Do It Yourself Leaking Pipe Repair
Article by William Gold. He writes about DIY pipe repair. Visit http://www.floodright.com if you’ve read this article to late and need a water damage repair company in Mass.
Leaking Pipes have caused major problems. They are not only responsible for the mess caused around the house or other areas, but also result in the loss associated with the leakage. For instance, leaking water might result in water shortage, but still sustainable. But can you imagine the loss one has to bear in case of a leaking oil pipe? Or a gas pipe? It’s not only a major loss but also a fatal activity at the same time. Both of these when ignited can either cause fire or explode. So to deal with this problem one would need to understand the basics behind the leakage, followed by planning and fixing the source of the problem. Pipe leakage can be anywhere, after all in some cases nobody knows where the rupture actually occurred, so first step towards pipe fixation is discovering the sources of the problem and understanding the some. Once understood it’s real easy to get rid of them.
The first step in discovering the source of the problem is knowing what all the dials on the water meter measure mean. For doing this ensure that all the taps in the house and garden are turned off and that all the equipments like toilets, bathrooms, basins etc are not in operation. Then examine the meter for a few minutes and note any movement in the wheel. To determine the extent of a leak initiate reading wait for about 15 minutes and then take another reading. Do not leave out any of the dials. Make sure you’ve read them all.
Now it’s time to play with math subtract the start reading from the final reading. Be sure to write your answer in liters and not kilolitres. Multiply by six to determine the amount of liters of water lost per hour .If leak is detected then, fix it by following the subsequent steps. If not, then get help from some expert.
It may be the pipe is leaking from the spout when the water is turned off. Usually the problem is a damaged seat, stem, or washer. Turn on the handle to drain residual water that might still be in the pipes. Cover the drain with a cloth or paper towel so you don’t lose any parts. Pop off the faucet caps with a small screwdriver if your pipe handles have them. Use a screwdriver to remove the screw in each handle. Now pull off the handle; if it won’t budge then take a pipe handle puller and place the side bars of the puller under the handle. Now turn the bar at the top of the puller so that the shaft is inserted into the handle. Tighten the bar and pull the handle. To remove the stem, place slip joint pliers around the packing nut and turn counterclockwise until it is loose. Lift out the stem and put it in a bag. Do the same with the other side.
Take the two stems to the hardware store to buy new stem washers or valve seats. To install new washers, use a screwdriver to remove the stem screw. Now pry out the old washer and put on a new one. Next, insert the stem screw and tighten. Do the same with the other stem.
When you replace a washer, you always need to replace the valve seat. You will need a seat wrench and Teflon tape. Using the appropriate size end of the seat wrench, insert it into the faucet body and turn counterclockwise. Now apply the Teflon tape counter clockwise onto the new valve seat. Then place the valve seat on the appropriate size end off the seat wrench and insert it into the body, turning clockwise to tighten the screws. Replace the caps. Make sure you always clean up the area where you have been working. Don’t cross-thread any of the nuts or the valve seat when reassembling the pipe. Turn on the main water valve again and double-check your pipes to be sure they aren’t leaking. If the faucet works correctly, pat yourself on the back and enjoy the money you saved from the repair bill that wasn’t a compulsion.
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