DIY plastic sewer pipe repair

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of plastic sewer pipes from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Reliable operation of the sewer system is a guarantee of a comfortable stay in any room, regardless of whether it is an office or a residential building. That is why it is so important to monitor the health of the collector and eliminate possible risk situations in time. But what to do if the repair of sewer pipes was suddenly required, and it is impossible to call the master for some reason, or there is simply a desire to cope with the problem on your own? In the material below, we will analyze in detail how to repair sewer pipes with our own hands and at the same time do everything correctly.

Important: self-repair of the collector can only be carried out if the system is plastic. Repair of a cast-iron sewer pipe can only be performed by professionals, since this part of the communication is heavy and requires certain skills.

Important: very often, sewer and water pipes are hidden behind decorative panels and shields. That is why, in the event of leaks or blockages in any of the communications, you will have to dismantle parts of the wall cladding in order to identify the exact place of the malfunction.

The most common breakdowns that happen to a sewer or plumbing are:

Congestion and plugs in the sewerage system. In this case, clear evidence will be stagnation of water with feces in the toilet or wastewater outlet in one of the other plumbing fixtures.
Leak in certain areas of a sewer or water pipe.
Cracks in plastic pipes.

Important: in any case, the repair must be started immediately, otherwise it threatens a global catastrophe both for the residents of a private house / apartment and for neighbors (in a high-rise building).

Video (click to play).

This type of malfunction is the most common, especially if the manifold is old or not used properly. That is, traffic jams and blockages in this case are formed not so much in the central pipe as in the siphons under the bathtub or sink. Hair and other fibrous debris usually form the blockage. Connecting with sebum and dirt, they cling to the bridges of the siphon and prevent the outflow of water. If this occurs in your sewer system, then a simple plunger can be used to clear the system.

Water is collected in the sink or bathtub. The device is installed in such a way that its rubber cap fits snugly against the drain hole, and sharp and firm movements begin in the up and down direction. The vacuum that the plunger creates must either pull the debris out or push it further down the system.

Important: if there is an overflow in the sink and bathtub, then they must be closed during the plunger treatment. Otherwise, it will not be possible to create a vacuum.

If the plunger does not cope with the cork, then you can use an aggressive chemical agent that will simply corrode the cork formed in the system. The drugs must be used very carefully, exactly following the instructions. As a rule, the dry product is poured into the drain of a sink or bathtub and poured into a glass of water. The electrolyte mixture is left for 30-40 minutes, after which it is washed out with very hot water. The jam should go away.
As a tool to clear the blockage, you can use a flexible wire with a ruffled tip. It is launched into the sewer pipe and promoted until the blockage. With a rotating motion, the cork is crushed or taken out. Sewer pipes are flushed with plenty of water.

Important: for cleaning plastic pipes, the tip on the cable must be rubber or similar de plastic. Otherwise, there is a risk of scratching the pipe from the inside and after that, debris will accumulate in it.

If you find a leak in one of the sections of the sewer pipeline, then you should urgently take measures to eliminate the problem.

As a rule, most often the leak is formed at the joints of the cuffs and corrugated sections of the pipeline. This indicates an inaccurate and leaky fit of one element of the system to another. In this case, you just need to replace the rubber gasket and properly tighten the connection. To be sure, the joints need to be covered with sealant.

A leak in a section of a plastic pipe can be eliminated by replacing a section of the line and its high-quality docking with the main manifold using couplings and seals. After that, the pipe does not leak.
If a leak is found on a section of a cast-iron pipe with cement putty, then the work here will be a little more difficult. First of all, the entire layer of cement is completely knocked down. Residual pieces of packing are removed from the slots and the place is thoroughly cleaned of debris. Now you need to lay a new layer of packing made of a mixture of cement, asbestos and water. The solution is prepared in a ratio of 7: 3 plus the amount of liquid that will allow you to obtain a suspension of the consistency of soft plasticine. The top of the cast-iron pipe joint can be covered with cement mortar, which is kneaded in proportions of 1:10 (cement: water).
Lead pipes (if they are leaking) are treated like cast iron pipes. Only here all the old lead is removed from the joint and new pieces of material are laid. It is very convenient to use it with just a chisel.

