I'm wondering if there's something better to seal around hot and cold
water pipes than the usual silicone sealant?

Water from the shower-head naturally splashes onto tiles in the region
above the shower control. The water then trickles down the tiles as it
is meant to but it then meets the ironware of the shower-control at the
the two points where the hot and cold pipes poke through the wall to
connect with the control. The plumber who fitted the shower-control
can't have sealed up the holes around the pipes before he fitted the
ironware. So some of the water is dribbling into two holes, saturating
the adjacent tiles and, presumably, the wall behind.

I'm planning to take off the ironware myself and fill up the holes, but
am wondering if there's something better to use than just the usual
silicone sealant?

Thanks.

Eddy.

Eddy wrote:

I'm planning to take off the ironware myself and fill up the holes, but
am wondering if there's something better to use than just the usual
silicone sealant?

It depends how much you want to pay. Sikaflex is much better than
silicone sealant for use when continuously immersed. It's also much more
expensive. If you want a compromise then MS-polymer sealants (modified
silicon co-polymer sealants) are extremely good for use when wet. They
are slightly less jelly-like than silicone and can be sanded and
overpainted (not relevant in your application).

Evostick Nail and Seal is an MS-polymer sealant. You can get it from
some branches of B&Q mainly the larger ones. Don't get confused by other
products with similar names.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Evo-Stik-Nai.../dp/B0001P03SS
http://www.tool-up.co.uk/shop/diy/EVONAS.html

This is the cheapest supplier I could find:

http://www.pvrdirect.co.uk/productin...?catref=EVONAS

Steve Firth wrote:


It depends how much you want to pay. Sikaflex is much better than
silicone sealant for use when continuously immersed.

Silicone is used to bond the glass in aquaria and lasts donkey's years
of continuous immersion under pressure.

--
Reentrant

Reentrant wrote:
Steve Firth wrote:


It depends how much you want to pay. Sikaflex is much better than
silicone sealant for use when continuously immersed.

Silicone is used to bond the glass in aquaria and lasts donkey's years
of continuous immersion under pressure.

but at constantish temperature,
water pipes change temperature a lot and move..

[g]

Reentrant wrote:

Steve Firth wrote:


It depends how much you want to pay. Sikaflex is much better than
silicone sealant for use when continuously immersed.

Silicone is used to bond the glass in aquaria and lasts donkey's years
of continuous immersion under pressure.

You are of coruse free to quote any silicone manufacturer recommending
their cheap shed sealant for use when continuously immersed.

george (dicegeorge) wrote:
Reentrant wrote:
Steve Firth wrote:


It depends how much you want to pay. Sikaflex is much better than
silicone sealant for use when continuously immersed.

Silicone is used to bond the glass in aquaria and lasts donkey's years
of continuous immersion under pressure.

but at constantish temperature,
water pipes change temperature a lot and move..

[g]

That is the good thing about good quality silicon, it is flexible.
I have used it for donkeys years (well at least the last 30) to seal
vacuum pipes that start at atmospheric and pull down to 5mb, you can
visibly see the flexible pipe shrink and stretch at 15 cycles per min.
but the silicon holds the seal.
For this use I use "Wacker" or "GE RTV", the sheds sell inferior products
--
Corporal Jones
"I don't like it up me"

Steve Firth wrote:

It depends how much you want to pay. Sikaflex is much better than
silicone sealant for use when continuously immersed. It's also much more
expensive. If you want a compromise then MS-polymer sealants (modified
silicon co-polymer sealants) are extremely good for use when wet. They
are slightly less jelly-like than silicone and can be sanded and
overpainted (not relevant in your application).

Evostick Nail and Seal is an MS-polymer sealant. You can get it from
some branches of B&Q mainly the larger ones. Don't get confused by other
products with similar names.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Evo-Stik-Nai.../dp/B0001P03SS
http://www.tool-up.co.uk/shop/diy/EVONAS.html

This is the cheapest supplier I could find:

http://www.pvrdirect.co.uk/productin...?catref=EVONAS

Steve, thanks a lot! So helpful. I reckon for just a few pounds extra
it's worth me going for the Sikaflex. I don't want ANY water dribbling
in at some point in the future and have to go through the misery of
taking the ironware to bits again!

Eddy.

Corporal Jones wrote:
That is the good thing about good quality silicon, it is flexible.
I have used it for donkeys years (well at least the last 30) to seal
vacuum pipes that start at atmospheric and pull down to 5mb, you can
visibly see the flexible pipe shrink and stretch at 15 cycles per min.
but the silicon holds the seal.
For this use I use "Wacker" or "GE RTV", the sheds sell inferior products

Thanks, Corporal, re. Wacker and GE RTV. Have looked them up on the web
and they would clearly suit my job well.

Eddy.

Eddy wrote:

Steve, thanks a lot! So helpful. I reckon for just a few pounds extra
it's worth me going for the Sikaflex. I don't want ANY water dribbling
in at some point in the future and have to go through the misery of
taking the ironware to bits again!

TBH I recommend the EvoStick for your use. It's more like a paste than
Sikflex. Sikaflex is very runny and difficult to smooth with a finger or
a tool. EVONAS can be shaped with silicone sealant tools, dissolves in
white spirit so you can wipe it off and it saves you money.

Eddy wrote:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Evo-Stik-Nai.../dp/B0001P03SS
http://www.pvrdirect.co.uk/productin...?catref=EVONAS

Steve, after looking at the prices PLUS delivery I have decided to go
for the Nail-Seal instead of the Sikaflex. However, for your interest,
pvrdirect slap on a whopping £8 (P&P plus VAT) on top of the £5.75,
while Amazon only put £2 P&P on top of their price of £7.61. So
that's £9.60 vs £13.45. The giant wins again.

Thanks again for help.

Eddy.

Eddy wrote:

Thanks again for help.

You're welcome. The good thing with EVONAS btw is the screw on cap. Once
you've used some you can put the red cap bacl on and it will keep the
sealant fresh for weeks. Even after a year you can simply wind a small
screw into the plug or hardened sealer, pull it out (the plug will be
about half an inch long) and start to use the sealant again. It works
out more economical than all the gunged up silicone tubes I've lived
with.