- Had a similar situation a couple years back—old copper pipe, lots of pitting.
- Tried a clamp first, but it leaked around the edges where the corrosion was worst.
- Gave one of those rubber wrap kits a shot (the kind with the resin-impregnated tape). It actually held up overnight, which surprised me.
- Not a permanent fix, but it bought me enough time to get parts and plan a proper repair.
- If the pipe’s really rough, nothing’s going to seal perfectly, but the wraps seem to handle uneven surfaces better than clamps in my experience.
If the pipe’s really rough, nothing’s going to seal perfectly, but the wraps seem to handle uneven surfaces better than clamps in my experience.
Totally agree about the wraps being more forgiving on pitted pipes. I’ve had mixed luck with clamps too—sometimes they just won’t seat right if there’s a lot of corrosion. One trick I’ve found is to sand down the worst spots first (if you can get the water stopped), then use plumber’s epoxy putty before wrapping. The putty fills in the pits and gives the tape something to grip. Not pretty, but it’ll usually hold until you can swap out the section properly.
The putty fills in the pits and gives the tape something to grip. Not pretty, but it’ll usually hold until you can swap out the section properly.
That’s a good tip with the putty—never tried that combo before. I usually just end up with a wad of towels and a lot of cursing until the hardware store opens. One time I tried those “miracle” repair tapes on a gnarly old copper line and it just turned into a soggy mess. Maybe sanding first would’ve helped, but at 2am I’m not exactly thinking straight...
Yeah, those miracle tapes are a joke, especially on old pipes. I’ve had better luck with the putty too, but honestly, nothing beats just shutting off the main and tossing down some rags until you can deal with it in daylight. If you want to go eco, I keep a few old towels just for leaks—less waste than paper towels. Sanding helps, but who’s got the energy for that at 2am?