How to get rid of microcracks in a water pipe

How to stop a leak in a hidden pipe?

It will not be particularly pleasing when a pipe hidden under a building structure starts to leak. Especially if it has only recently been refurbished. Since it is not always possible to quickly reach the source, it is necessary to know how to temporarily stop the flow.

Here are a few tricks that are suitable for a water supply system in a private house:

1. Powdered mustard is poured into the expansion tank. Then resume the circulation of water.

   Literally in a couple of hours, mustard will seal microcracks from the inside of the pipeline. When the leak is fixed, the circuit should be flushed.

2. The heating system is temporarily filled with industrial sealant. It will settle on the inner surfaces of the pipeline and thereby stop the infiltration of water through microscopic gaps.After a major overhaul, the coolant is changed to a new one.

Large holes cannot be closed in this way. Then they turn off the system, drain the water from the riser and start straightening. Namely, it will be necessary to disassemble the structure and replace problematic spans. In the case of living in the MKD, neighbors are warned about the upcoming event.

What to do in such a situation

1. The place of thinning of the pipe is somewhat deepened, degreased and dried.

2. Coat this area with sealant.

3. To prevent a similar problem in the future, insulate the exhaust part of the riser.

If the smell still penetrates the apartment, then you will have to resort to more radical methods:

1. Cover the gap with “cold welding”. This is a two-component adhesive that, after hardening, is well polished. You can improve the riser well.

2. Soak gauze with epoxy and wrap around the pipe.

3. Wrap the riser with a rubber bandage and tighten it with wire.

4. Apply the patch and secure with a tie.

If the section of the sewer riser on the lower floors is damaged, then specialist advice will be required. Perhaps one repair will not be enough. More radical methods will be required to eliminate the defect on the pipe. It should be borne in mind that in this part of the sewer riser the pressure is the strongest.

Who is to blame for a leaking sewer line?

We have repeatedly touched upon issues related to the plumbing infrastructure of an apartment building. In particular, they told who owns the pipes and who pays for their maintenance.

But the topic does not lose its relevance - more and more questions are coming in: “Such a situation has arisen, the sewer riser is rotten and leaking throughout the house, as a result, it drowns us and the neighbors from below, whose apartment is insured ... they threaten to sue us. Are we the culprits of this incident, if, as far as I know, this riser is public property, or is the ZHKO to blame. And am I obliged to change the riser at my own expense, or should ZHKO pay for it?

Let's sort it out in order.

Is the sewer riser a common property?

The concept of the common property of an apartment building is given in article 36 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, as well as in the Rules for the maintenance of common property, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 491 of August 13, 2006. Paragraph 5 of these Rules states that hot and cold water supply risers are part of the common property. And what about sewers? Last year, in accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 of May 6, paragraph 5 of the Rules was supplemented with the following provision: branch pipes, revisions, crosses, tees), risers, plugs, exhaust pipes, drain funnels, cleaning, branches from risers to the first butt joints, as well as other equipment located in this system. Thus, sewer risers are now also classified as common property.

Who should replace the sewer line?

Since the sewer riser is a common property, the communal organization serving the house should be engaged in its maintenance and repair. We talked in detail about how to achieve a pipe replacement. In this case, the principle of action is the same. Replacing a rotten riser should fall on the "shoulders" of the housing and communal organization.

Who is to blame: the owner or the utilities?

When the apartment is flooded, an application is made to the management company, and in emergency cases - to the emergency service. Representatives of these organizations, in the presence of all interested persons and witnesses, draw up an appropriate act. This document indicates in which apartments the flood occurred, for what reason, what property was damaged, etc. The act of leakage is very important, since in fact it names who is guilty. So, if it is indicated that the flooding occurred due to rotting of the riser, the public utilities are to blame. After all, monitoring the wear and tear of plumbing equipment is their direct responsibility. If it is established that the tenants of the apartment made, for example, unauthorized replacement of equipment or caused any mechanical damage, the fault remains with the owner. In this case, we are talking about an insured apartment. Neighbors who have insured their property in case of flooding should contact the insurance company. Those, in turn, will issue an invoice for compensation for damage caused by the insured event to the guilty person.

