How To Fix An Emergency Leak Until Help Arrives

If you’re a homeowner, a water leak can be a major headache. And often this occurs at night or on weekends – just what you need. The good news? There are a couple of ways you might be able to temporarily fix the leak yourself. A good patch could hold until a professional can visit your home and fix it permanently. More importantly, it could save significant property damage and inconvenience too. We’ll cover three methods:

1. The first method is to use a gasket and hose clamp. It’s very cost effective provided you have the parts on hand. These gaskets are made of rubber and are usually square. For the repair, cut the rubber gasket to be the same or just slightly wider than the hose clamp you’ll be using and be long enough to go around the leaking pipe. Position the gasket over the leaking pipe and then put the hose clamp over the gasket. Tighten the hose clamp, making it snug but not too tight that you crush the pipe. Worst case you can reduce the leak to a drip or manageable trickle til the pros arrive.
2. The second way is to use compression tape. This fix is more costly and takes more time than the gasket method. Compression tape is usually a silicone base, designed to bond or glue to itself. Clean the pipe using a sponge or clean rag. It can help if you can shut the water off temporarily to make this repair easier. Apply about 8” of tape to the pipe so that it can wrap around itself several times. Most important thing is to wrap the tape tightly and minimize touching the overlapping parts of the tape. You also want to be overlapping to the sides of the leak to maximize adhesion and ultimately leak stoppage. Finally, apply another two wraps over the top of the wrap already applied. Squeeze out as much as you can on the first layer before doing the final wrap.
3. The third way is inspired by good old Red Green – duct tape. This may work, but be prepared for this method to only slow down the leak as adhesives on duct tape generally do not like to be wet and thus don’t stick well if they are.

It’s important to remember that even if you’ve stopped the leak with one of the above methods, call the professional immediately for the proper and permanent fix. Your primary concern is to limit damages of the leak and the above may just do the trick.

You can rely on the professionals at PipeMasters for all your plumbing needs, including those emergency repair calls: info@pipemasters.ca or (289) 404-9063. PipeMasters is part of Oakridge Plumbing Ontario Ltd. and serves the East GTA, Durham Region, North to Lindsay & Peterborough, out to Cobourg and all points in between. All Rights Reserved.