Uh-oh—you’ve discovered a leaky water pipe in your bathroom. Now what? Should you call an expensive plumber? Or do you have the skills to fix it yourself?
Before you panic, the first step is to find out if the leak is due to a damaged pipe. If the water is coming from a joint, you can easily repair the leak by simply tightening the joint. If not, ensure that the water isn’t just condensation or sweating on the pipe itself, which can happen if the temperature of the water inside the pipe is significantly colder than the air surrounding it.
Once you determine there’s an actual leak, make a temporary repair yourself to prevent further damage before a professional can take care of the problem. Here are a few ways how:
- Before you do anything else, turn off your home’s water supply.
- Buy a patch kit for repairing leaky water pipes at your local hardware store. These kits contain a rubber pad, which is placed over the damaged area of the pipe and secured in place using metal plates that screw tightly around the rubber.
- Find an eco-friendly solution by wrapping waterproof tape around the damaged part of the pipe. Depending on the size of the hole, you may need to plug it before wrapping it with tape.
- Consider using epoxy putty to effectively seal a crack or hole in a leaky water pipe. This can get complicated, so proceed with caution. Special plumbing equipment and tools may be required. If you don’t know how to use these key tools, it’s best to contact an expert plumbing contractor to handle it, since it’s likely beyond your DIY skills.
A leaky water pipe isn’t the end of the world, but it can cause some damage and is highly inconvenient. The most important step is to turn off the water supply to the home to avoid any further damage until the problem is fixed. If the leak is small enough, chances are you can permanently fix it yourself.
