Help...I've Sprung a Leak !

rhw

One of the main pipes in my one pipe steam system has a tiny pin hole and steam/water is spitting out. Can it be plugged with an epoxy or something similar?

nicholas bonham-carter

They sell pipe repair kits which are like a radiator hose clamp pressing a rubber gasket against the pipe. They are for making temporary emergency repairs.
Is this leak on the return, or supply.? There may be other spots waiting to spring a leak.--NBC

Ironman

Blue Monster (and others), have a silicon tape that can be used TEMPORARILY to seal the leak.

rhw

It's a supply pipe. And with "other spots waiting" what do you suggest?

rhw

Also does clamping the spot harm the system in any way?

KC_Jones

I was looking at the other post with pictures of your boiler piping. This (IMHO) is another result of that poor boiler piping putting wet steam into your system. Steam supplies don't typically rot out, unless there is something wrong with the system. Wet returns are a totally different story. Just something else to think about.

rhw

Thanks KC. New boiler was installed in Feb. 2002 after old one cracked. After recently discovering Dan Holohan books and advice we realize it was done poorly. Hoping to find an expert to correct the piping mistakes in the spring. Also hoping to get through this winter without any other heating issues.

Jamie Hall

First off -- no, clamping something around the pipe to stop a leak won't hurt the system at all. Better, in fact, than stop leak of some kind, in my opinion.

However... if this is a supply pipe, you may have a real problem. As @KC_Jones notes, a leak in supply pipe (we would use the term steam main) is rare in the extreme -- and may indicate much more trouble to come. Sorry about that... When you have work done on the system this spring, I would suggest that you have all the pipes -- and especially fittings -- checked very carefully. I don't have any brilliant suggestions as to how to go about doing this, but one approach might simply be -- at the end of the season! -- to temporarily raise the pressure to about 5 psi to see if you can annoy the problems enough to show up.

jonny88

What size is the main? As noted above all these are temp repairs.I agree with KC and would try and find out the root of the problem.It does sound like you will be cutting out some pipe and replacing.Good luck and post some pics if possible.

ChrisJ

Cut rotted section out, thread ends of main in place and put back together using a nipple and a union.

IMO that's the proper way to repair it, but the emergency fix is fine to get you into the spring.

rhw

2" main.

Bio

What ironman said is a good temporary solution
http://youtu.be/b-qjnP0etjI

Abracadabra

+1 for the blue monster tape. Just make sure the surface is clear of rust/paint

ratio

Another +1 for the Blue Monster tape. That stuff'll seal a live steam leak from a rusty pinhole on old painted pipe! I keep a roll on hand for the odd emergency repair, so far it's pretty durable. Just a temp fix, but I expect to make it all the way through the season before I can repair the 4" main.

James D. Arch

for pinhole leaks, for temporary repair, i agree with linking together hose clamps with 1/4 or thicker flexible sheet rubber , also i suggest a piece of flexible sheet metal to cover most of the rubber as to give even pressure across the patch so clamps don't dig in and cut the rubber.... this should last you through the winter or longer....
jim