Waterproof repair tape

jennifernil

We have a plastic rainwater downpipe which has cracked due to having frozen, what is the best waterproof tape to wrap it with to make a temporary repair?

oldernonethewiser

This sort of thing should do the trick

www.screwfix.com/p/self-amalgamating-rubber-tape-black-3m-x-25mm/2115v

ButterCheese

Bostik Flashband. I used it to seal leaks around my shed windows. It is quite pricey but the narrower rolls are affordable and you do get a lot (10M). You HAVE to heat it with a hairdryer or heat gun though. Lots of reviews state that it doesn't stick, but that's because they haven't melted the tar.

Eldi_Dos

If it is only temporary and you are not to worried about appearance Denso tape will get all round the downpipe.

It is clingy stuff to use so best to have a couple of pairs of disposable gloves, once you get it round the pipe you mould it into a shape, rather like how a plaster cast ( stookie) is put on.

Edit: If you have any clingfilm around try that, do not know if it will work but cheap enough if you have any to hand.

Swipe

You could have a go at plastic welding if you have a soldering iron. I was successful repairing my leaking water butt that way that was cracked right at the bottom next to the tap. It has held up even with lots of water pressure down there.

casper_gutman

I've a roll of something that was sold as an emergency repair for canoes and kayaks. I've used it for running repairs on various bits of sports and camping equipment over the years, and it's what I'd grab for this - waterproof, made to stick firmly to smooth plastic surfaces.

It just looks like normal gaffer tape/duct tape, but the adhesive is incredibly strong and it's lasted years in a whole range of situations.

I don't recall the specific brand, and the camping stuff isn't easy to access to check as it's way in the back of a storeroom at this time of year, but this looks like the sort of thing:

Repair Tape - Endless River

To be honest though, for a temporary repair there are lots of products that should work okay. It's not as if a downpipe has any pressure in it.

casper_gutman

Incidentally, how did the downpipe come to break?

Was it a case of the plastic becoming brittle in the cold and then being damaged by an impact - e.g., you bashed it with a tool or bumped into it with a car, heavy trolley etc - or was it a spontaneous "burst pipe" type of thing?

If there wasn't an obvious impact then I wouldn't normally expect a downpipe to burst in cold weather, because it shouldn't ever be full of water. What happend at the bottom of the pipe? If there a visible outlet from which water drops into a gully/drain? Or does the pipe just disappear into the ground? If it's the latter, then perhaps investigate whether the drain could be blocked causing water to back up and stand in the downpipe.

plumb1_2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81868958#Comment_81868958

what type of welding rod do you use?

jennifernil

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81871727#Comment_81871727

That is a very good question! It was not hit with anything, but it is quite possible that there is a blockage after it enters the ground as there are a lot of trees in the area and gutters have to be cleaned out 2-3 times per year. It looks like there has been standing water in it after some torrential rain, which had frozen. Now thinking we should buy a new piece of pipe, remove the split one and investigate further.

stuart45

A new plastic downpipe will be less than a tenner, so it's not worth messing around with the old one.

jennifernil

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81871798#Comment_81871798

Yes, having looked at the price of various repair tapes today, we too have come to that conclusion. Not sure the brand of the downpipe, are they all standard dimensions? Will need connection pieces too. The pipe is dark brown, could possibly be Marley.