Important: Lead or asbestos packing for cast iron pipes can be replaced with a liquid glass gasket. It is made from standard bandages and a mixture of cement and liquid glass. The technology of work looks like this:

The cleaned joint of the sewer cast-iron pipe is wrapped with a bandage soaked in the prepared mixture. Considering that liquid glass dries very quickly, you need to work without delay. After a couple of months, such a winding can be successfully painted in any color.

A crack is the most dangerous of sewerage problems. At first glance, such a small nuisance can bring very big problems in the form of a gradual increase in clearance and an unexpected burst of the sewer. Needless to say what will follow next? Therefore, it is better to replace the pipe section immediately after detecting a crack. Especially if it's plastic. To replace cast iron pipes, you will have to invite professionals.

If there is no time or opportunity to replace the pipe section at the moment, then you can cover up the crack for a short time. But for the shortest possible time.

For a plastic pipe, a sealant is used with which the gap is treated. From above, the crack is closed with tape.
The cast-iron pipe will have to be "treated" more seriously. To do this, you need to widen the gap and degrease it. The resulting lumen is coated with a mixture of phosphoric acid and copper in a ratio of 2: 3.

In this case, doing the repair of sewer pipes with your own hands will be more time consuming, since a larger section of the collector is located in the ground. And here, in case of leaks, you will have to replace the worn out collector of the outer part either with the implementation of voluminous earthworks, or with the use of one of two technologies:

Berstlining. In this case, the old sewer pipe is dug out of the ground and simply cut lengthwise in place. Sections of the disassembled collector are pressed into the walls of the soil, and a new pipeline is installed in the vacant space.
Relining. This method is even simpler. In this case, a corrugated pipe of a smaller diameter is pulled into the inside of the worn-out pipe directly in the ground.

Thus, it is possible to quickly and reliably eliminate the depressurization of the outer part of the collector directly in the ground.

In order to avoid the forced and costly repair of the water supply or sewerage system in the event of a leak, it is better to take preventive actions in time with respect to the system. Namely, observe the following rules for the operation of the sewage system:

Do not flush into the system bulk construction materials such as cement, asbestos, sand, small stone fragments, etc.
Do not run rags and personal hygiene items into sewers.
Place grease traps under the sink and dishwasher.
Periodically clean the pipeline using hydrodynamics (water supply under high pressure), thermal (hot water) or chemical (aggressive drugs) treatment. This is done by specialists.
If cracked, the pipe section must be replaced as soon as possible to prevent leakage.
It is advisable to change the old cast iron sewer system in an apartment building to a plastic one, since plastic has a lot of advantages, such as durability, inertness to aggressive media, ease of maintenance and installation, environmental friendliness and strength.

And remember, it is always better to prevent a leak than to correct its consequences.

The knowledge of how to eliminate a sewer pipe leak will be needed by everyone, regardless of where a person lives, in a private house or in an apartment. This type of hole is always unpleasant. But in addition to the bad smell, a large number of pathogenic bacteria enter the living space. Therefore, the issue must be resolved promptly and efficiently.

Sewer pipes have found a large number of uses. There are three main types of material from which they can be made:

The first type is used more and more often and is explained by the long service life of polymers. Cast iron pipes are still manufactured and installed in many houses that were built a long time ago. The latter option is practically not used anymore, although, if we do not take into account the fragility, it had rather high indicators of durability.

Several methods of elimination of fistulas will be common to all configurations. Others will require a specific approach to a specific situation.

All defects that can cause unpleasant situations can be divided into several categories.

