Tips For Dodgy Pipes

The 21st century society depends so much on pipes. There's so much we depend on pipes for - from bringing us potable water, to removing our sewage. Unfortunately, pipes are not entirely problem free. We'll look at a few simple ways of repairing problem pipes.

Always try to turn the water off before you start fixing a leaking pipe. All hope is not lost if you can't turn the water supply off after a pipe develops a leak. In such situations, you can use a pipe freezing kit to solidify the water and effectively stop the flow. You can then replace the section of the pipe that is damaged.

Compression fittings oftentimes develop leaks. Compression fittings that develop leaks should be re-tightened slightly. Take care not to overdo the tightening, or else you might end up making the leak worse.

If the compression fitting still drips after your first attempt at fixing the leak, I'm afraid you'll have to start all over again. Dismantle the fitting first and then wrap some tape around the leak. Next reassemble the fitting, and finally test it for leaks. Hopefully, this time there won't be any.

A leaky soldered joint can be dried with a blow lamp. A hair dryer can be used in place of a blow lamp. Then apply some self cleaning flux to the pipe joint, and melt the flux by reheating the soldered joint. Use the flux to seal the leaky pipe joint. This works very well for soldered joints.

You can use a sealant such as epoxy resin to temporarily stop the leak in a pipe. For compression fittings, however, silicon paste is more suitable than epoxy resin. After applying the sealant, you will need to turn off the water supply before eventually dismantling the pipework and fixing the leak. As you can see, this is not very difficult.

Frozen pipes are more common place in some parts of the world than in others. Those that live in warm countries do not need to bother with the remainder of the article.

Not many of us have had to deal with frozen pipes. Whilst frozen pipes are not very difficult to deal with, most of us are not sure how to go about it. This article attempts to redress the situation.

Keeping water warm is one of the best ways to prevent frozen pipes. If you would rather not leave your water heating on, a good alternative is to use a small portable heater, or even a high wattage bulb.

If you plan on being out of the house for more than a day or two, it is a very good idea to leave your taps dripping slightly. The movement of the water in the pipes will stop freezing from happening.

If you are about to have new pipes installed, avoid having them fitted to the outside of external walls, as they will be more vulnerable to the hazards of winter. Most of us, unfortunately, will not have this option.

If your pipework is already fitted to the outside of external walls, freezing can be prevented by insulating the pipes. Heat tape and fibre glass are two materials known to achieve good results.

By: Swift Goodway

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you feel that the problem is beyond your ability to fix, you will then have to request the help of an experienced plumber. Those of you that live in Sutton or Kingston can give our local and friendly plumbers (Kingston) a call.