Patedepollo

Modern mobile homes largely use a black pipe called ABS-DWV for drains. ABS stands for Acrylonitrile Butadiene-Styrene. It makes into a heavy-duty plastic drain-waste-vent (DWV) pipe which does not rust, rot, or corrode.
ABS pipe is durable, but damage occurs occasionally. When it does, even a novice can repair it—if the novice knows how. It takes a carpenter’s rule, trouble light, china marker, bucket, fine-tooth hacksaw, sandpaper, rags, ABS solvent cement, a few bricks or wood blocks, plus of course replacements for the damaged fittings and/or pipe.
With trouble in hand, mark cutting lines just beyond the damaged section with a china marker. Measure the length and diameter of pipe being removed. In a straight drain the new section must be not more than 1/4 inch shorter than the section it’s replacing; couplings add only a tiny fraction to length. With Ys and Ls, allow for ¾ inch of pipe to slide into the new fitting.
Support the undamaged pipe beyond the cutting lines. Set a bucket to catch any sewage. Saw through the old drain at the cutting lines. Sand off any roughness.
To test the fit, slip two dry couplings onto the new pipe. Align the new pipe, and slide a coupling out over each end. The couplings should fit easily but snugly, holding the new section in the drain. Disassemble the new parts. Retrim any that doesn’t fit right.
Apply ABS cement to one end of the replacement pipe and to the inside of one coupler. Slip the pipe into the coupler and give the pipe a quarter-turn to distribute the cement. Do the same with the other coupler at the opposite end of the new pipe.
Now apply ABS cement to the inside of both couplings and to the outside of both drain pipe ends. Slip one coupler onto one drain pipe. Then pry back the other drain end and slip it into the other coupler. Twist the new pipe and couplers a quarter-turn. The new pipe should bond permanently in a few minutes.

Tags: home

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 9th, 2010 at 10:11 am and is filed under Home living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.