Leaky Steam Pipe - At Clamp Juncture - Photo Included

stevenM

Hope someone could help. I have a leaky steam pipe that runs along the ceiling of the basement at a spot that looks like a clamp. See photo, can someone advise me what it is what would need to be done to fix it.

thanks

Steven

Fred

Yep, looks like someone took the easy way out and put a saddle clamp on a hole in that pipe to patch a leak. Is that a Steam main or a dry return? In either case, the right way to fix it is to cut that pipe out and replace the entire section of pipe. When you do so, you should check the other piping it connects to and make sure they are sound. Typically pipes rust through because they are holding water in the pipe so, when you make the repair, make sure that pipe is properly pitched towards the end that drops down into a wet return.

stevenM

Fred thanks, I'm a novice and am not sure what wet and dry returns are. I thought that this is the pipe where the steam travel through to heat the house.

A plumber who is not so knowledgeable told me that it was a way of connecting 2 pipes. Based on what you are explaining it seems that he didn't know what he is talking about.

If I could bother you with one more question, I see that there are some high heat epoxies available. Money is tight and was wondering if possibly that would work.

Thanks again for your help.

Steven

Ironman

That pipe is severely rotted and needs to be replaced to the point where its integrity is not compromised.

Jamie Hall

The high heat epoxies might work -- if you could manage to get the pipe really truly cleaned. There are two problems. The first is to get the pipe really truly cleaned. For them to work, it really has to get down to bare metal. The second is that once a pipe has started to leak, the odds are very good indeed that there are other places along it which are also getting lacy. And will leak sooner or later.

As @Fred says, the correct way to fix this -- and it may not be all that hard (or it might be) is to cut that whole section of pipe out and replace it. If you have a good plumber, it isn't impossibly difficult to do. Cut the old pipe, unscrew the cut ends (that can be the hard part) and put a new pipe in using a union. If you do go that way, be absolutely sure that the new pipe is straight -- no sags! -- and pitches so the water can drain.

stevenM

Thanks Ironman, and Jamie,

Jamie, The clamp must have been on it about 15 - 20 years and that is where it starting leaking. So I don't think is is just getting holes in it.

I was quoted price of about $1200, pretty difficult for me now.

Steven

Fred

No, that's a saddle clamp that has a rubber liner in the curves that sit against the pipe. It is then tightened up and seals a hole in the pipe, until the pipe rusts through at the next weakest point. I would guess, if you look closely you will find that the original hole has expanded past the edge of that saddle or a new hole has opened up in the proximity of that clamp.
A Steam main is the pipe that carries steam to your radiators. It has pipes that run out from it and various distances and they run up to your radiators. A Dry return is a pipe, above your boiler water line that carries condensate back to the boiler. At some point it has a vertical pipe that drop to or near the floor and then runs back into the boiler. While some people take exception to the term "Dry Return, on a Main, many of us say that any extension of the Main that runs past the very last radiator run -out becomes, for all practical purposes, a "Dry Return" and it eventually drops down to the floor and becomes a wet return.
To answer your question about the epoxy, given the way that pipe looks on both sides of that saddle clamp, I wouldn't hold out much hope that epoxy will even bond to what's left of that pipe. If you can get up in that area and if you find that the leak is in a slightly different location, you may be able to put another saddle clamp over it and maybe buy yourself some time, at least to get you through this heating season but you ought to plan to replace that section of pipe next summer. Other leaks will open up. If the ends of that pipe, where it connects to a pipe on each end are accessible, it wouldn't cost too much to replace that section and you may be able to do it yourself. You'd have to cut it out, get the ends out of the couplings/fittings it is connected to on each end, then you could replace it with two sections of new, black iron pipe, one screwed into each end of the old fittings, add a union in the middle to tie it all back together. Even a plumber shouldn't charge more than a few hundred dollars to do that work, if you are not comfortable doing it yourself.

stevenM

Much appreciation for your help Fred. Will speak to my plumber.

stevenM

Fred, took another snapshot and just wanted to make sure that its a saddle clamp as you mentioned, because there seems to be something running of the top. Attaching second photo.

Fred

Definitely a saddle clamp.

stevenM

Thanks, any recommended plumber in Brooklyn, NY

stevenM

Are the contractors in the link "to Find a Contractor in your area." reviewed or user feedback.

Fred

Click on the "Plumbing" Tab on the right side of this page and then click on "find a Contractor" tab at the top of the page and put your zip code in. It will bring up contractors, in your area that are members here. Really, any decent plumber should be able to replace that section of pipe. Just make sure they maintain a pitch, in the direction the rest of the pipe pitches downward.

Dave0176

@stevenM contact @Paul S of ASM Mechanical they handle NYC
https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/asm-mechanical-company

MilanD

One other thought: that pipe seems rusted quite a bit on the outside. Although steam leaks develop from the inside, having the outside of pipe that corroded helps it develop a leak sooner. Make sure that you run a dehumidifier in your basement during the off season, and get to scraping and repainting all your pipes down there to protect them from further corrosion.

As to fixing without replacing: you may, MAY try finding the hole, rounding it out with a small triangle file, and then sticking a machine screw in the hole. Then, clean to bare metal, use 2-part epoxy to pack around the screw. Then use a self sealing rubber/silicone tape wrap (looks like a thick electrical tape that stretches some and then tightens on itself and sticks to itself)

http://www.truevalue.com//catalog/product.jsp?productId=66943&parentCategoryId=6&categoryId=2506&subCategoryId=1747&type=product&cid=gooshop&source=google_pla&9gtype={ifsearch:search}{ifcontent:content}&9gkw={keyword}&9gad={creative}.1&9gpla={placement}&ctcampaign=4680&ctkwd={product_id}&ctmatch=&ctcreative={Creative}&ctplacement=198953-44622122499
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Then put a few clamps up and down the "fix", two being around the said screw and the mound. I have a few 10 year old pin hole repairs like this that are still holding. Granted, our pipe looks much better than yours. Good luck!!