Hello,
Have a pinhole size leak in a 1/2" Cu cold water line in house. At a 90 deg. elbow.
Too old now to do the re-soldering myself, and would like if possible to avoid a plumber. Really a very small leak.
Are there any putty or epoxy, or... products out there that can be molded around the pipe, and stand a good chance of actually working ?
If so, brands, etc. ?
Much thanks, B.
One old trick is to clamp a piece of rubber hose over the leak with a hose clamp. Is there room to do that?
Good idea. They even have special clamps for this, though anything might work.
If there is no room, as to epoxies, this worked with a leaking drain pipe, but I'm not sure if the pressure in a supply pipe would stop it from working. Of course its' a pin hole so the pressure x area might be spread about over greater area??? Anyhow PC-7, comes in two 4oz cans that will keep for 20+ years if you're careful not to let any of one mix iwth the other and get back in a can. Ace Hardware has the
2-4oz. size. Comes in smaller sizes too/The pipe was dripping when I applied it, and it hadn't hardened yet and after it sagged I just kept pushing it back until it hardened.
PC-11 is afaict the same thing but white, and recoommended iirc for water, which makes no sense to me, but I can't check now.
Is that the same pipe that the garage door spring was rubbing?
I'd suggest to turn off the water, and drain the pipes as best possible. Wire brush the leaking area. Mix and apply two part epoxy such as JB Weld. Allow more than the package stated hardening time. Best wishes.
One word: SharkBite
yeah replace that part with PEX ........
copper has holes all the way thru for it to leak.......
you only have access to the exterior of the pipe
Everyone likes JB weld for some reaosn but PC-7 or 11 is better for this situation, if not always. It's less runny and more like clay even before it sets.
Yeah turning off the water is not a bad idea. I dont' think draining would be needed with PC-7. Maybe sanding the pipe to rough it up a bit. But the pressure when the water's turned back on... well maybe it won't have much effect since it's a pinhole.
Of course the pressure will have an effect. I "discovered" a pin-hole leak when I was misted by water about 10 feet from the actual hole.
We agree. I said maybe it won't have *much* effect.
YOu can do the same thing with your thumb over the garden hose.
You remind me that I should have said that the exoxy has to make a ring all the way around the pipe, to keep it on. Whether it can stop it from leaking is another question.
Wouldn't sanding the pipe smooth it rather than roughen it?
Wouldn't that depend on the grade of the sandpaper?
If the pipe has a layer of corrosion, the epoxy might not bond properly to the pipe.
Sanding exposes the copper pipe.
Depends on the grade. Rough sand paper will make a surface rougher, very smooth sand paper will make it smoother.
The finest grade I ever happened to use was by accident. I had a little 1" car thermometer, which had falled on the car's floor and gotten scratched up by the dirt and sand there, and I coudl barely see the needle, and I was mindlessly rubbing it on my blue jeans for a long time, and it smoothed out a lot. Maybe not all plastic used like that is that soft, I don't know.
There are a number of sites that describe using denim to prolong the life of razor blades. Here is just one example.
So much that I could read the thermometer easily.
Amazing. I don't know how hard plastic is, though some is easy to scratch, but I would think that any kind of steel is harder than cotton. I guess hardness is not the only issue. Or it's harder at the microscopic level.
I've heard that good scissors should not be used to cut paper, which dulls them in a way that cutting hair, for example, does not. But I need to verify that.
How can you be "too old" to solder a copper fitting? Unless you're in a wheelchair, anyone who knows how to solder a fitting can do it. I'm elderly myself, and wont even consider replacing my roof, or even painting my house exterior, but soldering a fitting is child's play. You can even buy copper fittings these days that come with the solder, just clean the pipe, wipe on some flux, shove the fitting on the pipe, and heat it with a torch.
I would almost guarantee that JB Weld will work, but are you really willing to risk having a major flood in your house if that leak re-appears while you are on vacation? Pin holes turn into larger holes and if that elbow is weak, it will get worse over time.
To use any "glue" you will need to completely drain all water, make sure the pipe is 100% dry, and then wait a full day for the glue to dry. If you ask me, that's more work and time than just soldering in a new piece.
If you listen to others on this thread, who suggested a sharkbite or small section of PEX, remember, you will need to put a copper bonding wire across the plastic, to insure that the copper never becomes "electrically live" in the event there is some sort of electrical problem in your home. Of course all of this adds to the cost and time involved in this repair.
Shut off the TV, get out of your "easy chair" grab your torch, and solder in a new fitting..... OR pay a plumber to do it right!!!
By the way, a pin hole in an elbow is often caused because lightning struck your house. I saw this several times when I worked as a plumber. The lightning bolt followed the pipe, then exited at the elbow.
Perhaps it would require standing on a ladder or similar to do the work. Sweating pipe takes both hands and a little time, where molding some putty around the pipe might enable him to hang on to something stable with one hand.
I know my mother became timid about standing on ladders when she got to be about 80. I'm now in charge of changing light bulbs in ceiling fixtures for her. If she lives to be 100, we'll have to hire someone because I'll be too old to stand on a ladder, too.
Cindy Hamilton
At age 76, proud of myself yesterday climbing step ladder in kitchen to change bulbs in fixture with a glass dome, I've always been concerned about dropping. Bifocals, early AMD and arthritis make simple jobs for those 50 year old kids not easy for us.
Replaced two crappy CFL's with LED's that should last as long as we have to live. Before one of the CFL's burned out, there was an annoying hum for years from one or both of the bulbs. I've seen it in other CFL's.
Also snaked AC condensate pipe that was clogged. Took me a while to figure that one out as it was not completely plugged and seemed to be dripping as usual into French drain.
Been a long time since I sweated a pipe and it was difficult in the basement ceiling. I went through the epoxy thing myself but it did not hold up long.
Been a few years since I hired a plumber but last time I did I saved 3 jobs for him to do to keep cost down. OP just discovering problem would cut plumbers time. Often takes longer to find the source of a leak than to repair it.
In a normal height basement, an average guy can usually solder a fitting from the floor, or one step up on a step ladder. Or stand on a solid chair. With those "pre-soldered" fittings, it really only takes one hand to do the soldering. If getting on a ladder or chair is too tough for the OP, he could get a friend, neighbor or relative to do the actual "ladder work". That person might learn a valuable lesson too.
Personally, I'd use a ladder over a chair, because there is something to hold in to.
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