Question from Pat Burkett
The seal under the bathtub drain gave out and water leaked out. Plumber used plumbers putty as a sealant and I found out that was really bad for me. I need something safer. Any suggestions?
Debra’s Answer
I asked my husband about this and he went under the kitchen sink and brought out a little tub of plumber’s putty. He looked on the label and said, “It says all ingredients are non-hazardous.” He put it on my desk, and after about fifteen minutes I started reacting to it. I felt woozy and started making a lot of mistakes typing, which I don’t usually do.
So I looked up Oatey’s Plumber’s Putty MSDS and found that it contains 10-30% non-specific “hydrocarbons” (and zero VOCs–that doesn’t make sense to me) along with limestone, talc, clay, and fish oils. Yes, I think you could have a reaction to this.
The alternatives seem to be silicone caulk, which will dry where plumber’s putty never cures, or a rubber or silicone gasket. My husband and I had quite a time trying to find such a gasket online with no success. He said the drain should come with a gasket and you should be able to just get a gasket. I’d try a plumbing supply house.
Readers, any other suggestions?
