LEAKING PIPE REPAIRS
A leaking water pipe can easily lead to water damage and big bills to fix it. As such, fixing a leaking water pipe should be done right away. This guide will help you to take care of the repair yourself through the use of a patch.
- The first step is to locate the valve that supplies water to the pipe. Some designs may have two valves to supply hot and cold water separately. All of these must be closed.
- After closing the valve for the damaged pipe, turn on the associated faucet(s), this will let any water remaining in the pipe drain out.
- You will want to wipe down the pipe to make sure it is completely dry before continuing. Give it time to air dry after wiping it down.
- Use epoxy to cover the leaking area. This will help to seal the leak. Take it one step further by wrapping the leaking area completely with rubber and clamp it down. Give the epoxy and rubber and hour to set.
- Assuming the area is completely dry, use waterproof tape to provide an extra layer of security to the patch.
- At this point, turn on the main valve and check for leaks. If there are no leaks you should be good to go for now!
If after following these steps the pipe is still leaking, or there is a rather large hole, you may have to replace that pipe section entirely. Pipe section replacement is a complicated endeavor whose specifics vary depending on the type of pipe being used, and it is for this reason we highly recommend bringing in a professional at this point.