Corrosive effect. This option applies more to cast iron pipes. Constantly being in the environment of waste water with various chemical detergents, the metal wall becomes thinner, which can lead to its complete destruction. In addition, there is an external influence. It is due to the temperature difference. You may have noticed that water droplets collect on the pipe. This happens when the temperature in the room is lower than that inside the pipe. Such formations lead to the appearance of rust with the subsequent failure of pipes. Another source of damaging effects can be a connected ground. Due to the flow of electric current, reactions occur that lead to a decrease in the wall thickness. Although unlikely, ceramic pipes can be destroyed by hydrofluoric acid if someone decides to flush it down the drain.

Physical impact. This can damage all of the above products. Plastic and ceramic pipes are especially susceptible to it. Such situations arise during the installation process or when carrying out other repair work near the fan risers.

Manufacturing defects. Due to errors in the technological process, cavities can form in the material, which are subsequently washed out and leaking.

The main places where a fistula can form:

at the junction;
in a straight horizontal or vertical section.

If the first option takes place and there is an opportunity to contact those who carried out the installation, then you can present them with claims, because these are always the consequences of a wrong installation.

There are many options for solving the arisen situation with metal pipes. The applicability of each will depend on what is at hand at a particular point in time. Most often, such risers are not under pressure, so there will be no gushing fountains. The first way is a wooden chop.

An element in the form of a cone is made from any wooden block or board (you can even use a wooden clothespin). Its sharp part should have such a diameter that it fits into the hole formed.
The workpiece is inserted inside and by light tapping with a hammer it is compacted until the water stops seeping out. Over time, the wood will swell and form an airtight joint.
To prevent the plug from falling out, it is reinforced with a wire or thread wrapped around it.

Rubber gloves, which housewives use when cleaning or washing dishes, may be within walking distance. To apply it correctly, you need to do the following:

Using scissors, the upper gum seal is cut off.
Further, moving across the product in a spiral, you will need to cut a tape 2 cm wide.
The resulting segment must be superimposed on the breakdown site. You need to start a few centimeters lower or higher. The first turn is done with fixing the starting edge. You should advance so that the material is well stretched. Be sure to overlap, so you get an airtight patch.
The second edge can be secured with a wire.

You can purchase a factory-made clamp and use it to repair the leak.

You need to step back about 1 cm from one edge and make a mark.
The plate is bent along the indentation line. This can be done by holding it in a vice and knocking with a hammer.
2 notches are made with a center punch. Holes are drilled with a suitable drill.
The workpiece is wrapped around the pipe to fix its shape, and also to mark where the second collar needs to be made.
At the second end, 2 holes are drilled so that they coincide with the previous ones.
A rubber patch is placed in the place of the leak and pressed with a homemade clamp.
Bolts with nuts are inserted into the holes and tightened well.

In the same way, you can solve the problem if you use factory pipe clamps. But in this case, you will need 2 of them, because the width of their tape is small. A piece of rubber is applied to the fistula, after which it is pressed along the edges until the leak disappears.

The following method has been used for a long time, but it can be slightly modified. Of the components, you will need a wide bandage and silicone (or epoxy resin).

First of all, the bandage unfolds and is well impregnated with silicone.
Until the moment when the setting begins, it must be wrapped around the damaged area. This must be done with a certain tension.
For a short period, you may need to press down where the hole is.

After hardening, such a patch will last long enough.

Cold welding can be an excellent assistant in this situation. This is the name of a two-component plastic composition, which is used for various purposes.

For the patch to have an effect, you must do the following:

Wipe the pipe dry.
Sand with sandpaper to remove all paint and rust to bare metal.
Cut off a small part of the glue from the total mass.
Stir thoroughly while warming so that the components penetrate into each other.
Wipe the pipe dry again and glue the resulting layer. In order to speed up the process, you can use a regular home hair dryer.If it was not at hand, then temporarily you need to fix the patch with a piece of elastic and wire. This is done so that polymerization occurs, and until this moment the composition does not fall off.

There is another polymer mixture that contains metal shavings (for example, Weicon). It can seal the hole so well that it will take a long time to replace the entire riser.

