# How to repair a ABS soil stack with a drywall screw in it?



## ThatGuy (Jan 14, 2012)

I am curious if there is a way to repair a ABS soil stack/pipe that has a couple of drywall screws in it? The upper screw is easy enough to get to and I could cut a section out and repair this by using a collar or something. This screw is about 3 feet up a section of straight pipe and I should be able to get to one side of it without a problem. 

The second screw poses more of an issue because it is right above the cement floor and short of jack-hammering the floor I am not sure how to fix this. There was a lot of mold in this wall which I though was from leaking plastic water feed pipe for the toilet but it seems that there is more this than I thought. 










I am kind of kicking myself now because I already jack-hammered the floor to move a soil stack from an exterior wall that was hacked in (with the access cap pointing to the inside of the stud wall behind a shower) to the other end of this wall that already had a soil stack in it. I replaced as much of the water lines as I could with PECs and because of this the upstairs toilet did not have water so it was not being used so I didn't realize this was leaking. I ended up cutting the bottom of this non-load bearing wall off and put a pressure treated footer an rebuilt it and when I was removing the old drywall screws I found this. After finding this I pressurized the water supply and flushed the toilet a few times and sure enough water was seeping out at the base and from one up higher that was behind the good drywall. It was dry above the second screw but I will cut all of the drywall out of this area just to be sure there are not more screws. 

From reading different threads people have mentioned...

- Teflon tape on a stainless screw and screw this into the hole
- Plastic welding the holes
- Using epoxy over the hole
- Gluing small section of ABS sleeve over the screw hole

What options do I have? Because the lower hole is right at floor level I don't think there is any way of properly repairing it short of jack-hammering the floor and replacing this section. Is there a non-professional way of fixing this without ripping out the wall I just built, smashing out tiles in another room, and then replacing half of this stack?

Thank you for any help with this issue.


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## TheEplumber (Jul 20, 2010)

Short of replacing the stack, I'd use option 4
Chisel out enough of the floor so you have room for a nice sized patch. Be sure the surfaces are clean and dry.
If you wait long enough, I'm sure you'll get votes for every method listed and more


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## VIPlumber (Aug 2, 2010)

> I don't think there is any way of properly repairing it short of jack-hammering the floor and replacing this section.


That pretty much sums it up. It's the most reliable way to fix the problem. Those other methods you mention are patches at best, in my opinion, and won't really solve the problem permanently.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.


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## jamm51 (Sep 27, 2011)

With the progress in gluing technology in the last ten years, I would say plastic weld or epoxy a patch. There's no pressure on it.

Clean it well and let it cure.


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

Doesn't ABS cement (not epoxy) melt the plastic surfaces and thus "weld" the pieces together in which case a patch is as good as anything else?


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## Chemist1961 (Dec 13, 2008)

*ABS glue!!!!*

IMHO, unless you use ABS glue which as AlanJ notes is made for the pipe you may have made matters worse. If you can, pressure seal the pipe, remove the screw then clean the area. Attach a shop vac to the clean out and suck ABS glue into the hole.... I have never done this but read about it, I have used silicone on pvc pipe in similar scenarios but normally install a section of new pipe.


I have however repaired many damaged pvc central vac lines where customers stabbed them using extra long screws at their inlets or doing baseboards or hanging pictures. Only use glue made for that pipe and please post your results


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

AllanJ said:


> Doesn't ABS cement (not epoxy) melt the plastic surfaces and thus "weld" the pieces together in which case a patch is as good as anything else?


True enough, however it isn't an approved method of installation or repair. 

I might do it on my own house in a pinch, although i'd definitely plan on fixing it properly.


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## rrolleston (Oct 17, 2011)

You could cut a pipe coupling in half prime and glue both the pipe and coupling halves including the cut edge. Use some large clamps to go around the halves of the coupling tighten with a ratchet before it dries and it makes a really tight fix until it can be replaced. Works well because when you tighten it up with clamps you make the cut parts touch gluing it back together.


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## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

you could try this>>>>>clean very good.....using hacksaw cut some abs pipe use the shavings mixed with abs glue.. make a paste apply coat let dry... apply a 2 coat doing same thing..... this has got me out of tons of jams...trade secret....don't tell no one else:laughing::laughing:..should fix your leak...:yes:


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## VIPlumber (Aug 2, 2010)

ben's plumbing said:


> you could try this>>>>>clean very good.....using hacksaw cut some abs pipe use the shavings mixed with abs glue.. make a paste apply coat let dry... apply a 2 coat doing same thing..... this has got me out of tons of jams...trade secret....don't tell no one else:laughing::laughing:..should fix your leak...:yes:


Kinda like carpenters using sawdust & glue for patches? Thanks for the tip Ben. Might try it one day.


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## ThatGuy (Jan 14, 2012)

Thanks for all of the replies, there are some really good ideas here and I think I will try the suggestion from Ben's Plumbing and see how that holds out.


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