January 1, 2011

Water Pipe Repairs

Water pipes are tricky pieces of hardware. They are prone to blockages and leaks. Even a small leak can cause a lot of damage to your home or your work place. It can cost thousands of dollars to fix. To keep water from leaking on your floor and seeping into your walls, you might have to shut off your water system. This will leave you without water for days. If the leak continues, you could have a very expensive water bill.

How-to-Fix-a-Leaky-PipeWhat you can do to prevent leaking pipes

There are some precautionary steps that you must take to prevent something like this from happening. First, you must have your water pipes checked regularly. A regular examination by professionals can detect leaks and damages. This means action can be taken in time to keep mishaps from messing up your life. Pipe bursts are common before the winter season. Freezing temperatures can have a bad effect on certain types of metals, causing cracks and fissures. A certified plumber should be called before the cold season to check your systems.

How to repair small pipe leaks

It is not that difficult to fix water pipes. If the is leak not something serious, you can possibly do the water line repair yourself.

  1. First, you must shut down the valve.
  2. Next, turn on the faucet to drain the residual water in the pipes.
  3. Use a towel to wipe down the pipe surface and leave the pipe to dry.
  4. Only when the surface is fully dry, use a putty knife to gently apply epoxy to the area.
  5. After that, tie the area with a rubber and leave it for an hour or so to settle.
  6. Cover the rubber with a water resistant tape.
  7. Finally, open the valve and allow the water to flow.

Be sure to check if the water pipe repair holds and there is no leaks after repairing the pipe.

Use a trusted licensed Plumber for difficult repairs

It is always best to call a plumber for maintenance if the problem looks complicated. You can make a complete mess of the situation if you try to fix the problem yourself. Professional plumbers have tools to check your entire plumbing system, clean grease, and clear blocks.

A plumber will have the tools to reach areas which are impossible for you to access. They can check your underground plumbing systems and can advise you on maintenance. For instance, they can identify areas that are exposed to extreme weather conditions and are prone to more damage. These can be replaced with weather resistant pipes, or you can just cut water flow to the area during cold weather.

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Testing for leaks in pipes

The best way to find a problem and save the most money on plumbing contracts is to prevent leaks. You can prevent leaks by carrying out pressure tests. This way you don’t have problems, like flooding, due to leaks. You must check water lines that go into electrical appliances like washing machines. If a leak is detected in lines going into electrical devices you must not wait for water pipe repair. Leakage can cause short circuits and electrocute you! There is also danger of fire, which can harm your property if you do not get the leak repaired as soon as possible.