After hardening, it practically does not change in volume and lends itself well to processing. For its application, it is important to observe the following sequence:

First, the components of the active polymer are mixed until a homogeneous mass is formed. It is best to use a small metal spatula for this.
The pipe is stripped as in the case of cold welding.
With the same metal spatula, rubbing the glue is applied to the fistula. It is necessary to smooth it until it begins to harden and the water stops flowing.
Until the moment of full seizure, the patch can be formed with gloved fingers and the process can be accelerated with a hairdryer.
Next, the components of the fixing layer are mixed. It should be applied with a gap of 2-3 cm from the edge of the hardened part.

In the case when not just a small hole has formed on the pipe, but a whole crack, then all the above methods can be used, but in the case of two-component compositions, it will be necessary to slightly expand the breakdown site and clean it well so that the glue can penetrate into the middle and grab the ends walls, which will provide the best effect.

If the problem arose at the junction in a cast iron sewer pipe, then there are also several ways to solve it. The first involves the use of sanitary flax or tow.

If possible, you should ask your neighbors not to use the sewers.
The gap in the joint is carefully cleaned out so as to remove cement and some of the sulfur from it, which usually burned through the joints.
A small braid of tow is detached.
Using a thin screwdriver, it is pushed into the vacated space.
A good layer of silicone is laid on top.
After 5 hours, you can freely resume using the drain.

Alternatively, flax can be immediately moistened in an aqueous solution of PVA glue and cement, after which it is laid, as described above. In this case, the use of the sewage system can be resumed every other day.

It will be useful to have a sealing tape in the house. It is a polyethylene base on which an aluminum layer is applied. The composition contains additional strengthening fibers. When glued, it interacts at the molecular level, forming a homogeneous mass. Its installation does not take much time and effort. It is enough just to clean well the planned processing site, degrease it and wind the material with an overlap, you can make several layers crosswise.

If it happens that for some reason the plastic pipes have suffered, then all the methods that have been listed can be applied on the straight section. Another solution would be to use a special repair plug. In order to install it correctly, you will need to do the following:

An element is selected that will not go too deep into the pipe.
A hole is drilled at the site of damage with a drill, its diameter should be equal to that on the repair kit.
A rubber seal is put on the plug, and it is coated with silicone sealant.
The element is installed in its place.

Another way to carry out repair work would be to use a coupler. In this case, it will be necessary not to use the sewage system for a certain time.

Using a hacksaw for metal or another tool, a section of the pipe that has been damaged is cut out.
Markers are made on the branch pipes to what depth they will go into the joint.
The adapter is installed in place.
If the damage occurs closer to the area where the pipe enters any fitting, then an expansion joint can be used. A part of the pipe is cut out, this sleeve is put on it and stretched a little more than necessary. After that, the riser is guided into the opening of the fitting and the sleeve is pulled together until it fits into the tee or elbow.

In most cases, the usual replacement of the damaged area is more effective. If a leak has formed at the junction of a plastic pipe, then, of course, you can use various pads, clamps, and so on, but it is better to disassemble the joint and replace or fix the rubber band.

Hopefully this article will serve as a practical guide to repairing leaks and other holes. We are interested in what methods you personally managed to use. Share your solutions in the comments.

See how the expansion joint is installed:

For a video on replacing and repairing a cast iron pipe, see below:

Modern, reliable and practical plastic pipes are an excellent solution for arranging a plumbing system in the country or in a private house. Their advantage is quick installation and low weight of the pipeline system, convenience of modernizing the system and repairing pipes. The disadvantage of plastic pipes is that a poorly welded joint inevitably loses its tightness, and the pipes themselves (with the exception of reinforced ones) are weakly resistant to mechanical damage.

