Metal plumbing repair with a beer can.

I found I had a rusted section of pipe in a hard to reach place. My house is over 50 years old and has a lot of metal plumbing (as opposed to PVC). I couldn't remove the pipe without removing the entire tub, so I sat down, had a beer, and voila!

You won't need many tools, so let's get started.

Step 1 Materials and tools

The bare essentials are the following:
1. Aluminum can.
2. Something to cut thin aluminum.
3. Metal vent hose clamps.
4. Flat head screwdriver

I recommend:
1. Some sort of bathroom (silicone
etc.) caulk.

You can buy aluminum that comes rolled up with adhesive on one side, but:

1. I didn't need that much.
2. The adhesive might come unglued when wet.
3. The aluminum is much thicker, usually for auto body work or small plane repair.

Comments

[Pasketti]

Clever use of on-hand materials.

But did you remove the plastic coating from the inside of the can first? It may not matter, but if you didn't, the caulk is bonded to the plastic, not the metal, and the plastic may seperate from the metal over time.

As long as it doesn't show up here in a few years, you'll probably be ok.

[mikeycav]

There was no plastic on the inside of this beer can. Straight aluminum. I scratched it just to make sure and I almost ripped through the can.

[Calorie]

All cans have an interior plastic liner. It prevents funky chemistry from happening. It is also another reason why you shouldn't make it a habit of cooking directly out of a can. In this case, I very seriously doubt it'll make a difference.

[bustedit]

I don't believe ALL cans have linings or coatings. Most beer cans in America do not, I think Coors does tho, and we have canned dog food (high end, 2 dollar a can) that doesn't appear to be lined.
Sometimes the only taste you get in crappy American canned beer is the can itself.

[PepperNetworks]

I like your expedient repair. In the Navy, this type of patch is referred to as a 'band patch' and has the unique ability to be applied while the pipe is in use. They are lined with rubber for an excellent seal - even on high pressure pipes. For example, if the pipe that is leaking is the high pressure water main being used by firefighters in another part of the ship, you can't very well ask them to take a break while you fix the pipe. The way to apply this type of patch when water is spewing out of a hole or crack is to choose a section of pipe next to the damage, wrap the patch around the pipe, get the clamps taut, slide the patch to cover the leak, and tighten it down. Ta-da.

[Calorie]

In the future wander up to your local auto parts store and pick up a squeeze bottle of RTV blue. It's amazing how aggressive the stuff is.

[pfred2]

Once you go orange you'll never go back to the black or blue.

[Calorie]

Orange?

[pfred2]

High temperature RTV is orange colored. It seems heavier duty to me than the black or the blue. It is also smoother and spreads nicer too. I have used it to seal an exhaust header, it really can take some heat! Though researching it some on the internet it seems to be called red. Looks orange to me when I use it.

This is the stuff I always buy:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/ProductImages/300/0000_Permatex_High_Temp_RTV_Silicone_--.jpg

Though I just get it wherever.

[theRIAA]

"The finished product." <<

[mikeycav]

I think it is cast iron. I imagine if it was galvanized, it wouldn't have rusted? I agree with your epoxy, but I didn't have any on hand. No, I didn't sand it smooth, I barely had enough room to get my hand in there.

[theRIAA]

there are some old galvanized drain lines out there. Galvanized pipe actually rusts faster than cast iron or copper. Galvy water lines are always clogged with rust. If there were any "flakes" visible and you didn't sand it, it will leak again.

[shooby]

Nice, junk made useful.