This article discusses four methods for fixing leaking threaded joints, including using PTFE tape, pipe dope, repair epoxy, and pipelining. The simplest method is to apply PTFE tape by turning off the water supply and cleaning the threads. For joints between pipes, tighten the nuts to stop leaks or replace the washers inside the fittings. Slip couplings can be used to permanently repair pipes.
To fix a leaking PVC threaded junction, the best time to fix a plumbing leak is before it happens by properly connecting water supply and waste line fittings. Apply heat evenly all around each fitting until the solder just begins to show as a ring around both ends of the fitting, then remove the heat. Allow the fitting to cool and clean the outer. Apply a coat of paint over wound cotton thread and repeat steps 3 and 4. Reopen the water supply and test patched.
For CRVC pipes and fittings, use CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) glue to connect CRVC pipes and fittings. Wrap teflon tape on the male threads and apply pipe thread sealant on top of the teflon. Use repair clamps with a neoprene rubber patch to make temporary repairs to larger ruptures in pipes.
Locate the leak. Turn off the water and drain the pipes. Repair the leak by running the water to check that the seal is watertight. A minimum combination of both thread sealant and Teflon tape is suggested. Professional Grade thread sealants, such as Slic-Tite Paste with Teflon, are recommended.
Clean and resealing threads. Clean the threads thoroughly and apply pipe tape or joint compound before reassembling the joint.
📹 The CORRECT Way To Fix A Leaking Joint (UNSOLDERING) | GOT2LEARN
Here’s a complete guide on how to repair a leaking joint whether it wasn’t soldered correctly or it just started leaking in time, this …
📹 The ULTIMATE Leaky Copper Pipe Fix Guide | GOT2LEARN
Here are 8 DIY ways to temporarily or permanently repair a leaky copper pipe. In any case, a leaky pipe can deprive you of water …
This is fantastic . As an industrial maintenance technician I always do everything myself . However I have always found it difficult to solder copper pipes correctly . I was having a miserable time with my new hot water heater installation . Your advice saved me countless hours of work . Thank you so much for the help ! God bless ! (New subscriber)
Thank you! I was getting frustrated with my solder joints leaking (trying to add a “T” to an existing cold water line). I kept re-fluxing and re-soldering (the wrong way) and it wasn’t getting any better. Then I watched your article. I spent a few minutes removing the T (using your vise grips/hammer technique), sanded the insides and outsides as well as I could, re-fluxed, refitted, and re-heated. It took the solder perfectly the first time and I haven’t yet seen a leak. I didn’t know that about “not overheating the joint”. I think that’s probably what caused my original failures. When I disassembled the joint I noticed that there was bare copper inside the T where there should have been solder. I suspect the flux boiled away, as you cautioned against. There’s definitely something to be said for doing it the right way the first time.
Being a home handyman, I noticed that sometimes I could not get the solder to wick cleanly. I was picking up materials at our local hardware store where they have experienced tradesmen who provide invaluable advice. The plumber explained to me that paste flux has a limited life – a few months can make it tougher to work with – and mine was years old. Sure enough, the cheap can of flux I bought was immensely better than the can I had for so many years.
I wish there was a website like this for every trade. It would be the perfect maintenance manual for everything. How to fix you car, your plumbing, your electrical, your windows, your roof, your floor, High quality content that covers all the potential errors and their repercussions. What you are doing is amazing. Thank you for all the great work.
Great vid, I just have one suggestion. The prep of the pipe has a lot to do with improper joining. What I’m referring to is when you sand the pipe, a lot of people make the mistake of going around in a circle. But if you go parallel with the pipe and create straight lines, the solder has a easier path to flow versus going over the miniscule ridges or “whoops” like I call them. Kinda like a dirt bike at a race track. Good luck
I completely agree with the problem of leaving some water in the tube. it first prevents the correct temperature to be obtained. And then, when you are doing the soldiering, the low part keeps cold because the energy you bring is mainly used to evaporate the water. Especially true if the water is constantly renewed because you warm the below tube where it stays !!
The technique at 6:00 in was super helpful! I first tried the lazy way and heated the (elbow in this case) and just added more solder. Bzzzzzttt …nope. In fact the pinhole got worse. What I did do, a bit different than you, is heat up the joint, then gently tap the vice grips until the connection is MOSTLY out but still hnaging on at the edge. I sandpapered the pipe, bought the proper flux (I had tinning flux) and just put flux on the pipe, heated the elbow joint, tapped the vice grips gently until the parts were fully conneted the added solder. This seemed to work for me, going to inspect all connections for leaks in 24hrs but so far looks solid. GREAT article!
Your articles are highly informative, very technical, and has helped many DIYers like myself who need this vital information to repair and resolve these issues ourselves. Your instructions are clear, with great advise and technical “know how” to do it right. Your cutaway view makes your explanation invaluable that substantiates the do’s and don’ts. You are the best at what you do, as I’m a fan for life. Keep-up the great work MF (my friend) !!
