come through the floor under the shower stall.  I do have access to this pipe although space in which to work is very limited and small.  What would you do? How would you repair this? I am handy, have tools and time.  Your expertise is appreciated.

RonCindy

Monaco Dynasty 2003

 

 

[Dr4Film]

Since the drain line is not under pressure, I would try some Waterproof Flex Tape providing that you can get a good seal and adhesion.

FLEX SEAL FAMILY OF PRODUCTS Flex Tape Black 4 in. x 5 ft. Strong Rubberized Waterproof Tape TFSBLKR0405 - The Home Depot

[RonCindy]

Thank you for your suggestion, I will certainly take it under consideration.  I had considered the JB Weld product ( for plastic pipes) but since the crack seemed a bit too wide I decided against it. 

[Cajunboy1959]

Be sure to clean the outside of the pipe. I would suggest about 150 sand paper lightly and then wipe clean with acetone. I think the flexseal tape will be good idea.

[Just Jim]

I tried the flex seal spray on a shower drain at my house with poor results, so I would give that option about a 50/50 chance of working long term.  Bigger question is why did it break to start with?  Remedy that first.  That looks like the strong part of that elbow where the break is located.  You could go to home depot or another plumbing parts store.  Find a "street 30 degree elbow" and see if it will fit inside of a regular 90 degree elbow.  You are looking for a fitting that has the pipe size male fitting on one end and the female pipe size on the other.  Make sure that the inside size of the elbow remains the same by looking up into it at a distance of what you are going to have once you cut the old one.  I think they stay the same diameter inside, but I've never actually looked.  If so, then you can cut it off clean at the break of the old elbow and glue in the 30 degree elbow into the old 90 and then glue in a short piece to continue the run.  Of course dry fit it all first as you will only get one chance at it. 

This is difficult to convey via typed message.  So, just take a piece of the size pipe that you have and explain what you are trying to accomplish to the person at the store... they usually have someone with a fair knowledge of plumbing.  They may also have another suggestion.  Good luck, looks like a really "fun" project.

[RonCindy]

Thank you to all who have replied with suggestions.  I suspect the reason for the cracked pipe is inaccurate alignment however the pipe did last for 21 years.  My issue for this repair will be getting access to this pipe for any cutting, trimming and refitting.  I can barely get my fingers within that space to do any work.  I am considering removing that broken pipe section by access under the shower, re-piping it with flexible pipe through the floor to emerge back out in the waste tank bay.  I will still have the problem of little space in which to work (both in the wet bay and under the shower).  Yep, I need luck for this "fun" project.

Thank you again for all suggestions, tips and any responses from others who may have had similar repair experiences.

RonCindy, 2003 Dynasty

[Dr4Film]

@RonCindy Using a flex pipe from the shower to the straight section is a great idea. Maybe using an extra long sawzall bade will get you to the pipe to cut it off in that tight location. Just thinking out loud.

[RonCindy]

Thank you for validating that solution. I suspect I may go with that plan unless anyone else here posts with a better, less work intensive process.

RonCindy

03 Dynasty

[Tom Cherry]

Late coming to the party.  BUT, here goes.  YES...the crack is a bit "wide". The issue is this.  IF the crack is the result of movement due to shifting braces or whatever crappy constraints, then I'd look at trying to tie it down...NOT bolt in place...but keep it from slopping around and such.  Obviously SOMETHING stressed the elbow and it broke.

OK...  I am a Fiberglass and also JB Weld guy. I have fixed pressure cracks in buried irrigation lines where the pump is putting out 65 PSI. This is a ZERO PRESSURE gravity drain. 

The Silicone Tape might work. I would CLEAN the entire thing....using a strip of emory cloth...You need to abrade the area where the crack is regardless of a mechanical or a "epoxy/glue" fix. This is gonna be a TWO step fix...and my 65 PSI joint was cracked and "opened up.

J-B Weld 2110 Metal Fuel Tank Repair Kit, Gray

Buy that on Amazon. I nicked a hole in a John Deere tank...brand new mower.  I put on a half dollar patch.  that was in 2006 and I sold it last year and the tank never leaked.  THE GREAT THING...you can press or push.  I'd use something like a dental plaque removal pick (Amazon...cheap). THEN fill in the crack and smooth it over.  Don't need a big bulge.  Let it cure. 

The top coat can be plain old RESIN and Fiberglass cloth.  Cut your strips maybe 3/4 diameter.  Then lay them on...overlap.  Being handy means you can improvise...and there is NO SET WAY.  I actually used JB Weld (2 part) on my irrigation and it was 90%.  Little weeping (yours is GRAVITY...mine is 65 PSI). Then I used Fiberglass closth impregnated with the more viscous JB Weld Plastic...and BINGO.  NO ISSUES.

