Repairing Cracked Pipes

 

CHRIS: Well, I tried to do the plumbing work myself.

 

TOM: OK, didn’t work out so well, huh? (chuckles)

 

CHRIS: Well, it worked out about halfway. (Leslie chuckles) I was ready to replace a gooseneck and – it’s in a 40-year-old house, roughly – and there was a crack just beyond the p trap. And when you ran the water, the water would drip down onto the wood below.

 

TOM: Mm-hmm.

 

CHRIS: And I managed to get it unattached from the sink but there was a long crack and, in trying to get it out, I got the p trap part off and then I still have part of the – I guess the cheap metal that goes into what appears to be the galvanized iron pipe which starts at the back of the sink.

 

TOM: (overlapping voices) OK.

 

CHRIS: And what I can’t figure out is someone – it appears there was some sort of ring that somebody tapped in there to make it a seal and I can’t figure out how to get that thing out of there.

 

TOM: (overlapping voices) OK. Alright, well there is a magical plumbing part here called a Fernco and it’s a rubber boot with two like radiator hose clamps on either side and you can buy these things to fit any different size pipe. And when all else fails, go buy a Fernco and use it to strap the two different sizes that are not lining up together. It works really well. I’ve used them on big pipes; I’ve used them on small pipes; I used one when I replaced my garbage disposer not too long ago because I had a situation where the plumbing …

 

LESLIE: Mismatched plumbing?

 

TOM: Yeah, it was a mismatch. Well, we Ferncoed our way right out of that. (Leslie chuckles) It’s like a rubber boot that has two sides to it and you insert both sides of the pipe into opposite ends of the Fernco, you tighten up the metal clamps with a screwdriver and you are done and good to go.

 

CHRIS: Alright, thank you very much.

 

TOM: You’re welcome, Chris. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT. And a

Fernco can make a pro plumber out of any DIYer.