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Repairing a burst copper pipe
Tools and Materials
Compression pipe repair fitting (also know as Compression repair coupling), Mini pipe cutter or hacksaw, Measuring tape, Narrow file, Wire wool, 2 x correctly sized spanners.
Making a permanent repair
The damaged section of pipe should not be longer than approximately 2 inches. If it is you will need to insert a section of pipe and attach it to the existing pipe work with two small compression couplers either side of the new section.
- Turn the water off at the mains and fully drain the pipe. If the pipe is a cold water pipe, you need only to drain the cold water pipe. If it is a central heating pipe, you may need to isolate the header tank and then drain the system.
N.B. If the pipe has been punctured, leave the instrument in the pipe until you are sure it has fully drained.
- After you have ensured the pipe has fully drained, use a mini pipe cutter or a hacksaw to cut either side of the damaged section of pipe. Make sure you cut the pipe far enough back from the damaged section where it has not been distorted by the puncture or burst.
- Remove the damaged section of the pipe and discard.
- Use a narrow file to remove any burrs (see definition below) from the inside cut ends of the pipe.
- Burnish the outside of the pipe with some wire wool.
- Slide the compression nuts onto the pipe ensuring they are facing the correct way.
- Now slide the olives onto the pipe.
- Push the two existing pieces of pipe work (the part with the nuts and olives on) into the body of the slip on coupling. Tighten the two nuts by hand, turning each anti-clockwise until you can tighten them no more.
- To finish off, using two correctly sized spanners, again tighten up the nuts on the coupling. To do this hold the central fixed nut with one spanner then tighten each of the other two nuts with approximately a 3/4 of a full turn. Be aware not to overly tighten the nuts and distort the pipe work underneath as this will create a leak in the joint.
- Finally, once you are happy the nuts are tight, restore the water and check for leaks. If there is a small amount of leakage, try re-tightening the compression nuts again.
Definitions
Compression joint: It is called so as it makes a water tight seal on an existing length of plumbing pipe work by the compressing of brass rings or 'olives'.
Compression nuts which sit next to the 'olives', on tightened compress the 'olives' on to the copper pipe work they have been placed on. This consequently creates a water tight seal between the pipe work and nut. When repairing pipe work, a slip on coupling will sit on top of the damaged area of pipe work while the compression nuts and 'olives' form the watertight seals at either end.
Burr: rough projection left on a work piece after drilling or cutting.
Reproduced with permission from www.ProblemSolved.co.uk. The website contains 70,000 reliable and recommended tradespeople from plumbers to interior designers and everything in between!
Please note that all advice provided by www.ProblemSolved.co.uk Ltd is intended to provide general guidance for the personal use of the reader, who accepts full responsibility of said guidance. If in any doubt about the information provided the reader should consult a qualified professional before proceeding.
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