Introduction

The ability to make minor plumbing repairs can really pay off in an emergency. Rather than sitting waiting for an expensive emergency call out plumber, while the damage to you home is steadily getting worse, if you are confident to tackle the problem yourself the savings can be huge. All that is needed is a few simple tools and some spare plumbing parts.

• Basic plumbing tools & materials

• As mentioned in other sections, make sure you have previousy located the mains water stopcock inorder that you can quickly shut off the water if/when necessary.

As with all plumbing, the majority of time is spent locating and gaining access to the offending area of pipework - this of course is easier said than done.

• All of the guides below assume that you have easy access to the leaking pipe. If you are unable to gain access, for whatever reason, it's always best to consult a professional plumber rather than tearing huge chunks out of your plasterwork.

Draining the leaking area

Before commencing work repairing the leaking pipe, you must first isolate the immediate area and drain the pipework.

• Draining & isolating the plumbing system

Reasons for pipes to fracture

Domestic plumbing pipework is primarily made from either plastic, copper, stainless steel or lead. Of these lead is by far the oldest and, despite not being permitted to be used in domestic plumbing situations anymore, many of us still have lead rising mains which can be susceptable to freezing in winter.

When water in a pipe freezes it can expand by as much as 10%. If there is no other way for the ice to expand than outwards, then the pipe will burst. At the time this probably isn't an issue as the water is frozen, however as soon as it defrosts the water will quite quickly start flowing out of the pipe into the surrounding area of the property. Due to their material nature, metal pipes are much more susceptable to frost and freezing than plastic ones.

Pipes can also become punctured if we inadvertantly bang a nail, or a screw, through a wall or floorboards into an undetected pipe.

The other primary cause of leaking pipework is mechanical failure. By this we mean that the pipework has either been assembled incorrectly in the first instance, or it has deteriorated over time to the point where a joint is no longer watertight.

Patching a leaking pipe

Primarily caused by a pipe freezing during winter, leaking pipes should ideally be replaced - this is especially true if you have lead pipes, and these should be replaced with copper ones. However if this is not reasonably achievable at the time of the leak, then the pipe can often be repaired relatively easily.

• A repaired pipe shouldn't be a permanent fix. Always replace the length of pipe as soon as you are able.

Temporary fix

• Isolate and drain the immediate pipework
• Bind copper or lead pipes with a length of hose pipes, longer than the split/fracture, that is held togther with hose clips or wire
• Cut the hose pipe lengthways so it can slip over the leaking pipe
• If the pipe to be fixed is lead, close up the split before binding by tapping it closed with a hammer
• Alternatively, use amalgamating tape made specifically for binding plumbing pipework
• Once the water has been turned back on, check for leaks by wrapping tissue paper, toilet/kitchen paper, around the pipe and looking for moisture.

Longer term fix using epoxy resin

• Isolate and drain the immediate pipework
• Clean the pipe around the split using wire wool
• Close the tear as much as you can by compressing the pipe
• Mix up the epoxy resin, or plumbers putty, and press it into and around the split
• Build up a layer of resin, approx. 3mm-6mm deep, and wrap with self adhesive tape to hold in place
• Ideally leave for 24 hours to harden - however can be used after an hour if low pressure water flows through the pipe
• Once the water has been turned back on, check for leaks by wrapping tissue paper, toilet/kitchen paper, around the pipe and looking for moisture.

Replacing a leaking pipe

This can be a lot more fiddly, depending on the length of the fracture, however it is by far the preferred option.

• Isolate and drain the immediate pipework
• Cut the damaged pipe wither side of the split with a hacksaw.
• Cut a new piece of pipe to size and slide new connectors onto the pipe
• Place the other parts of the connectors onto the two ends of cut pipe still in place
• Offer the new piece of pipe into the gap and screw the connectors into place
• Once the water has been turned back on, check for leaks by wrapping tissue paper, toilet/kitchen paper, around the pipe and looking for moisture.

• Old lead piping can be joined to new copper piping by using lead-to-copper compression fittings.

Repairing punctured pipes

If while hitting nails into a floor or wall you can hear a hissing sound, this probably means you have punctured a water pipe.

At this point DO NOT pull the nail out, the nail is actually preventing the water from pouring out everywhere. Isolate the drain the immediate area of pipework and then repair or replace the damaged pipework using the guides above.

• Prevent punctured pipework by using a pipe detector

Thawing frozen pipes

If water does not flow during winter, chances are you have some frozen pipework somewhere in your plumbing system.

• Carefully warm the affected area using a hair dryer or heat gun (on a low setting)
• Remember copper is a good conductor of heat, so it will warm very quickly
• If you are unable to use a heating device as described, try instead wrapping a hot towel around the pipe

• Insulate pipework and fittings thoroughly to stop them freezing
• If you are leaving your property vacant for an extended period during the winter months, prevent freezing pipes by leaving the heating on a low setting
• If leaving the heating on is not an option, drain the system fully to prevent freezing

Further information and useful links

• Mains water systems
• Common metal compression fittings & adaptors
• More plumbing & heating topics

• Find a Tool Hire Centre near you
• Find a Plumber near you
• Find a Plumbing Merchants near you