How to Repair a Plumbing Leak Inside the Wall, a Tale of Adventure
I have a lot of projects on tap before the infernal summer heat comes to Arizona. This is not one of them. After chasing down the source of a leak feeding our guest bathroom's bathtub, (here) and punching through the soggy drywall, the first order of business was repairing the plumbing.
With the section of pipe cut out of the wall, I had to plug the end and blow on it to find the minuscule pinhole that had been wreaking havoc on our home. It wasn't a failed solder joint, but a hole right through the elbow, near a tiny dab of corrosion.
Check out the pics. The whole crazy adventure with failures and successes is on the blog.
With the section of pipe cut out of the wall, I had to plug the end and blow on it to find the minuscule pinhole that had been wreaking havoc on our home. It wasn't a failed solder joint, but a hole right through the elbow, near a tiny dab of corrosion.
Check out the pics. The whole crazy adventure with failures and successes is on the blog.
Here's the leak. That minuscule hole caused so much damage in the wall.
The fresh cut, dry fitted section.
After a initial horrendous failure, I started fresh, out in the driveway.
Fresh new Dijon mustard looking flux...
... and of course, FIRE!
Again and again, I returned to the fray, spewing blue hell-fire and molten metal into seam after seam, each time better and faster than the last. I attacked my task, in front of that filthy, unwashed Honda, beneath the deepening desert sky. Frustration was a thing of the past; I actually began to enjoy the battle.
Success!!!
I found these neat push-fit couplings at the home center. No torching in the wall, they slip right on,...
... and worked perfectly!
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Great work-but just a caution. Once the pipes start to develop pin holes, you may have more in your future. Our copper is 60 years old and started to pin-hole last year. We have had to replace it all with pex because we were developing one hole after another. Our insurance won't cover these floods anymore and we have had over 20K of damage. Good luck with yours.
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Thank you for the detailed instructions. It is going to be of much help for many. Drips and leaks are very troublesome and are not easily mended because of some plumbing myths that many of us believe to be true. Here is a blog on plumbing myths and their solution. http://blog.restorationprokala.com/5-little-known-home-plumbing-myths-debunked-solution/
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