Monday, November 10, 2008

Leak Update: Fixing a Leaking Copper Pipe

Soldered Copper Pipe Joint
So I tore down the wet drywall to find... NOTHING! There are water pipes, but they are not leaking! ?? My next place to look? Leaking fridge upstairs perhaps......................
I did mention "another leaking pipe", because a few months ago I found damp drywall in my basement. When I ripped it down, I found that water had been collecting between the floor joist and the drywall. The pinprick leak in the copper pipe solder worsened over the months to follow.
To temporarily stop the leak, I purchased Magic Wrap. The leak was on a soldered joint, and two weeks ago, I finally had to call a plumber. Could I have fixed this myself?

Yes - with the right tools and a lot of practice. I had neither. Soldering torches are extremely hot, and until you are comfortable with one, you will want to get someone with experience to work the torch, particularly in tight areas.

3 comments:

  1. Hey i had a leaking problem too....oh how we love old house.......the water was coming through my bathroom ceiling on the main floor, it was coming from the bathroom upstairs. I though it had to be a leaking pipe...which means ripping the wall apart...Turned out to be the seal on the toilet upstairs...fixed for about $10...now just have to repair the ceiling and wall in my bathroom..

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  2. Oh.. that is scary when it comes through the ceiling! Glad it was an easy fix. I read about leaking toilet seals just the other day. You remind me that I should check my bathroom also though, it could be from the shower... Eeek!

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  3. I agree that you need tons of practice in order to properly fix a leak. If you throw caution in the wind and fixed it yourself, you might have caused more damage than repair. I love the fact that you were resourceful enough to use magic wraps as first aid. I hope your pipes were fixed right away and you didn’t experience recurring problems. Good day! :)

    Darryl Iorio

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