As you prepare to start your weekly cleaning routine, you reach under the sink to grab your arsenal of supplies. To your horror, you find your supplies sitting in a puddle of water. Not only will this mishap slow down your day's work; it also means you’ll have to tackle an emergency pipe leak repair. Luckily, a water leak repair isn't as difficult as you might think. These solutions for water leaks will keep your floors and cabinets dry until you can get a professional to come help. Show
 Drain the water line for repairBegin your repair by draining the water line. First things first, go to your home's main water supply and shut it off (it’s usually located near the water meter or an irrigation box close to the edge of your property.) Turn counterclockwise to shut off the water supply. Next, flush every toilet and turn on all faucets to allow them to drain. It's safe to proceed when there's a four to five second interval between drips. Flush the toilets once more to empty the bowls. How to fix a Leaky Pipe with Fiberglass TapeOne way to fix a leak is with special fiberglass tape. This type of tape is flexible and easy to use. Clean the area around the leak at the joint or pipe, ensuring that it's fully dry before you begin working. The tape is made to harden upon proper exposure to moisture, so follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. Apply the tape around the leaking pipe. Turn on the water to check for leaks. Epoxy Putty Pipe leak repairOnce again, you'll need to drain the water line before you start your pipe leak repair. Clean and dry the area around the water leak before applying the plumber's epoxy putty. This step ensures that the putty sticks properly to the pipe. Knead enough putty to completely cover the damaged area of the leaking pipe, making sure it's pliable enough to work with easily. Cure and apply the putty according to instructions. Turn on the water again to see if the sink is leaking. How to fix a Larger Water LeakA patch-and-clamp combo will do the trick for bigger water leak repairs. As with the other leaking pipe fixes, shut off your water line first. Use metal files to smooth any sharp points or edges to prevent punctures in the patch. Apply a neoprene or rubber-potable water-grade pipe patch and pipe repair clamp evenly over the area in need of water leak repair. Tighten the clamp, and turn on the water line to be sure you've sealed off your water leak. Now that you know how to temporarily fix a leaky pipe, there's no need to panic when you come across a leaking sink or other fixture. Being prepared for plumbing emergencies is key to preventing long term water damage. Having a plan from HomeServe in place before an issue arises will give you the peace of mind of knowing that a local, licensed, expert plumbing professional will be dispatched to help permanently fix your plumbing issue. See what plans are available in your area.
Finding a leaking pipe can be a real nightmare. Aside from potentially causing water damage in your home, it’s likely to also affect your boiler pressure, central heating and hot water supply. Most people tend to call a plumber when they have a pipe leak. If you have home emergency insurance with Hometree, the cost of repairs to your pipes will be covered by your policy. We’ll get a qualified plumber out to you ASAP (within 24 hours) and offer both evening and weekend appointments for your convenience. But you don’t necessarily need to wait for a professional plumber to repair your pipe leak. If it’s a minor leak with an easy fix, you may be able to do it yourself. At the very least you may be able to temporarily stop it, until it can be properly repaired. Here we’ll provide a quick guide to fixing a leaking pipe. As always, only carry out DIY repairs if you are confident in doing so and have the correct tools. It’s worth bearing in mind that you may void some insurance policies if you cause additional damage to your pipework when attempting a repair. Turn off the water supplyBefore attempting to fix leaking pipe work in your home, you should always turn the water supply off. This can either be done at the water valve on the pipe, closest to the leak, or at the stopcock, which is probably located under your kitchen sink. Usually, you can turn the water supply off by hand but you may need a flat-head screwdriver to tackle a water valve. Drain the tapsOur next piece of advice is to completely drain all of the water from the leaking pipe, so you aren’t hit with more water unexpectedly. Turn on the taps sourced by the pipe. When the water stops flowing from the taps and the pipe, you know it’s all gone. We then suggest drying off the pipe with a towel and covering your floor to protect it. Identifying the cause of the leakDifferent types of leaks have different fixes. Take a look at the pipe and see if you can work out why it is leaking. Here we’ve shared a few tips on how to stop a leaking pipe with relatively easy fixes. Loose joint – If it’s just a cause of having a loose pipe joint, you’ll simply need to tighten it up. Some joints in pipework can be tightened by hand but it’s worth having a spanner handy, just in case. Crack or split pipe – If the pipe has cracked or split, it’s likely to be as a result of corrosion. However, pipes can also split if accidentally hit during DIY work. The severity of the damage will decide whether the pipe can be repaired or whether it needs replacing. You may be able to do a temporary ‘stop-gap’ repair using one of the methods below.
