Master Plumber

[BeyGon]

When I got home from work Friday I found a leak in one of the bathrooms. The water was dripping from the vent/exhaust fan in the ceiling. I got out my trusty drywall knife and started cutting open the ceiling. I finally found the smaller than pin hole leak in the copper pipe. I called my trusty plumber friend, he was on his way to Mammoth, I didn't have any extra arms or legs and my first born is living in Idaho so he wasn't comming back to fix it.
I wrapped it in duct tape, put my vise grips on it and it stopped. It is still dry today, Sunday morning. I told my wife I have more vise grips, I just may drywall it up and leave them there. Oh well, he will be back, maybe, and fix it Tuesday.
I was thinking after this super repair job, if I lived closer, maybe I could get a job with Milt/Zeke.

[LakeCleElum]

Great temp repair, but I'm surprised it's holding.....For a small outlay in tools/materials, you can do it yourself. U'd need a tubing cutter, emery cloth, flux, propane torch, solder, 2 connectors and a short section of copper. Very easy to do, just make sure the water is out of the pipes before you solder. Otherwise, they won't warm up enough for the solder to flow.....G'luck..

[RickM]

If you can't sweat a new section in then turn off the water, sand the failed area and put a blob of JB Weld on there. Let it cure and you're good (still a make shift fix). That tape and Vice grips seal will likely fail.

BTW, I'm not a plumber but the deposits around the other joints don't look good either. You may want to wait for a plumber to clean this area up or else you'll be hacking the ceiling up often.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Great temp repair, but I'm surprised it's holding.....For a small outlay in tools/materials, you can do it yourself. U'd need a tubing cutter, emery cloth, flux, propane torch, solder, 2 connectors and a short section of copper. Very easy to do, just make sure the water is out of the pipes before you solder. Otherwise, they won't warm up enough for the solder to flow.....G'luck..

I know my limitations, I am waiting for the plumber.

[TerryH]

Other than fixing it right with a new piece of pipe, local hardware store will have a pipe clamp consisting of rubber sleeve surrounded by steel clamp. It will last longer than you and several hundred dollars less than a plumber.

[trekkor]

Too bad I don't live closer.

It takes me longer to get the tools together than making that repair.

I'd do it for a beer and a handshake.


KT

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by trekkor

Too bad I don't live closer.

It takes me longer to get the tools together than making that repair.

I'd do it for a beer and a handshake.


KT

At least a six pack of good stuff, I wonder about the copper, if it has this one little spray hole, what will I expect now, probably more. I may have to have the whole house done with that stuff they run through the pipes and it coats the inside. This was an easy one to find, I worry about the next one.

[Rot 911]

Weird place to get a leak. I'm thinking like you are, the pipes are corroded and one leak just means many more to follow.

[john70t]

What kind of water was flowing through those pipes in order to rot through the copper like that? Is there a local water report available? Using too much draino? Wrong solder/flux used in the install?

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by john70t

What kind of water was flowing through those pipes in order to rot through the copper like that? Is there a local water report available? Using too much draino? Wrong solder/flux used in the install?

How do you get Drano through the supply lines?

Most of those joints look "homemade" and a plumber should take a look-see. Replacing everything while open is the best bet. Re-sealing the inside of the lines is throwing good money after bad. PEX piping would be good for a retrofit ('specially in earthquake country).

For your next emergency repair, go to Home Depot and pick up a "Shark Bite" fitting. If you know how Chinese handcuffs work, you can fix your plumbing with these...

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by Danny_Ocean

How do you get Drano through the supply lines?

Most of those joints look "homemade" and a plumber should take a look-see. Replacing everything while open is the best bet. Re-sealing the inside of the lines is throwing good money after bad. PEX piping would be good for a retrofit ('specially in earthquake country).

For your next emergency repair, go to Home Depot and pick up a "Shark Bite" fitting. If you know how Chinese handcuffs work, you can fix your plumbing with these...

I will check those out, get one just in case, I may be out of duct tape, but if it happens more, the bad part will be tearing out walls or ceilings, that is why I thought about the inside coating. RePiping the whole house doesn't sound good. The place is only 18 years old, 2000 sq ft three full bathrooms two story condo. $$$$ You wouldn't think it could go that bad that fast. We shall see when he gets here Tuesday.

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

The place is only 18 years old, 2000 sq ft three full bathrooms two story condo. $$$$ You wouldn't think it could go that bad that fast.

If the rest of the plumbing looks like the hack-work in your photo, then yes, it could go bad that fast.

If you do most of the retrofitting yourself with PEX, you can do the whole place for less than $3k. Study the floor plan and you'll see that most of the water supply lines are on shared/common walls and stacks. If so, you'll only have to cut open a few strategic locations to run the new stuff.

[porsche930dude]

i agree those other connections look like crap. That gets caused by not wiping off the pipes when the job is done. The solder actually eats through the pipe over time. Also it could be worsened by the type of flux and atmouspheric conditions

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by porsche930dude

i agree those other connections look like crap. That gets caused by not wiping off the pipes when the job is done. The solder actually eats through the pipe over time. Also it could be worsened by the type of flux and atmouspheric conditions

but, this hole developed in the middle, six or eight inches away from a soldered joint. It was a little discolored at that point, maybe a splash??

[porsche930dude]

yea that is a little odd and it doesnt look like there is much corotion around that area. In any case you should definatly have it fixed properly

[rick-l]

http://www.toolbase.org/PDF/CaseStudies/CopperPinholeLeaks.pdf

one possible cause
"Solder flux -- Poor workmanship"

[911Rob]

the good news is that you have a sense of humor over the whole thing; some people this would drive mad. Good on ya!

as for the 'master' part, I'd say that's a little over stated. IMHO.

[craigster59]

All you need to do is cut the pipe at the leak (after shutting off the water) and solder a "slip coupler" on (the type w/ no built in stops, it can slide all the way down the pipe). Stuff a ball of wadded bread in the pipe before soldering to keep the water back.

[porsche930dude]

Originally Posted by craigster59

All you need to do is cut the pipe at the leak (after shutting off the water) and solder a "slip coupler" on (the type w/ no built in stops, it can slide all the way down the pipe). Stuff a ball of wadded bread in the pipe before soldering to keep the water back.

i always do that and people are amazed that it actually works. I cant beleive how many tradesmen dont know that trick and are skeptical of it. Then when i prove them wrong they all think im a genious Usually you can drain the system and not have a problem with leakage but sopmetimes it just dont stop

[Teutonics]

Originally Posted by craigster59

...Stuff a ball of wadded bread in the pipe before soldering to keep the water back.

Just make sure it is WHITE bread, not whole wheat or anything with fiber/chunks/seeds/etc. Fiber won't go through the aerators, and chunks can plug up at your valves.