Too much water pressure can bust old pipes, PVC or iron. At other times, they also leak after being stepped or applied a heavy weight on, or twisted or misaligned. When they leak, they need immediate attention. It’s good that fixing a water pipe often takes simple steps to complete. Here are some basic steps on how to repair a leaking water pipe.
First Aid Before Professional Help Comes
When the trouble seems too complex for a lay person to handle, professional help should be sought. However, busted main entry pipes with gushing water cannot wait till help comes. They need effective first aid. The quickest and easiest way on how to repair a leaking water pipe, especially a main one near the water meter, is to wrap it with tire rubber interior.
If a pipe has a puncture or is broken and there’s no way for it to be shut off through a main valve, simply cover or re-connect a broken pipe by wrapping a thin tire interior around it. A bicycle tire interior is best for temporarily fixing a water pipe. Stretch it well as it is being wrapped around. Tie the end of the tire interior well and it can be left for hours while help is on the way.
Using a Connector
f the leak is found inside the house or way past the main entry pipe at the water meter, close the main shutoff valve. Then work on the problem. For cracked or broken tube parts, use two coupling or connector pipes, an extra pipe, threading device and two monkey wrenches for iron pipes, adhesive sealant for PVC, and Teflon tape. Prepare these things when fixing a water pipe.
With a steel saw, cut the damaged portion. With iron pipes, thread the ends where the cut was made. Thread both ends of the extra pipe, too. Wrap Teflon tape on all threads. Apply a coupling each to the ends where the cut was made. Connect both couplings through the extra pipe. Use one monkey wrench to hold one pipe steadily, and the other wrench to turn a pipe or a coupling to tighten them. This is the usual remedy on how to repair a leaking water pipe.
Busted Elbow or Thread
When a busted elbow or pipe thread is involved, cut the damaged part and thread the ends of the pipe where the cut was made. With 2 couplings and an extra pipe, re-connect the whole pipe using the same procedure above on how to repair a leaking water pipe.