Excellent stuff. The only time I’ve ever had a leaky solder joint is because of water in the pipework. It was at a low point, and there was no drain point. When designing pipe runs, I wish plumbers would take into account the need to drain them out in the future and put in a draincock at low points where possible.
I’m a professional plumber, so of course I want to toss in my $0.02 worth: Copper pipe that has water inside is nearly impossible to solder. The water becomes steam when you heat it, and the steam escapes through the joint you’re trying to solder, keeping the metal from reaching soldering temperature, and pushing the partially melted solder out of the fitting. One of the best ways to overcome that if the pipe can’t be completely dried inside is to leave an open fitting nearby, such as by using a screwed adapter for the last fitting to make. With 1/2-inch copper pipe, it’s possible to solder if you can dry out about 10 inches of pipe away from the fitting to be soldered. The bigger the pipe size, the further away from moisture your soldering operation needs to be. In the first example here–if it’s 3/4 or 1/2-inch pipe–it’s better to cut the section out and use new fittings–with couplings–to make the repair, because it’s so hard to get the inside of an already-soldered fitting clean enough. There are good tips and correct techniques in this article, but don’t ignore the part that says soldering is a skill that takes practice. If you’ve never soldered copper pipe before, a repair that a pro could do in 10 minutes will be an hour or more of frustration for you.
I am not a professional plumber but the first major plumbing job I did was to fit a full c/h system with 21 rads in my own 3 storey house. All went well except that when I filled and pressurised the system I had a single small leak at a T joint in the cellar with one leg of the T into a brick wall. Almost the worst possible spot on the entire system. Pulling the pipes apart was not an option in a confined space so, knowing it was not recommended but having no real option other than drain down and dismantle I decided that as I had little to lose I would try to solder it in situ. I am talking 50+ years ago by the way. My torch was a Camping Gaz, butane I think. I heated the joint slowly, I did hear some steamy sounds, applied some aggressive flux, as it was known then, turned up the heat and applied solder. It worked! For the next 30yrs until I moved house I checked the joint periodically, it never leaked. I know I was fortunate but it was well worth the try. I never had a solder joint leak thereafter!
I would go ahead and put a very thin layer of flux inside the fitting. You can apply the flux with one brush and use a clean flux brush to wipe out the excess flux before pushing the pipe inside the fitting. The small amount of flux that gets into the pipe is not near as bad as not getting flux on the inside of the fitting. You can (and should) flush out the pipes after a repair anyway. It is also way easier and faster to just heat the pipe up and wipe off the old solder with a clean dry rag instead of attempting to sand off the old solder which will remove the solder “tint” in more than one place in most cases. That thin layer of tint could be the difference between a successful repair or another failed solder joint .
I once “repaired ” a very visible leaking joint by turning off the water supply so that the exterior of the pipe could be completely dried. I roughened the area and applied “liquid steel”, an old product very much like JB Weld. Let it harden and turned on the water. There was no leaking. This was a lot easier for me at the time than an orthodox repair. I knew it wouldn’t “last”. But, exactly 60 YEARS later, it was still bone dry. More recently I had a pipe leak that was also visible but where draining and drying would be very difficult so I tried a silicone tape wrap. That’s still holding up now at 4 years. For the time being, I saved myself a LOT of work.
Again, great article. I’m sure you have the best website for plumbers right now. Great information, visual examples of right and wrong . Amazing. Dont stop making these. Go from tips on grounds to fixtures! That’s 100+ articles . Where I work if we glued a PVC fitting 1 1/2″ + . No matter how long if needed due to mistake . We use our torch to burn/soften, to peel it out. It works great to even re use. But idk if there are consequences using the method.
I’ve been doing commercial plumbing for decades and this guy is showing the proper procedures on every article I’ve seen. Some circumstances won’t allow you to get all the water out of the area in question. If this happens you may have to use a slip coupling to repair the leak. Doing this will allow you to cut the pipe near the leak to drain the remaining water. After it is drained you can mark your pipe so you can assure your coupling is centered before soldering your joints.
As a refrigeration and air conditioning lecturer we made sure every student was more than competent in soldering. The system pressure can be up to 400psi (2800kpa) when operating so welded joints must be absolutely spot on. The #1 rule is managing the amount heat to ensure it has filled the total joint. It is the silver content that gives it the strength. By perusal the colour changes you can tell when to add the solder or when to back off the heat. Welding a capillary tube (0.5mm) into the side of a large copper pipe is a great exercise in learning heat control. Mapp gas and oxy/acetylene are very different in temperatures so getting the right amount of heat is paramount.
At 8:09 into the article, the excess flux is shown inside the pipe and it is mentioned that this will eat up the pipe and cause more problems. As mentioned in the article and in the list of materials, the flux is water soluble. Excess flux will dissolve in the water in the pipe long before it affects the copper or solder. The water soluble nature of the flux is also one of the reasons why you can’t solder a pipe with water in it. If you heat the pipe enough to change the water to steam, the steam can find its way out of the still-to-be-soldered joint and the steam will dissolve the flux and the solder won’t flow where it should. So, water in a pipe is trouble for two reasons. The water won’t allow the pipe to get hot enough as you have mentioned, but water, especially hot water and certainly steam will dissolve the flux. True.