The silicone tape or whatever it's calls depends on two things.  FRICTION and PRESSURE or tension. YOU keep wrapping until you are pulling and stretching the tape and it starts to contract or mold the crack or such.  THEN, you lay down more...sort of like adding a pressure bandage.

Don't know HOW much room you have up there.  But repairing with JB Weld or FB/Resin will crosslink like you ain't never seen.  Just as good as the glue that melted the PVC and bonded it originally...

Good Luck.

[jacwjames]

So I looked at a brochure for the 2003 Dynasty.  The Chancellor model shows the kitchen sink is in a slide passenger side.

If that's the case you probably need to start from above and check to see if the piping is in some sort of a bind. 

The plumbing for the slide relies on a trolley system and flexible hose to connect to the piping going to the gray tank.  A lot of times the flexible hose will fail. 

If you can't find a problem with any of the above then you can proceed fixing the crack.  I've had good luck cutting slots in the coupling and then using a chisel to break the pieces off and then using sand paper to smooth and clean surface.  Most of the time you can put a elbow/coupling right back in place. 

With you limited access you might try using a small dremel with cut off wheel to cut the slots.  Just watch the depth of cut. 

[RonCindy]

Thank you to all who have replied with their tips and suggestions, it is much appreciated.

Thankfully this cracked pipe is not in the kitchen slide.  Our 2003 Dynasty Chancellor model has only 2 slides, both on driver's side with the kitchen slide being the shorter depth 18 inch one. This cracked pipe is directly above the wet bay (where the kitchen pipe exits the shower floor then the pipe travels directly into the gray tank) therefore no slide movement to cause this break. This broken pipe is stationary (but obviously has some stress from something). Thank you for researching my unit for that common kitchen slide pipe break issue. 

I still haven't decided how I'm going to repair this pipe.  We are using the bathroom sinks to dispose kitchen water, that buys me some time to decide on the best, less intrusive repair.  Once I get it fixed, I'll post how I did it.  I have tools and I have repaired many things on this coach (full-timing in it since 2012).  I have used the JB Weld product for several successful repairs which is why that solution was my first thought.  However being concerned that the repair might not last due to any pipe stress, it leads me to consider a more permanent fix.  We'll see.

Thank you again to all who have responded with your ideas and thank you to other Monaco owners who may have a suggestion or tip for repair.  Also, thanks for the "good luck" wishes.  I'll need all I can get on this one.

RonCindy, 2003 Dynasty Chancellor

[jacwjames]

What about this

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Fernco-2-in-x-2-in-x-2-41-in-dia-Coupling-PVC-Fitting/1000075335

[bryan browne]

1-1/2" 90° Flexible Elbow Blue fin from supplyhouse.com

Edited May 21, 2024 by bryan browne

[RonCindy]

Thank you Jim and Bryan for the coupling and elbow suggestions.  I may go with one of those depending if I can get it in this tight space.  I plan on evaluating this problem again today plus check to see if I can move the pipe that goes into the gray tank, it has a couple of pipe clamps on it where it goes into the gray tank.

RonCindy, 03 Dynasty

[Cubflyer]

On 5/21/2024 at 7:50 AM, RonCindy said:

Thank you Jim and Bryan for the coupling and elbow suggestions.  I may go with one of those depending if I can get it in this tight space

Ron,

These coupling look like they have potential to work.  It would be easier to really tell if the spray foam was cut away.  That "might" also expose if per chance, that fitting screws on instead of being a slip fitting.  Or if the broken fitting can be 'cut' (with slits as Jim J said) off and replaced with the flexible rubber one.....

Good luck, let us know how it goes!
Ken

[jacwjames]

To the OP.  I'd definitely make sure the rest of the piping is good.  Something caused the pipe to break at the joint.  Takes quite a bit of force to break and elbow.

 

FWIW, when I was building the house I had all the plumbing roughed in ready to pour concrete.  I put floor drains in several location in 7 locations along with stubouts to attach to for drains and 1st floor connections.  They were very obvious but it was an obstacle course for the small concrete buggies to navigate through

I was watching when they started and within 5 minutes a buggy hit a floor drain and snapped off the pee trap.  I saw a worker just trying to straighten it back up into position so I ran over an looked, completely broke off at a joint.  My guess is that if I wasn't there they would have poured concrete and said good enough.  But I went and got some tools, hacksaw, hammer and chisel and proceeded to get the broken coupling off and replumbed the floor drain back in.  One of the workers said "Huh, never seen anyone do that before"..

