Service
Pipe Leak Repair
Repairing leaks on accessible pipework, in walls, ceilings, crawl spaces and basements, by replacing the failed section rather than clamping it.
- Licensed and insured
- Price agreed before work
- A plumber who works your area
Cut back to sound pipe
The difference between a repair that holds and one that fails again is where the cut is made.
A pinhole or a split is where the pipe failed first, not where the damage ends. The metal either side is usually thinned by the same process, so a repair that removes only the visible hole is joining new pipe to pipe that is nearly through.
The next leak then appears an inch away, and the ceiling gets opened twice.
Cutting back until the pipe wall is clearly sound costs a few more inches of material and saves the second visit.
Where two metals meet, something corrodes
A recurring cause of leaks in older houses is a joint nobody thought about.
When copper is connected directly to galvanised steel with water present, an electrochemical reaction runs between them and the steel side corrodes from the inside. It is not a fault in either material; it is what happens when they touch.
This shows up wherever a copper repair or extension was made onto an original galvanised system, which is extremely common. The fix is a dielectric union that separates the two electrically.
If you have a leak at exactly the point where old pipe meets newer pipe, this is almost certainly why, and repairing it without the right fitting simply restarts the clock.
Does this sound familiar?
Problems this service solves
- A dripping or weeping joint in a visible run
- A split pipe in a crawl space or basement
- A pinhole leak in a wall cavity
- A pipe damaged by a nail or screw
- Corrosion at a fitting between dissimilar metals
Signs you need pipe leak repair
If more than one of these is true, the problem is usually past the point a plunger or a store-bought cleaner will fix.
- Visible water or mineral staining on a pipe
- Damp insulation or a wet patch beneath a run
- Green or white deposits around a fitting
- A drip that gets worse when a particular tap runs
What to expect
How the visit works
Isolate and drain
The section is isolated and drained so the repair is made on dry, empty pipe, which is what allows a proper joint rather than a temporary one.
Cut out the failure
The failed length is removed back to sound pipe, since repairing at the edge of corrosion simply moves the next leak an inch along.
Join correctly for the material
Copper, PEX, CPVC and galvanised each have a right method, and joining dissimilar metals without a dielectric fitting creates the next corrosion point.
Pressure test and inspect nearby
The repair is tested under pressure, and the surrounding run is examined for the same condition that caused this failure.
What's included
What you get on every job, whoever we send.
- Failed pipe replaced, not clamped and left
- Cut back to sound material rather than to the visible hole
- Correct fittings where materials change
- The cause identified so the next one is anticipated
Questions
Pipe Leak Repair questions
Is a repair clamp a real fix?
It is a real way to stop water tonight, and there is nothing wrong with using one to get through until a proper repair can be made. It is not a permanent solution. A clamp compresses a rubber sleeve against pipe that has already failed once, and the pipe around it is usually in similar condition. Left in place it will leak again, often around the clamp rather than under it. Treat it as a stopgap with a date on it.
Why did my pipe leak where two different metals meet?
Galvanic corrosion. When copper and galvanised steel are joined directly and water is present, an electrochemical reaction attacks the steel side and it corrodes from the inside out. It is common where a copper repair was made onto an older galvanised system without the right fitting. The repair is a dielectric union, which separates the metals electrically, and it is the difference between a joint that lasts and one that fails in a few years.
A screw went through a pipe in the wall. What now?
Leave the screw in place until the water is off, because it is partly sealing the hole it made. Then shut off the supply, drain that section, and have the damaged length cut out and replaced. Pulling the screw first turns a slow weep into an open hole spraying inside a wall cavity. It is one of the more common accidental leaks and an entirely routine repair once the water is off.
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Get it fixed
Pipe Leak Repair, handled locally
Call with your ZIP code and what you are seeing. We route you to a licensed plumber in your area who does pipe leak repair every week.
- Licensed and insured
- Answered 24/7
- Price before work