How to Fix a Plumbing Leak

Posted on April 30, 2017 at 12:52 AM

The constant dripping and the puddles created by a leaking pipe, sink, bathtub, or toilet can do more than just get your socks wet.

It might just be a few drips, but a plumbing leak can lead to a lot worse if nothing is done about it. The constant wetness can create damp, which can weaken the floors and walls of your home. Or, worse still, the leak could be a crack which widens until that particular pipe is unusable.

The moral of the story is that it’s much better to fix a leak when it’s just a leak. The good news is that this can be very easy to do if you’ve got the right tools and the right information to guide you. The bad news is that you might wind up getting wet and perhaps a bit frustrated. Still, it’s all worth it for working pipes.

1. Find the Source of the Plumbing Leak

This might sound like the easy part but, in a cruel twist of fate, it’s often the hard part. We often notice plumbing leaks because of puddles or dripping, but the puddles or the dripping don’t immediately tell you which pipe is dripping and why it is dripping. Also, for the most part, pipes are covered behind walls and can be hidden under floorboards.

It’s during this first step that many people give up and book a plumber, but be sure to give it a proper go. Start with the place you noticed there was water and go from there. Be sure to check all your exposed pipes and water sources before you go around pulling up floorboards and taking down walls.

If you really can’t find the source, then a professional plumber will be able to help you.

2. Turn Off The Water Supply

When you find the source of the plumbing leak, this should still be your next step. If the leak is particularly bad and if you don’t desperately need to use the water in your home for anything else, it’s good to turn off the water supply to stop the leak from doing any more damage. If the leak is really, really bad, it might be worth turning the water off before you do anything else.

3. Fixing a Plumbing Leak

Once you’ve found the source of the plumbing leak and have shut the water off, it’s time to actually fix the leak. Our plumbers can sort out a problem like this easily. However, if you’d rather do it yourself, follow these steps:

• Dry the wet pipe (or the affected area) completely with a cloth. Note the emphasis on completely. If your pipe is still wet, then the next steps won’t work.
• Use a putty knife to put some epoxy resin onto the affected area.
• Place a rubber cover over the leak and hold it in place with some metal.
• Make sure the metal bands are holding the rubber in place tightly and let the whole thing set for an hour.
• Cover the rubber fix with some waterproof tape, just to be extra certain.
• Turn the water back on to see if you’ve fixed the issue.

Note that this solution might only work temporarily. What’s more, if the leak is particularly bad, you might need to replace the whole section of pipe. As before, you can contact us to book a plumber for this job in a matter of minutes. If you’d rather give it a go yourself, though, here’s what you need to do.

• Measure out exactly how much pipe you’ll need to replace. Then, be sure to buy a little bit more. It’s better to have extra pipe and not need it than to need extra pipe and not have it.
• Turn off the water (if you haven’t already).
• Cut away the damaged piece of pipe with a metal saw.
• Sand down the rough edges of the remaining pipe and polish it, too.
• If you have copper pipes, you will be able to solder or weld them back together. Be sure to wear the right safety gear for this job and (of course) have the right soldering equipment.
• If you don’t have copper pipes, find out the make and model of your pipes and buy a union coupling piece to join old pipe and new pipe together

If none of that works, you can always contact us. From finding the source of your plumbing leak to fixing it, our plumbers will have your water running again — leak-free — before you know it.

Contact Fixington today to book a plumber online to fix a plumbing leak easily and FAST!

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