J-B Weld WaterWeld Epoxy Putty

[David-and-Cheryl]

I just discovered J-B Weld WaterWeld Epoxy Putty, and it's something that should be in every RVer's toolbox for fixing water leaks.

WaterWeld comes as a stick of putty-like material, with the two components separated. You cut off the amount you need, knead it well to mix the two components, and then press it firmly into the leaking area. One hour later, it's hardened into a permanent repair.

My Landmark's plumbing fittings are mostly plastic, and they seem prone to cracking and leaking. I just used WaterWeld to repair a leak in the (plastic) water heater bypass valve, and it worked great. I'm out in the boonies of Colorado, so it would have been a pain to get a replacement and then install it. I also had a cracked check valve on the water heater some months ago, and ended up having to quickly find and install a (brass) replacement--I wish I'd known about WaterWeld at the time!

The directions say you can even use it under water, but just to be safe, I turned off the water to remove the pressure and dried the area before applying the putty.

You can get WaterWeld at places like Home Depot or Lowe's, or from Amazon. I know I'll keep some on hand for future emergencies. Hope this helps someone else!

 

[Noofear]

Used it on my boat repair a crack in the fiberglass and I have a stick of it here in the Big Horns tool box

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[TravelTiger]

I used it to repair a cracked pipeline in our in-ground sprinkler system a few years ago. Was still holding when we sold the house last year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[farside291]

I used it to fix a hole I drilled in a gas tank on a car...don't ask. Still holding.

 

[danemayer]

I've used it to fix a couple of holes my tank heater burned in the Gray #1 tank. Been holding for years.

However, I would recommend against using it as a fix for the Water Heater check valve. The plastic fitting will continue to degrade and the longer you wait, the more difficult it is to remove the plastic. Patching will just set you up for a worse job later. You did the right thing by putting in a brass fitting.

 

[herefishy]

I have a leaking plastic tee that will be difficult to get to - it's on the line to the kitchen sink. Do you folks think this might work?

 

[danemayer]

I have a leaking plastic tee that will be difficult to get to - it's on the line to the kitchen sink. Do you folks think this might work?

If you can get in to apply epoxy, maybe you can install a replacement tee using a Sharkbite press-on fitting.

 

[herefishy]

That was my first thought, but the hose coming in to the tee is that white plastic stuff, and it is too big to fit in the Sharkbite. I looked at a tee that might work, with an inlet that would need to be clamped on, but can't figure out whether it would work or not. Love the Sharkbites, thanks for suggesting them. I used them on my other leak and they worked super.

 

[danemayer]

Some Sharkbite or competitive fittings come with sleeves that go inside the non-pex hoses so there's a better fit.

 

[herefishy]

The problem is, the hose is too big for the sleeves of the sharkbite to go over it.

 

[herefishy]

I just found a sharkbite tee that is not the one with the sleeves - just push on - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007AHGNUW/ref=ox_huc_add_on_msg_title_1?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Do these fittings work as well as the ones with the sleeves that come up over the hose?

 

[danemayer]

I just found a sharkbite tee that is not the one with the sleeves - just push on - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007AHGNUW/ref=ox_huc_add_on_msg_title_1?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Do these fittings work as well as the ones with the sleeves that come up over the hose?

Those fittings will work with the braided hose, but 1) you can't start with a worn piece of hose because it's hard to get a tight fit even with a new piece of hose, and 2) you install these with crimp rings using a crimping tool. The crimping tool requires a fair amount of working space. So if you have a tight area, it can be hard to use the crimping tool. It's a special crimping tool for Pex crimp rings.

 

[herefishy]

Would sure like to make a temporary repair till I get back to our trusty repairman. Doesn't sound like this is the answer. Ever use FiberFix?

 

[danemayer]

The Waterweld epoxy might work as a temp fix. But if the leak is at the braided hose, it'll depend on how well it adheres to that surface. Also, some of the braided hoses have a thin exterior layer. Even if the epoxy adheres to the thin layer, the water might escape in between layers. So you might just be moving the leak. But the only way to find out is to try.

You might have success with adhesive/goop/epoxy/something else applied to the barb fitting and then slide the hose on and re-clamp. But there's also some risk that you might create a worse leak.

Another approach might be to spray on rubber sealant all around the leaking area. You can probably find a can in many hardware stores or maybe in Walmart. I'd tape the areas you're not trying to seal.

 

[herefishy]

Thank you for your help. I actually think I might have some of that flex seal - or it might be at home.

- - - Updated - - -


Best I can tell, the leak is coming from the plastic fitting or the crimp ring on the pex side, as I can feel calcification running down the pex from that area. Is that Flex Seal something that has to go on in a dry setting? Should I clean the area first with acetone or some such?

 

[danemayer]

Thank you for your help. I actually think I might have some of that flex seal - or it might be at home.

- - - Updated - - -


Best I can tell, the leak is coming from the plastic fitting or the crimp ring on the pex side, as I can feel calcification running down the pex from that area. Is that Flex Seal something that has to go on in a dry setting? Should I clean the area first with acetone or some such?

Might be a good idea to shut off the water and drain that line, then dry the fittings before spraying. Not sure how easy that'll be since you probably don't have low-point drains. If you have an air compressor and hose fitting, you could blow the water out of the line.

 

[David-and-Cheryl]

I have a leaking plastic tee that will be difficult to get to - it's on the line to the kitchen sink. Do you folks think this might work?

Sadly, my original repair didn't hold--mainly, I think, because my fitting was also difficult to get to, so I couldn't get a good seal with the WaterWeld. It probably covered the crack in the fitting, but didn't penetrate it to actually seal it.

I'm now in the process of replacing the plastic valve and fitting with brass ones.

The moral of the story is that if you can't see the actual leak and/or don't have enough space to push the WaterWeld putty down into it to fill it, then WaterWeld is probably not the best solution.

 

[Lou_and_Bette]

Would sure like to make a temporary repair till I get back to our trusty repairman. Doesn't sound like this is the answer. Ever use FiberFix?

Not sure the FiberFix would give you a water tight seal and if you have the space to wrap the FiberFix you might consider Rescue Tape. It will hold water under pressure if you can get several wraps on it's self and around the part.

 

[rxbristol]

I've used Flex Seal and the plumbers epoxy. They're OK for a temporary fix, but it won't last. The epoxy gets brittle and cracks and the Flex Seal flexes too much and the seal breaks.

 

[herefishy]

I got some leak seal, from Rustoleum, and put it on last night. Going to try it in 24 hours. Thanks for the tip about Rescue tape.