We had to replace a leaky pipe, not because of unsoldering but because when they built the house or installed the pipes they left it pressed up against a pine board. Pine is slightly acidic (slightly more than slightly actually) and over the years it ate it’s way through the copper pipe. So if you are fixing your pipes or installing new ones make sure they aren’t touching the wood anywhere, particularly if it’s pine.
You really know your stuff. I have looked at many articles on this as I had the same problem recently, and man you explained it the best and the reason for doing it. I was frustrated, as I always screw up when I have to solder vertical bottom part. I thank you, I followed your explanation and it worked out great. Keep up the good work.
First, I wanted to thank you for this and your other articles. Your well explained techniques have helped myself and I am sure many other weekend warriors become better at plumbing by improving skills with your pro tips and techniques. I thought I was pretty good (always got the job done), but now I am much better. I am currently working on an older 3 story Victorian home with mostly copper pipe (changed) and a few runs of the old iron which I can’t easily access. It would be great if you could do some articles on older homes and working with old stuff with some tips on replacing inaccessible pipes (possibly with pex ?)and also dealing with old shut off valves. I have not had any luck trying to disassemble most of the older screw valves when the washers let go when you are trying to fix something simple and now it turns into a much bigger project.
Well I had come back home to just this mess with my old house…downstairs wall and ceiling with water EVERYWHERE! Ripped out upstairs bathtub to get to the leak and there it was, different configuration but same type of leak for the same reason, failed solder joint… As a newby I embarked on a DIY repair and followed the unsolder/clean prepare/resolder and no leak now (messy but no leak)… So as they say: If I can, anyone can…as long as you follow this guide! 🙂 Now for a DIY rebuild walls, etc.
Thank you so much for your articles. I did my first ever pinhole repair based on two of your articles. Desoldering and this one. I thought I would have to replace the entire t-joint but your desolder article made this fix so much easier. I purchased all the items you recommended including the fire protector. Which, upon inspection, whomever did the previous work in that space did not use one as I could see burned wood. Anyhow, your articles are great. Thank you again.
I don’t know if others have noted this, but I recently discovered that Dremel makes a sanding head that just happens to fit PERFECTLY inside 1/2″ copper couplings (can’t speak for 3/4″ – sorry!). I recently used this to remove solder from a joint I had to take apart and re-assemble and it made the job A LOT faster.
I once didn’t have a line clear enough of water, vertical 3 feet needing to change a ball valve, and for whatever reason I started from top going down (it’s best start down). The last coupling steamed water inside. Turned water back on, and damn did it leak, I thought “did I not flux?) cause it looked like the entire joint failed. After I took it apart, found a tiny, needle-tip thin gap through the solder the steam created. Amazing.
this vide is great if you are stuck in the fifties first of all you wold not need to solder if you had a geberit tool secon you dont need flux if you use the correct solder for copper and if you got a leak with copper solder you could repear it by just adding more solder and not remove the whole pipe
You’re right, of course. I had a boiler and flow valves replaced and one of the joints at a valve leaked. The plumber and I didn’t want to drain the whole system and take down the connection in the winter. So he suggested at least trying the down and dirty method. So he did. Of course, that was only 35 years ago. It might start leaking again tonight. I know I just got lucky.
At my dad’s house there is a pinhole leak in a copper T fitting the pipe is 50 years old. I’d like to try fixing it but I’ve never done it this article makes it seem straight forward. The only problem is the T intersection doesn’t have any room to move any of the three pipes. I’d be curious to know why after 50 years it’s leaking and I dread to know what’s leaking in the walls.
One thing that I’ve found for cleaning the inside of the fitting after separating it is to use a honing tool with rough stones. A quick pass will leave the pipe smooth and round and make it much easier to re-insert the the pipe into the fitting. I did this for a friend about 20 years ago, still tight and dry.
I went to school for HVAC and learned how to use silfos. Working with silfos has it’s own challenges, but one thing I found to be easier is, when the pipe is heated correctly, capillary action works on its own, no need for flux. You don’t have to worry about burning it up and losing the capillary “suction”. I had to use regular plumbing solder for the first time recently when replacing the valve manifold on the bathtub, I had a hell of a time with it because I took too long to heat the pipe and burnt the flux and then had the nightmare of leaks everywhere. (and already it was a huge pain because I was cramped in a closet behind the tub and had about 1-2 inches of space between the pipe and the actual fiberglass tub.
The way I have found to be successful with copper pipe soldering is to make sure there is no moisture in or on the outside of the pipe. Keep the joint clean and use a liberal amount of flux on every surface to be soldered. If those three things are done your solder joint will adhere no matter how ugly you solder. Remembering that the solder itself chases the heat so i apply on the separate side that I am applying the torch so it will travel throughout the joint.
