Which putty for emergency fix of water pipe?

[HappyHippyDad]

Evening all,

As you can see from the title I have not had a good day.

For the second time in my 6 year career I made a small nick in a water pipe whilst taking up the floorboards (using multitool). i thought i was prepared from the last time as I bought some clamps. However, they could not fit as there were other pipes right by the one I cut!!

So.... I shall try and be prepared again!

Can anyone recommend a putty (or whatever other methods you use) that just stops the leak temporarily until I get the plumber in? It would save me having to keep my thumb over it for 20 minutes whilst the entire heating system drains!

I have some electrical compound, is that the same as some sort of emergency putty?

An exhausting day!

Now having a beer

 

[Silly Sausage]

Putty?
Batter the pipe upstream of the leak completely flat.
That'll buy you some time till plumber boy arrives.

 

[Wilko]

Sorry to hear that HHD !
I keep 15 and 22mm versions of this on hand for a rainy day.

 

[Strima]

Open all the taps to reduce pressure then turn off the stop cock...

Some Yorkshire fittings, flux, heat mat and a blow torch are always handy to have on the van. And a couple of old towels for mopping up.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Sorry to hear that HHD !
I keep 15 and 22mm versions of this on hand for a rainy day.

View attachment 45891

I've got both of those Wlko, but unfortunately they were no good this time (see pic).

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Putty?
Batter the pipe upstream of the leak completely flat.
That'll buy you some time till plumber boy arrives.

Cant tell if you're joking Archy . Although the fact they you have highlighted 'completely' makes me think you are being serious!

Open all the taps to reduce pressure then turn off the stop cock...

Some Yorkshire fittings, flux, heat mat and a blow torch are always handy to have on the van. And a couple of old towels for mopping up.

That sounds like it requires some plumbing knowledge Strima. I absolutely detest plumbing. I have tried it in my own house twice and each time it leaks. Water has a will of it's own whereas electrons make sense to me!

 

[HappyHippyDad]

There must be a magic putty or magic temporary repair until the plumber gets there?

Ps.. Prevention is better than cure, perhaps I'll start putting a bit of tape on the blade of the multi tool to gauge the depth a bit?

Any other good preventative methods?

 

[Andy78]

Bit of SA tape might do it ? I know you can get specific SA type pipe repair tape.

 

[Wilko]

I've got both of those Wlko, but unfortunately they were no good this time (see pic).View attachment 45892

Oh dear - that is a proper awkward one - agree those clamps are no help .

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Bit of SA tape might do it ? I know you can get specific SA type pipe repair tape.

Interesting. I had some SA tape on the van but didn't think of that. Do you think it would work on a wet pipe though?

 

[Andy78]

Interesting. I had some SA tape on the van but didn't think of that. Do you think it would work on a wet pipe though?

Probably not, but I'd flap about trying it, lol.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Probably not, but I'd flap about trying it, lol.

Bloody pipes! The customers plumber had left 1 minute before so they got him straight back luckily (to bleed the system). My plumber was already booked in for tomorrow so he's going to fix it. All in all I was pretty lucky.

 

[Andy78]

Bloody pipes! The customers plumber had left 1 minute before so they got him straight back luckily (to bleed the system). My plumber was already booked in for tomorrow so he's going to fix it. All in all I was pretty lucky.

Last time I did that I had to dig out a stud wall with a faceful of mains pressure coming through a 5.5mm hole. Pretty much soaked the whole kitchen.
I then had to wait with my finger on a pipe while my mate searched in vain for the stop tap. Turned out there wasn't one, just lead incomer.
I waited, plugging the leak, some more while an emergency plumber turned up. Was only 45 minutes !
Stop tap turned out to be in an alley 4 houses down.
Earned nowt on that one and it cost me a couple hundred quid, ha ha.

 

[Strima]

That sounds like it requires some plumbing knowledge Strima. I absolutely detest plumbing. I have tried it in my own house twice and each time it leaks. Water has a will of it's own whereas electrons make sense to me!

It's not hard, plumbers manage it.

Yorkshire joints are easy, hey're pre-soldered so all you do is flux the joint, put together, apply heat until some solder appears, cool with a damp cloth.

 

[haptism]

These are handy for emergencys

https://www.screwfix.com/p/jg-speed...Viud3Ch0eHQPREAQYAyABEgKRAPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Have to cut the pipe in half first though before they fit on

 

[diyterry]

Evening all,

As you can see from the title I have not had a good day.

For the second time in my 6 year career I made a small nick in a water pipe whilst taking up the floorboards (using multitool). i thought i was prepared from the last time as I bought some clamps. However, they could not fit as there were other pipes right by the one I cut!!

So.... I shall try and be prepared again!