Any type of plastic pipe can leak

Wet pipes, the appearance of water droplets similar to dew in the area of the fittings, or a sharp drop in pressure in the system directly warn the owner that it is time to pay attention to the plumbing system and fix the problem with his own hands. If the leak is not eliminated in time, then even a small trickle of water can cause a lot of harm, falling on electrical appliances, power lines or new repairs of neighbors living one floor (or even several floors) below.

To repair a plumbing or heating system made of plastic pipes, you need minimal practical skills and a set of special tools. A simple repair of a plastic pipe with your own hands is quite within the power of an amateur, and for a professional it will not be difficult at all to repair a suddenly appeared leak.

Important! The main task of the installer-repairer is to choose the most optimal way to eliminate the malfunction, and eliminate the leak as quickly as possible.

The appearance of moisture on the pipes may indicate a depressurization of the system.

The first action to be taken by an installer engaged in the repair of the water main is to turn off, if possible, the water supply to the system, or to the area to be restored. After localizing the leakage area or stopping the water supply, you can start restoration work. Next, the best option is chosen, how to eliminate the leak in plastic pipes. Mandatory conditions - the leak must be eliminated in the shortest possible time, and the detected pipe crack or hole must be repaired as efficiently as possible.

Important! It is imperative to shut off the water supply in front of the area where the leak is detected. In a multi-circuit system, in order to eliminate the leak, it is enough to turn off the water supply directly to the circuit being repaired, and also shut off the diverter valve of the local section of the water supply system.

The most common problem with plastic water pipes is the loss of tightness at the joints of the pipes. Leaks occur for various reasons, depending on the pipe installation option, the type of fittings used and the skill level of the installer, for example:

The most reliable way to repair a damaged line is to replace the damaged section with a new plastic pipe that is securely soldered through fittings to the main system.But it is not always possible to implement the method of high-temperature connections, and then other methods are used to repair the pipeline.

With the help of a clamp, you can quickly eliminate water leakage

Clamping clamp. As a temporary method to stop the leakage, clamping straps are used. By supplementing the clamp with screw clamps with a layer of waterproof plastic material, it is possible to almost completely eliminate the leakage. The good thing about the method is that the water will flow freely through the plumbing system. It is faster and safer than just sealing or sealing a leaky pipe. This repair method does not require shutting off the water supply, the only drawback is the inevitable weakening of the clamp attachment points over time and the loss of the tightness of the connection.

Cold welding. Before covering up the leak in plastic pipes, it is necessary to prepare the required amount of the component for work: thoroughly knead the required amount of the substance in your hands, or mix in the proper proportions. Apply to the damaged area, carefully seal the crack on the pipe and wait until the composition has completely solidified.

Adhesive bandage. A pair of clamping clamps in conjunction with a material impregnated with an adhesive (two-component adhesive + rubber for polypropylene pipes or bandage + cement for sewer pipes) will help you quickly eliminate the leak with your own hands. Advantages: the water supply does not need to be shut off. The disadvantage of this method is that it is forbidden to use an adhesive bandage for systems with high pressure.

Adhesive (sealing) tape. Not a bad option for a quick repair if there is no way to cover a small hole with a sealant. The tape is applied to the damaged area in several layers.

Adhesive pipe tape can be used as a temporary but fairly reliable measure.

Special sealant. This is another quick method for fixing leaks at the junction of a plastic pipe. But this is rather a temporary solution than a quality repair.

Important! Any of the selected methods of restoring the tightness of a section of the water supply system or pipe joints requires preliminary preparation of the pipe itself. The pipe is degreased, cleaned, if necessary, the joint of the future joint of the pipe and fittings is processed.

There are three types of sealing compounds:

neutral type of sealant, suitable for all types of pipes, applied with a mounting gun;
acidic sealant, but it is not used on fragile pipes and on pipelines transporting acids;
silicone sealant is a universal composition, used to seal the socket joint at the junction of sewer pipes.

