Modern, reliable and practical. plastic pipes - An excellent solution for arranging the water supply system in the country or in a private house. Their advantage is the quick installation and low weight of the pipeline system, the convenience of upgrading the system and repairing pipes. The disadvantage of plastic pipes is that a poorly welded joint inevitably loses its tightness, and the pipes themselves (with the exception of reinforced ones) weakly resist mechanical damage.
Leakage may occur in any type of plastic pipe.
Content
The first signs of a leak and how to fix it
Wet pipes, the appearance of drops of water similar to dew in the area of fittings, or a sharp drop in pressure in the system directly warn the owner that it is time to pay attention to the water supply system and fix the problem that you have with your own hands. If the leak is not eliminated in time, then even a small trickle of water can do a lot of harm, getting on electrical appliances, power lines or new repairs of neighbors living on the floor (or even several floors) below.
To repair a plumbing or heating system from plastic pipes, you will need minimal practical skills and a set of special tools. Simple DIY plastic pipe repair it’s completely within the power of an amateur, and for a professional it’s not at all difficult to close up a leak that suddenly appeared.
Important! The main task of the installer-repairman is to choose the most optimal way to eliminate the malfunction, and eliminate the leak as quickly as possible.
The appearance of moisture on the pipes may indicate a depressurization of the system
The first action that the installer involved in repairing the water main should take: turn off, if possible, the water supply to the system, or to the area to be restored. After localizing the leakage area or shutting off the water supply, restoration work can be started. Next, the optimal option is selected, how to eliminate the leak in plastic pipes. Mandatory conditions - the leak must be eliminated in a minimum time, and it is necessary to repair the detected pipe crack or hole as high as possible.
Important! Shut off the water supply must be in front of the area where the leak is detected. In a multi-circuit system, in order to eliminate leakage, it is enough to turn off the water supply directly to the circuit being repaired, having also closed the bypass valve of the local section of the water supply system.
How to seal holes in a plastic pipe - repair options and causes of leaks
The most common problem of plastic water supply is the loss of tightness at the joints of pipes. Leak occurs for various reasons, depending on the option of laying pipes, the type of fittings used and the level of qualification of the installer, for example:
- improperly selected temperature conditions during soldering plastic plumbing leads to the destruction of the integrity of the transition pipe - fitting - pipe. A leak appears, and to repair the system you have to cut out the entire assembly and mount it from new components. Sealant with a sealant will fail;
- nut loosening.It is not difficult to fix the leak of a tight fitting with your own hands (just tighten the clamping nut) if the inner tabs are intact and the nut itself does not burst. It will also fail to seal with a sealant, and if it is damaged, it must be replaced;
- poorly pressed crimp fitting. It can also be used in conjunction with a plastic pipe, and if such a joint leaks, it is necessary to press in a new connecting fitting. Manufacturers of fittings of this type strongly recommend that you do not crimp the same shrink ring twice with special pliers;
- not properly prepared pipe. A pipe joint made by the method of sliding fittings will inevitably leak if the pipe section is uneven;
- joints of a plastic pipe made by adhesive bonding flow from the wrong type of adhesive, or when the interval after installation to putting the system into operation is too short. The glue has not dried, and the surface of the joints does not have time to polymerize until completely tight.
The most reliable way to repair a damaged line is to replace the damaged area with a new plastic pipe, securely soldered through fittings with the main system. But it is not always possible to implement the method of high-temperature connections, and then other methods are used to repair the pipeline.
With a clamp, you can quickly eliminate water leakage
Clamping clamp. The use of clamps is a temporary method for eliminating leakage. Having supplemented the clamp with screw clamps with a layer of waterproof plastic material, it is possible to almost completely eliminate the leak. The method is good in that water will freely pass through the plumbing system. This is faster and more reliable than just sealing up or sealing a leaky pipe. This repair method does not require shutting off the water supply, the only drawback is the inevitable weakening of the clamp attachment points over time and the loss of tightness of the connection.
Cold welding. Before glossing over a leak in plastic pipes, it is necessary to prepare the necessary amount of component for work: carefully knead the required amount of the substance in your hands, or mix in the proper proportions. Apply to the damaged area, carefully repair the crack on the pipe and wait until the composition completely hardens.
Adhesive bandage. A pair of clamps in conjunction with a material impregnated with adhesive (two-component adhesive + rubber for polypropylene pipes or a bandage + cement for sewer pipes) will help to quickly eliminate the leak with your own hands. Advantages: water supply can not be turned off. The disadvantage of this method is that for systems with high pressure it is forbidden to use adhesive bandage.
Glue (sealing) tape. A good option for quick repair, if there is no way to cover a small hole with sealant. The tape is applied to the damaged area in several layers.
As a temporary, but sufficiently reliable measure, you can apply an adhesive tape for pipes
Special sealant. This is another quick method to eliminate leakage at the junction of a plastic pipe. But this is rather a temporary solution than a quality repair.
Important! Any of the selected methods for restoring the tightness of a section of the water supply system or pipe joints requires preliminary preparation of the pipe itself. The pipe is degreased, cleaned, and if necessary, the joint of the future connection of the pipe and fittings is processed.
There are three types of sealing compounds:
- neutral type of sealant, suitable for all types of pipes, applied with a mounting gun;
- acidic sealant, but it is not used on brittle pipes and on pipelines transporting acids;
- silicone sealant is a universal compound used for sealing a socket connection at the junction of sewer pipes.
In the case of heating systems, which can also be mounted from polypropylene pipes, it is more difficult to eliminate the leak. As a rule, part of the system is laid by the method of flush mounting, and before sticking plastic pipes accidentally damaged during construction work or malfunctioning in a natural way, it is necessary to determine exactly where the installed system flows. And for this you need to dismantle the decorative panels or, in the worst case, open the wall covering.
