Everyone has that one friend. That one friend who has “A Guy” for everything. Do you need a mechanic for an old Russian automobile? Your friend knows a guy. Do you need an exotic truffle at 3am in the morning? Your friend knows a guy. But the very best guy your friend knows is a plumber. Water leaks and
How to Fix Pipe Leaks
If you are going to avoid a plumber and fix your own pipes, then you need to do it right! Follow these steps and you’ll come out of your repair clean and dry.
- Turn off the water valve – This is kind of a no brainer, but you need to make sure no water is going to be flowing through the pipes unless you’re aiming for a water damage disaster.
- Finish draining the pipes – Just turn on your faucet and drain out all the remaining water until the faucet is shooting air.
- Dry your Pipes – You can’t properly repair your pipe leak if it is still moist in the area. Dry it off and give it some air drying time. Alternatively break out a blow dryer on the no heat setting.
- Epoxy Time – You need to put some epoxy on the pipe to cover and repair the leak. Use a putty knife so you’re not getting the epoxy all over your hands.
- Cover the Leak – Surround the leak with rubber. The rubber will work as a buffer from the interior of the pipe. You need to make sure that you don’t miss any of the leak or there could be some dire consequences! Or at least you’ll be fixing your pipes again.
- Clamps! – Clamp the rubber into place, and make sure it’s set. You usually need to wait for about an hour until the clamps are really set.
- Double Bag It – You can use waterproof tape over the rubber patch to provide a second layer of protection. It’s always worth providing additional protection and backup plans in case things aren’t working right.
- Test Your Repair – Now that you’ve made your fix, it’s time to see if your repair is going to hold. Turn the water back on from the water valve. Run the water for a while to see if the repair is solid or if it’s continuing to leak on you.
That method works great for small leaks, however if there is a bigger leak, you are going to need to follow an alternate plan. If your pipe needs replacing, try the following:
- Purchase your replacement pipe – There’s nothing worse than having to take a trip to the store in the middle of your repair.
- Water Again – Shut off the water and drain the pipes like in the steps above.
- Saw Time – Use a metal saw and cut out the damaged section of piping.
- Reattach – If you are using copper piping, you’re going to have to solder your pipe. If you are using pvc piping, you’ll be able to use glue and fittings. Each type of piping will have their own method. Ideally you’ll be able to just put on some couplings and tighten them up.