One thing is for sure, I triple check before cutting roots now. (I have my eye on a 1940 fixer upper. I have always fixed them the old fashioned way by sweating a new pipe on…. The biggest issue out of all that would be repairing the drywall on the ceiling. Your email address will not be published. Boy that’s a good question Dan, I’d follow the directions that came with the pump. Plumbing re-do project is complete and after replacing every bit of PVC above grade - I found a leak once I turned the pump on - on the spa side return at the union from the 90 on the the jandy to the below grade line. Measure the distance between your two SharkBite couplings and add 2 inches onto your dimension. I built an under-sink water purifier using push-fit connectors so I know it’s a great concept. Good to know Henry, thanks for the heads up. I could see how it would be highly intelligent to have a kit like that on hand. I want to believe I can do this. Being a woman and the wife of a man who doesn’t know or even want to know how to repair a household problem, I take every opportunity to stock my arsenal with facts that will help if anything happens in our home. as a 70 yr old retiree I am impressed that you make it so simple Thank you god bless you and your family. I’ll be putting one together soon. but my husband and I are trying to use puddy or the tape and its not working. The tools and techniques used to cut and prepare these pipes are similar, while the types of glue used for cementing can vary. Your videos are a lifesaver ! Great DIY tutorial. My uncle taught me to use a piece of rubber and a hose clamp to stop leaks in copper pipes (as a temporary fix). Zedcor Wholly Owned/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images. The bathtub on the upstairs floor leaked down to the family room floor, and then down to the basement, so the bathtub is not being used at all. Plumbers use them exclusively for drain waste vent systems. Not sure if a SharkBite would help in that situation but you taught us all a valuable lesson. Epoxy putty starts flexible but dries to the hardness of metal. I am the retired guy in a neighborhood of widows and in addition to my home repairs I get calls from frantic neighbors about leaks on the weekends. I’d like to get one of you’re free kits that you were talking about. In the ceiling, I cut the copper 2 inches shy of the T fitting. I was dreading a trip to the Depot but fortunately had the SharkBites in my tool box. After today you’ll have the confidence to do this yourself. Definitely I will use sharkbites they are very good for a quick nice and neat repair job , my house is more than 100 years old I have been in my house for 9 years. I am a renter and take care of my place as if I own it and do not wish to burden my landlord over trivial things that I have watched my father fix many times in my formative years. Use ABS or multipurpose cement to glue ABS pipe. Thanks for the great tutorial. I don’t know if that’s true, but mine have lots of green. One thing you didn’t mention was turning off the power to the can light you had near your water pipe. The Slip Fitting can slide on the pipe and allow you to attach your replacement pipe without trouble. The black pipes you see under your sink and in the basement are made with a plastic called acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS. I will NOW “even if I don’t get the one from your giveaway) will keep a “kit” handy at home for this type of circumstance. Hope I never need to use the kit, but better to be prepared. Tighten to stop the leak. I will be putting together an emergency kit of my own “just in case”. Chris Deziel has a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in humanities. I secure the gasket material with a pipe clamp – the kind that has slots along most of its length and has a … Everyone thinks I’m nuts, but I love a challenge!) Here is a link to the product: man - I'll give it a shot. Went to Home Depot and reluctantly bought a 1/2″ Shrakbite coupling. Good for you. ABS, CPVC and PVC are different types of rigid plastic pipe commonly used in residential plumbing systems. Stores are never open when you need them Linda, it’s such a bummer. Those 100 year old structures are surprisingly resilient!! Yep, having a kit like this is the way to go. My pleasure Jim, having a kit like this has saved my skin a few times!! Last Sunday I got a frantic text from my wife…. It’s as simple as this: Once you confirm a pipe is leaking, pour through the PipeFuze Polymer mixtures, following the proper application procedure. Thoughts? So I’m a girl and no clue on copper pipe repairs. Drain the water lines, I did this at our laundry tub. Yah, this is scary but you have to do it — PLUS your drywall is ruined, so who cares, lol. It goes to show that persistence is key, that not giving up on yourself can be the best thing. If you have enough room to flex down one side, slather on the cement and quikly slide the repair coupling all the way onto one side of the pipe. There’s another way you can do it. I’d recommend the SharkBite route Matt, especially if you can see the valves. Hear ya Shawn, those old homes are great but the plumbing can be a bear!!! This particular repair tutorial…..so valuable & worthwhile, Jeff. Our PEX Pipe tutorial is a great if you’ve never used it. Unless there’s water gushing from the ceiling, leave the water on. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. We have the beloved popcorn ceilings and they are a bit of a pain to match without re-coating the ceiling with the spray on popcorn texture. This is the dimension for your new piece of pipe. Being a senior citizen on a fixed income puts me in sort of a bind . © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Thank you. We are working on an Old Homestead… Copper pipe seems to be a different dimension and much thicker than the newer pipe. Robin. Shut off the vacuum once you see the glue suck into the crack. Once you locate the pipe leak, shut the water off to the house. Would 100% love to try ShareBite, I have to old valves in the basement that are going to go at any moment. http://www.watts.com/pages/literature_cats.asp?catId=71, http://media.wattswater.com/PL-Quickconnect.pdf, How to Solder Copper Pipe (Important Tips!!) Comment No. Good info. That stopped the leak. I think that it is important to learn a little bit about how to fix a leaky pipe. Sometime I do these kind of repairs in a similar method and sometime I do it using a simpler method. I look forward to the new videos each week and this week you hit one of my biggest fears – plumbing!!! When I want to do this type of repair I use a competing product that is made by Watts. This guide shows me how easy it is to replace my pipes.