After finding a vertical 25mm lead pipe leaking inside the wall of their house, the owner of a domestic property in the United Kingdom makes a DIY repair to prevent water damage until the line could be replaced with a safer material.

Case Study Overview

Site Domestic property
Location United Kingdom
Pipe Type 25mm lead water pipe
Repair Type Leak Repair
Products Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape, SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

Pipe Defect

Houses constructed in the United Kingdom before the 1970s were often built with lead water pipes. Being malleable enough to shape into long lengths and durable enough to withstand containment, lead was particularly useful for installing pipework inside walls.

The owner of a home in southern England noticed discolouration on a white interior wall during winter. They initially put it down to condensation and damp from the window.

But when summer arrived and the wall remained wet, they suspected a leak. The drywall was removed to access the cavity, where they found a 25mm lead pipe running vertically which was weeping water.

Long-term, the homeowner wanted to replace the harmful lead pipe with a safer material. Whilst waiting for that to happen, they needed to seal the leak to prevent any further water damage to the property.

SylWrap Solution

Although the pipe could be isolated, the normal offline repair method of epoxy putty struggles to adhered to the soft and oxidised surface of lead. Sylmasta always therefore recommend the SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit for sealing lead pipes even when there is no pressure.

The Universal Kit contains Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape, which can repair lead because it self-amalgamates and bonds to itself more than the substrate.

Despite the space constraints inside the wall, Wrap & Seal was successfully stretched by the maximum three times its length as it was wrapped around the leak. This enabled it to form a solid rubber band, exerting pressure over the leak to contain pipe content.

The repair was then overwrapped with SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage. SylWrap HD was activated with water before being wrapped and smoothed around the pipe.

It adhered to the lead and cured quickly to form a rock-hard, impact resistant sleeve around the pipe for a reinforced repair.

Outcome

Completing the repair took under 20 minutes. Water supply to the house was turned back on afterwards and the pipe inspected regularly over the next two days.

With no signs of any leakage and the lead pipe remaining bone dry, the repair had been a success. New drywall was subsequently installed to box the pipe back in.

Follow Up

The homeowner eventually replaced the lead pipe inside the wall around three years later. There was no sign of any leakage when the drywall was removed again, showcasing the strength and lonevity of the SylWrap repair.

Products Used

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Tape which amalgamates into a solid rubber band, enabling it to seal leaking lead pipes

SylWrap HD Bandage
Composite wrap reinforces repairs by forming a rock-hard protective shell

Universal Pipe Repair Kit
Wrap & Seal and SylWrap HD Bandage come together in the Universal Pipe Repair Kit

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