How to Repair a Water Pipe

The majority of home water pipe repair involves copper. Copper is much easier to repair then the old style galvanized pipe. Copper is a very light material. This is important if you are working in high places or if you are under a house for it is much easier to lug around. Copper pipe leaks develop around joints due erosion of the solder. Very rarely will copper pipe be punctured. A puncture or hole can occur if you have construction going on, but usually the copper pipe is well protected in the walls or under the house, which means you must find the leak and get to it.

Things You'll Need

• Copper pipe cutters
• Measuring tape
• Rags
• Round wire brush
• Propane torch
• Flux
• Emery cloth
• Small-grit sandpaper
• Solder

Instructions

1. Pressurize the system to find the leak easier.

2. Locate the leak by checking for spray or areas of wetness. Feel the pipe for jagged areas, and look for wet spots and puddles of water. If the leak is in a wall, you will notice wet spots in the plaster or dry wall.

3. Isolate the leak by shutting off the water down stream of the leak. Shut off the water main too if you can for added insurance.

4. Drain all the water out of the line. To repair copper pipe the area must be dry. Dry the area off with rags.

5. Cut out the section with the leak, and determine the size of pipe needed.

6. Measure the length of pipe taken out, and determine the amount of fittings needed.

7. Cut a new piece of copper pipe.

8. Prep the new piece of pipe and fittings for solder by wire brushing and sanding. Wipe down with emery cloth after cleaning.The cleaner the surface, the better the union will be. Dry fit all the pieces together before soldering.

9. Clean off the section you are soldering the new pipe and fittings to. Remove all rough edges with sandpaper, and wipe this area down with emery cloth.

10. Apply a thin coat of flux to the pipe fittings and the pipe.

11. Put the pieces together. Solder one joint at a time. Heat the area uniformly with the the torch, and apply the solder. A good soldered joint is where the solder is sucked in by the joint.

Tips & Warnings

• Most leaks occur at a joint. The main reason a solder job does not take is water in the line. If you can not stop the broken pipe from leaking water, stuff the pipe full of bread, which should stop the leak until you can solder it. The bread will dissolve in the system

References

• "Encyclopedia of Household Plumbing;" Martin Clifford; 1999; pg. 83
• Soldering Copper Pipe