If left untreated, leaking pipes can cause a lot of damage to a home. There are many temporary methods you can use to fix a leaky pipe while you wait for the plumber to come to your home, such as using epoxy filler or pipe clamps. If you want to patch your pipe yourself to bring it up to standard, slip joints are available to make the patching process even easier. No matter what method is used, be sure to turn off the water valve to prevent the pipe from leaking during work.
Turn off the Water Valve
Turn off the water valves in your home. Locate the main water valve, which is usually located in the corner of the kitchen or bathroom. Turn the switch clockwise to close the main water valve so the leak stops and no more damage is caused.
- If it’s an emergency, you can call your water company to see if they can turn off your home’s water supply.
Open the faucet connected to the water pipe and drain the water. Start by opening the lowest faucet in the house, such as an outdoor pipe or a basement sink. Let the water stand until the pipe is empty. If the leaking pipe is connected to a fixture, open the faucet and drain it.
Wipe up leaky pipes. Immediately after the water in the pipe is drained, use a rag to thoroughly dry around the leak to prevent the bottom surface from becoming slippery when repairing.
- Place a rag or bucket over the leak in case any water drips from the leak.
- How you repair your pipes depends on where the leak is located. For example, a leak could be caused by a pinhole-sized hole in a pipe, or it could be caused by a loose connection between two water pipes.
Temporary Repair with Epoxy Soil
Wear latex or nitrile gloves. When you use epoxy to fill soil, it heats up and may burn exposed skin. Make sure the gloves are thin enough so that your hands can still perform complex and delicate operations while wearing them. Remember to wear gloves every time you come into contact with epoxy-fill soil.
- You can buy latex or nitrile gloves at any hardware store or big box store.
Knead the epoxy repair soil specially used for repairing pipes by hand to mix it evenly. Take a small piece of the epoxy soil strip and rub it together with your fingers. Dark soil must be mixed with light soil to activate. When the soil turns into a uniform light gray color, you can stop kneading.
- You can go to your nearby hardware store to buy epoxy patching soil for repairing pipes.
Cover the leaked area with filler soil. Apply soil to the leaking area of the pipe and wrap it tightly. Make sure the thickness of the soil filling layer around the leakage is about 1.5 cm, and tightly wrap the water pipe. Let the edge of the filler soil applied to the water pipe gradually become thinner to stop the water.
- Epoxy soil filling is suitable for straight pipe sections and joints.
Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the filler soil to solidify before turning on the water valve. The epoxy filler soil will be set quickly after mixing, and water can be returned to it later. While the filler soil is solidifying, wait at least 5 minutes without touching it to allow it to solidify successfully. Once the filler soil has been set, you can turn the water valve back on.
- Epoxy soiling is a temporary fix, so be sure to completely replace your water pipes or contact a plumber as soon as possible.
Use Pipe Clamps to Plug Smaller Leaks
Purchase pipe clamps that are the same size as the leaky pipe. The pipe clamp uses a rubber gasket to achieve sealing purposes and firmly block small loopholes in the pipe. You can buy a pipe clamp in the plumbing section of an accessory hardware store, but it must be the same size as the leaking pipe, or at least the same length so that when clamped to the pipe, they will fit snugly.
- Pipe clamps are suitable for PVC pipes and copper pipes.
Align the rubber gasket attached to the pipe to the leak. The rubber gasket is a rectangular piece located on the inside of the pipe clamp that stops the pipe from leaking. Align the rubber gasket with the leak in the water pipe and seal it completely. If the leak is at the bottom of the pipe, support it with your hands just before the pipe clamp is secured.
Attach the pipe clamp to the gasket and tighten the bolt. Attach the pipe clamp to the pipe so that they fit snugly, and insert the bolts that come with the pipe clamp into the screw holes. Use a wrench to turn the nut and secure it to the bottom of the bolt. Continue tightening the bolts until the pipe clamp is firmly in place and cannot turn.
- Using pipe clamps is only a temporary fix. You’ll still have to replace the pipes yourself, or have a plumber do it for you.
Install slip joints on pipes
Buy a slip joint that matches the size and type of pipe. A slip joint is a small watertight connection between two different pipes. Purchase a slip joint that is the same diameter as the pipe to be repaired and long enough so that it can replace the leaking section of the pipe. Before purchasing, make sure the slip joint is made of the same material as the pipe, such as PVC or copper.
- You can buy slip joints at your local hardware store.
- Slip joints permanently repair water pipes, and they meet building standards.
Mark the length of the slip joint on the pipe. Align the sliding joint with the leakage point of the pipe, and the connections on both sides should exceed the pipe section. Use a marker to draw lines on the pipe to mark the locations of each end of the slip joint. This ensures that you cut the pipe to the right length so that the slip joint can be installed smoothly.
Use a pipe cutter to cut off the leaky section of the pipe. Pipe cutters are small devices that make it easy to cut through pipes just by turning them. Align the edge of the pipe cutter with a position 2.5 cm inside the mark line, and tighten the screws at the bottom of the device. Turn the pipe cutter one full turn around the pipe and tighten the screw again. Repeat the above steps until it cuts the pipe smoothly. Use the same method on the other side 2.5 cm inside the marked line.
- You can buy a pipe cutter at your local hardware store.
- The pipe cutter can cut through metal and PVC pipes.
- Some PVC pipe cutters look just like a pair of scissors. Place the blade of the knife on the pipe and slowly close the handle.
Use a deburring tool to scrape the inside and outside of the pipe. The deburring tool is a tool specially used to scrape the inside and outside of the pipe. It can adjust the shape of the pipe cut. Hold the pipe firmly with your non-dominant hand and insert the cutting edge of the deburring tool into the pipe. Use a tool to scrape the inside of the cut edge of the pipe to remove burrs. Then take the tool and scrape the outside of the edge.
- You can buy deburring tools in the plumbing section of your hardware store.
- Make sure the inside and outside of the pipe cutouts are deburred to avoid future leaks.
Put the slip joint on the pipe and connect the two ends. Take out the slip joint and put one end onto the pipe on one side. Push the connector far enough that you can align it with the pipe cutout on the other side. Put the other end of the connector on and connect the two sections of pipe. Water can pass through the joints and flow smoothly from one pipe to another.
- Some fittings may require hand or wrench tightening. Carefully follow the instructions on the package to see if there are any additional steps.
Tips
- If you don’t want to cut or replace the pipes yourself, or if the leak is hard to reach, call a plumber.