When a copper pipe with restricted access in a camper van boiler developed a crack through which water escaped whenever the system was turned on, the van owner needed a quick and easy repair to avoid disruption to the heating or hot water supply.

Case Study Overview

Site Camper van
Location UK
Pipe Type Copper pipe in boiler system
Repair Type No pressure leak repair
Products Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty, SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

Pipe Defect

The boiler system supplied heating and hot water for the camper van. After the deep crack developed, a pressurised jet of water would spray from the pipe whenever the boiler was turned on.

Repairing the problem was not straightforward because of the location of the hole. It was on a section of pipe underneath the boiler cover and facing towards the side of the casing, meaning access was extremely restricted.

This confined space meant there was no room to fit a pipe repair clamp, nor apply Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape with enough stretch to guarantee it would successfully amalgamate to form a solid rubber band strong enough to contain the leak.

SylWrap Solution

Because the boiler could be turned off, Sylmasta recommended to the camper van owner they use Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty Stick to plug the hole in the pipe.

Before Superfast Copper was applied, the pipe was cleaned and dried to aid the adhesion of the putty to the metalwork.

Superfast Copper comes in a 114g pre-formatted stick. The camper van owner simply had to cut the required amount of putty from the stick, knead it by hand until it turned a uniform copper colour and then push it into the hole whilst soft.

Within 10 minutes, Superfast Copper hardened to seal the crack. It was easily pressed against the pipe despite the space constraints, filling in the damage and covering an area above and below the hole.

A SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage was then used to reinforce the entire copper pipe. SylWrap HD is a composite repair wrap with a water activated resin which sets rock hard in minutes, providing an impact resistant layer of protection.

Normally, SylWrap HD would be wrapped and smoothed around the pipe as it cured. The space constraints meant this could not be done effectively and so the bandage was held in place using cable ties whilst it set.

Outcome

Once the boiler pipe repair was completed, the system was turned back on. Water was no longer escaping, denoting a successful application.

By making the repair themselves, the camper van owner saved a considerable amount of money compared to the cost of replacing the leaking section of pipe or hiring a plumber.

Follow Up

Several years later and the boiler system remained fully operational with no sign of any leakage. The repair even stayed in place when the camper van owner carried out a significant refurbishment of the vehicle.

This Case Study is often referred to by Sylmasta when highlighting the benefits of epoxy putty in pipe repair applications where access is extremely restricted.

Products Used

Superfast Copper
Fast working epoxy putty seals cracks in pipes made of copper and non-ferrous metals

SylWrap HD Bandage
Water-activated wrap sets rock hard to reinforce and strengthen pipe repairs

Standard Pipe Repair Kit
Kit contains Superfast Epoxy and SylWrap Bandage for no pressure permanent pipe repair

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