It’s always terrible when you have a problem with pipes that causes annoying and possibly harmful leaks, whether it’s in a factory, engineering project sites, or in your own home. Many people wonder if there is one great way to fix a pipe, but the truth is that it all depends on what kind of issue or damage you have.
To understand what you can do depending on the case and time frame, here are some convenient ways to fix a leaking pipe that are code approved.
Content List
Purge welding
Most people start welding pipes shut to try and fix the leak, but they forget one key aspect of welding; you need to keep the weld quality perfect to avoid further damages and keep the burn-through from entering inside the pipe to prevent any build-up of the weld. This is where some water soluble paper rolls can come in handy, making things a lot easier, because they can be placed in close proximity to the weld zone, and they can be dissolved with water and removed after welding. This makes you save a lot of energy and gas in the process because you retain all the noble gas and you wouldn’t get any weld build-up inside. So, when you’re fixing the pipe, make sure you have a paper dam fitted in each side of the pipe to increase the efficiency of the welding process, and your pipe would be as good as new.
Soldering two couplings and an extra pipe
Another way that is very effective in fixing pipes is getting two couplings that are the same size as the pipe and don’t have a stopper in them. You should cut out the damaged area using a rotary pipe cutter; then, you need to deburr the edges of the pipe from both sides after the cut to enlarge the holes. Deburring is perfect for preventing any turbulence that might cause more leaks in the future; you can use a pencil reamer for this or a utility knife.
After that, you can place your two couplings on each side to allow you to fit that new piece of extra pipe in place; make sure to pull the couplings back onto the pipe, and you must be sure that both pipes meet in the middle of each coupling. Lastly, start soldering each side of the couplings to make them secured in place; then, you should wipe the area of any excess flux, and you’re good to go.
Compression method
This way is very user-friendly and is considered an effective permanent way to solve a leaking pipe; you will need 3 types of fittings: the main fitting, a sleeve, and a nut retainer or cage nut. Cut out the damaged area with the rotary pipe cutter, slip your fittings on each side, and get the new piece of pipe back in its place to tighten each side with your fittings, retainer nut, and sleeve. Remember that everything has to be slightly wider/bigger than the pipe, but not by too much.
When you tighten the cage nut, your sleeve can be easily put and squeezed in place—the space between the fitting and the pipe itself. This makes it extremely secure and leak-free once you installed this on each side to make a joint. You should apply some lubricant, like pipe dope on each sleeve to prevent the fittings from getting stuck, easily use your wrench for tightening everything properly, and have it act as a sealer. Test it and see if there is any leakage after that. If you find some, then you need to tighten it with your wrench a bit more to securely close everything.
Installing a SharkBite slip coupling
If you couldn’t get any fittings, sleeves, or cage nuts and don’t have any experience in soldering, then this is the perfect method for you. It’s very easy to use—it eliminates any time-consuming constraints, and it doesn’t need a lot of skill or complex tools to install. You just need to cut the damaged area depending on the size of the slip coupling, deburr each side, and insert the coupling easily, so both ends are securely closed. This method is perfect for many kinds of pipes like CPVC, copper, and PEX.
Knowing the proper ways to fix pipes can save you such a hassle in the future. Some people or engineers might use methods that aren’t exactly code approved to get it done, but by using these effective ways to repair your pipes, you will have everything up and running again properly in no time.