Self Induced Pipe Damage

Klaudia · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 8:36 am Post Subject: Self Induced Pipe Damage

Help!!! Urgently please . . .
I have nailed through a pipe behind the skirting board in the shower room - it will be very difficult to replace a section of the pipe as it is passing through a horizontal piece of wood which is located behind the skirting board. The hole has been made just above the strip of wood. If I replace a piece of the pipe, I would have to cut out a section of the wood also, which would be a pain in the proverbial as this is located behind the shower tray!!!!
Can I fill in the hole that has been made any way (eg solder it closed) or is there any other method which I can use other than creating a lot more work???
PLEASE HELP URGENTLY.
Many thanks - Klaudia (Yep - a Bird!!)

kevplumb · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 9:05 am Post Subject:

couldnt you cut the section out and fish some plastic through with a couple of straight connectors
i assume we are talking water pipe ?

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Bahco · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 9:17 am Post Subject:

For a permanenant repair you will have to cut out section of damaged pipe where it is most convenient and reconnect using couplers.
You will not be able to solder it closed. Kevplumb has given you a good idea but you will have to do the job properly even though it will mean disruption to other materials

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ChrisR · Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 9:22 am Post Subject:

You can do it with a blowlamp and solder, and a copper patch. An area about 100mm square is going to get pretty hot, though you could fix sheets of aluminium to protect things. It won't be an easy job if you've never soldered before, but OK is you practise in the shed first!

Claen all round the hole - about 70mm length of pipe say.

get a new piece of pipe the same size (presumably 15mm) about 35mm long and saw it lengthwise so you and up witha piece about 35 x 15mm, say. deburr it and then the hard bit - you have to open the curve to make sure it sits on the putside of a pipe closely. You might have to try 2/3 times - squash a new bit of pipe into your patch in a vice - very carefully.

Clean everything with wire wool.

Make sure there is NO water in the pipe - suck it out with a vac - catch water in a rag if its not an aquavac type. Try ordinary vac on BLOW to push excess out first

If you hear boiing when you heat the pipe - there's still water in there and it will not solder.

From cold apply flux (suggest Laco) to the outside of the pipe and inside your patch. You only need the tiniest amount just to "wet" the metal with flux.
Devise some means of holding thepatch while its soldered - will need to withstand heat too, and you don't want it stuck afterwards so use suitable material like aluminium.

heat the area of the patch gradually, apply solder and check it has run all round the edge of the patch. Use Lead free solder.

Alternatives -
--use a "slip coupling" cut up if you only need a short patch (ie pipe not distorted)
--"Tin" both bits with solder before you put them together
---get a plumber to do it and you'll probably save a lot of fiddling and buying stuff you may not need again.

(actually its easier with plumber's stick solder - a different type - and would take about a minute, but that's in breach of more regulations!)