An inaccessible 200mm plastic PVC pipe which formed part of a leisure centre swimming pool filtration system developed a 50mm crack, requiring a flexible live leak repair to avoid the closure of the pool and the disassembly of half the system.

Case Study Overview

Site Leisure Centre Swimming Pool
Location South Wales, UK
Pipe Type 200mm PVC plastic
Repair Type Live leak repair
Products Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape, SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

Pipe Defect

The damaged section of 200mm PVC pipe had been sitting on a steel support bracket. Over time, this had caused the PVC to sag and flatten, eventually leading to a 50mm long crack developing in the pipework. As water from the swimming pool passed through the filtration system, it was now leaking from the crack.

Normally, the maintenance contractor responsible for the leisure centre would remove the damaged section and plastic weld it before refitting. If the damage were too severe, then a new pipe would be fitted.

Neither of those repair methods were possible on this occasion. Access to the pipe was extremely limited as it was located just 76mm from the ground and surrounded by other components of the filtration system. To remove the pipe would also require the disassembly of half the system and the closure of the swimming pool.

SylWrap Solution

Because the crack was facing towards the floor, the damage area was difficult to accurately pinpoint unless water was leaking from the pipe.

For that reason, pressure had to be kept on, necessitating a live leak repair. Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape is a waterproof repair tape made from self-fusing silicone which stretches by 300 percent to seal pressurised live leaks.

The space constraints meant that Wrap & Seal could not be stretched to its full length around the damaged section of pipework, but enough tension was still gained for the tape to fuse over the crack and stop water leaking out of the filtration system which typically operates under 1.5bar.

Once the Wrap & Seal had been applied, it was overwrapped with SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage. SylWrap is a composite wrap with a water-activated resin which sets rock hard in under 30 minutes, reinforcing the Wrap & Seal.

By wrapping the pipe with SylWrap HD, the leisure centre were protecting it from potential future breaches caused by other equipment where the filtration system was located, including metal brackets such as the one which had led to the initial problem.

Outcome

Initially, the maintenance company had planned for the repair to be a temporary fix until they could find suitable time to disassemble the system and fit a new section of pipe.

The SylWrap Pipe Repair instead offered a permanent solution, saving the leisure centre money and preventing the temporary closure of the swimming pool.

Follow Up

After completing the repair, the head of the maintenance company contacted Sylmasta to say: “I am very impressed by SylWrap products as repair solutions to leaks on this sort of installation and have recommended Sylmasta to a service company for pool water installations.”

“They sometimes get calls to repair leaks at times when spares are challenging to obtain, such as evenings and weekends, so I have suggested they consider stocking your SylWrap products as a solution for fixing a leaking pipe quickly as soon as it is reported.”

Sylmasta now supply Pipe Repair Contractor Cases to several companies who deal with facilities management in the leisure industry, including swimming pool filtration system maintenance.

The Contractor is easy-to-store on-site or on the van and contains enough products to carry out up to six permanent WRAS approved pipe repairs at a cheaper cost compared with buying individual Pipe Repair Kits.

Products Used

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Self-fusing silicone pipe repair tape for sealing high pressure live leaks

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

Universal Pipe Repair Kit
Wrap & Seal and SylWrap HD can be purchased together in a Universal Pipe Repair Kit

Pipe Repair Contractor Case
Easy-to-store case with everything needed to make up to six emergency pipe repairs

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