In the case of heating systems, which can also be assembled from polypropylene pipes, it is somewhat more difficult to eliminate the leak. As a rule, part of the system is laid using the hidden installation method, and before gluing plastic pipes that have been accidentally damaged during construction work or that have failed naturally, it is necessary to determine exactly where the pipe is flowing in the mounted system. And for this you need to dismantle the decorative panels or, in the worst case, open the wall covering.

Welding of plastic water and sewer pipes

Installation and main features of plastic pipes

Why are water pipes buzzing in the apartment: causes and solutions to the problem

Repair of copper and other types of pipes on your own: methods and rules

Polyethylene pipes and their use for water supply

HDPE pipe: product features and specifications

Repair of plastic pipes may often be required if consumables of insufficient quality were used when installing the pipeline, or if the installation of the network was unprofessional.

In any case, it will take some effort to restore the pipeline to work. We will show you with our advice and recommendations how to avoid the same mistakes.

Damaged plastic pipe

Repair must begin with an external examination and diagnosis of the damaged area. The quality, speed and cost of future repairs will directly depend on the type of defect.

There are several main types of damage to plastic pipes:

Full or partial pipe rupture.
Local damage.
Crumpled plastic pipe.
Occurrence of leaks in various pipeline reins.

Consider the features and methods of eliminating each of these types of damage.

Although plastic is mostly superior in technical and operational characteristics to cast iron and steel pipes, in terms of strength to external impacts, it is still far from the most resistant material.

Like leaks in pipeline nodes, this type of damage occurs most often, while it has the following features:

The occurrence of ruptures is usually associated with careless work carried out near the location of the pipeline route.
For example, the outer pipe can be accidentally caught by an excavator while digging a trench nearby, a domestic-type plastic pipe can be damaged by a heavy object falling on it, etc.
The predisposition of pipes to accidents of this type is explained by the lack of measures that would provide for the protection of pipes from external influences.

Repair of plastic pipes in this case includes the following:

The emergency section must be replaced with a section of a whole pipe, the working pressure of which is comparable to the working pressure in the pipeline.
When repairing the pipeline, the section is arranged by means of two electrically welded couplings.
Mechanical fastening couplings can also be used. They are usually used in highly complex installations such as underwater installations.

Plastic pipe repair technology

The use of electro-welded type couplings, as a rule, is cheaper, while the quality and reliability of such a connection is almost always higher.

Local damage is understood as a defective hole in the pipe, the diameter of which does not exceed 50 mm.

Eliminate local damage in the following way:

Prepare the pipe and the place of damage for repair - dehydrate the pipe and clean it.
An electrowelded plug (reinforcing plate) of the appropriate size is prepared, which will be cheaper in comparison with replacing a section of a plastic pipeline or using two electrowelded couplings.
The lining is welded over the damage.

When a plastic pipe collapses, often no special measures are required to eliminate it. Deformation of a pipe is not always an indication of a violation of the integrity of the pipeline.

This is often caused by local mechanical factors, eliminating which and returning the pipe to operation, the plastic pipe will eventually level out under the influence of internal pressure and its own rigidity.

If the collapse is not eliminated on its own and at the same time interferes with the normal flow of the working fluid, the collapsed section of the pipeline will need to be replaced.

Remember that the presence of scratches or cracks on the pipe surface, the depth of which is more than 10% of the total wall thickness, indicates the need to replace the section of the plastic pipe.

Plastic pipes: repair by applying electrofusion to the damaged area

Causes of leaks:

Most often, at the joints of pipes and pipeline nodes made of plastic, it occurs not due to damage to pipes and nodes, but due to violations of the technology for making welded joints.
Typically, a leak is the result of an unsuccessful repair and appears almost immediately during testing (trial commissioning of the pipeline).
The reason for this may be, for example, the water supply not completely shut off in the pipe during the welding of electrofusion couplings.
A leak at the junction of the plastic pipe connection indicates that gross mistakes were made during the butt welding process.
In addition, leaks can occur if inappropriate materials were used during the construction of the pipeline, both in quality and in technical characteristics.
For example, when inspecting an outdoor pipeline requiring repair, one or more compression fittings may be found buried in the ground, while plastic pipe fittings of this type are designed exclusively for outdoor use.