Can anyone recommend a putty (or whatever other methods you use) that just stops the leak temporarily until I get the plumber in? It would save me having to keep my thumb over it for 20 minutes whilst the entire heating system drains!

I have some electrical compound, is that the same as some sort of emergency putty?

An exhausting day!

Now having a beer

I always use self amalgamating tape for temporary repairs in the home or car.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

These are handy for emergencys

https://www.screwfix.com/p/jg-speed...Viud3Ch0eHQPREAQYAyABEgKRAPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Have to cut the pipe in half first though before they fit on

That's just not going to happen.
I'm happy to cut them by accident.
I'm happy to look at the water spurting out of them and stick my thumb over them.
I'm happy to yell at the customer that they need to call a plumber.
I'm happy to foot the bill.
But..... I'm not going to cut a pipe, unless it leaks electrons!

 

[diyterry]

Y

Open all the taps to reduce pressure then turn off the stop cock...

Some Yorkshire fittings, flux, heat mat and a blow torch are always handy to have on the van. And a couple of old towels for mopping up.

Your better off carrying push fit connecters and a length of pipe, wet pipes are a pain to solder.

 

[Spoon]

Wasn't there a thread on here quite some time ago about some tape that could be used???? It was quite a few years ago...

 

[MDJ]

Wasn't there a thread on here quite some time ago about some tape that could be used???? It was quite a few years ago...

No idea I have had too many Ciders, was there a thread?

 

[Spoon]

No idea I have had too many Ciders, was there a thread?

I doubt if you remember last week, never mind a few years ago...

 

[Spoon]

Not sure if this is any good mate....

 

[pirate]

3 methods:
Kibosh clamps
Push fits with some flexible pipe between
SA tape, and if the pressure is too high, open up a jubilee clip, wrap round the pipe and clamp the tape over the hole...if you dont have a jubilee clip, there ought to be one somewhere bonding some water/gas pipes

 

[Shoei]

SA tape and jubilee clips are the way to go, as pirate said. Always best to get the copper clean with some scotchbrite or wet&dry before doing anything, even a temporary patch.

Those pipes are snug so if you cut and joint them you'll probably need end-feed joints, yorkshires need a gap.

If you're handy with a blowlamp small nicks like that can be patched. Get the copper clean and shiny, do the same with a scrap of copper from a similar diameter pipe, plenty of flux, a bit of heat and solder and you have a copper patch as solid as the original pipe. If you're very handy with a blowlamp you can patch it with plumbers solder alone, but that's pretty much a lost art.

One time my copper hot water cylinder sprung a leak, very small pinhole - totally inaccessible against a partition. Didn't drain it, rubbed the metal clean, spread superglue on a patch for a bike inner tube and slapped it on as a temporary fix. Twelve years later it was still there when I swapped out the whole cylinder. Not recommended but worth a try if it comes to it.

 

[buzzlightyear]

If you're handy with a blowlamp small nicks like that can be patched. Get the copper clean and shiny, do the same with a scrap of copper from a similar diameter pipe, plenty of flux, a bit of heat and solder and you have a copper patch as solid as the original pipe. If you're very handy with a blowlamp you can patch it with plumbers solder alone, but that's pretty much a lost art.

LOL,what you on about .blow lamp .
you need to drain down the water in the pipe .cut with a pipe slicer.
one push fit .job done. why you are at it the water will come handy to. put the fire out with the blowlamp .if you cant use one.

 

[PEG]

A box of jubilee clips and some old inner tube rubber,is handy.
If you can tin round the damage,a little patch of copper can easily be soldered on,and considered permanent
A depth stop of board thickness minus 1mm,saves a lot of trouble...

 

[Shoei]

Old school here, real men don't use push-fit.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Old school here, real men don't use push-fit

ok ,smarty pants .try comparison joint .and not bob hope neither.

 

[The Ghost]

Interesting read guys. Funnily enough I have never gone through a water pipe but good to know of the products for when I do. I have however trod on a gas pipe and broke it. Just turned of the gas and soldered a straight connector on to it and got on with the re-wire. Now before you all go gas safe conniptions on me, that was before it became illegal to fix a gas pipe and I was taught how to solder copper pipework and it's not that difficult. Same would apply to water pipes I do all my plumbing at home and also did it commercially. I wonder why I never nicked a pipe, got me thinking now!

 

[PEG]

^^ Just reminded me of an elderly neighbour,who called a while back,to ask if i could trace a bad smell in her kitchen sprout under a plinth,i thought...lovely person,so off i go...

Five minutes later,i have the two of them outside,windows open,house is full of gas...trace to a copper/lead joint on a branch to the boiler.
BG fitted the boiler a few years back,and long story short,got me Gas safe buddy in,condemns the pipework and fire in front room.

