When a pinhole leak developed in a 150mm steel pipe elbow weakened by corrosion at a pumping house in Malaysia, the water company responsible for the facility needed to make a rapid live leak repair as a jet of water at 6 bar pressure was spraying from the pipe.

Site Pumping house
Location Malaysia
Pipe Type 150mm steel elbow
Pressure 6 bar
Repair Type Live leak repair
Products Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape, SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

Pipe Defect

Corrosion had weakened the elbow where two sections of metalwork met, leading to a pinhole leak to appear. Water was jetting out of the hole at 6 bar pressure.

Because of the pipe’s importance to the pumping house and local water supplies, it could not be taken out operation for repair or replacement. The leak being on an elbow joint meant a pipe repair clamp could not be used.

The water company’s maintenance team therefore needed a repair method capable of sealing around the elbow and of being effective whilst the pipe remained live.

SylWrap Solution

A SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit was used to make a live leak repair to the elbow. All the products in the Universal Kit are WRAS approved, meaning that they are certified to British standards as safe to use with drinking water.

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape was applied to seal the pinhole leak. The tape was stretched by the maximum 300 percent of its length, fusing to form a solid silicone band which was able to withstand the 6 bar pressure of the pipe.

Once the tape had contained the leak and sealed the hole, it was overwrapped with a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage. The bandage was wrapped and smoothed around the pipe whilst water was poured over it to help the curing process.

SylWrap HD set rock-hard within minutes to provide an impact resistant protective sleeve around the elbow. This outer shield strengthened the elbow against future leaks or busts through the weakened joint caused by further corrosion.

Outcome

Completing the pipe elbow bend repair took less than 30 minutes. The system remained live throughout, meaning that there was no interruption to operations at the pumping station or water supplies.

Follow Up

Sylmasta have since worked with utility suppliers in Malaysia on numerous other live leak repairs. As a result, a national supplier approved the SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case for use on Kuala Lumpur’s vast pipe network.

Each Contractor Case contains enough products to make up to six live leak repairs on pipe diameters between 15mm and 300mm, offering a lightweight and more versatile alternative to carrying around heavy repair clamps.

The supplier’s maintenance teams are now all equipped with a Case, enabling them to fix leaks and bursts as soon as problems are identified.

Products Used

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Self-amalgamating tape forms a solid rubber band to seal pressurised live leaks

SylWrap HD Bandage
Water-activated composite wrap sets rock hard create a protective sleeve over repairs

Universal Pipe Repair Kit
Wrap & Seal and SylWrap HD Bandage are supplied in a Universal Pipe Repair Kit

Pipe Repair Contractor Case
Repairs multiple live leaks and is approved for use on Kuala Lumpur’s pipe network

Related Case Studies

Underground 100mm Clay Drainage Pipe Repair After Building Work Caused Cracks

An underground 100mm clay drainage pipe is repaired by a homeowner after being left with multiple cracks during building work, one of which almost split the pipe in two

Superfast Aqua PW & SylWrap Leak Repair Passes ASME PCC-2 402-III Qualification Testing

Superfast Aqua PW Epoxy Putty and SylWrap HD make a leak repair qualified to ASME PCC-2 402-III by withstanding pressure increases to 30 bar in multiple tests after sealing a 25mm hole

Stone Damaged Corroded Water Main Supply Pipe Repair at UK Domestic Property

Stone damage and corrosion left a 2-metre long water supply pipe leaking from multiple places underneath a driveway until the homeowner excavated and repaired the line

Suspension Bridge Steel Water Main Pipe Leaking Expansion Joint Repair

A water company in the UK repair a leaking aluminium expansion joint fitted to a 225mm steel water main pipe carried over a river by a major road suspension bridge

Hawaii Sewer Force Main 30-Metre Section Corroded 450mm Ductile Iron Pipe Repair

A corroded 30-metre section of 450mm ductile iron sewer pipe in an underground vault is refurbished after a previous repair attempt left a 75mm round hole in the line

Malaysia Water Company 6 Bar Live Leak Repair 300mm Steel Pipe at Treatment Plant

One week after Sylmasta presented to water industry stakeholders in Malaysia, one supplier use their new SylWrap Contractor Case to seal a 6 bar live leak at a treatment plant

City Authority in Canada Repair Underground 600mm Concrete Water Main Pipe Break

A city authority in Canada repair an underground 600mm concrete water main pipe leaking at 2 bar pressure from a break at the exact point the line passed into a wall