Sometimes a leaky pipe can be a quick fix that doesn’t call for a professional plumber. Other times, a leak can mean something serious. If you notice that your water bill is higher than usual or you hear running water even when all faucets are off, it might indicate that you have a water leak.
Before contacting a plumber, there are some steps you can follow to see whether or not this leak can be fixed on your own. A-1 Sewer and Septic are here to walk you through these steps to ensure that you save money and prevent costly damage in the future.
Locating Your Leaky Pipe
Locate the leak by following the sound of running water and checking to see if there are water stains on ceilings, floors, or walls. Depending on where a stain is found, you may need to examine different places. Ceiling stains indicate the leak is coming from above. A drywall stain can mean the leak occurred at another place and traveled along the pipe before pooling.
If a leak cannot be discovered, it may be best to call an experienced plumber that may be able to identify signs that are more difficult to notice.
Making Repairs to Pipe
If the problem pipe is identified, the next step would be to fix the pipe! (Don’t just look for the duct tape – there’s a better solution!) Depending on if it is copper pipes, PVC pipes, PEX or others will determine what kind of fixes you can employ. Copper pipes can develop pinhole leaks (small leaks from corrosion) and will require solder at the new pipe joints to give a permanent solution to the leakage.
You should do the following:
- Shut off the water supply at the main shutoff valve (and if needed run faucets to help drain the water in the lines)
- Apply a sheet of rubber to the site of the pipe leak on the damaged section
- Using a pipe clamp the rubber using a sleeve clamp, an adjustable hose clamp, or a C-clamp (these will work as repair clamps to stop water flow from the plumbing leak)
- When possible, completely replace the damaged section of the leaking pipe
Self-fusing silicone tape, plumbers putty, and epoxy can be an excellent temporary DIY fix when fixing a leaking pipe. Mots putty and epoxy are manufactured and designed to harden. It’s normally best to drain the water from the leaking pipe before applying the putty, fiberglass, or epoxy you just got from the local hardware store; however, that’s not always an option for every homeowner.
Luckily there are some epoxy putty options that can be applied to a leaking pipe and help stop the pipe leak, even with water being present. However wherever you apply this, water supply lines or water heater lines, it is often a quick fix, a temporary solution, and often you’ll want to replace the water pipes for a permanent solution.
Finding and performing pipe repair on leaking pipes is key to stopping any further water damage and the need for a premature home improvement project.
Call the Professional Plumbers at A-1 Sewer & Septic For All Of Your Leaky Pipe Repair Needs
Taking the steps to fix a leaky pipe can help prevent costly household repairs and the need to bring in a plumber. If the leak is too big to repair or you notice that it may not have been fixed properly, call a plumber to help to ensure that your pipes are doing their job! A-1’s plumbing services have been used for decades across the Kansas City metro.
