I have a downspout leading to a large rain barrel that leaks from one or more of the joints.
Instructions I can find on the internet suggest either taking it apart and re-assembling with new sealant, or scraping out the old sealant and putting in new, which may amount to the same thing given the access I have around the joints.
I'd prefer to fix the leaks without taking it apart. Is this possible? For example, is there some kind of tape or wrap I could apply?
It's in the back yard, so appearance is mostly irrelevant.
Photo of the situation. Notes:
- I'll do the repair once it warms up and dries out.
- The leaks are present in warm weather too.
Best Answer
Downspouts aren't sealed because gravity prevents much water from coming back up through the lapped connections. So if that's happening something's usually plugged.
In this case, it's because of the ice blockage. If you were to seal the system you'd just move the "leak" to the gutter, and your icicles would form there instead because the entire pipe would be full of ice.
Eliminate the ice plug at the bottom and be happy.