A bathroom pipe starts dripping water in the night, waking you up. You make an urgent repair request to a licensed plumber, and they say they will be there as soon as possible. However, in the meantime, water is spilling out in every direction. So what is it that you do? Finding a leaky pipe in your home is inconvenient. Because life doesn’t stop when these unfortunate occurrences happen, you sometimes need to find a way to get by until a professional can come and adequately fix the problem.
Until a plumber can come and repair your pipe, here are some things you can try to do to stop the leak.
Close The Main Water Valve
Although this is the most obvious solution, you might not consider it when a large amount of water is leaking into your home. If you can manage it, turn the water off. Even though you won’t be able to use the other fixtures, turning off the water supply could help you avoid further damage. Especially if the leak is significant, it will help you familiarize yourself with the water shut-off (s) in your home before this becomes an issue. Knowing how to turn off the water in your home and learning how to do so is necessary.
Pipe Wraps
This remedy is readily available to most people because most neighbourhood hardware stores stock it for use in scenarios like this. When properly installed, pipe wraps will harden and seal a hole or leak in the pipe just like epoxy. It is important to remember that pipe wraps can be utilized at any point along your piping system. They are not designed to address a particular type of leak.
Pipe Tape
The joint between two pipes is a common location for leaks. Plumbing tape, made of silicone, can effectively solve these situations. To ensure that the repair tape will adhere to the pipe, you must first turn off the water supply and clean it thoroughly. Only then can you begin applying the tape. Suppose the hole is relatively small, like a pinhole. You may be able to patch it by wrapping multiple layers around the area. If it is at a joint, you will need to wrap the joint from both sides to guarantee that the site has been covered. However, repair tape will only last for a few days, so it is only recommended to use it if you are sure a plumber will come on a specific day. If you do not know for sure that a plumber will be coming on a particular day, you may find that water is leaking through the tape.
Pipe Clamps
After discovering a pipe leak, this is one of the most common and recommended quick fixes that can be done temporarily. These commercial clamps will maintain the pipe’s integrity until a qualified technician can fix the problem permanently.
All these solutions are temporary, so call our expert at Miller Plumbing and Drainage to permanently fix the leak to avoid long-term damage to your home. We have extensive experience with plumbing repairs and can offer a cost-effective solution for your home.
