How to Fix a Sweating Plumbing Joint
Sweating is a term that has two meanings in plumbing: in the first case, it's another term for soldering a joint; in the second case, it's a term for when water appears on the outside of a pipe or fixture. When the second case appears, it can be the sign of a potentially serious problem in your home's plumbing system, especially if the sweating occurs around a joint. Addressing this issue can prevent major problems down the road. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Towel
- Foam insulation
- Rubber tubing
- Automotive hose clamps
- 120-grit sandpaper
- Blowtorch
- Solder
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Instructions
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Examine the pipe, as well as the conditions in the area surrounding the pipe. If the pipe is a cold water pipe and the air around it is warm and humid, chances are that the pipe is fine — it's just water condensing on the outside.
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Wipe the water off the outside of the pipe. Wait a few minutes, and examine the pipe again to determine if the water is originating from a leak. If the entire pipe begins to get wet again, it's most likely condensation. Wipe the water off the pipe again, and wrap the pipe in foam insulation. This will prevent the pipe from sweating.
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Seal a small hole by cutting a piece of rubber tubing to fit over the joint and placing an automotive hose clamp over each end.
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Solder the joint if the hose clamp isn't preventing the leak. Shut off the valve that feeds water into the pipe, and open the faucets to drain the pipe. Clean off any corrosion on the joint, using 120-grit sandpaper, and then solder the joint by heating it with a blowtorch to remove the old solder, and holding the new solder against the joint on the opposite side of the blowtorch. Allow the solder to fill the joint.
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Tips & Warnings
Always use extreme care when soldering a joint with a blowtorch.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
