Nicked a copper pipe - what to do?

bjorn_toby_wilde

TheGreenFrog said:

Ectophile said:

QrizB said:

TheGreenFrog said:

It's just partial.  Lifting floorboard tricky as it goes under a partition wall and I doubt there is no room for a compression patch either.

The other pipe looks to be lower than the one you've nicked. Can you push the nicked one down to make some clearance between it an the floorboard?

Plumbing solder melts at about 230C, so a heat gun (mentioned in the first reply) is likely to be hot enough for this which will reduce your chances of setting anything on fire.

But if the pipe is still full of water, you have no chance of heating it to 230C.

Would a plumber be able to put solder on without draining the pipe?

Probably not. They’d be heating the pipe and also the water inside it.

I found out the hard way a few years ago when I cut and drained a pipe then soldered a new T onto it. There was a tiny bit of water left in the bottom of the pipe and that was enough to make the joint fail.

grumpy_codger

TheGreenFrog said:

Ectophile said:

QrizB said:

TheGreenFrog said:

It's just partial.  Lifting floorboard tricky as it goes under a partition wall and I doubt there is no room for a compression patch either.

The other pipe looks to be lower than the one you've nicked. Can you push the nicked one down to make some clearance between it an the floorboard?

Plumbing solder melts at about 230C, so a heat gun (mentioned in the first reply) is likely to be hot enough for this which will reduce your chances of setting anything on fire.

But if the pipe is still full of water, you have no chance of heating it to 230C.

Would a plumber be able to put solder on without draining the pipe?

I don't think so. 

QrizB

TheGreenFrog said:

victor2 said:

Many years ago I tapped down a slightly raised floorboard nail, only to find it was sitting on top of a central heating pipe. Made a tiny hole in the pipe. Emergency callout plumber sorted it by soldering over the hole. Never had a problem with it in the 30 ensuing years.

Can the pipe be pushed down enough to allow it to be soldered?

yes it can - sounds like may need to drain it though.  job for plumber probs!

I don't know your installation at all but draining the heating loop enough to solder that pipe should be relatively straightforward.

victor2

TheGreenFrog said:

Ectophile said:

QrizB said:

TheGreenFrog said:

It's just partial.  Lifting floorboard tricky as it goes under a partition wall and I doubt there is no room for a compression patch either.

The other pipe looks to be lower than the one you've nicked. Can you push the nicked one down to make some clearance between it an the floorboard?

Plumbing solder melts at about 230C, so a heat gun (mentioned in the first reply) is likely to be hot enough for this which will reduce your chances of setting anything on fire.

But if the pipe is still full of water, you have no chance of heating it to 230C.

Would a plumber be able to put solder on without draining the pipe?

I can't remember what had to be done to fix ours, but I don't think the entire heating system had to be drained, although it was an upstairs pipe run. I lifted the floorboard to reveal the pipe, after knocking the nail down into it! 

FFHillbilly

https://www.toolstation.com/made4trade-solder-ring-copper-pipe-repair-patch/p99082?store=null&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17808462181&gbraid=0AAAAAD-vLcVSU_nB5YOTN2JthAWQiuY3U&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5uDIBhDAARIsAOxj0CFLdzMvFeqOe3djM4TFLZyAtvlgzVH_h_oPs0m42ITyXE5sw6fhOZwaAvtJEALw_wcB

is it even leaking? you could probably get away with just dropping a blob of solder onto it

Lorian

Doesn't look like 15mm to me, 22mm/28mm or maybe even imperial given it's a fair nick.

I think you are looking at dropping the water below the level of that pipe (not  nessarily the whole system) and notching out more of that floorboards to be able to fix. Given the awkward location probably best for a plumber to do.

GDB2222

Lorian said:

Doesn't look like 15mm to me, 22mm/28mm or maybe even imperial given it's a fair nick.

I think you are looking at dropping the water below the level of that pipe (not  nessarily the whole system) and notching out more of that floorboards to be able to fix. Given the awkward location probably best for a plumber to do.

If it’s 22mm TS do a repair patch for that too.

 If you want to chance it, you could simply glue the repair patch on with epoxy and wind some wire round the outside. I suspect that would work as well as a bit of solder, given that there’s no hole and you just want to strengthen and protect the weak part of the pipe. 

Mutton_Geoff

All these suggestions sound like bodges. Drain system, cut pipe, solder in correct sized Yorkshire joiner.

Whilst you're at it, notch out that joist a tiny bit more and wrap a bit of felt around both pipes to stop any creaking noises as they heat and cool.

grumpy_codger

Mutton_Geoff said:

All these suggestions sound like bodges.

I disagree. Soldering a small hole, done correctly, is absolutely fine.

victor2

Mutton_Geoff said:

All these suggestions sound like bodges. Drain system, cut pipe, solder in correct sized Yorkshire joiner.

Whilst you're at it, notch out that joist a tiny bit more and wrap a bit of felt around both pipes to stop any creaking noises as they heat and cool.

A bit OTT and certainly not money saving. There's not even a hole to repair.