Then later after the concrete was poured and they between troweling they were eating lunch and told a story of a time when they were doing a job and using the sit-on type mechanic trowelers one got away from a operator and they tore out a bunch of plumbing, they halfway fixed and finished the job hoping no one would be wiser. 

No wonder the job wasn't that great, but they were highly rated by other contractors I had contacted about crews that did concrete work. 

[RonCindy]

I decided to go with the JB Plastic Weld solution, quick and easier for the first effort.  I had to work quickly with this material, applied it with a gloved hand, put on 2 separate coatings. I could barely get my fingers around the pipe to add the glue, I know adding a separate tape on top would be added strength however it would be next to impossible to wrap something securely around the pipe's crack.  I was able to reach the intake gray tank pipe fittings, (see 2nd picture) going directly into the gray tank.  It was a very tight fit but I was able to make about a quarter inch adjustment there to better align the crack. If this repair doesn't hold, I'll use your suggestions and re-pipe.

Thank you to everyone who responded with great ideas and suggestions, all tips are/were much appreciated.  Every idea was viable and I will need to use those should this plastic weld not hold.  I'll update periodically on status.

Thank you again to every poster and also to those who took the time to read my inquiry.

RonCindy, 2003 Dynasty

[Tom Cherry]

40 minutes ago, RonCindy said:

I decided to go with the JB Plastic Weld solution, quick and easier for the first effort.  I had to work quickly with this material, applied it with a gloved hand, put on 2 separate coatings. I could barely get my fingers around the pipe to add the glue, I know adding a separate tape on top would be added strength however it would be next to impossible to wrap something securely around the pipe's crack.  I was able to reach the intake gray tank pipe fittings, (see 2nd picture) going directly into the gray tank.  It was a very tight fit but I was able to make about a quarter inch adjustment there to better align the crack. If this repair doesn't hold, I'll use your suggestions and re-pipe.

Thank you to everyone who responded with great ideas and suggestions, all tips are/were much appreciated.  Every idea was viable and I will need to use those should this plastic weld not hold.  I'll update periodically on status.

Thank you again to every poster and also to those who took the time to read my inquiry.

RonCindy, 2003 Dynasty

Great, since this isn’t pressure….you’re set to go.  If you do have a little seepage, which I doubt, then an additional coating with a small strip of fiberglass cloth impregnated with JB Weld will solve that and it will be, relatively speaking, simple to wrap over the top.

Been there…done that…

Thanks for the followup and feedback

 

 

 

[Mike Fluharty]

After fixing a leak in line from gray tank to valve for second time I used JB WELD, I had used flex seal paste previously because I was on the road and couldn’t get to area easily. It lasted 6 mos.  I checked with flex seal folks and guess what, flex seal doesn’t work on ABS. Just an FYI.

HAPPY TRAVELS

[RonCindy]

I just realized I had not concluded the final repair of this discharge pipe. The JB Weld did not hold.  We found a plumber who felt comfortable repairing/replacing  the pipe.  He was able to cut (with a specialized skinny saw) and remove a small section of pipe from under the shower stall, it pulled right out from the floor where it had cracked.  He also cut a small section of pipe from where it discharged into the gray tank. He was able to replace that small section easily between the shower and where it came out through the floor. He pieced that new section with a new section of pipe to the gray tank.  Easy fix, we could have done it ourselves but the distance and thickness of the floor beneath the shower had us scratching our heads. The plumber's small specialized cutting tool allowed him to work in the small space under the shower pan. Plus, he was much younger with more nimble arms and hands.

[Dr4Film]

Just read about holding tank repair in today's RVTravel Newsletter.

Here is the link - https://www.rvtravel.com/flexible-holding-tank-repair-material-easy-to-apply-and-it-works-rvt-1123/

[Dean Bennett]

I fought this issue for about 10 years on my Windsor (feels that way). The galley slide flexed a drain fitting really bad and finally snapped it. I could just reach the fitting with the tips of my fingers. A buddy suggested dousing it with brake cleaner and when that dried, packing silicone around it. That did actually hold for a number of years then failed. Not that I recommend it but, in a pinch. Next the rubber coupler with band clamps. That worked for about another 5 years. Just too much flex force on it. And, I’d have to re-secure it a few times per year. Finally, I found a Gates radiator elbow hose that fit perfect over the outside of a coupler on the pipe. I had to disassemble part of the cabinet to just reach it but, this feels like it will absorb the flex and probably last longer than I will. I’m sure the edge/lip of the drain pipe exiting the hose will eventually cause some flow problems but, it won’t be kitchen sink water leaking out.