Water is great — except when it is bursting out of your pipes. And then dislike you it, even hate it, for a little while.
But then broken pipes will happen; maybe your plumbing system is simply out of date, perhaps a recent remodeling has damaged it. Whatever the cause, you have broken pipes, and you need to fix them.
Yes. You. Because there are certain damages or problems that can be resolved without the pricey expertise of plumbers. You just need to be very careful with each repair job—and make sure that the damage can be managed with a DIY approach. You should also have the right tools to get it done. And, more importantly, you should have the know-how to fix broken pipes. Otherwise, you may turn a teensy weensy leak into a flood in your home.
Here are some guidelines in fixing broken pipes by yourself:
1. Start by locating the leak.
Find the source of the leak before doing any kind of patchwork. Not all leaks are as easy to find when it is under the sink. Some leaks require investigating. You can turn off all water sources in your home and mark where your meter needle is pointing. Come back a few hours later and if that needle has moved past your mark, you have a leak somewhere.
Other ways to look for leaks is to look for signs: water around your appliances, like dishwasher; corroded supply line fittings; cracked or warped bathroom or kitchen flooring, and stains on the ceiling wall.
2. Shut off the water to the entire house.
This can be done at the meter or well-pump pressure tank. You need to drain the system by turning the faucets on the lowest level.
3. For frozen pipes, let the water run through the faucets.
Frozen pipes should be detected early on. You’ll achieve this by observing the water pressure, which will decrease when your pipes begin to freeze. Turn on faucets and let the water run (catching it with a basin, of course, so you don’t waste water). This should help thaw the built-up ice in the pipes.
If you have plastic pipes, warm them up by bundling them in rags and pouring hot water over them carefully.
4. Holes can be fixed by soldering or splicing compression repair coupling on the pipe.
Soldering will require great care, since you will be working with an open flame. You need to melt the solder with a gas torch then spread it uniformly along the hole.
The other method involves taking out the damaged pipe and applying a cut-and-paste coupling.
Remember to do only the jobs that can be fixed without special tools or special skills. When in doubt, always call an actual repairman and have the pipe problem fixed permanently.