What should I use to plug a hole/crack in the base water container of a basketball hoop

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › What should I use to plug a hole/crack in the base water container of a basketball hoop

duckDecoy

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#322677 11-Sep-2025 13:20

The base of our basketball hoop is a big plastic shell that gets filled with water to keep the hoop from tipping over. Looks something like this.

It has developed some damage to the water shell and now it leaks, and without the additional weight it keeps toppling over.

What product should we use to fix it? I have seen online that hot glue isn't great on the bottom because the movement that happens when it is being pulled out or put away means it cracks.

Could this marine flexible adhesive sealant be a suitable product?

wellygary

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#3413765 11-Sep-2025 13:38

What is the damage, are we talking cracks? holes from being dragged around? or seam splits....?

A photo of where its leaking would be helpful to determine the best solution,

Flexible silicon will fill a gap, but like hot glue, its not very durable if its being rubbed or dragged,

My first go to would be some sort of epoxy.... but it would depend on the damage type

mentalinc

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#3413766 11-Sep-2025 13:42

fill with sand instead of water?

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duckDecoy

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#3413767 11-Sep-2025 13:44

mentalinc:

fill with sand instead of water?

Unfortunately it has to be mobile as it is dragged out onto the middle of a shared driveway for use.

duckDecoy

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#3413772 11-Sep-2025 13:56

wellygary:

What is the damage, are we talking cracks? holes from being dragged around? or seam splits....?

A photo of where its leaking would be helpful to determine the best solution,

Flexible silicon will fill a gap, but like hot glue, its not very durable if its being rubbed or dragged,

My first go to would be some sort of epoxy.... but it would depend on the damage type

I'll get a photo when I can, its a 2 person job to tip it on its side without damaging it.

wellygary

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#3413780 11-Sep-2025 14:16

duckDecoy:

wellygary:

What is the damage, are we talking cracks? holes from being dragged around? or seam splits....?

A photo of where its leaking would be helpful to determine the best solution,

Flexible silicon will fill a gap, but like hot glue, its not very durable if its being rubbed or dragged,

My first go to would be some sort of epoxy.... but it would depend on the damage type

I'll get a photo when I can, its a 2 person job to tip it on its side without damaging it.

I can imagine,

We've got something similar holding up a cantilevered shade umbrella, it's hard enough to move with the shaft and umbrella removed , I imagine the BB post and hoop are permanently bolted on some how..

Kickinbac

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#3413786 11-Sep-2025 14:26

Maybe try a plastic welder? Its commonly done fixing plastic car bumpers.

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eracode

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#3413789 11-Sep-2025 14:36

duckDecoy:

mentalinc:

fill with sand instead of water?

Unfortunately it has to be mobile as it is dragged out onto the middle of a shared driveway for use.

Sand is roughly 1.5x the density of water - a bit more if wet. If you 2/3 filled it with sand, it would be no heavier than filled with water and should have the same stability and mobility. Stability might be enhanced because it would have a lower centre of gravity.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

wellygary

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#3413791 11-Sep-2025 14:43

eracode:

Sand is roughly 1.5x the weight of the same volume of water - a bit more if wet. If you 2/3 filled it with sand, it would be no heavier than filled with water and should have the same stability and mobility.

You drag it empty, they won't move when full,

The thing with water is that is drains easy so you can put it away "quickly" , sand won't

eracode

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#3413793 11-Sep-2025 14:44

wellygary:

eracode:

Sand is roughly 1.5x the weight of the same volume of water - a bit more if wet. If you 2/3 filled it with sand, it would be no heavier than filled with water and should have the same stability and mobility.

You drag it empty, they won't move when full,

The thing with water is that is drains easy so you can put it away "quickly" , sand won't

Sorry - now understand. OP was talking about mobility when empty and stupidly I didn’t think of that. Of course it’s the very reason why water is used.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Bung

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#3413836 11-Sep-2025 16:24

Kickinbac:

Maybe try a plastic welder? Its commonly done fixing plastic car bumpers.

This ^^

There are numerous YT videos showing how to fix splits in weed sprayer tanks, windscreen washer reservoirs etc using heat and polyethylene filler strips. I don't think any adhesive bonds to polyethylene.