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 )
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