I just got home and found I had no water. After checking the basement, I found the large copper pipe coming from the water meter had a large bulge in it about 6 feet from the meter. I heated it with a hair dryer and it started gushing water. I immediately shut the main valve off. I called two plumbing companies, but none can get here until Monday. I‘m pretty handy and tried duct tape, but it still leaks a lot. The local hardware store is also closed. Any idea‘s until the plumbers get here? I would really like to use the toilet and take a shower. Thank You. The pipe is about the same diameter as a quarter.
Wow that is a fix. but it is temporary. Okay, do you have any extra pipe around the house? Did the copper pipe completely bust or does it just have a small crack? Turn off the main valve, if you have any super glue try that then put the duck tape around it. If all else fails you will have to fill up some containers from the main pipe and fill up the toilet tank or bath as you need it. You will make it until monday for sure. It'll just be difficult. ( Remember to leave your water running at a drizzle in cold weather, it will keep your pipes from freezing.
OK. Chances are you supply pipe is 3/4 copper. Try to find an auto parts store(auto zone etc.) near you. If not, try a local full service garage. Measure the length of the bulge and add 6 to that. Buy a length of 7/8 heater hose and 2 hose clamps of that length. With your hacksaw cut out the bulge, file or sand the edges of the cut pipes. Put some dish soap on the copper ends and slide the heater hose over them. Tighten the clamps. (put on prior to adding the hose). Turn on your main valve and check for leaks. This should hold you until the plumbers get there. Good Luck Boe: I worked in Montreal during the great ice storm. We turned on over 250 houses in 24 hours using heater hose. This is temporary, and costs maybe $10.00 to fix. Your basing your answer on the idea that Just Me will know how to sweat a copper pipe. Not to mention the $40-50.00 to buy the supplies. We're talking maybe 24 hours at most until the plumber can get there. Many of my repairs lasted over a week. Sorry, but your idea doesn't work in this case.
If you have a Lowe's or Home Depot nearby, get a water pipe clamp. They come in 1/2, 3/4 and 1 sizes. It'll basically clamp over a split up to an inch or two wide, there is a rubber surface of the clamp that presses down on the pipe. About 8 bucks. You could also go to Autozone or any auto parts store (they are open on Sunday) and get half a dozen pipe clamps for a smaller pipe like yours. If you have a patch of rubber material (like an innertube) you can cut a nice rectangular piece of rubber to go around your leak and then clamp it down. Put each clamp right next to each other, don't leave any gap between the metal straps of the clamp. Autozone might also have some sort of innertube tire patch kit. There is a rubber patch about the size of a playing card that you could use in conjunction with the clamps. You can also put the rubber patching material on, then cover it with a similar sizes piece of a tin/aluminum can, then put on the clamps.
Wow that is a fix. but it is temporary. Okay, do you have any extra pipe around the house? Did the copper pipe completely bust or does it just have a small crack? Turn off the main valve, if you have any super glue try that then put the duck tape around it. If all else fails you will have to fill up some containers from the main pipe and fill up the toilet tank or bath as you need it. You will make it until monday for sure. It'll just be difficult. ( Remember to leave your water running at a drizzle in cold weather, it will keep your pipes from freezing.
OK. Chances are you supply pipe is 3/4 copper. Try to find an auto parts store(auto zone etc.) near you. If not, try a local full service garage. Measure the length of the bulge and add 6 to that. Buy a length of 7/8 heater hose and 2 hose clamps of that length. With your hacksaw cut out the bulge, file or sand the edges of the cut pipes. Put some dish soap on the copper ends and slide the heater hose over them. Tighten the clamps. (put on prior to adding the hose). Turn on your main valve and check for leaks. This should hold you until the plumbers get there. Good Luck Boe: I worked in Montreal during the great ice storm. We turned on over 250 houses in 24 hours using heater hose. This is temporary, and costs maybe $10.00 to fix. Your basing your answer on the idea that Just Me will know how to sweat a copper pipe. Not to mention the $40-50.00 to buy the supplies. We're talking maybe 24 hours at most until the plumber can get there. Many of my repairs lasted over a week. Sorry, but your idea doesn't work in this case.
If you have a Lowe's or Home Depot nearby, get a water pipe clamp. They come in 1/2, 3/4 and 1 sizes. It'll basically clamp over a split up to an inch or two wide, there is a rubber surface of the clamp that presses down on the pipe. About 8 bucks. You could also go to Autozone or any auto parts store (they are open on Sunday) and get half a dozen pipe clamps for a smaller pipe like yours. If you have a patch of rubber material (like an innertube) you can cut a nice rectangular piece of rubber to go around your leak and then clamp it down. Put each clamp right next to each other, don't leave any gap between the metal straps of the clamp. Autozone might also have some sort of innertube tire patch kit. There is a rubber patch about the size of a playing card that you could use in conjunction with the clamps. You can also put the rubber patching material on, then cover it with a similar sizes piece of a tin/aluminum can, then put on the clamps.