Can they sue?

Yes. Neighbors have the right to apply to the court demanding compensation for property damage. However, if we are talking, as in this case, about the common property and the guilt of the communal organization, you should not be afraid of this.It is necessary to attract public utilities as a co-respondent and prove during the trial that the leak and, as a result, the damage, occurred through their fault.

The main causes of leaks in sewer pipes

Main
and the only reason for the occurrence of leaks is a violation of tightness
joints or pipeline walls. Most often, a sewer pipe flows at the junction or outlet of vertical or
horizontal parts of the system. However, mechanical damage also occurs.
walls obtained during repair or inaccurate installation.

Most often, cast iron pipes suffer, which are widely
used in plumbing
in old Soviet-built houses. Cast iron as a material has a high
strong, but heavy and brittle. Any blow can cause
the appearance of a crack
the danger of which lies in invisibility - it can manifest itself and
start flowing through
some years.

Plastic pipes are preferable in this regard, since
have some elasticity and do not crack from impacts. The main reason,
through which flows
sewer pipe made of plastic - failure of rubber
seals in the connecting socket. There is another reason why
connection can leak
installation of skewed pipes. Such situations are even more common than
mechanical damage. The presence of skew is rarely noticeable immediately, and
visual inspection
pipe alignment is ineffective due to their inaccessibility. Most often distortions
determine if the pipe is constantly
leaks at the joint area, and mechanical
no damage or cracks. Often, neighbors below report a leak, in which water begins to drip from the ceiling, causing
damage to the cover. AT
any time it runs
sewer pipe at the junction or elsewhere, it is urgent to fix the problem.

pipe sealing

Home pipe cleaning methods

The whole process consists of the following steps:

1. Determining the location of the blockage.
2. Disconnection of the apartment from the centralized system.
3. Elimination of blockage.
4. Connected system installation.

You can block the entrance yourself. But if there is no valve, you will have to look for a plumber to block the entire riser. The technology for cleaning water pipes from deposits varies depending on the causes and symptoms:

1. The pressure is not enough for the normal operation of household appliances (dishwasher and washing machine, boiler or gas water heater). It is necessary to unwind the mesh filters, replace them or clean them with a brush.
2. The pressure dropped on all taps and consumers. The main input, filters of the water treatment system are checked. They can be replaced or treated with special compounds that corrode salt and lime deposits.
3. Weakened jet in one of the mixers. You need to remove it and clean the mesh filter. It is not worth trying to get mixers to work properly after 5 years. Once every five years, this element must be replaced.
4. Water is not supplied to any of the consumers, but there is no problem at the inlet. This is the most difficult case when you have to completely disassemble the system and clean the pipes in stages until the blockage is removed.

In the latter case, it is extremely difficult to determine exactly where the system is impassable.Therefore, you need to focus not on the symptoms, and take other measures to clean the water pipes with your own hands. If the procedure initially seems complicated and impossible, you should immediately contact professional plumbers.

Helpful Hints

It is important to understand that not often materials and methods are suitable for a particular problem. To avoid mistakes during repairs, you need to follow a few simple and common tips:

it is necessary to correctly determine the cause of the breakdown: for this, the pipe should be completely inspected for cracks and leaks, and then it should be established, as a result of which the equipment was deformed
This is important to do, because an incorrectly determined cause will entail an incorrect method of repair; correctly choose a troubleshooting method, take into account all the features of a particular pipe, including strength, service life and installation principle (distance from wall to pipe); carefully select the materials that will be used in the repair, check all solutions for reaction with water and impurities and take into account the rules for working with hazardous substances; take care of the equipment after repair, monitor the appearance of new cracks and malfunctions; operate with caution, try to regularly clean cast iron pipes and carry out preventive maintenance

In order for the equipment to serve for a long time and there are no cracks in it, it is necessary to constantly check the integrity of the pipes. After all, a problem detected in time will help to avoid sad consequences and equipment failure.

