The Importance of Repairing Pipe Plumbing Leaks – Sobieski Services | DE, NJ, PA, MD

The Importance of Repairing Pipe Plumbing Leaks

Repairing pipe plumbing leaks is not a job you should put off. It’s also not a job for the do-it-yourselfer. Supply lines carry water at pressures ranging from 45 to 65 psi. A neglected leak in your supply line — or an amateur repair that doesn’t hold up — can cause a major rupture and pour hundreds of gallons of water into your home.

A qualified plumber has the specialized tools and expertise to determine when to repair and when to replace an entire span of pipe. If repairing the pipe is the best course, here’s how your professional plumber will handle the problem:

Pinholes

  • A sweat coupling is frequently utilized to repair isolated leaks in copper piping. The coupling is slightly oversized to slip over standard 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch pipe. Once the water is turned off at the main shutoff, your plumber will begin cutting out a short segment of pipe with the pinhole leak.
  • To prepare the existing pipe, he’ll roughen both cut ends with emery paper to make the solder adhere. He’ll also clean the interior of the coupling with a wire brush.
  • The coupling is then slipped all the way over one end of the pipe, then backed up and slid over the other cut end to merge both segments. Solder is applied with a propane torch, sealing the connection between the coupling and the existing pipe.
  • After the water is turned on, he’ll inspect the joint and verify that the repair is durable and leakproof.

Leaky Threads

Joints may be disassembled and sealed where see page occurs. After wrapping the threads with three clockwise layers of Teflon tape, your plumber will coat the tape with Teflon sealing compound, then reassemble the connection. When water pressure is restored, the joint is checked for leaks.

At Sobieski Services, Inc. our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

Photo Credit: Elsie esq. via Compfight cc

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