A good way to stop a little bit of water from reaching the fitting is: stuff some bread tightly into pipe and it will stop the flow long enough to re-solder the fitting. This method works great as the bread will dissolve into nothingness when water is turned on. ( a plumber taught me this about 40 years ago)
I’m a 5th year apprentice and currently in plumbing school/ programs. Master plumbers and teachers who have done studies about soldering taught us to always run the torch or the heat all around the pipe while soldering not just heating the bottom and expect to have a strong joint. We actually cut the pipe and see the inside. I haven’t had any leaks by doing it the way we were taught.
At 8:30 part of his acid swab bristile is left on the pipe where he fluxed it. Then he shoved that into the joint. Unless it burnt away, he just added an impurity that could cause a leak. Other tips were good, but I know alot of plumbers that lightly wipe the hot solder off to make a clean joint before it fully cools without any issues.
Leaks happen bro, not often but once in a while. When you’ve completed 100’s of joints it hard to gauge that odd one. Sometimes you forget to tighten that odd compression joint. I only really dry test gas lines. There’s no second chances when safety is critical. Any plumber who tells you they haven’t had a leak is a liar 😜. Keep up the excellent work bruh 👌
Gracias por compartir sus conocimientos en plomería con personas como yo que no nos dedicamos a la plomería, aquí en Tijuana una fuga como esa me costaba 70 dlls yo hice la reparación viendo sus articles y solo gaste 25 dólares, y aunque el inglés no es mi primera lengua, sus gráficas fueron lo suficientemente claras para entender como debía hacer la reparación, le agradezco su ayuda, sinceramente Frank Mendoza
What i like to do when i solder pipes is take dropped thin wire from previous job and lay a small piece of it on horizontal work. As soon it start melting into the joint then i know in a few second i should apply my solder wire. This way this resolve the question to whether or not i am heating too much or too little.
I served my time as a maintenance engineer at a company in England that produced heat exchangers. There was a lot of soldering and brazing involved in the production of heat exchangers and there was a saying prevalent amongst my peers, and that was that, in both of these processes, “Cleanliness is Godliness”. You can be too dirty, but you can’t be too clean. This is always number one in my book but doesn’t undermine your excellent advice.
SO good of you to post these clips. Brilliant. Really building my confidence to do the pipework at my father’s on Monday! My Plumber let us down 😱 The kitchen fitter is coming on Tuesday for 5 days, so I am now going to have to: – move the mains stopcock 2ft to the right – move external tap pipe 3 ft to left (installing compression valve) – extend cold water pipe feed to boiler – extend pipe 3 ft to right, install compression valve near mains stopcock – move taps over 2 feet (install compression joints with hot/cold taps) – install compression joints to the washing machine Slightly over optimistic for a first attempt, but hey ho.🤞🏼
If you can’t move the pipe to clear the joint, would you have to: – Cut a small section out of the pipe (enough to clear the fitting), unsolder the joint and remove the pipe – slide a “slip fitting” over the remaining pipe – cut a new piece of pipe long enough to insert in the fitting and reach the other pipe – insert the new pipe and solder it into the fitting, then move the “slip fitting” into place and solder it Would that work?
The correct way to stop a copper leak from a fitting joint is never let it happen 😉 if you clean the pipe and fitting correctly and put the right amount of flux on the joint and heat the area correctly and move the torch towards the back of the fitting you will never have a leak! This is coming from a union 20 yr pipefitter veteran! Everytime I had a leak ( only a handful ) that was the cause not cleaning the solder area properly 😎
Thanks so much for the article. I’ve been cooling down the solder joints straight away oops also probably putting in too much solder as an insurance gambit. Luckily all my joints have been leak free except yesterdays oops again. Very grateful again showing me the correct way to unsolder and make good the repair….
He left out water in the line. If 1 drop is near that joint ..your solder won’t take….a oldschool plumber taught me this trick! Clean fittings as here.. get sone bread… and packed the pipe both sides if you have too..if you can’t get the water to completely stop…the bread absorbs the moisture just long enough to heat connection and solder to wrap around joint. . I agree with everything else he said..but like I said..here’s 1 thing he forgot to mention. And open every faucet in the house..and if you can, have water shut off a day before to get most of the water out of pipe
Very helpful article. I am renovating my master bathroom and one seam leaked, perhaps from shifting the pipe to fit other fittings and lengths, and broke the seam. TIP! Use a wet/dry shop vac to evacuate residual water in the pipe. Put the vacuum hose end over the pipe opening, squeeze your fist around the end of the hose over the copper to create an air tight seal and vacuum as needed. Be sure to open a nearby valve to allow air to travel with the water. Dry the pipe with a torch for best results.
When I first learned how to sweat I constantly got a leak. I cleaned the copper fluxed everything. Wasn’t until one of my plumber friends told me my mistake. Every time I clean the pipe with Emory cloth I wiped the area with my bare hands…. MY BARE HANDS 🤦♂️. I didn’t know my hand oil would have made such a difference.
