[[email protected]]

If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Thanks,
Mark.

[George]

wrote in message
...
If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Thanks,
Mark.

The correct way is to cut a piece off and solder a Female insert on,however
this is sometimes not possible? so a piece of 1" long copper pipe is cut and
then cut in half along the 1" so you have a piece of copper pipe that will
sit over the hole and you solder around its edges to the main pipe.

[Rod]

wrote:
If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Thanks,
Mark.

Methinks that just a blob of solder isn't enough to make me comfortable.
At the very least, solder on a piece of copper (e.g. a bit of pipe or a
bit of a copper pipe fitting which would already have the right internal
diameter), cut to shape and bent/flattened a bit if needed).

But far, far better would be to put a complete copper pipe connector
over the pierced pipe and solder it as normal. Or cut out and replace
the pierced pipe.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

[The Natural Philosopher]

wrote:
If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Thanks,
Mark.
I tried it once: it wasn't too successful. The solder needs to be fully
liquid to bind, and that meant it tended to run away from the hole by
capillary action.

However a split piece of pipe, flattened slightly and cleaned should
make a good enough patch, but the standard thing is to cut the pipe and
use a slip coupling.

Ultimately thats what I did.

[Arfa Daily]

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
wrote:
If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Thanks,
Mark.
I tried it once: it wasn't too successful. The solder needs to be fully
liquid to bind, and that meant it tended to run away from the hole by
capillary action.

However a split piece of pipe, flattened slightly and cleaned should make
a good enough patch, but the standard thing is to cut the pipe and use a
slip coupling.

Ultimately thats what I did.


I once had a problem where the wife drilled a wall (!) and nicked a water
pipe that was buried in there, It was totally impractical to dig it out
enough to do a 'proper' repair, so I took some stout copper wire culled from
some 2.5mm t&e and wrapped it around the pipe and twisted the ends together,
having first cleaned the pipe to a shine around the damage. I then slid the
two loops together, and bent the wire out to form a 'circle' around the
damage. With some flux on there, and a large electric soldering iron, I was
then able to fill the copper wire circle with solder, which bonded well to
both the pipe and wire. Left exposed for a while, I was able to confirm that
the leak had indeed been fixed reliably, so eventually, I reinstated the
plaster. I lived in the house for some years after that, and no problem with
the repair ever appeared, so as they say, the job was a good 'un.

Arfa

[Tim S]

The Natural Philosopher coughed up some electrons that declared:

wrote:
If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Thanks,
Mark.
I tried it once: it wasn't too successful. The solder needs to be fully
liquid to bind, and that meant it tended to run away from the hole by
capillary action.

I suspect it could be done with plumbers metal - which is what they used to
make lead joints. It maintains a wide plastic zone and can be wiped
(moulded) into position and maintain bulk.

Of course, I doubt there's a lead free version for potable water pipes.

Tim

[[email protected]]

On Oct 8, 3:12*pm, Tim S wrote:
The Natural Philosopher coughed up some electrons that declared:

wrote:
If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Thanks,
Mark.
I tried it once: it wasn't too successful. The solder needs to be fully
liquid to bind, and that *meant it tended to run away from the hole by
capillary action.

I suspect it could be done with plumbers metal - which is what they used to
make lead joints. It maintains a wide plastic zone and can be wiped
(moulded) into position and maintain bulk.

Of course, I doubt there's a lead free version for potable water pipes.

Tim

yes - but bear in mind those solder joints were very thick to get
sufficient strength.


NT

[The Natural Philosopher]

Arfa Daily wrote:
"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
wrote:
If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Thanks,
Mark.
I tried it once: it wasn't too successful. The solder needs to be fully
liquid to bind, and that meant it tended to run away from the hole by
capillary action.

However a split piece of pipe, flattened slightly and cleaned should make
a good enough patch, but the standard thing is to cut the pipe and use a
slip coupling.

Ultimately thats what I did.


I once had a problem where the wife drilled a wall (!) and nicked a water
pipe that was buried in there, It was totally impractical to dig it out
enough to do a 'proper' repair, so I took some stout copper wire culled from
some 2.5mm t&e and wrapped it around the pipe and twisted the ends together,
having first cleaned the pipe to a shine around the damage. I then slid the
two loops together, and bent the wire out to form a 'circle' around the
damage. With some flux on there, and a large electric soldering iron, I was
then able to fill the copper wire circle with solder, which bonded well to
both the pipe and wire. Left exposed for a while, I was able to confirm that
the leak had indeed been fixed reliably, so eventually, I reinstated the
plaster. I lived in the house for some years after that, and no problem with
the repair ever appeared, so as they say, the job was a good 'un.

Arfa


That is a net trick as well. Filed in case I ever need it.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In article
,
wrote:
If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

If it were a very tiny hole it might. But probably not on a larger one.

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Cut the pipe at the hole and use a coupler.

--
*Taxation WITH representation ain't much fun, either.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

[fred]

In article , The Natural
Philosopher writes
Arfa Daily wrote:
"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message

I once had a problem where the wife drilled a wall (!) and nicked a water
pipe that was buried in there, It was totally impractical to dig it out
enough to do a 'proper' repair, so I took some stout copper wire culled from
some 2.5mm t&e and wrapped it around the pipe and twisted the ends together,
having first cleaned the pipe to a shine around the damage. I then slid the
two loops together, and bent the wire out to form a 'circle' around the
damage. With some flux on there, and a large electric soldering iron, I was
then able to fill the copper wire circle with solder, which bonded well to
both the pipe and wire. Left exposed for a while, I was able to confirm that
the leak had indeed been fixed reliably, so eventually, I reinstated the
plaster. I lived in the house for some years after that, and no problem with
the repair ever appeared, so as they say, the job was a good 'un.

Arfa


That is a net trick as well. Filed in case I ever need it.

Got me thinking too but I probably would just have wrapped the wire
round the pipe many times to create a sleeve then soldered up the whole
lot.
--
fred
BBC3, ITV2/3/4, channels going to the DOGs

[Stuart Noble]

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article
,
wrote:
If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

If it were a very tiny hole it might. But probably not on a larger one.

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Cut the pipe at the hole and use a coupler.


Put a self tapping size 6 screw in the nail hole. Worked for me.

[Stephen Howard]

On Wed, 8 Oct 2008 06:34:36 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

If I had a copper pipe with a hole in it - say a nail had been driven
through it - is it possible to repair this hole by heating the pipe
with a blow-torch and melting some plumbing solder into the hole?

(This hasn't actually happened btw - I'm just wondering how best to
ever deal with this eventuality!)

Get a bit of offcut copper tube of the same diameter and slice of half
an inch or so. Cut the tube lengthways to remove around a third so
that you're left with ( end on ) a C section. Carefully open it out a
tad, clean the interior with wire wool. Clean the pipe similarly.
Apply flux to the interior of the C section and then carefully slip it
over the pipe - you'll have to bend it out to get it over the pipe,
just be sure not to yank the C section apart or you might crease the
copper.
Position the patch so that it covers the holes and give it a squeeze
to close it up as much as possible. Wrap a bit of wire around the
patch ( any old bare wire will do - a bit of earth wire from a length
of twin and earth cable is fine ) and twist the ends around each
other. Twist them up tighter with a pair of pliers until the patch
fits snugly.

Heat with a blowlamp and apply solder at the sides of the patch. Snip
off wire when cool.

Regards,


--
Steve ( out in the sticks )
Email: Take time to reply: timefrom_usenet{at}gmx.net