Thus, repairing a cast-iron sewer pipe is not difficult. It can be done independently and at home.To do this, you must be able to determine the cause, method of repair and correctly select materials. Following the advice, you can extend the life of the equipment for many more years. The main thing is to monitor the serviceability and integrity of cast-iron pipes. Now they are not installed during the construction of houses, and those that remain have been in operation for more than 40 years, which leads to cracks and leaks.

Helpful3Useless

How to clear a blockage in a sewer pipe

Unfortunately, the dirt seal is not always located inside the siphon. It happens that it is located inside the system in such a way that it is very difficult to “get” it. Especially often traffic jams are formed with areas with a strong or, conversely, a weak slope, turns and bends. Let's see what can be done in this case.

plumbing plunger

The device was invented to break through the blockage by mechanical action. It is a rounded cup made of rubber with a handle. The principle of its operation is similar to the pump. It "pulls" water out of the pipe, destroying the mud plug. It is done like this:

1. Tightly close the overflow hole on the sink, bathtub, etc.
2. Pour a little water at the bottom of the plumbing fixture so that the valve of the plunger is completely covered with it.
3. We install the plunger over the drain so that the cup closes it. The rubber element must fit snugly against the surface. This is the main condition for its effective work.
4. Without lifting the valve from the bottom, we perform several movements up and down with the handle of the device. This creates increased pressure that destroys the blockage.
5. We remove the device, turn on the water, check the quality of work. If the liquid does not go away, you need to repeat the manipulations with the plunger.

Be careful while cleaning. Do not apply too much pressure to the device

Plumbing fixtures or fixtures may not be able to withstand excessive pressure.

Sealing tapes

These innovative products have anti-corrosion properties. They consist of a bitumen-rubber base with the addition of a layer of aluminum (or copper). The highest efficiency of using self-adhesive tapes is achieved when sealing the junctions of sewer structures.

Positive characteristics of sealing tapes:

• ease of use;
• strength;
• long operating period;
• providing dielectric and anticorrosive protection of pipes.

The only drawback of the material is that it quickly deteriorates when exposed to sunlight. This "minus" of the product does not affect the elimination of pipe defects. Indeed, in most cases, the sewer system is located away from exposure to ultraviolet radiation. If the pipes are in open space, then when sealing holes and cracks, the self-adhesive tape is additionally covered with a protective material.

The process of using the tape consists of the following steps:

• the damaged surface is cleaned of dirt and dust;
• after the surface has dried, the protective film is removed from the tape;
• tape is wrapped around the pipe.

The tape is wrapped in a spiral with an overlap of up to 50%. As a result of this, the entire pipe will be covered with two layers of material. In the process of tensioning the tape, it is necessary to avoid the appearance of wrinkles.

The procedure for replacing a part of plastic pipes

If a leak is observed at the junctions of the pipeline, then the following must be done:

1. Shut off the water.In the event of a pipe leaking, which is part of the wiring in the apartment, it will be enough to turn off the tap. It is located next to the water meters. In the event of a leak in the common house riser, you will need to go down to the basement.
2. Check fitting condition. If it is secured with threaded connections, you need to tighten the threads with an adjustable wrench or wrench. If after these steps the water does not stop flowing, it is necessary to replace the insulating layer with linen thread or FUM tape. If after that it was not possible to stop the flow, then it will be necessary to replace the connecting element.
3. Unscrew the old one and install the new fitting. The procedure requires many instruments and is not easy.

To carry out the last procedure, you must prepare:

• special scissors for cutting pipes,
• sealant,
• wrench,
• new fitting,
• thread cutting tools.

Follow instructions:

1. take scissors and remove the worn fitting;
2. cut threads on pipe sections;
3. seal the joints with insulating material;
4. install a new part;
5. at the end, you need to check whether it is firmly fixed.

If we are talking about repairing a flat section of the pipe, then the action plan is as follows:

1. Apply clamp. The element allows you to quickly eliminate the leak, but not for long.
2. Take adhesive tape. Wrap it around the damaged area several times.
3. Use cold welding. It is capable of eliminating leaks in a short time.

