We’ve talked before about one of the major dangers that any plumbing system faces: the pinhole leak. Copper pipes are the dominant type of pipes found in most homes today, and one of the reasons for their popularity is their resistance to the corrosion that chews away older steel pipes. But there is a type of corrosion that does affect copper, and it’s this pitting corrosion that leads to the small pinhole leaks.
Pinhole leaks may be small, but they are still a huge problem for plumbing and create immense property damage if not fixed immediately. When you have pinhole leaks in your pipes, call our plumbing repair professionals right away, and they’ll fix it. This doesn’t involve just patching the leak, however. Here’s how we handle pinhole leaks.
The Quick and Temporary Fix
Often, we need to simply stop the leak to prevent further damage while we develop a long-term repair strategy. For a fast repair, we can put a piece of rubber against the leak, then strap a jubilee clip around the rubber and the pipe. When the jubilee clip is screwed down and tightened, it compresses the rubber piece to form a seal against the leak. This isn’t a permanent solution (the rubber piece will eventually deteriorate), but it will do the job for a few days and take away your immediate worries.
Compression Fitting
Here we get down to a permanent fix. First, we cut open the pipe at the pinhole. This doesn’t need a hacksaw; instead, we use a pipe slicer that we attach into the pinhole itself and then rotate to cleanly sever the pipe. Then we place a compression fitting between the two cut ends and screw it down, forming a firm link between the two.
Soldering for a Great Repair
The most secure repair is to cut the pipe at the pinhole and then solder the ends together. This takes a bit more time, since we have to make sure the pipe is clear of water and fully cleaned first. We paint flux onto the pipes, place the ends together, and then apply a soldering torch. The final result is a solid new connection.
Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. has helped Orlando, FL with the finest in professional plumbing services since 1975.