The one thing we’ve learned from an emergency DIY perspective is that you need a bag full of reliable and effective products to help you deal with different situations when they arise.
Jenolite’s Underwater Epoxy Putty Stick is the latest product to earn a spot on our shelf of go-to emergency and must-have products because it’s extremely useful and very effective.
We have a home sewage treatment plant that uses a blower pump to aerate various chambers. Recently, the airflow regulator manifold cracked leading to a drop in aeration activity. When this happens, it makes the system function a lot less effectively (because there are less bubbles) and leads to unpleasant odours making their way back into the house.
This manifold is not a standard part you can just pick up at your local plumbing merchants and it’s taken us a while to track down and buy a replacement.
To temporarily plug the air leak, we initially tried to use Maxam’s Dura+ sealant (which we really like), but the air pressure was too great and didn’t stop the air from leaking out.
So we gave the Jenolite epoxy putty a chance and this product excelled. We pinched off about 2cm from the stick and then kneaded it with our fingers for a few minutes until it changed colour and was warm and malleable.
I then worked it around the contours of the plastic manifold pushing and pressing it into shape around the area where the crack had formed. The putty bonded without issue and we left it to cure and dry.
I returned 90 minutes later and it had set rock hard. I turned the pump on, and the hiss of escaping air was gone. It couldn’t be easier to use, and the fact that you can seal leaks and cracks like this is invaluable.
According to the product literature, it can be used in wet and damp areas and even on underwater surfaces, so it would probably work a treat if you’ve got a small crack in your pool or hot tub. You can also sand, file or paint it if if you’ve applied to it to an area that is visible.
It’s a superb product that I can’t recommend highly enough – this makes it 2 out of 2 for Jenolite products because their Stop Leak Sealer Spray is an absolute lifesaver and has successfully stopped leaks into our garden room via the plastisol roof.
The replacement manifold is on its way, but the epoxy putty meant that our home sewage treatment plant could continue functioning.