There are various kinds of plumbing leaks and the response from the homeowners to each problem depends on its severity. Water leaks can happen at the joints or broken pieces of pipes. Broken pipes are relatively more problematic than leaking joints. The reason is that water in the pipes usually flows at a considerable pressure. If it starts springing water, the water will stream at 50 pounds per square inch.

In this article, we will guide you on how to repair water pipe leaks with very easy steps.

Pipes that are used now a day:

In the modern era, most of the pipes used are made up of copper and soldered with tees, elbows, and sockets. The trend of using threaded galvanized iron pipes is outdated now. There are various conditions to which these pipes are exposed. You must keep pipe clamps to use them whenever needed.

Whenever you see a damaged or leaking pipe, it’s not always a matter of calling a plumber. You can fix it yourself with the help of some basic tools. This article will help you do that efficiently. However, if you have 1% doubt that you cannot do it, call a plumber immediately.

Before the plumber reaches:

The physical location of the leakage can be traced easily. Because you can often hear the noise of water pouring or the walls getting wet. Similarly, water droplets staining the ceiling are also an indication of leakage.

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When a pipe is damaged and starts springing the water, you cannot simply wait for the plumber to come. But you do some first aid sort of activity to at least prevent more water wastage. So here are some steps that can be carried out before the plumber arrives.

After you have located the physical point of leakage, trace the source of water towards that point and shut the water supply off.
If you have a sleeve clamp, wrap it around the point where the pipe is damaged. Screw it to a point when the leaking water stops coming out.
We recommend that you must have a pipe sleeve clamp all the time with your basic plumbing tools. However, if you do not have one, you can use a piece of rubber or a burst tube. This rubber or tube will be wrapped and then screwed tightly to the point of leakage.
If the leakage is near a joint, just apply epoxy putty on the point and observe the state of leakage.
Call the plumber.

How to Repair Water Pipe Leak?

It is often thought of as plug and play, as if the leakage occurs at the joint, simply tighten the joint. Similarly, if the pipe section is leaking, replace it. However, it is not as simple as it seems to be. Following instructions will help the plumbers or the ones who are interested to repair the pipe without calling a plumber.

Turn off the water supply:

It is important to avoid water wastage during the plumbing work. This can be done by turning off the valve to cut the supply towards the leaking point. Since you have already located the physical location of the leakage, this should be much easier. If you do not have a separate valve to control the water of a particular side, turn off the main water supply of the home.

Cut out the wall:

If the pipework is hidden inside the wall, you will need to cut a squared piece out of the wall. Be careful to do so because the electrical wires will also be hidden in the wall. Use a saw or utility knife to smoothly cut a piece of the wall and expose the damaged part. The Utility knife is a safer option as compared to a saw. Once you have cut the piece, save it, because you will reinstall it later on.

Cut the damaged piece of pipe:

If the pipe is damaged and needs to be replaced, make two cuts on the pipe. These cuts must be approximately 10 to 12 inches apart spending upon the damaged area of the pipe. Cut the piece of pipe between these two points. This can be done using a tubing cutter or simply a metallic cutter.

Remove the burrs and test the fit coupling:

Once you have cut the damaged part of the pipe, there will be rough areas on both ends that you will need to clean. Apply flux to both ends and make sure that there are no burrs anymore on both the top and bottom ends. Before installing the fresh piece of the pipe, just test fit the coupling by slightly moving it onto the pipe.

Solder both ends:

Solder both top and bottom ends carefully. Once you have done that, wait for the pipe to cool and then turn on the water supply to validate the repair process.

Repair the wall:

You will certainly need to do a bit of masonry work to put the wall back in shape. You may need a few wooden blocks or cement and adhesive material etc.

After the plumbing work :

After the replacement of the pipe, you will observe the faucets of the entire house sputter water and air when you use them. After a while, they will start the normal operation.

Summary:

A leaking water pipe is a headache to all homeowners and they rush to find a plumber. Some steps must be taken before the plumber arrives to avoid water wastage during this time. After the plumber arrives, he/she has to repair water pipe leak by replacing a piece of pipe or tightening a joint. All these steps towards the return of the pipe to a normal operation are explained in the article.