Had a similar experience last winter—tried epoxy putty on a leaking pipe, even roughed it up good beforehand. Held fine for a day or two, then started dripping again. Ended up using rubber tape and clamps until the plumber arrived...lesson learned, haha.
"Held fine for a day or two, then started dripping again."
Yep, epoxy putty's hit or miss—I've had better luck with silicone tape for temporary fixes. Curious though, anyone here successfully soldered a leaking pipe under pressure? Seems risky, but I've seen it done...
Soldering under pressure? Honestly, that's a gamble I'd never take... seen a journeyman try it once, ended up with hot water spraying everywhere. Better shut off the main and drain it properly—safer and way less messy.
"Better shut off the main and drain it properly—safer and way less messy."
Totally agree with this. Last winter, I tried a quick solder fix on a leaking pipe without fully draining the line (thought I'd save some time and money). Big mistake... ended up soaked and scrambling to shut off the water anyway. Lesson learned: take the extra 10 minutes to shut off the main and drain it right. Saves you from a bigger headache later on.
Yeah, learned this the hard way myself a couple years back. Thought I'd save a few bucks by patching a small leak under the kitchen sink without shutting off the main—just closed the local valve instead. Big mistake. Turns out the valve was old and didn't fully close, so water kept trickling out while I was trying to apply plumber's tape. Ended up with water everywhere and had to rush around grabbing towels and buckets. After that mess, I made myself a simple checklist: first, shut off main water supply; second, open faucets to drain remaining water; third, double-check valves before starting repairs. Takes maybe an extra 10-15 minutes tops, but saves me from another surprise flood. Honestly, plumbing is one of those things where shortcuts rarely pay off...
