It’s not uncommon for building residents to encounter leaky pipes. Water might start leaking in apartment walls or ceilings, and this can be an inconvenience to residents. Before the plumber comes in, you want to start dealing with the leak as soon as possible. If you don’t know where to start, here are a few hacks that might assist you.
Pipe clamps
When you have a leaky pipe problem on your hands, you want to take care of it pronto. When the shower pressure is low or there’s water appearing on the walls, being quick is crucial. If the problem is severe and you can’t call in a professional to come in immediately, temporary solutions will do.
Using pipe clamps can buy you precious time that you might not have. Pipe clamps are strong enough to hold metal on aircraft carriers and planes, so you don’t have to worry about them breaking by the time a plumber comes in.
Pipe wrapping
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the most effective. Pipe wraps can take care of a strong water leak in a quick and efficient manner. You can find most types of pipe wraps in any local hardware store, so obtaining some shouldn’t be an issue.
The only catch is that you have to put it in the right place. If the leak location isn’t easy to spot, you might want to do further inspections. Alternatively, you could always wrap as much of the pipe as possible, if you can reach it.
Pipe connectors
Many leaks occur in difficult locations on the pipe’s surface. For example, if the leak is located on a joint or turn, you’re going to find it a lot harder to apply most other methods. Even if you use other leak solutions in an efficient way, there’s still a chance that the leak will persist due to the shape and location of the pipe joint.
This is where pipe connectors can come in handy. They’re relatively simple tools that only require you to mount them well. They help create a tighter seal around the leak so that there’s no way of water escaping. Rubber connectors are especially good at taking care of leaks, so consider using those as well.
Epoxy sealants
Not all pipe leaks are created equal. Some just drizzle that only inconvenience residents by causing slight stains on their walls. This is still something that needs handling. Since it’s not an emergency situation, epoxy should do.
Cast iron pipes that are leaking can be plugged with a little epoxy and remain sealed for quite a while. It’s something that experiences plumbers might use before getting ahold of more tools or just if they want to take care of an underlying issue first. It’s not a permanent solution, so keep an emergency plumbing contact on hand. While the resin holds, you should be free of moisture damage from the leaks.
Repair sleeves
If your problematic leak isn’t all that large and you can easily find it, there’s no real reason to get any complex substances involved. There are much simpler solutions that can be quickly administered and have long-term positive effects.
Take repair sleeves for example. They’re dirt cheap and ridiculously easy to install. They provide a strong fix, but it doesn’t last forever. You can only leave them on for a few days until the plumber gets there, but there’s going to be no sign of a leak, as it plugs them well.
Conclusion
There are many ways to plug a leaky pipe without involving professionals. Very rarely will these ideas turn out to be effective long-term solutions, but then again, they aren’t supposed to be anyway. If you want to take care of your leaky pipe situation, you need a professional. If you can plug the leak before they find the time to come in and fix it, all the better.
Author bio
Ayla Anderson is an avid reader and an enthusiastic blogger who writes articles on home improvement, business, Family, and beauty. She is also an MBA student who spends much of her time giving advice to new small businesses on how to grow their businesses. You can follow me on https://twitter.com/Ayla55489508.
