Patching copper flushpipe

[JohnBarleycorn]

I have a very old wooden high-level cistern with a copper flushpipe. Unfortunately the pipe is shot at the bend at the bottom (presumably because water sits in there) and it's dripping on every flush.

Does anyone have any advice on how to repair the pipe without having to detach it from the cistern or toilet (it's painted stuck to the cistern and I'm concerned I won't be able to attach a new pipe to the fittings on the toilet)? I'd really like to renovate the thing without any fear of losing the original toilet and replacing with new.

The previous owner has put some kind of cloth wrapping around the pipe with some putty, but it's not fully watertight. I'm hoping I can remove the cloth and use something to patch up the copper pipe, whether that be some kind of sealant or soldering a patch of copper on there if that's possible.

Thanks hugely for any advice.

JB.

 

[John M]

This is either Replace the pipe completely & fix it up good ........ Or get a roll of Denso Tape & bodge it again ...... Your call

 

[doitall]

I doubt its the pipe thats leaking, have a look at the flush pipe connector after you have unwrapped it.

 

[pointman]

As the previous poster said, check the pan cone, it's probably an external one, remove the paint and check that the rubber has not perforated, if it has, it will need replacing, failing that: cut the existing cone out, buy some Milliput at a plumbers merchants, 2 part mix, mould and shape whilst stiil soft, ensuring you cover the whole inlet.

This stuff can hold buildings up when it's gone off. when forming the shape, keep a bowl of water at your side, and constantly wet you hands whilst forming the shape. at bit like a clay worker.

If it is the flush pipe, this stuff will work equally as well on copper also, but make sure the area is well clean, wire wool will do the job.
Good luck.

 

[bobthebender]

MILLIPUT

Solder it like a real plumber.
Tin a piece of copper and fix it proper

 

[JohnBarleycorn]

Thanks for all the advice. Having chipped away all the crap joining the pipe to the pan, I now see that as people suspected it wasn't the flushpipe, but the inlet to the pan is cracked, with a couple of pieces glued together. This can't be holding the seal tight, and water must be coming out of the cracks anyway.

The temporary repair seems to be removing the bit of the seal that I can see, and spreading milliputt over the cracks and at the pipe/pan join. The pan looks like it's welded to the wooden floorboards so swapping out the pan doesn't look like a small job.

Thanks again,
JB.