- Had my share of late-night leaks, and honestly, I get the hesitation with old shutoffs—sometimes turning them just makes things worse.
- Clamp kits have saved me a few times, but yeah, copper vs. PVC makes a difference.
- Emergency plumbers are brutal on the wallet after hours... I’ve gambled on a patch and a bucket more than once.
- Cabinets? Once had to rip out a whole section because water got behind and warped everything. Not fun, not cheap.
Had a call once where the homeowner tried to shut off an ancient valve and the stem snapped right off—water everywhere, and now no way to stop it at the source. Ended up having to freeze the line with CO2 just to get things under control. Those clamp kits are handy in a pinch, but I’ve seen folks try them on corroded copper and it just made a mess. Honestly, sometimes the “patch and bucket” routine is all you can do until morning... but man, those cabinets never really recover if water gets behind them.
Honestly, sometimes the “patch and bucket” routine is all you can do until morning...
Yeah, been there. Sometimes you just have to accept the chaos and grab every towel in the house. Freezing the line with CO2 is a lifesaver, but not everyone’s got that gear handy at 2 AM. Those clamp kits are hit or miss—if the pipe’s too far gone, you’re just making a wet mess. Cabinets are toast once water gets behind them, no way around it.
Those clamp kits are hit or miss—if the pipe’s too far gone, you’re just making a wet mess.
Can’t argue with that. I’ve seen clamp kits hold for a few hours, but if the pipe’s split lengthwise or corroded, you’re just delaying the inevitable. If you’re stuck in the middle of the night, best bet is shut off the main, drain what you can, and set up buckets and towels like you said. If you can, cut out the worst section and cap it off with push-fit fittings—makeshift, but it’ll buy you some time till daylight. Cabinets... yeah, once water’s in, it’s a lost cause.
I’ve definitely had a clamp kit blow off in the middle of the night, and it’s not pretty. Push-fit fittings can be a lifesaver if you’ve got them on hand, but I’ve found sometimes old copper just crumbles when you try to cut it. Ever try one of those self-fusing silicone tapes for a quick patch? Curious if anyone’s actually had luck with those in a pinch, or if it’s just another “good in theory” fix.
