Help!

[Brocky]

Apologies if this has already been discussed, but here goes.

About 18 months ago, I had a new radiator fitted in my bay window. A few weeks ago, I discovered a leak coming from the elbow joint on the pipe leading to the radiator. The plumber who originally installed the radiator seems incapable of dealing with this and the leak is still there, almost as bad as before he attempted to solder the joint.

Please could someone advise me on this; do I need the entire pipework replaced or should this be fixable?

Thank you in advance

 

[seco services]

just repair that section of elbow .
no need to replace whole pipework if only elbow a problem.

 

[Brocky]

Thanks for that. I suppose what I meant to ask was, is it difficult to repair this kind of leak? As I said, my plumber has tried and failed !

Do I get another plumber?

 

[seco services]

should not be a problem providing theirs room to work on it.
a job like can be completed in an hour without draining down system.

 

[baxi 198]

I once tried to repair a leak after draining down the system and still had a leak afterwards, because water remained in the pipe and the heat caused steam which stopped the weld from working. since then I always make sure there is no water nearby. dismantle the joint and renew the fitting as it needs to be clean to weld correctly.

 

[Ricky_M]

I'd drain down and dismantle the joint and try to get as much water out as possible. Without seeing the pipework, its hard to say how much of a job this would be. But I've seen people try to repair joints by just re-fluxing around the joint and soldering, if there any water near by, it isn't going to work.

 

[twgas]

I'd be inclined to cut in a comp coupling, or even an iso valve, before the leaking joint and replace pipework to rad,

 

[Goldspoon]

I get the feeling I'll be shot for this but why not wrap some Plumber's Putty around the joint? Or use one of the "fix a leak" tapes available from DIY stores?

Might be a good short term solution...

 

[seco services]

yes it will only work short term.
any decent plumber should be able to cut the elbow out
any problems with water in the pipe use a wet/dry vac new section of pipe,elbow etc.

 

[Softus]

I get the feeling I'll be shot for this but why not wrap some Plumber's Putty around the joint? Or use one of the "fix a leak" tapes available from DIY stores?

Might be a good short term solution...

Why on Earth would you use a solution that you know is not going to last the long term?

 

[Goldspoon]

I never said it would not last the long term... it just looks ugly (hence a short term fix rather than long term). I repaired a hole in my kayak with Plumber's putty and it has remained rock solid and cured a leak and been there for the last two years.

If it's dripping and he's waiting for a plumber... just a thought...

 

[Softus]

I repaired a hole in my kayak with Plumber's putty...

Probable pressure on outside of kayak hull (where the repair material is being forced into the crack): 0.01 bar.

Probable maximum pressure on inside of leaking pipe on open-vented system: 0.5 bar - FIFTY times your kayak pressure, and acting to force the repair material off the crack.

Maximum pressure on inside of leaking pipe on unvented system: 3.00 bar - THREE HUNDRED times your kayak pressure.

 

[doitall]

should not be a problem providing theirs room to work on it.
a job like can be completed in an hour without draining down system.

This I want to see

yes it will only work short term.
any decent plumber should be able to cut the elbow out
any problems with water in the pipe use a wet/dry vac new section of pipe,elbow etc.

A change of plan then

You will never solder a pipe with water init, not even if you sit there all day.

 

[doitall]

I never said it would not last the long term... it just looks ugly (hence a short term fix rather than long term). I repaired a hole in my kayak with Plumber's putty and it has remained rock solid and cured a leak and been there for the last two years.

If it's dripping and he's waiting for a plumber... just a thought...

If you build the Kayak out of plumbers putty will it repair itself

 

[Softus]

John, you're such a wag. A ray of sunshine on a, erm, sunny day.