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leaking hvac sealant, easy fix? (pictures)

2771 Views 9 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  beenthere
The PVC pipe on my HVAC is leaking. I can see the water leaking through the purple sealant. Is there a simple solution? Can I simply go to Home Depot and by sealant and apply? I'm attaching pictures. Thank you!

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Don't think it will work but 1 way to find out. Get a can of primer and glue. Most probably the purple stuff you see is the primer and the glue is clear. Prime it up and seal it up with glue and see if it works. Otherwise see if possibly it wasn't glued properly and you can split it apart and redo the seal. If neither of the above work you will have to cut it out and redo with new pvc pipes.
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Thanks. If I have to call someone though, would it be a plumber or HVAC repair? I have virtually no tools/experience. I'll try the primer/glue suggestion first though.
Make sure the water isnt coming from higher up and running down the pipe.Because of the way the pipe is in the fitting, the water is probably coming from higher up.
Just smearing glue on the outside of the fitting wont do anything for the leak.
You could try using silicone, but the pipe needs to be bone dry before trying.Like leave it off for about an hour, or wait till you are done using the heat for the year.
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Ayuh,.... I ain't sure of what I'm lookin' at, But,....

I don't think there's supposed to be water there,....

Check the little line goin' off to the right, 'n see if it's plugged up,....

Call yer Hvac guy,....
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If that's the exhaust pipe, which it appears to be, it could be leaking products of combustion, which include carbon monoxide.
If it's leaking large amounts of water that lower drain should be inspected and cleaned as well.
Simply smearing some glue on the outside of the joint isn't enough to properly seal the connection.
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Thanks. If I have to call someone though, would it be a plumber or HVAC repair? I have virtually no tools/experience. I'll try the primer/glue suggestion first though.
Call the HVAC man. I assume you have a company that services your unit. Give them a call and they should be able to fix you up.
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Turn the furnace off and dry that area thoroughly with a hair dryer or heat gun

Coat the joint with PVC cement.

Leave the furnace off for at least 6 hours for it to cure. Or you could use RTV silicone. I do it all the time on collector box gaskets BUT you need to give it 6 hours to cure or the water may ruin your job if you turn it on too soon.
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If that's the flue vent, and i found that while working,
1) I'd cut the vertical pipe close to the tee
2) with a rag inside, I'd use a special coring drill bit to remove the stub left inside the tee, or just remove the whole tee and replace with new
3 ) add a short piece of straight pipe with coupling to make everything fit nicely.

I'd recommend calling an hvac guy, but around here most union plumbers also have gas licenses too. Either works. All the parts can usually be found at HD and the instructions would be on the can of pvc cement. (locally here, everything has to be system636, same stuff but more expensive)

Cheers!
Turn furnace off. Dry the area, then use silicon caulk on the joint. Wait 15 minutes and turn the furnace back on and check if its leaking after it runs for 5 or 10 minutes.

Then come spring or summer. If you want you can replace the fitting, or buy the core bit to reuse that fitting, and prime and glue a new piece in.
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