All sorted now,and although there is nowt on this earth i cannot weld,sweat or solder...the right way was chosen

 

[mickfred]

As had been said it's hard to solder pipe with any water in it as steam will put hole in your seal . The best way is to use Yorkshire fitting couplers and it their is little play in the pipe cut a section out and when refitting the section file out the stop point in the couplers so you can slid them along the pipe to make it easier to fit . If your a lady spark a monthly product can be used to get rid of any left over water from the pipe

 

[ipf]

^^ Just reminded me of an elderly neighbour,who called a while back,to ask if i could trace a bad smell in her kitchen sprout under a plinth,i thought...lovely person,so off i go...

Rotting brussels?......what a stink!

 

[MFS Electrical]

Evening all,

As you can see from the title I have not had a good day.

For the second time in my 6 year career I made a small nick in a water pipe whilst taking up the floorboards (using multitool). i thought i was prepared from the last time as I bought some clamps. However, they could not fit as there were other pipes right by the one I cut!!

So.... I shall try and be prepared again!

Can anyone recommend a putty (or whatever other methods you use) that just stops the leak temporarily until I get the plumber in? It would save me having to keep my thumb over it for 20 minutes whilst the entire heating system drains!

I have some electrical compound, is that the same as some sort of emergency putty?

An exhausting day!

Now having a beer

I keep two pipe slices in the van with a little stock of push fit and compression stop ends and straights never had to use one in anger but I bet if I took them out of the van I would....

 

[davesparks]

If you accidentally put a screw into a pipe don't remove the screw!

For small holes in a pipe you can wrap some ptfe tape round a woodscrew and screw it in for a temporary measure.

 

[JOURNEYMAN]

Pipe freeze kit on the van comes in handy for leaking pipes. Buys a bit if time to make a decent repair or replace the pipe section or which ever method you use to fix. Not cheap at around £15 but a fraction of the cost of calling out Mr Wet Pants and can save a bit of embarassment. A little trick I know is to use a large wheelie bin bag wrapped around the pipe, tape it in place if necessary and work with your hands in the bag to cut the pipe, put on speedfit stop end or coupler etc. Bit like working in a decontamination unit! Any water in the pipes goes into the bag and not onto the ceiling below!

 

[telectrix]

smash it flat with a hammer, then get a wet-pants to fit a section in.

 

[Shoei]

Pipe freeze kit on the van comes in handy for leaking pipes. Buys a bit if time to make a decent repair or replace the pipe section or which ever method you use to fix. Not cheap at around £15 but a fraction of the cost of calling out Mr Wet Pants and can save a bit of embarassment. A little trick I know is to use a large wheelie bin bag wrapped around the pipe, tape it in place if necessary and work with your hands in the bag to cut the pipe, put on speedfit stop end or coupler etc. Bit like working in a decontamination unit! Any water in the pipes goes into the bag and not onto the ceiling below!

Good advice. If you have a wet and dry vac handy they can buy time too. It's surprising how long it takes to fill the vac when it's grabbing water spouting out of a cut pipe. So I'm told anyway, I personally never, ever sliced a pipe with a circular saw, not ever, no siree.

 

[Andy78]

If you accidentally put a screw into a pipe don't remove the screw!

For small holes in a pipe you can wrap some ptfe tape round a woodscrew and screw it in for a temporary measure.

Once lifted a board in a rented property to find the screw had been put through a heating pipe. Little dribble and it went right back in. Landlord was on site and his recommendation was to just screw the board back down, obviously make sure it was tight, for safety's sake.

 

[TomB]

I’ll put my 2 pence worth in but very similar to the inner tube method. Chop a bit off the end of your garden hose (rubber type not the expanding ones), cut that down its length so it can be put flat. Cut to the width you need then use jubilee clips to secure, usually one either side of the hole. Advantage i found with this over the inner tube is that it can be pushed in between 2 pipes were as a inner tube you may struggle to feed it through

 

[Darkwood]

Similar note to others, I have some rescue tape, it can be applied as a permanent solution and is designed to cope with wet application and the temp' and pressure expected in standard domestic pipe work, I once applied it in a customers house and they were not happy so they got a plumber in who through ignorance said it wasn't good enough and he made a repair himself, the customer tried getting the plumbers labour off my bill but I presented all the manufacturers industry compliance that it was a recognised fix.
I was paid in full but I did reduce it for the inconvenience and stress caused by me catching a pipe which was buried in a wall nowhere near any outlets, however not a reduction to cover the plumbers call out, the customer should have had faith in me and allowed me to present her with the info' before going behind my back and calling a plumber out.