Before you start operations, do not forget:

• shut off the water;
• clean the leak and dry;
• cut off a small piece of a special composition, soften it to a homogeneous mass;
• apply the resulting material to the crack and leave for 3.5 hours.

Only then use cold welding.

There is a leak, what to do

The first step is to turn off the central water supply valve. In apartments, it is located in the bathroom, at the point of connection to the central riser. Hot and cold water supply has separate lines, respectively, two taps are installed. Usually they are marked with a color - blue for cold water, red for hot. If you are not sure which valve to close, close both.

Further actions.

1. Minimize the effects of water exposure. Take a large rag and put it under the leaking pipe.
2. For some time after the central tap is closed, water will still flow. The way out is to put a container (bucket, basin).
3. After stopping the liquid, wipe the floor, walls and interior items that have moisture on the surface.
4. Fix the damage yourself or call a specialist. It is not recommended to close the pipe immediately, it must dry. Then analyze the causes of the defect.

If a leak occurs in the central heating system, it is necessary to immediately call the employees of the service company. The heat supply scheme of apartment buildings in most cases does not provide for the presence of a central tap in each apartment. The way out is to put a container to collect the liquid before the arrival of specialists, or throw a warm blanket over the pipe. It will absorb water.

Important: A burst of heating is a dangerous situation. It is necessary to eliminate its first consequences only by protecting all parts of the body

Otherwise, the hot coolant will cause burns.

This is interesting: Is it possible to install a slide gate to the AGV chimney

Elimination of leaks at the junction of other types of pipes

To eliminate leaks at the joints of a pipe made of metal, plastic or metal-plastic, you can use one of the following methods:

• fitting replacement;
• cold cooking;
• adhesive bandage.

Fitting replacement

On pipelines can be installed:

welded fittings. Mainly used for connecting plastic pipes;

Welded connector

compression fittings. Can be used for joining both plastic and metal-plastic pipes. Unlike a welded fitting, the connection is more reliable and durable;

Element for forming a permanent connection

threaded fittings. Apply to various types of pipes if necessary, arranging a detachable connection.

Element for creating a detachable connection

If a pipe connection is leaking and it is necessary to replace the welded fitting, proceed as follows:

1. disconnect the pipeline from the water supply;
2. cut the connecting element with special scissors;

When cutting the connecting element, it is important to take into account that the overall length of the pipeline is reduced.

1. prepare a pipe cut of the required length and two new fittings;
2. sequentially weld the elements with special equipment.

Installation of a new fitting by welding

You can use the finished pipe after the pipes have completely cooled. This time is required to strengthen the newly created connection.

If it flows at the junction of pipes with compression fittings, then the replacement of the connecting element occurs according to the following scheme:

1. the connecting element that has become unusable is removed;
2. the pipes to be connected are chamfered and calibrated;
3. compression rings and nuts, which are clamps, are put on the ends of the pipes;
4. the pipe is inserted into the fitting until it stops and the fixing elements are tightened.

Compression Fitting Installation Diagram

You can use the repaired pipeline immediately after replacing the compression fitting.

The process of correctly installing a compression fitting is shown in the video.

If a pipe leaks at a joint equipped with a threaded fitting, then it is necessary to act in the following order:

1. first of all, you can try to simply tighten the thread with a key, since in some cases there is an elementary loosening of the tightening;
2. if the tightening does not help, then the connecting fitting is removed completely;
3. the thread is processed with FUM tape or any other insulating material;

Sealing the threaded connection before fixing

The insulating tape is wound along the thread in the direction of twisting.

1. the new fitting is tightened into place.

Fixing the connecting element on the pipes

Cold welding

If a leak is detected in pipe joints that are not equipped with a fitting, then the pipeline can be repaired using the cold welding method. To fix the joint, you must purchase a special composition.

Quick fix leak mix

This tool must be used in the following way:

1. a fragment of the pipeline in which a leak has formed is cleaned of contamination. If the composition must be applied to a metal pipe, then the damaged area is pre-cleaned with sandpaper;
2. the mixture in the package is mixed until homogeneous and applied to the damaged area and gently leveled.

