How To Fix A Water Leak In The Home

Knowing how to fix a water leak at home or in a business is extremely helpful because it is a problem that frequently occurs in homes and businesses. A leak can also have serious consequences if it is not repaired quickly. You should never let a water leak go unrepaired, no matter how small it may be since it can trigger humidity problems and leaks and will likely greatly increase the water bill in your home. Therefore, detecting a water leak in time will not only avoid wasting this important resource but will also help you save money.

What should be done in case of a leak?

There are just a few simple steps.

First, detect the origin of the problem

Before knowing how to repair a water leak, it is necessary to study two important aspects. Before fixing the problem, you must know where it comes from and what is cause that is causing it. There are different types of water leaks. These can occur due to a crack in a pipe, a separation in the tap connection or a leak of water to the outside due to wear in the water conduction systems or a pressure change.

Once these issues are detected, it will be necessary to prepare everything you need to repair the water leak.

Before getting down to work, check that you comply with these three points:

Close the stopcock: as obvious as it may seem, on many occasions, there has been an issue in which the general tap does not close completely when a pipe is being repaired. This causes everything around it to get wet. Even when you know where the water leak is, it is better to completely close the stopcock to avoid unforeseen events as much as possible.

Drain the rest of the pipes: remember that even when the main tap is closed, there can always be residual water in the pipes, so it is best to wait for them to dry or empty them, keeping the water in buckets.

Dry the pipes on the outside: for the materials that will be used to repair a water leak to work correctly, the pipes and connections must be completely dry.

Now that the previous steps are covered, here are some tips to learn how to fix a water leak:

Repair a fissure: if the water leak occurs due to a small fissure in one of the pipes, a paste can be used to cover the area or special glue. With a spatula and gloves, apply all the paste on the crack and take it two more centimetres outside the area. Let it dry and try running the water a bit to check that it has sealed well. Remember that this is only a temporary solution since most caulking pastes wear off over time.

Changing a piece of the pipe: Knowing how to plug a water leak can be a little more complicated when the problem is bigger since it is likely that you will need to change a piece of the pipe completely. Having the advice of a drainage expert skilled in broken pipe repair, will be the best solution in this case since you need to find materials that can fit together and are durable.

Seal the connections: if the problem occurs in a connection between two pipes or from the tap, what will be needed is to tighten the parts with a wrench. It is very common that over time, the pressure of the water causes the connections to loosen.

Take preventive measures

Now that you know how to repair a water leak, it will be easy for you to recognize that the best way to avoid having to change a pipe is to prevent the problem. Older water pipes present a greater risk of cracks and breaks due to wear on their materials and the lack of technology with which they are manufactured. So if you can, consider completely changing your old water system before breakages occur.

Pipe Lagging’s online store has within its product catalogue a comprehensive range of pipe lagging, pipes and connections that are resistant and hard-wearing. Proper pipe and plumbing insulation around pipes helps to prevent heat transfer and delivers a vapour barrier to protect against moisture, which enhances the thermal efficiency of a building and saves you money. Poorly insulated pipes let water condense, which leaves pipes susceptible to unmoving water that can freeze in cold temperatures.

Investing in a proper plumbing system will save you trouble and money since you won’t have to worry about how to plug a water leak.