Easy Tips for Home Plumbing Repairs : Leaking Pipes and Fittings ~ Plumbing Secrets

NOW that you're Having knowledge of your plumbing system; how it works and where the various components are located; will prepare you for one of the most common types of plumbing problems: leaking pipes.

Leaking pipes can be easy to fix if you have two basic pieces of information.

Which specific pipe is leaking?
Where is the leak located?

If the leak is in an easily accessible area you will likely easily determine the exact location. Leaks can be caused by any one of a number of underlying issues.

Deterioration or corrosion of fittings or pipe
Freezing of water in pipes can cause them to burst
Movement places stress on fittings, causing them to lose their seals.

A fitting or pipe which has deteriorated or burst after freezing will need to
be replaced but a fitting that is merely leaking may be easily repaired.

The obvious first step is to shut off the water supply to the leaking component.

You may want to immediately close the main supply valve at the water meter, then trace the water supply to the leaking component and turn off the valve that would isolate that particular component.

Once the leaking component has been isolated from the water supply you can open the main supply valve to restore water to the unaffected parts of the system.

If it is not possible to isolate the leaking component the only alternative is to leave the main valve closed during the repair but you may also take this opportunity to add a stop valve to the system in an
appropriate location.

Once the water has been turned off, remove the leaking component. In the case of a burst pipe, the defective section can be cut out and replaced with a new length of pipe and coupling fittings. There are
different types of fittings: fittings can be compression type, they can be male and female threaded or they can be male and female slip fit; slip fittings can be either sweat type (soldered) or clamped.

Compression fittings can be found in the hot and cold water supply hoses for sinks and dishwashers, or in the cold supply to toilets.
Leaking compression fittings generally will only need to be loosened with an adjustable wrench, reset and tightened and do not require any type of sealant.

Copper compression fittings with a brass ferrule.

If the ferule or flared end of the pipe has been damaged, the ferule can be replaced or the damaged flare can be cut off and the pipe re-flared with a special tool.
For temporary repairs, a damaged ferrule or flared pipe can be wrapped with pipe thread sealing tape.

Male and female iron or steel pipe thread fittings can be found in older water supply plumbing and in transitions from one type of pipe to another, and can sometimes require a pipe to be cut in order to service
them.

They can be loosened with an adjustable wrench once they are free from any pipe preventing them from being turned.
If it is necessary to hold a pipe to keep it from turning while a fitting is removed, use an adjustable pipe wrench on the pipe.

A pipe wrench is designed to firmly grip round pipe as well as hex nuts.

If the fitting has not burst or corroded, it can be cleaned and reused.
Threaded pipe fittings are sealed by wrapping the male threads with PTFE pipe sealant tape. Ensure that the threads are clean and free of rust, corrosion or other damage before applying tape.
Tape should be applied in the same direction as the threads; starting at the end and overlapping each layer by 2/3 the width of the tape.
Higher pressure systems may require a pipe thread compound or "pipe dope" rather than tape.

Tighten the fitting until it is hand tight and then two or three turns with a pair of adjustable wrenches. This process is for iron and copper threaded fittings only. Do not use PTFE tape on PVC fittings.

Threaded PVC fittings are found in some newer plumbing systems and
in sprinkler systems. When assembling threaded PVC fittings, the
process is identical to that for metal fittings with two exceptions.

One, you will need to use PVC threaded joint sealant rather than Teflon or pipe dope
Two, you will need to tighten to hand tight then one turn with a wrench, or two turns if the joint leaks after only one turn When replacing sections of damaged pipe, the damaged section should be cleanly cut and removed.
To ensure clean cuts, use a pipe cutting tool. Limited space may require use of a hacksaw on PVC pipes.
Polyethylene may be cut with a hacksaw or a special tool designed for cutting polyethylene pipe.
Once the pipe has been cut, the ends should be deburred to ensure free flow of water through the joint.
When cutting a length of replacement pipe, the length should be carefully calculated to allow both clearance for coupling fittings and proper engagement of fittings.
Replacement lengths of pipe should generally be of the same type and material as the original, though it is acceptable to use PVC as a replacement for older iron and steel pipes.

Cutting copper pipe Cutting PVC or Poly Pipe

When replacing copper pipe, you will be soldering or "sweating" the new section into place. While the task of soldering pipe joints may sound daunting at first, with the proper preparation and some practice you can become proficient.

The key to soldering is to properly polish and clean the pipe and fittings and to make sure there is no water present.
Your soldering kit should include emery cloth and special wire brushes designed for polishing the ends of pipe and inside of fittings. Use the emery cloth and wire brushes to completely polish the surfaces that will be soldered, then wipe them clean with a rag.
Fully seat the pipe in the fitting to ensure that you have polished adequate surface area.
If the section of plumbing that you are repairing is wet, you can stuff some bread into the ends of the pipe prior to installing the fittings. The bread will absorb the water and will dissolve later.
When the fittings and pipe are ready, apply soldering flux paste using a fine brush. When heated, the paste will draw solder into the joint. Use of an acid flux will ensure adhesion of the solder.

Flux paste applied to copper pipe

Any flammable materials should be protected from flame before hearing the fitting.
Heat the fitting itself from the bottom if possible, using the approximate midpoint of the flame, and ensure that both sides of the fitting are hot enough to melt the solder before removing the flame.
Apply solder from the top of the joint and ensure that molten solder is drawn into the full circumference of the joint.

If the fittings leak when the water pressure is restored you will need to heat and pull the joint apart, clean and polish again and start over. Use only approved lead free solder for soldering copper pipes.
For replacing sections of PVC or PEX, there are special slip fit coupler fittings that can be used without the need for glue or PVC solvent weld compound.

The pressure rating for threaded PVC pipe fittings is not as high as solvent welded fittings, but they are more than adequate for temporary fixes or lower pressure systems.
For a permanent, high quality PVC seal an appropriate solvent weld should be
used.

Solvent welding a PVC fitting

Solvent welded fittings for PVC are similar to sweat fittings for copper, but the
connections are sealed with a primer and glue.
Check with your local hardware store to find out what type of solvent weld you
will need for your system.
The fittings for PEX pipe are also slip fit but are attached to pipes with special steel or brass bands that are crimped in place with a special crimping tool.
Note PEX allows color coding of hot (red) and cold (blue) pipes.