I agree to do it right, BUT; and theirs always a but!!!😎 you apply flux “no matter what” to both ends. If you notice, the reason I point this out is because you heat from the mass of the joint that’s why the female end is the first to carbonize on the inside and why i say it’s most important to put on both but more so the female, so if it deosnt capillary atleast you see it because you wont have enough on the outside and you will be able to see it. instead of mask it by not having enough on the inside… still though we aren’t talking allot of flux, just enough to wet it. And a dry surface is like rain-x to water. This is why you put it on both so it works from both ends to keep joint clean allowing rosin to flow freely. The reason “water soluble” is used is because exactly that… and you purge it all out through opening a water valve to flush out when your done the job. If you do the job “correctly”. But, by not putting flux inside the connection you loose chances of a “propper show and tell” because this wasnt TRULLY a properly done job and you cant be sure “any way you look at it” weather or not the uncoated, clean copper inside is fully sealed and accepted the solder or if it is just sitting on a carbon film from heating the joint “like your screwdriver method showing adhesion to unclean heated copper” you did a pretty good job conveying the cause for sure and now it could of happened. Honestly I would of questioned more than that joint based on what I see. But good job all together.
This is why your neat solder joints with no exposed solder is a bad idea. When soldering you want a fillet, not just enough. You don’t want it dripping but you want a clean fillet around the edge that you can visually see. Because not even clean solder joints are always perfect. It may be fine until you have the pipes in the wall and they start leaking after a few weeks.
either the previous plumber didn’t properly prep the pipe by not sanding or fluxing it all the way or he got a hair from the brush in the joint…it’s happened to me many times before with the brush hairs.the sanding or steel brushing causes scratches for the solder to seep into and hold.this is the second reason why doing so is critical..it doesn’t clean 100%, that’s what the flux paste does.it cleans it 100%.also i love to use the paste with the pre -tin in it..you get a better bond with it and can see when the fitting is hot enough by perusal the tin melt into a matte finish.
Thank you thank you. i fixed an old copper pipe that haunted me for years. and finally now fixed it after perusal your vid. it was in a tight no room spot. Your hint on using vice grips to separate clean sand and resolder using wet rags and I used tin foil as backing to stop fires. Really worked! It’s great that people like you help people like me.🙂 Good Karma to you.✌
How about stuffing bread up the pipe to stop the dripping water? I think glutinous is best. I’m going to try a bagel. Plain, without cream cheese, onions, tomatoes, or smoked Salmon. The pressure will blow it to the first open tap and the water will dissolve it. Then I will eat an onion Bagel to celebrate!
Got2Learn, I used vise grips like recommended in this article to remove the fitting but after I was done I have some deep groves in the pipe from the vise grips digging into the pipe. Is this a problem? Do I have to replace that section of the pipe. The pipe is type M and not that thick. My guess is that the grooves are a little less than half the thickness of the copper.
Everything you said in here is 100% except for fluxing the fitting being wrong. The flux follows the heat so even if it gets pushed to the back of the fitting, once you apply your heat it will re distribute the flux around the pipe and inside the fitting. It’s not going to stay globbed up in the back of the fitting. So putting it just on the pipe is fine and fluxing the inside of the fitting is absolutely fine as well. Plumbers been fluxing the inside the fittings for 100+ years and no issues so at this point its your preference. Neither are wrong in my opinion
I think you do a great job explaining things. KUDOS!!! However, in most cases you cannot hammer the two pieces apart because there is not enough room to push the pipe away. In addition, it is many times difficult to get the water out of the lines. I opened up the nearest faucet to the leak, close the rest of the faucets, and also opened up an outside hose bib. I then forced air from the outside hose bib into the water lines to clear the water.
you should also mention in your article to Not use Type M copper for potable water, or pressurized systems. Type M is intended for non-pressure systems, like t&p Valves on water heaters or condensate drains. hopefully the pipe type was only used as a cheap example, as the application is still the same
It would be much more helpful if the article show also the movement of the torch heating of the T joint and the pipe evenly, because a lot of beginners didn’t know the importance of even temperature both of the T joint and the pipe by proper movement of the torch! As the article already explained the flux might have burning off by too much heat, evenly movement of the torch reduced that risk!
After service plumbing for 4 years, there’s no way in hell I’d try to just “patch” a leaky solder joint. Not only is it incorrect, it’s not possible. If there is even slight water vapor in that pipe, that joint is not going to seal and I don’t care if you’re a 20 year journeyman. You can’t do it. Although, the copper I usually work on is old stuff from the 70’s. I do no new construction. If someone knows a trick to just patch without taking the whole thing apart, please let me know.
