How to fix a plumbing leak

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.

Drain the water line for repair

Begin 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 Tape

One 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 repair

Once 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 Leak

A 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 supply

Before 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 taps

Our 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 leak

Different 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.