The method of eliminating a leak in a pipe is to repeat the repair, only in accordance with all the rules and technology.

Welded connection of elements of a household plastic pipeline

A clean and dry pipe is the key to successful welding (soldering) of plastic pipes. Only with mechanical methods of connecting pipes, water can not be an obstacle. If it penetrates into the welding zone during heating, then steam is generated, which creates excessive pressure, which, in turn, can lead to a violation of the fusion of the plastic, which will make the connection of insufficient quality and unsuitable for use.If it is not possible to completely shut off the water flow, simply loosen the bolts at the flange connection of the pipe with the valve. In this case, water will flow into the well, and not into the pipe cavity.To make the need to repair plastic pipes as rare as possible, it is necessary to initially correctly perform pipe connections and pipe laying. In addition, the materials used must fully comply with the operating conditions of the line.To seal the place where the pipe leaks at the junction, the home craftsman only needs to have minimal skills in carrying out construction work. The most important thing in this case is to choose the best repair method and eliminate the leak as soon as possible.Plastic pipe products are considered one of the best materials for arranging plumbing systems in a private household or in a summer cottage. The laying of such a low-weight pipeline takes a minimum of time.The main disadvantage of such systems is that, with poorly performed installation, a leak appears at the junction of polypropylene pipes, and besides this, they begin to poorly resist mechanical damage.If the pipes become wet, droplets of moisture similar to dew have appeared at the location of the fittings, or the pressure in the system has dropped sharply, the property owner should pay attention to the condition of the plumbing structure and take appropriate measures.When a plastic pipe flows at the junction, and measures are not taken in a timely manner, then even a small trickle of water can cause a lot of trouble. It can get on household appliances, electrical wiring, or ruin new renovations in the apartment below.To repair a heating or plumbing plastic structure, a minimum number of tools are required. Any real estate owner can study the information on how to fix a leak in a plastic pipe at the junction and get the job done without difficulty. The main thing is to choose the best option for eliminating the malfunction and eliminate it as soon as possible.First of all, what should be done when repairing a water supply system is to stop the water supply to the entire system or to a separate area where there is a leak. The flow should be shut off in front of the place where the leak appeared.If the system is multi-circuit, turn off the fluid supply to the circuit being repaired and close the diverter valve at the local section of the water supply structure.Then they just start restorative activities. Next, the optimal method in this situation is selected, how to eliminate the leak at the junction of polypropylene pipes. The main criteria in this case are the elimination of the accident in the shortest possible time and the elimination of the highest quality hole or crack formed.A common problem with plastic pipelines is the lack of tightness in the places where the sections were connected. There are several explanations for why plastic pipes flow at the junction. This largely depends on the method of laying them, the type of fittings, and the qualifications of the master.The main causes of leaks are:The most optimal solution, how to eliminate a leak in a plastic pipe, is to replace the damaged section of the line with new products that are securely soldered to the main system by means of fittings.When carrying out repairs, it is not always possible to use the technology of high-temperature connections and therefore you have to use other methods:Regardless of the way in which the problem of restoring the tightness of a section of a water supply structure or a pipe joint is solved, preparatory measures will be required. Degrease the place of leakage, clean it well. If necessary, the fit-out joint between the pipe and the fitting is processed.There are three types of sealant commercially available:

neutral type - suitable for various types of manufactured tubular products, it is applied using an assembly gun;

acidic - it is not used on pipelines through which acids are transported and on fragile pipes;

silicone type - refers to the universal compounds used for sealing socket joints at the junction of pipes for sewerage.

Video (click to play).

In cases where the water supply or heat supply system is partially laid by a concealed installation method, before proceeding with the repair of the plastic pipeline, it is necessary to find out exactly where the pipeline was damaged. To do this, unfortunately, you will have to either dismantle the decorative trim or open the wall covering.