Leaky pipe

[Scott]

Hello,

Upon cleaning out the cupboards ready for christmas the misses has found a large area of damp and mould in the one under the sink...

Having had a look around, I have found the cause - a leaking lead - copper wiped joint which is hidden in away in a bas-tard place. Is there a quick easy fix for such a dipple? It is leaking fairly slowly and I reckon it has been for nearly a year now as I must have disturbed it when I fitted the bathroom.

Is there some kind of tape that I can wrap around the pipe? I don't want to be redoing the joint!

Cheers Scott

[BigWallop]

A temporary solution on the lead pipe is to take some thickish bare copper wire and a match stick. Break the match stick to fit over the weep on the pipe, leaving a bit more to sit slightly either side passed the leak. Wrap the copper wire around the pipe and the match stick, pulling it tight as you go. Once you've covered the match stick with copper wire, bring the ends together and wind them round each other with a pair of pliers until it pulls the wire tighter around the pipe. Do this gently not to snap the wire to quickly.

You can also use a bit of rubber matting and an earth bonding strap to do the same sort of thing.

Hopefully this should stop the leak for a good while, or at least until you can get round to making the joint properly again.

[tony sayer]

In article , BigWallop writes

What's wrong with wrapping a lot of self welding PVC tape round said pipe?....

[OldScrawn]

It won't stick to the pipe. The crucial thing is, is this an incoming water main (i.e. under pressure), or under modest pressure like a supply from a header tank, or a waste pipe which doesn't see water much of the time, and not much pressure. That gooey tape used for bodging leaking roofs will do the last one. Indeed ordinary PVC tape may work, if you clean and dry the surfaces and can wrap it round several times under tension. The "plumbers" epoxy stick that you knead to mix will do the others, but it's best if you can get the lead reasonably clean, and take off the pressure to do the repair.

[Terry]

Given that; I would try some method, with water pressure off, of very carefully poking/filling the crack with substance of some kind (maybe plumbers putty or waterproof caulking compound) and then wrapping some kind of tape or bandage around the whole thing. Then carefully without squeezing or compressing the lead pipe/joint put one or two of those screw type (Jubilee?) clamps around the whole mess to keep the compression bandage against the pipe and, hopefully, the filler into the crack. You can open up the clamps to get them around the joint/pipe and screw them as tight as you feel suitable, check them the next day and maybe tighten them a little. Just a thought; is there any mechanical strain on that pipe/joint due to ground settling or whatever, that may have caused it to crack? It may sound kind of temporary but to illustrate how mechanical repairs often work; many years ago made a large double washer of heavy leather cut from an old purse; compressed it with a stainless steel bolt and washers through a hole in a clothes washer drum. It's still there, satisfactory after many, many cycles of soapy cold and warm washes! Have also temporarily used a jubilee clamp and bandage around a half inch copper pipe join until could get a chance to redo it.

[tony sayer]

In article , OldScrawn writes

Oh well, the one I did some years ago is still there;)

[Scott]

Thanks everyone.

I ended up going to focus and buying some 2 part putty stuff that you push into the hole and it sets hard after a day. I don't hold much hope for it as I couldn't totally stop the water flow. I maged to turn the stop c*ck off - but it doesn't stop fully, and I've opened up all the taps while doing the repair.

I had a chat with my neighour and he said that his cupboard is smelling a bit damp there... ooops! It's so annoying, I'm due to compelete on the house sale next week but only noticed this as we were empting out the cupboad.

I shall try some of the other repairs if the putty fails!

Cheers Scott

[Mark]

Traditional method of fixing leaks in lead pipe was to hit the offending bit with a ballpane hammer.