Application of cold welding to eliminate leaks

Until complete drying, which occurs after about 3 hours, the pipeline cannot be used.

Adhesive bandage

If the joints of plastic pipes are flowing, made without the use of special connecting elements, then the leak can be eliminated with the help of an adhesive bandage. To equip the bandage you will need to purchase:

• piece of fiberglass;
• special two-component adhesive.

You can organize the bandage as follows:

1. the pipe joint is cleaned of dust, dirt and foreign particles;
2. fiberglass is impregnated with glue;
3. the impregnated material wraps around the place of the leak several times;
4. expected until the material is completely dry.

Arrangement of an adhesive bandage at the site of a leak

There are a lot of ways for self-sealing of pipe joints in the event of a leak. Each master can independently choose the most optimal solution to the problem.

Steel

Most often I use steel pipes for laying water pipes. Over time, damage to welds, bends, threads can be observed. Under the influence of corrosion, the formation of pores, cracks, holes through which water begins to seep can be observed in the risers. At first, you can not even notice the place of damage. Therefore, you need to remember: the presence of a damp section of the wall, floor is a guarantee that it is necessary to carefully examine the water supply.

Let's get acquainted with several ways to close a crack in a steel pipe.

This repair option requires epoxy and fiberglass.
First you need to completely get rid of the water in the pipe, dry the place of future repair, clean the desired section of the pipe with a metal brush. There are times when a brush cannot clean the pipe, because it is very close to the wall. Then they do this: they take a steel cable, tie small knots at the ends and clean the invisible section of the pipe. After that, you need to take epoxy, generously lubricate the fiberglass with it, wrap the damaged area in 4-5 layers

Very important: even small bubbles should not be allowed to appear, since their presence will significantly reduce the quality of the winding. If fiberglass is not available, then cotton or linen analogues are used as a replacement, but not synthetic ones.

For greater certainty, it is necessary to tighten the winding with a clamp or, in case of its absence, wrap it with wire. Epoxy resin can be replaced with "iron putty". Its composition: iron filings - 250 g, powdered ammonia - 6 g, powdered sulfur - 3 g. Mix all ingredients thoroughly until a homogeneous mixture is formed (consistency - plasticine).
In case of elimination of a leak in the presence of water in the riser, proceed as follows. First you need to make a cork out of lead, wood or rubber, clog a hole with it, wrap the repair site with ordinary electrical tape. Then apply 4-5 layers of dense fabric or tape on top, after treating them with epoxy or whitewash.
You can get rid of the leak if you tightly wrap the damaged area with rubber and put a metal clamp on top.
In case of large damage, use the so-called "cement box".

It is a case made of boards, which is filled with a solution of sand and cement in a ratio of 2: 1.In order to “grab” faster, the mixture is diluted with “liquid glass”, the amount of which is determined by the method of samples.

This method is very effective in the presence of water in the riser. To do this, before filling the box with a solution, a thin tube must be tightly docked to the hole. If, after filling the case with a solution, clean water flows from the tube, then everything is done correctly. After a while, the mixture in the box will harden, and the water should also be clean. Only after that you need to tightly hammer the tube with a stopper, for example, wooden or rubber.

The ideal option for getting rid of a leak in a steel pipe is with the help of electric or gas welding, if possible.

Conclusion

Eliminating heating system leak, it is necessary to objectively evaluate the effectiveness and durability potential of the repair being carried out. Most of the means offered by manufacturers to eliminate leakage are designed to temporarily eliminate an emergency until radical measures are taken, including the production of capital heating system repair. Therefore, after diagnosing the causes of the leak and choosing how to cover up the damage, it is necessary to consult with professionals, not relying only on marketing advice in the store, sometimes provided by workers without experience in repair and construction activities. This will make it possible to obtain an objective assessment of the situation and correctly plan repair activities at the end of the heating season in order to avoid aggravating the situation in the cold season.