I had a leaking T joint on one of my heating pipes (2x18mm and 1x15mm). I noticed the 15 mm joint was dripping so I decided to give it a go after seeing your cool vids. I soldered some copper pipes and fittings I had lying around to get a feel for it, then I tried to unsolder the T after emptying out all the water. The “wet rag” solution you showed so as to not mess up the other two joints in the T doesn’t work. It cools down the entire assembly too much. I couldn’t get the joint hot enough to take it off. So I unsoldered the entire thing. Also, I tried to use the “wet rag” on corner joints, doesn’t work. The only solution if you have to repair this kind of joint is to take the entire thing off and re-solder it. Also, I found that if you might have to hack some pipes off to get all the water out and either replace the section (if it’s small) or put a connector where you made the cut. It’s no use wasting time on pipes which have even the least amount of water in them. All in all, your articles are great, I learned a lot from them. Keep up the good work! LE: A word of caution if you want to try the clamp solution. The copper pipes get deformed easily if you apply force with pliers or something similar. My advice is to heat up the joint sufficiently and then use only light force to take it out. If you don’t have enough room, just cut the pipe, slide a connector on it and finish the job like that. It saves time and frustration.
Thank you for this! I haven’t done a lot of copper, but I’ve never had a problem before. I did a few joints in a bathroom remodel today, but had one that the solder was ‘being weird on’ and had a pinhole leak when I turned the water on. It was also my first time using MAP gas and it overheats the joint really quick apparently. I cleaned it all off and followed the steps here and so far so good.
PLEASE HELP….my bathroom sink backs up into the shower. I’ve been Shop vacuuming the shower drain out and after doing so there is a sewage smell and the shower and kitchen sink clog up on a regular basis. I often have used Thrift but it no longer works. I’ve had my kitchen sink floor drained cleaned out and it helps but it may be needing to be done regularly….I think. When I’ve asked a plumber they usually reply …hm, I don’t know. Can someone please tell me what is happening. Thank you.
Brilliant article the detail of why you need to what happens if you don’t. I was going to give up trying to remove an elbow joint that had been fine for almost 20 years but started weeping because the pipes have to be unclipped to remove a decorative fitting my wife added so over the years this movement must have caused a crack in the joint. It’s funny I tried the first bodge-it method of flux and solder to patch it, like you said it doesn’t work. It’s only when I used the lockable wrench with a hammer that I succeeded. After that I did precisely what you said – it worked first time!
Ok I have a leak in a hot water out pipe located four feet below the combi boiler from which it comes from. There are no stop taps below this level or above it prior to coming to the boiler. My question is do I have to empty the who system prior to fixing the joint. – freezing the pipe is not an option . Thanks
Lab demonstration makes it look easy… Firstly, drain down and remove as much solder as possible by wicking it off. Map gas will provide enough heat to free the joint, unless there is water remaining. Gate valves are notorious for letting by so isolate from another source if possible and drain down thoroughly. Once removed excess solder can be removed by wicking it off and then abrading the pipe – I wouldn’t use mole grips, the scoring is horrendous. Venting the piece is important as mentioned below, there’s normally an open tap or valve for drain down that will achieve this. Flux the pipe only and twist the pipe/fitting as much as possible. How many perforated fittings and pipe runs have you seen, even if it takes 10 years for it to burn through. When introducing a new fitting into existing work that is awkward to get at, like 90% of jobs, use a Yorkshire or solder ring fitting. I don’t know why plumbers avoid these as the solder has already taken on one side, particularly when dealing with a heating pipe buried in a floor screed and butted up to 4 other pipes including a gas main. Who said it was easy!
If properly soldered in the first place the leak would not have happened. An introduction of any amount of water into a pipe will cause this and this article does not cover the most common cause of a failed solder joint. Also, I notice the studs do not have the proper insulators to prevent water hammer and knocking sounds. Go back to school.
Great information. I was just about ready to do what you said not to do and I decided to watch your article first. You saved me more headaches. What I really liked is that you not only told me what not to do and what to do but you also showed why. When I un-soldered my leaking joint, I discovered that there was an un-soldered path from the front to the back of the joint that probably wouldn’t have been fixed by adding solder at the joint. Thanks again.
You should mention that on the very last joint that you solder, if a valve is not opened, the heat will cause the air to expand in the pipe. Since it is the last joint, and no valve is opened, the now expanded air inside the pipe will escape via the joint you are trying to solder and this will cause the solder to be “blown” out of the joint. Always open a faucet or valve when soldering so the air, once expanded, has somewhere to go.
A friend built a house and the plumber made a failed T joint in the dining room ceiling. He could not do what this article shows because the bit of water inside could not be purged. So, instead of the usual method: diagonal sawing of the T and heat-removing the 3 remains, he cut the 3 pipes an inch from the joint and installed a new T and three sleeves, resulting in 9 new solder joints. His poor skills resulted in 2 leaks from the 9 joints!
I’ve been soldering for 25 years, and there is no reason for a leak. leaks occur from poor cleaning of the copper surface, from forgetting to put the paste on the copper, and if you put the torch at wrong place of the fitting. I don’t think I ever had a leak on a half inch fitting. Don’t use propane use MAP gas
Good article (like your HVAC ones)…everyone has to learn from mistakes….ive learned the hard way……i cannot stress the pipes need to be scrubbed clean on all touching points (inside and out)…always keep it dry when soldering, just a light coat of flux and i try to start heating on top for a little bit and then go underneath since heat rises
Thanks man.. I replaced all the pipes in my home 30 years ago, never had a leak, but did on my new house last week. Never knew you are supposed to let it cool. One recommendation for you: time your commercial break a bit better. I had to rewind to catch the whole sentence that was cut in half. Considering all the dumb clips out there, this tiny bit of criticism doesn’t seem like much, but it could be the difference between grasping a concept or not for other users. Thanks for the tip.
