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Topic: Pipe or leak repair

John Ford asked:

Feb 17, 2014
Apr 29, 2014

Hi John, 

Turn on your sprinklers for the zone your leak is on and let it run. The area where the leak is will cause the ground around it to be soaked and water logged more so than any other area. There is your leak.

Good luck!

Feb 17, 2014
Nov 18, 2014

Here's what to do if you wake up some frigid winter morning to find a water pipe frozen solid:Step 1: Open faucet so steam produced by your thawing activities will be able to escape.

Step 2: Start thawing pipe (see pipe-thawing options below) at faucet, and work back toward other end of frozen section. As you melt ice, water and steam will come out open faucet. If you started in the middle, steam produced by melting ice could get trapped and build up enough pressure to burst the pipe.

Pipe-thawing options: There are several things you can do to thaw your home's pipes. Here's a list:

  • Probably the most popular and safest pipe-thawing option is to use hot water. Wrap and secure heavy towel or burlap bag around pipe to concentrate and hold heat against it. Place bucket under pipe to catch runoff water, then pour hot or boiling water over towel.
  • A less messy but far more dangerous heat source for thawing frozen pipes is a propane torch equipped with a flame-spreader nozzle. With this heat source, you must be extremely careful to prevent torch flame from damaging or igniting wall behind pipe. A scrap of fireproof material between pipe and wall is a good precautionary measure, but the way you use the torch is the main element in safe pipe thawing. Keep flame moving back and forth. Never leave it in one spot very long. Be especially careful if you're near any soldered pipe joints. Pass over them very quickly or else they may melt and cause leaks, and you'll find that you have a much more serious plumbing problem on your hands than a frozen pipe. Caution: Never use torch or other direct high heat on plastic pipe.
  • If you want to avoid the messiness of thawing with hot water and the danger of melting soldered joints with propane torch, try heat lamp or hair dryer as heat source. These work less quickly but are much safer.

To thaw a frozen drainpipe, remove trap, and insert length of garden hose into pipe. When you can't push hose any farther, it has probably reached the ice. Raise your end of the hose and feed hot water in through a funnel. This way, the hot water is sure to get to the problem area. You must be careful when using this technique.

Until the ice melts and drains down the pipe, the hot water you pour in will back up toward you. Have a bucket ready to catch the overflow, and be careful not to scald yo

urself.

Feb 17, 2014

Marty Brummel of M.K. Brummel PRO answered:

Feb 18, 2014

If you are leaving the house, you definitely want to shut the water off to the house, in case the water line bursts. Otherwise, if you can find the frozen area, you can take a hair dryer to the spot to slowly thaw the pipes. Don't het the pipe quickly, as this will most likely cause the pipe to burst. Just always be ready to shut the water off to the entire house and have a bucket near. Good Luck.

Bin Khoo asked:

Jan 11, 2017
Jan 13, 2017

It depends on the faucet and whether the faucet has an aereator. Even when the valve is turned into the off positions, there is still some residual water in the faucet, and aereator. Once all of the water on the room side of the faucet has drained out, the dripping will stop. 

Bin Khoo asked:

Jan 11, 2017

Thomas Clark answered:

May 28, 2019

Yeah it depends on what faucet you be using and check if your faucet has an aereator. for more information about home improvements visit, Best Drain Cleaning, Sewer Repair and Plumbing Services

Bin Khoo asked:

Jan 11, 2017

Gregory Brown answered:

Mar 5, 2019

Yeah, I agree with David, it actually depends on the faucet whether it has an alternator or not. Even I have also come across a similar problem once but thanks to the team of commercial plumbing service NJ who helped me fix the leak in the faucet. They save a lot of my money and time too.

Bin Khoo asked:

Jan 11, 2017
Feb 20, 2017

Both of the previous are great ideas. Also consider, if it is an older valve, that the main does not close completely, for a variety of possible reasons. We see that alot in older homes. You can confirm this by checking other fausets to see if they continue to drip after you have tried the above proceedures. 

Remember if you drain the system as suggested before, to properly refill it, to get rid of the air in the system, or you could have "water hammer" issues as well.

Bin Khoo asked:

Jan 11, 2017
Jan 16, 2017

Hello Bin,

If you have not done so already, it helps to drain the system at the lowest point.  Meaning apply the shut off valve first, open the faucet at the lowest point (usually in the basement or hose bib) so the system can drain, then open a faucet at the highest point.  This will allow air into the system and allow it to drain more quickly.  Much like releasing your finger off the top of a full drinking straw.

We hope it helps!

Dan Vorona asked:

May 21, 2014

Rob Owens of VTS Homes, Inc. PRO answered:

Jun 1, 2014

You definitely should not have any leaking.  I suggest you call a plumber to come look at the issue.

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