Emergency water line repair

[lhfarm]

Had to replace my utility water booster pump. Took most of the day and when I started to crawl out of the underground pump house, I saw a drop of water fall from the main PVC pipe. It is behind the main shut-off valve and just inside the block wall. I think I may have cracked a joint with all the pushing and shoving I did to get the pump in.

Is there a solvent, glue or something like an epoxy I might put on there till I can get it repaired in the spring? It is just a drip, but assume it can/will increase.

Any advice, cautions, product suggestions welcome.

 

[mrmikey]

Get a coupling for whatever size pipe it is, cut in half lengthwise, clean both it and the leaking section of pipe and place the patch over it. Make sure to clean the ends so the solvent will work from the end of the patch to the end of the fitting. I'm going on the assumption the fitting has a square shoulder? For a bit more reinforcement add a couple of hose clamps over it.....Mike

 

[lhfarm]

I'm not sure where the leak is located. I'll need a mirror, I suspect. The coupling is square shouldered. I'm guessing the pipe isn't cracked, but the coupling edge might be.

I like the idea of the split coupling. If the leak is at the original coupling edge, do I need to do anything special?

Thanks,

 

[mrmikey]

If the origonal coupling itself is split from the edge you'll probably have to get something that'll go over that as well as carry on to the pipe. If you're going to go thru all that to it sounds as if it'll be just as easy to cut out the damaged section along with any couplings and replace the complete section. as much as you don't want to hear it there comes a time whe you're gonna have to bite the bullett...Mike

 

[CurlyDave]

When I had a PVC pipe fail on my well in winter, I found I could not repair it.

No matter what I did, the PVC cement would not set up in winter temperatures in Oregon.

Be prepared to find some way to keep the PVC joints you have to glue at 60 plus degrees F for around 24 hours.

If I had known ahead of time, I would have used a small tent with a propane heater in it to keep the fittings warm.

P.S. I was gluing 1.5" pipe. when it failed from the glue not holding, there was a small explosive sound and a piece of pipe came loose and hit me right in the rear end. This was actually not quite as unpleasant as the shower of cold water that followed, but it was a short piece of pipe. A longer one could have done some damage.

 

[Mudfarmer]

That is a job for Rescue Tape, also know as Tommy Tape, Miracle Wrap and so on. It is self fusing silicone rubber developed by the army for rapid temporary repair of just about anything circular or tubular. Will work great for your problem. Also a great insulator. This is beyond duct tape. No one with a tractor should be without. You will recognize it by the layer of cellophane in the loosely wrapped roll. They stock it at Harbor Freight.
Mf

 

[Marlowe]

Many years ago I put a new water heater in my house one evening. By the time I got it in and turned the water on it was pretty late and I was tired. Of course it dripped. I found a pot to put under the leak and went to bed. The next morning it had stopped dripping and never dripped again. Procrastination is good. Not so many years ago the supply line to my current water heater started to leak. I wrapped some tape around it and went to the hardware store to get more pipe. That was long enough ago that I've lost the new pipe I bought to fix it, and the tape is still holding. Procrastination is still good. I guess the moral of this story is that not all leaks get bigger, and sooner or later I'm going to have a mess to clean up.

 

[Egon]

Would a clamp like in the attached picture work?

 

[lhfarm]

When I had a PVC pipe fail on my well in winter, I found I could not repair it.

No matter what I did, the PVC cement would not set up in winter temperatures in Oregon.

Be prepared to find some way to keep the PVC joints you have to glue at 60 plus degrees F for around 24 hours.

If I had known ahead of time, I would have used a small tent with a propane heater in it to keep the fittings warm.

P.S. I was gluing 1.5" pipe. when it failed from the glue not holding, there was a small explosive sound and a piece of pipe came loose and hit me right in the rear end. This was actually not quite as unpleasant as the shower of cold water that followed, but it was a short piece of pipe. A longer one could have done some damage.

It is 20 this morning and won't get much warmer. I have some 100 watt lamps in there, but it isn't warm. I'm hoping I can do something that will hold till spring.

That is a job for Rescue Tape, also know as Tommy Tape, Miracle Wrap and so on. It is self fusing silicone rubber developed by the army for rapid temporary repair of just about anything circular or tubular. Will work great for your problem. Also a great insulator. This is beyond duct tape. No one with a tractor should be without. You will recognize it by the layer of cellophane in the loosely wrapped roll. They stock it at Harbor Freight.
Mf

That tape sounds like what I need. Don't think I've ever seen it, but I'm going to town to see what I can find.

Many years ago I put a new water heater in my house one evening. By the time I got it in and turned the water on it was pretty late and I was tired. Of course it dripped. I found a pot to put under the leak and went to bed. The next morning it had stopped dripping and never dripped again. Procrastination is good. Not so many years ago the supply line to my current water heater started to leak. I wrapped some tape around it and went to the hardware store to get more pipe. That was long enough ago that I've lost the new pipe I bought to fix it, and the tape is still holding. Procrastination is still good. I guess the moral of this story is that not all leaks get bigger, and sooner or later I'm going to have a mess to clean up.

I'm still hoping for that to happen. The roof of the pump house must weigh 100#. I prop up one end with an old sway bar off an 8-N. Then I have to ease myself down in the small area between the pressure tank and the pump, plus the pipes. Very little room to work and I could barely move after spending hours in there yesterday. So my hope is that I can open it up today and it will be dry. Otherwise, I'll have with me something stop the drip.

Would a clamp like in the attached picture work?

The drip is on the bottom of the pipe, between two couplings. It may be two drips and I'm going to have to take a mirror with me. The pipe is barely off the floor, so I can't do there to see for a direct view. I may pick up a couple of clamps while I'm in town.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll let you know what I'm able to accomplish.

 

[Egon]

Surely hope you find an easy temporary fix till warm weather arrives.

A little electric heater with fan may help more than the heat bulbs???