help ive just put a screw through a pipe!!

[alanwheeldon]

its one of the main (22mm i think) pipes that goes to the boiler. Ive turned the water off so it has stopped leaking but how do I fix it?? Would I have to replace the pipe or would i be able to solder the hole back up?? The hole has about a 2mm radius

Cheers, Alan

 

[Agile]

If you can get the pipe fully dry then you can solder it if you have the skill.

To help fill the hole partially plug it with a bit of copper wire.

Its better to use multicore radio solder rather than plumbers solder and flux. Leaded solder ( 60:40 ) is best.

Tony

 

[mogget]

Depending on access, you could cut the pipe exactly at the position of the hole with a tube cutter, file off any sharp bits and use a 22mm compression coupler to join the two ends back together.

Be careful not to allow any filings to enter the pipe (don't cut it with a hacksaw), and if the system's been drained make sure you add inhibitor when you fill it back up.

Edit: Tony's beaten me to it and with a clever solution too.

 

[Agile]

My solution only works if he has the skills and can dry the pipe.

Otherwise cutting and a compression coupler is the professional solution.

If the pipe is so tight that it cannot be cut then my solution comes back as pretty much the only solution!

Tony

 

[JohnD]

too late for you but a good tip:

if you put a screw through a pipe, don't take it out. Tighten it a bit if necessary so it plugs the hole whilwe you shut off the supply and start draining.

If you have already taken the screw out, put it back

the screw will plug the hole and reduce leakage.

 

[NoPoke]

can you photograph the compromised pipe and post the picture here?

 

[alanwheeldon]

heres the little bugger

Im not too bad at soldering so ill give that a go first

 

[JohnD]

you will have to get the pipe dry which is very difficult. It is impossible to solder a wet pipe due to the steam.

 

[daveaf]

Give the outside a good clean with some wet and dry.
Get a small brass counter sunk screw and cut the head off leaving about 3mm of the shaft still.

The dimple in the pipe will work to your advantage here. insert the brass screw into the hole as tight as possible. Now solder around the head. The screw should stop any steam escaping whilst you solder it. But depending on your blow lamp, you may still have probs if the pipe is full of water.

Check you did not go out the otherside Not sure what size screws yoiu were using.

Then mark your floorboards to show underneath obstacles so the next person does not do the same.

 

[alanwheeldon]

I went to buy some solder and bumped into a nice plummer who said he would cut and fix the pipe for £35

He is here now to save the day

 

[Agile]

I went to buy some solder and bumped into a nice plummer who said he would cut and fix the pipe for £35
He is here now to save the day

With the hole in that location its virtually impossible to cut the pipe unless its possible to lift it clear of the wood and other pipe by about 60 mm to get a pipe cutter in to it.

Furthermore unless you have 35 mm end float in the pipe you would need a slip coupler. There is not really enough space for a compression coupler even after cutting the wood back.

Its easier to solder the pipe but you will have to get it dryish. Lifting it 10-20 mm at that point will help to allow remaining water to flow back away from the hole.

I do quite a few of these every year! Once I had to wrap copper wire around the pipe and the Dutch floor fitters who had made the hole said they had never seen it repaired that way ( meaning they often punctured pipes! ).

Tony