😷Hello, To perform this kind of welding, an electric clamp is used, after having cleaned (the sockets) of the parts to be welded, I coated it with a thin layer of tin (liquid) the wire tin is not used, then I assemble the whole of the tyautery, once assembled, with the electric clamp I perform the welds on site, it has no flame, above all there is no risk of a potential fire. once heated, the tin melts inside the pipes … 👌
TOOLS: Soldering kit I used: youtu.be/9rEfGa7iqNU Pipe dope I used: amzn.to/2IEasNp Deburring pen: amzn.to/2tBuhKW Sharkbite depth gauge & deburring tool: amzn.to/2Etjjx3 FITTINGS & MATERIALS 1/2″ soldered couplings: amzn.to/2EwxSzV 1/2″ repair coupling: amzn.to/2VkLNPh 1/2″ compression fittings: amzn.to/2EctzZo 1/2″ Sharkbite slip coupling: amzn.to/2tGegDg 1/2″ Kibosh emergency pipe repair: amzn.to/2IEynwd Pipe repair tape: amzn.to/2H07YX8 Small roll of lead-free solder: amzn.to/2ExrAA2 Epoxy Freeze fix kit: amzn.to/2Vobq1M
This article is worth gold ! Thanks ! Thanks ! Thanks ! Thanks ! Thanks ! I moved to the cold side of Washington 4 years ago, never had pipes freeze in my life. The upstairs bathroom had been freezing the pipe every year I lived here and it finally broke, no plumbers available for 2 weeks in our artic blast, I finally found the leak location after going thru the drywall on the backside of the bathroom in the room above the garage, Leak is fixed !
Great article! One note on the shark bite that can cause premature failure of the O-ring. I prepped a few copper pipes the same way before using the shark bite to later learn that the manufacturer wants the pipe prepped a different way. They sell a simple tool to prep the joint. They call it the ‘Depth Gauge/Deburr Tool’ and does not leave scratches as other methods require (before adding solder), and leaves sharp edges that can damage the O-ring. It may not leak now, but a few years down later it may. It’s kinda strange that they do not caution the installer, as it could be a legal issue as damages could be costly, but only have more full instructions on their website.
It worked, clear generic silicone tape, on a leaking oil cooler line that has up to 65psi of hot oil in it. It was leaking 1 quart every 200 to 300 miles and now it’s leaking none. 350 miles later of mountain, Interstate, and town driving. Used 2 hours of time (half was cleaning hose) and a $7 10′ roll of silicone tape that I wanted to test. Took about 30″ of clear tape to do one end of the hose while on the car. I prefer the clear as it allows me to see through it. I developed a technique to do it in tight space. Gave it 3 overlapping layers in a different pattern. Straight wrap, diagonal, then straight again. Any pattern works but important to have different seal points of different wrapping and do it as tight as you can, with space provided. Also important to squeeze and rub firmly on it to get each layer to fuse for 5 minutes or so before the next layer and the final layer. If it’s higher than 65psi I would also place single double wrapped pieces directly over the leak, for extra strength material before the first layer of the 3 wraps. Or wrap it 4 times.
Awesome article, I have a leak somewhere from my main to the front yard, its leaking and making a puddle. Im gona have to dig up the yard to find the leak but its only a 6ft area it is wet at and the worst part is by a hose bib next to the house so i will start there. Probly safe at least $500 by DIYing it.
Thank you so much for posting this article. I was trying to replace my old vanity and accidentally cut through the wall and my hot water pipe with a jigsaw! After shutting off the water and thinking the world is coming to an end, I came up on this article. I had no idea that shark bite existed and could help me fix my issue. I followed your exact steps and voila! I now have a permanently fixed pipe thanks to your article. Appreciate you posting this!
Can you do a article with cast iron pipe and no Hub fittings and like show how to use the cutter and like maybe show how to use the the hand chain cutter that you have to use the wrench with stuff that isn’t like run-of-the-mill everyday stuff is at work starting to get into some commercial doing a bunch of cast iron drainage so I’d like my guys to learn from you if you can make a article that be great
I have one pipe that has no access to the backside and the water never stops dripping enough to solder. I’ve tried the bread trick and everything else I can think of . No room for a pro press or even a tubing cutter. I’m going to cut it with a multi tool and use a compression fitting for the first time ever. I’ve always soldered but I’m over it already. It’s just not possible at this point.
You sir, are a damn hero. Thank you so so much. We just purchased a house and the plumber was bleeding us dry and when an older pipe burst after he left, I myself also burst into tears. My S.O. found this article and together we repaired that pipe up to code. Merci tellement. I can’t tell you how much this helped.