The best time to fix a plumbing leak is before it happens, by properly connecting water supply and waste line fittings. Learn the tricks that pros use to make leakproof connections.
Tighten the connectionUsing two wrenches, tighten the connection over the joint compound and plumbers tape. Why use plumbers tape and pipe joint compoundConnections that rely on threaded pipes and fittings are prone to leaks if they're not sealed with either Teflon tape or Teflon pipe joint compound. Careful plumbers use both pipe joint compound and teflon on every joint for extra security. They don't want to come back. Start by wrapping the male threads with Teflon tape (Photo 1). With the end of the threaded pipe facing you as shown, wrap the plumbers tape clockwise. Usually three layers is enough. Once in a while, you'll run into a loose fitting that requires four or five wraps. Stretch and tear the tape to complete the wrap. Spread a thin layer of Teflon pipe joint compound over the tape (Photo 2). If you're working with plastic pipe, choose Teflon pipe joint compound that's compatible with it. Then start the threads by hand before tightening the connection with wrenches (Photo 3). Wipe away the excess pipe joint compound. Well Pump Troubleshooting and DIY Repair
Lubricate the ferrule on compression jointsWipe pipe joint compoundLubricate the ferrule and brass ring with pipe joint compound. Handy Plumbing Tips and Tricks
Tighten the fittingTighten the compression fitting. The pipe joint compound provides a greater margin of safety. Compression joints are most common on shutoff valves, although you find them on other fittings as well. They have a brass or plastic ring (ferrule) that's compressed into a recess when you tighten the nut, forming a seal. Lubricating the pipe and the ferrule with a bit of Teflon pipe joint compound (Photo 1) helps the ferrule slide along the pipe and squeeze tightly into the recessed fitting with less wrench pressure (Photo 2). Tighten compression fittings firmly with two wrenches to crimp the ferrule onto the pipe (Photo 3). Also make sure the pipe or tube goes straight into the fitting. Misalignment will cause a leak. If the fitting leaks after you turn on the water, try tightening the nut an additional one-quarter turn. This usually stops the leak.
Assemble and alignHand-tighten all the joints, then align and lock the pipes in position with a slip joint pliers Joints on chrome trap assemblies rely on rubber slip joint washers for the seal, which often leak. If you're reassembling a chrome trap, buy new slip joint washers and nuts. However, new washers sometimes stick to the pipe, causing them to twist or distort as you push them tight with the slip joint nut. To avoid this, lubricate the drain tubing and slip joint with a little pipe joint compound (Photo 1). The compound helps the washer slide smoothly and creates a tighter seal. Start the slip joint nut by hand, and twist it on until the threads are engaged correctly. Hand-tighten all joints first (Photo 2). Then adjust the trap parts until they're aligned and pitched slightly for drainage. This is key; a misaligned joint will leak, even with new washers. Finally, use a large slip joint pliers to tighten the nuts an additional half turn. Plastic trap parts use hard plastic slip joint washers for a seal. Make sure the flat part is against the nut with the tapered side facing the fitting. 12 Things Your Plumber Doesn’t Want You To Know
Close-up of gasketFlexible supply lines use rubber gaskets to seal the connections, and usually just need hand-tightening plus half a turn with a wrench The skinny copper or chrome supply tubes used to connect faucets and toilets (Photo 1) are tricky to cut, bend and align. But you don't have to put up with them. When you're replacing a faucet or toilet, use flexible supply hoses with a braided covering instead (Photo 2). They have rubber gaskets at each end and don't require much force to seal. They're available in many lengths and are flexible enough to fit almost any configuration. The only trick is buying a connector with the correct size nuts on the ends. Take your old tubing and the nuts on each end along with you to the store to be sure of an exact match. Start the nuts carefully and hand-tighten. Then tighten an additional half turn (Photo 2). Avoid overtightening. It's easy to tighten the nuts a little more if the joint leaks. Find and Repair Hidden Plumbing Leaks Originally Published: March 21, 2019 |
How to fix a plumbing leak
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