Photo Gallery A5: Unconventional Pipe Repairs

While in the ideal world a pipe leak or failure would be addressed by immediately taking the system off-line and replacing the pipe, such cannot always be done for an assortment of reasons.  Emergency pipe clamps are also not always available, may not be of the correct size, or may not fit.  Where failures occur at anything other than at a smooth straight length of pipe, such as at the threads, a clamped joint, tee, elbow, valve, or some other fitting, emergency repair clamps simply cannot be used; requiring the system to be shut down if the failure is large enough.  Then again, a quickly sharpened pencil or cut-off broom handle have saved the day.

For small leaks, further options may suffice – such as the use of a slice of rubber gasket material held on by a hose clamp – unquestionably the most common repair we encounter.  Final repairs may then be carried out, or the issue forgotten.  A slow drip at a  thread may take days to fill up a 5 gallon bucket; emptied every week.  A larger leak may result in that bucket being routed to a floor drain by a garden hose.  Larger collection tarps and even plastic kiddie pools above drop ceilings have routed multiple piping leaks to behind the wall sanitary waste lines.  Problem solved.

Welding patches, welding an overlay, or wrapping the pipe with Kevlar offers a more permanent type of emergency repair, while epoxy, tar, “salt-rags,” duct tape, and even “Flex-Seal” have all been used.

Of course, the only thing that counts is stopping the leak and further water damage.  After that, an investigation into the cause of the failure and proper repair or replacement of the pipe is the only  appropriate action.