[C320-list] My leak stop kit...

[Jeff Hare]

So, here's an inexpensive tip for plugging a hole in an emergency.  

Go to your home center and get 2 or 3 toilet Wax Rings.  Put them in a large
Ziploc bag and warm them to room temp or slightly above.  Squeeze them all
into a big ball.   Then squeeze all the air out of the Ziploc bag, roll it
up tight.    Now, next time you have a problem with a big leak, open the
Ziploc bag, turn it upside down over the hole and press/knead the wax into
the leak.  It should stop, just like that, and probably stay stopped.  

If there's still some of the thru-hull left, drape the Ziploc over the
thru-hull and zip-tie it to help hold the wax it in place (may not even need
to).  Also keeping a few 4" wide strips of old bed sheets can give you
something to wrap around the wax it and tie off.  Like a big sticky
Band-Aid.  

Put the bedsheet strips in a large Ziploc with a handful of zip ties, a roll
of Rescue Tape, a box cutter and the other sealed Ziploc containing the wax
ball and you have a nice portable leak stopping kit.  The Wax is pliable,
waterproof, sticky and should easily fill oddly shaped leaking areas.  The
rescue tape will work when you have some hose that burst or is leaking, and
the zip ties can be used to hold it in place or joined together for wrapping
around something larger 

That's my tip of the day.  :)    Hope I never really have to use it however,
but I made a couple of these back when I was more paranoid.  The wooden plug
thing doesn't seem appropriate to me for plastic thru-hulls.

-Jeff Hare
#809