Thank you . I m an amateur but have always got it done . Been lucky learning to solder years back . Just takes practice and it has to be super clean is what I learned. I took round 1/2 ” pipe brush and fitted a screw on it and attached ot to my drill . All my pieces are cleaned way faster since that contraption was put together . Works awesome when soldering many pieces and soldering is a lot cheaper than shark bites but I like shark bites too sometimes if I’m in a hurry . Especially the caps come in handy but I usually just put a shit off on and cover the hole with blue tape while work goes on to keep crap out . I do the whole job no problem from framing to tile to cleaning up 😊. It took years to learn how to do everything efficiently in order to make a good buck . Repairs take like 1/2 hr but drive time and store time and . Is t the going rate first hour $120 just to come out and $75 after that . Most stuff gets fixed quick .
How about using a copper ground strap. The strap is heavy copper at least 1/8″ thick with many different widths available. When soldered the thickness is way more than the copper pipe you are repairing. This I would believe is the most guaranteed method and peace of mind. Done and forgotten would work for me how about you Sir ??? How about using square copper wire which would give more of a piece of mind.
There is one temporary fix that I used at home that you did not mentioned. It’s cheap and easy. This fix is definitely only a temporary fix and is only suitable for a pin hole. I just cut a bit of rubber (like a bit of inner tube or similar) and held it in place with a hose clamp. You need to undo the hose clamp, stretch it open over the leaking pipe, squeeze it back together and tighten it over the bit of rubber over the pin hole.
Hey there! I’m thinking that I should practice soldering pipes soon, following your articles. The pipes in my house are old and starting to get pinhole leaks everywhere, this would be a very useful skill to have. For now, because I’m short on time, I think I’m going to have to fix a leak with the compression fitting method. (Thank you for showing me the kibosh! I was able to overnight that from Amazon and it’s been perfect for a few days.) I do have a couple of questions for you if you don’t mind answering. How easy was it to slip on the couplings and new piece of pipe between the two existing copper pipes? Is there any trick to it? How much ‘leeway’ can I give myself in the length of the new piece of pipe and still have good seals?
Yesterday, I learned that with my fancy stud finder, a copper pipe against the back of drywall looks just like a stud! But it didn’t do so well for attaching a cabinet 🙁 I repaired it by cutting the pipe at the screw hole, cleaning the ends, then using a single sleeve. It worked but method 1 would have been quicker. Thanks for article…who knew there were so many ways to get out of a jam! ( FYI: the L is silent in solder…it’s pronounced ‘SOD er’ )
the end of the copper pipe for my toilet has a small crack at the bottom end that connects to the main valve and i’ve tried using teflon tape but it isn’t working. i want to try one of these methods but i don’t want to screw it up, and i feel my situation is a bit odd. do you have any advice? or any permanent solutions?
got a tough situation for you on copper line: old copper line end was a compression connection, that means the end has some mars (unsmooth ring lines ), very short left from wall out. causing leaking when connected with a SharkBite faucet. I try to fix without opening the wall to change the (stub out) section. was thinking if i can solder the end portion to create a smooth surface for sharkbite connection. (i.e how to coat solder around the end alike resurfacing?)
How close can you solder next to copper to PEX connection? Need to remove a water heater shutoff valve, but concern I might melt the PEX connection when heating connection to remove valve. The PEX connection is behind the wall, so I cannot determine how far from the heat source is the actual connection.
Yeah, the copper sleeves Best Method. But thanks for the others. My neighbor’s got a split pipe and I only have one 3/4″ copper sleeve… So Home Depot…. (Of course tomorrow after the job’s done I’ll find two more.) Something else to consider in a dry climate. The copper waterline is often a secondary ground for the electrical system. Something like the Sharkbite might not keep this ground if the leak is on the main waterline. (In Southern California if someone told me -there’s a big puddle in front of the house (bungalow): I’d say find the hose connection, and dig a hole 16″ from the wall of the house – that’s where your leak is. This is because where the old buried galvanized pipes met enough moisture in the ground for electrolysis to take place causing the pipe to rust and burst. (This isn’t the same stupid problem of connecting copper pipes directly to galvanized. ) I’ll bet I’ve seen this and fixed it half a dozen times and I’m not even a plumber.
As your self this ? If your a homeowner then do whatever you think is best . But if your in the trade most of these methods are a joke and would not fly in a major city in the Midwest so why would you use this cheap non sense methods instead of doing it right. Do it right dont use these mickey mouse hacks if you really call your self in the trade . Ohh yeah so some of these Mickey mouse hacks take few minutes but yet you still charge the customer wtf prices do it right . A lot of people use shark fittings and call them selves plumbers wtf their not . What happened in Texas was that people are dumb didnt know where the shut off were,should of used spaces heaters non combustible ones cant use pipe insulation down there I think because of condensation but most people should of known were to shut off the water to avoid a lot of the damages footage I seen .