How To Fix Leaking Pipes At Home

Leaking pipes result to a lot of problems: flooding, damages on your property and let’s not forget a skyrocketing water bill. To avoid these inconveniences, make sure that the affected pipe is attended to right away. Here’s a DIY guide on how to temporarily stop the leak until your trusted plumber arrives.

Clamping Method

 

1. First things, first. Shut off the water supply that’s connected to the leaking pipe.

2. Turn on the faucet to drain the water left inside the pipe.

3. Once done, wipe the cracked, damaged or leaking part of the pipe dry. Make sure that it has completely dried up before proceeding so that the adhesive that you’ll apply will stick effectively.

4. When the affected area is dry, get a putty knife and use it to apply epoxy on it.

5. Cover the patched area with a rubber and guarantee that it’s flat on the pipe. The leaking area should be completely covered before clamping.

6. Clamp the rubber and tighten its hold on the pipe. Leave it for an hour.

7. When the epoxy has dried together with the rubber, apply a water resistant tape onto it. This way, there will be an extra layer of protection against the leak.

8. Turn the water supply valve on. Check the affected area and guarantee that the clamp works. If it does, then you can use your plumbing. Otherwise, try the second method.

Cut And Replace Method

 

1. If the crack or the leak is too lengthy to clamp, you can simply cut and replace the affected area. Measure the size of the damaged pipe and get a replacement from your local hardware or plumbing supply shop.

2. As usual, shut the water supply valve off and drain the pipes by turning the faucet on.

3. Once all the water is drained, you have to remove the damaged part of the pipe with the use of a metal saw.

4. Before the installation of the new pipe, you have to first polish or deburr the ends of the pipe where you made the cut.

5. Afterwards, solder the replacement pipe if it’s made from copper. If it’s not copper, there are fittings or connectors that should be bought to make the new connection.

6. Tighten the connection and once you’re done, turn the water supply back on.

7. Run the tap and check the pipe for leaks.

We hope that you learned how to fix leaking pipes from our blog today. Just call the most reliable Rockville plumber to ensure that your pipes are repaired efficiently. Plumbers 911 Washington DC provides local plumbing services in Rockville VA including drain cleaning, water heater repair, home remodeling, gas systems installation, sub-metering and many more! Call us now at (877) 932-5325 to schedule a service!

Learn how to solder a pipe and fix water lines. Watch this video now.