CPVC leak seals itself?

[JPB]

I'm buying a house and the sellers disclosed a leak in the CPVC pipe. The water was off at the time of the inspection, but we could see the evidence.

The leak is in the hot water feed of the tub in the master bath. From the basement, there is a small amount of staining on the plywood subfloor and some efflorescence was evident on the concrete floor under the pipe. I don't know how long the leak was there. From the bathroom, you can't see the leak. The tub is framed in with no access panel.

I requested the pipe be repaired along with any damage resulting from the leak. I was thinking that a plumber would have to cut an access panel to fix the pipe, then he could see the floor from inside the tub surround. The bathroom floor is ceramic tile, but it seems solid.

The sellers had a plumber come out, turned on the water, and said the pipe wasn't leaking at that time. They've offered a $500 allowance for me to make repairs after closing. Or they've offered a one year home warranty.

My question is, can a pipe stop leaking by itself? I wouldn't think so, but I have limited experience plumbing. Also, is an examination of the floor from the basement followed by bouncing on the tile upstairs sufficient to guess about the integrity?

If I buy the house, the first thing I'm doing is cutting an access panel next to the tub and looking for myself. But I would hate to get a huge surprise.

[hallerb]

Get the home warranty. Confirm it will cover ALL costs of leak. Rotted floor etc.

Yeah leaks do fix themselves, sometimes from temperature, but probably most often a bit of dirt plugs te leak. I have seen it happen..

home warranty can be useful for other things but demand one with low or no deductible

did you use a home inspector?

they tend to be a owners nightmare but a buyers best friend running the price down.

since your a buyer its in your best interest

[CJT]

FWIW, I think one of the big home warranty companies recently went bankrupt.

[JPB]

Thanks for the information. They've been acting a little strange (claiming they weren't in town when they really were), so I was sensitive to this and thought they may be trying to pull a fast one. Then again, it could be miscommunication between them, their agent, my agent, and me.

I did get an inspection and the leak was the main problem. There are a few drainage issues that will be fixed by routing the downspouts farther away from the house. Also, a weekend and a few dozen tubes of caulk are needed. That's about it.

I feel better about the leak. Thanks.

[Harry K]

I have had them seal by themselves even under pressure if the drip is slow enough. Some of the water evaporates and leaves residue behind.

The warranty sounds the best deal. If the leak is all that concerns you, $500 sounds nice too. Even calling in a plumbe shouldn't run anywhere near that to fix the leak and patch whatever hole he cuts.

Harry K

[JPB]

I have an update. As I said before, the leak was on the hot water feed to the tub. The gas had been turned off, so the hot water heater wasn't heating. The pipe must have contracted from the cool water and sealed the leak. The sellers' agent turned on the water heater Wednesday and checked it Thursday and again on Friday. It wasn't leaking either time.

On Sunday, I went to the house and it was leaking. I don't know why it took

3 or 4 days for the water to heat up enough to leak, or if something else was at work. We called the agent and she said she would have the plumber out the next day to repair it. We also checked more thoroughly and could see no evidence of subfloor damage. The water has only stained a small 1'x1' area visible from the basement. The leaky pipe should be the only issue, and that's being fixed.

Thanks to all for the advice. I'm set to close Friday and due for a long weekend.