When your home plumbing system starts leaking, you have to find a solution as soon as possible before it becomes a serious plumbing problem. Even if your leaking pipe repair is only for a day or two, that’s plenty of time for you to be without running water. However, even a day or two of interruption can quickly turn into a week-long emergency if you don’t have the right plumbing equipment on hand to fix the leaking pipe problem. Here are some quick and easy solutions for quick and easy leaking pipe repairs.
Pipe Repair Kits
Do-It-Yourself epoxy pipe repair kits are available at most hardware and home improvement stores. An epoxy kit is an extremely effective temporary fix, but there are other more permanent solutions available. If, however, a long delivery delay and you have to wait several days or even weeks for an epoxy technician to arrive, there are still some minor and simple pipe repairs you can make to get your leaking pipe fixed. You can make a few small pipe leaks from scratch using sandpaper to sand in the affected area and then covering it up with an epoxy tape.
Small leaks can usually be fixed using tape. If the repair to your leaking pipe involves only a small area of your drainage system, all you’ll need is some very strong masking tape, some sandpaper, and a couple of hundred rags. The sandpaper will help to protect the walls and ceiling from further damage, while the rags will pick up any excess water and move it away from the leaking pipe. A quick spray of water and some mild soap and water detergent (99% is okay) can usually take care of this problem.
Pipe Materials
There are different kinds of materials that can be used in the construction of pipes, including copper, steel, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyvinyl chloride coated metal pipes. All of these have their advantages and disadvantages. Steel pipes are great because they’re extremely sturdy and long-lasting. However, since the leak, it’s important to find a plumber who knows how to work with these types of pipes.
Fixing the Leaks
For small leaks, pipe thread tape is an excellent solution for fixing a leaking pipe repair job. Pipe thread tape comes in many different varieties, including green, black, white, and clear. Green pipe thread tape, often called green Stuff, works great for small leaks because it’s opaque. That means if someone walks by, they can’t see the leak. Black and white tape, on the other hand, acts as a visual deterrent. If you’ve ever put tape on a bolt and turned it, then you know what I mean.
PEX is popularly used for plumbing applications because it’s a flexible liquid that’s safe to work with. The best part is that PEX pipes are less expensive than copper pipes. Unfortunately, though, PEX is very difficult to repair when it gets damaged. Copper pipes are very sturdy and don’t get easily damaged. So when you’re plumbing or dealing with plumbing problems, it’s always best to use PEX instead of copper.
While there are all sorts of ways for leaking pipe repair services to get at the broken pipe, sometimes it’s not possible to solve a problem using these old methods. For example, if you have a bent pipe, but the pipe itself is perfectly straight, the only way to fix it is to put new pipes on top of the old ones. It’s not an option that a lot of people want to consider, but sometimes it has to be done. Fortunately, though, today’s plumbers have a whole range of tools that make bending pipes a snap.
One tool that a lot of plumbers like to use is a special wire called a T-aper. It’s usually made out of steel or some other metal, and it has a very long wire with several bendable sections at the end. You simply use the T-aper to wrap around the bent joint and then use a grip to hold it in place. You can use tape to seal the ends of the wire, but it’s probably a better idea to just use the T-aper to hide any leaking joints.