This $7 Epoxy Putty Saved My Home From Thousands in Water Damage

Since our house flooded in the middle of the night (but fortunately Before we fell asleep), my wife and I have been diligent in installing water alarms throughout the house, so we will receive a crucial warning as soon as something leaks or backs up.

Well, the other night the alarm under the kitchen sink went off while the dishwasher was running and sure enough, water was gushing out of the sink drain. Luckily, I was able to turn off the water and clean everything before my cabinets and floors were completely destroyed. I began my investigation into the problem, and about three seconds later it was obvious: my sink drain had a huge hole:

The huge hole in my corroded kitchen drain pipe.
Credit: Jeff Somers

It was actually quite astonishing: a piece of pipe had just disappeared, and what was left was as fragile as tissue paper. I called a few plumbers, but no one could get through to me for a few days (plumbers have a very narrow definition of “emergency”). I was faced with the prospect of not being able to use my sink or dishwasher for a while, or risk further damage to my home. But I had another option: a quick fix with epoxy putty.

Epoxy putty is a simple, water-resistant solution to leaks

Epoxy putties all generally work the same way: They contain a resin and a hardening agent, and when these clay-like materials are combined, a chemical reaction quickly hardens them into whatever shape you’re working them into. There are a few great brands to choose from, including JB WaterWeld, PC-Plumbing Epoxy Putty, Oatey Stick Fix-It, and Loctite Epoxy Putty. I happened to have some WaterWeld on hand, so that’s what I used to save my kitchen, but any of these products will probably work too.

How to quickly seal a leak with epoxy putty

The process is pretty simple: first, you pinch out as much putty as you think you need (wear gloves, this stuff can irritate your skin). Knead the material together, mixing the resin and hardener until everything is one color:

Kneading the putty is strangely satisfying.
Credit: Jeff Somers

Now apply the sealant to your leak. In my case, I used pretty much the entire package to encapsulate the huge drain hole in my kitchen, as you can see in the photo at the top of this post.

Different products will have different working times and curing times. WaterWeld takes about 25 minutes to set, so you should work relatively quickly. Fortunately, temporary plumbing repairs don’t have to be pretty. I simply rolled it over the drain, set it in place, and worked the edges to create a seal. It’s important to note that epoxy putty products like this are intended for low pressure repairs; although they could probably seal leaks in pipes at high pressure, a repair of this size would not have worked under intense water pressure.

WaterWeld hardens in about an hour, so after waiting, I went to run the water in the sink for a while to test it – and not a drop came out. Then I ran the dishwasher with my water alarm on and had no problems. The putty repair held up for the three days it took for a plumber to show up (to add insult to injury, he wasn’t even impressed with my brilliant temporary solution). In the meantime, we have been able to use the kitchen normally without risking further water damage. For a product that costs around $7, that’s not bad.