Drip at Union

twelveclicks

Hello,

I have a hydronic heating system in my house and was just in the basement. I noticed a slight drip coming from one of the unions. I'm sure these lines will need to be replaced in the near future but my concern is that there is the possibility this will blow out and drain my whole system. If this drip is something that should not be an in issue I will let it sit until the heat can be shut down for some time to be dealt with. Is there I could do to address this issue? Pipe sealant?

Brad White

Two Wrenches

back to back. If in doubt, call a pro and find an isolation valve while you are waiting for her to arrive.



Typically no sealant needed. On older unions a schmeer of Permatex on the mating faces at most.

twelveclicks

Union Condition

Thanks for the reply!

My apologies, I was not as clear as I should have been. The union in place was soft to the touch and I am afraid putting any sort of turning force on this pipe may cause more damage. It looks to be about 1-1/4" in diameter.



Thank you for any help!

Mark Eatherton

Soft to the touch???

Got pictures?



ME

twelveclicks

Re:Soft to the touch!!!

Yes, the union is rusting out, when I touched the bottom to trace the water drip the "bubble" that had formed of corroded pipe gave. I realize there is at times close to 30PSI behind this connection and I'm afraid that if I apply the necessary force behind moving the pipe the whole union may burst. I hope my explanation helps but if it does not I can take an image later this evening.



Thanks,

matt

Mark Eatherton

Generally speaking...

Metal, if it gets "soft" has already failed. What it actually sounds like you are seeing, is the residual corrosion left from the slow leaks evaporation.



I suspect that what you are seeing/feeling is the byproducts of the leaks evaporation, leaving behind soft, crushable calcification.



But need a picture to be sure.



Grab your camera and head to the basement...



May be a s simple as removing the corrosion with a metal brush, and tightening the union up.



ME

twelveclicks

Correction

Hello,

I feel like a fool here but such it is. In my haste with all of this it just dawned on me that I have been using the improper terminology. The fitting where the leak is is not a union, it is a COUPLER. I apologize for my oversight.



Either way I will take a photo later today.

Mark Eatherton

Alrighty then.....

Makes a difference.



A picture will still be helpful.



If it is not easily repaired, in lieu of draining and soldering, for temporary repair, you can take some rock salt and put it into a cheese cloth, and wrap it around the leak. The leaking water will mix with the salt and will corrode the leak back shut again. This will only work on a drip that is every few seconds. If it is dribbling, it won't work. Only works on seeps.



ME

Gordy

I gotta ask

 Mark,

  Was there science involved with the guy that first tried that, or was it a last ditch effort to use what was layin around. Then the science behind why it worked evolved.



 Amazing the things I learn here !



Gordy

Mark Eatherton

Necessity is the Mother of invention...

My dad was the father :-) Not sure what old plumber taught him the trick, but had to use it on occasion, and it is effective.



ME

twelveclicks

Photo

Alright folks, attached is a photo of said leak. Upon closer inspection, and a quick brushing, yes the fitting and pipe are intact. I hope you have a chuckle at my expense for my foolishness with all of this, I have.

Currently it's dripping once every 8-12 seconds. Mark, that rock salt idea is brilliant and is the type of temporary fix I was hoping might exist. It sure beats disassembling the whole assembly past this connection, as you likely noticed, it's not just the piping I have to contend if I were to disassemble everything. If I were to drain this in the spring what sort of solder would I use with the lines?

Once again thanks for the help!

Mark Eatherton

Uh yeah...

Definitely a salt type repair. It also appears that you may have asbestos insulation. Tape it off with good duct tape. And there isn't a solder in the world that will fix that leak. It needs completely disassembled, re-doped and reassembled. You might want to contact a pipe fitting professional to correct your situation, and that may require some abatement before they will work on the piping.



Salt it for the time being.



PS, the only people we laugh at around here are ourselves :-)



ME

twelveclicks

Fuzzy Stuff

Yeah, there is no "maybe" about that asbestos. I purchased this house just over a year ago and that is one of the treats in the basement I have known I will need to address. I was thinking I would keep the current lines and wrap them properly however if the heating lines for the first floor are in this condition I should perhaps rethink that plan of attack and just replace them entirely. It would address both problems at once.

But that is my dilemma.

With all hope you will not have to hear from again with this silly issue.

Thanks again for the knowledge!

Charlie from wmass

The good news

the piping may not be all that bad. That coupling may have had a small leak for years which did what all leaks do over time, get worse. The other piping that has been with out leaks may be fine, That was a cheap coupling even back 100 years ago.