A furniture business were told by a sprinkler system maintenance company that the only solution for a pinhole leak on a steel tee in the roof of their workshop was to replace the impacted section, leading them to seek a cheaper and more convenient repair.

Case Study Overview

Site Furniture Factory Workshop
Location Southern England, UK
Pipe Type Steel tee
Repair Type No pressure leak repair
Products Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty, SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

Pipe Defect

Using a pipe repair clamp was the preferred method of the sprinkler system maintenance company initially approached by the furniture business for repairing leaks, but because this pinhole was located on a tee, that was not possible.

It was for this reason that they advised the furniture factory that the section be replaced, not believing that an alternative repair method capable of withstanding the 8 bar pressure of the sprinkler system existed.

There were other challenges regarding the repair too. Access to the steel pipe was difficult due to its position high in the roof of the factory and the leak was also perilously close to the incoming electricity supply.

SylWrap Solution

Needing a quick solution and wanting to avoid shutting down their factory whilst a costly replacement pipe was fitted, the furniture factory used a SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit to make a permanent repair to the sprinkler system.

A tower was constructed so that the steel pipe could be reached and the pinhole plugged using Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty. Superfast Steel is a fast-working putty specifically formulated for use with steel, iron and other ferrous metals. It was mixed by hand and pushed into the pinhole, sealing it within 10 minutes of application.

Once Superfast Steel had been applied, a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage was wrapped over the pinhole leak and around the tee junction. SylWrap HD is a composite wrap with a water-activated resin which sets rock-hard in minutes, reinforcing the repair.

Outcome

The furniture factory waited 24 hours before switching the system back on, allowing the repair to reach maximum properties.

Repairs made using Superfast Steel and SylWrap HD in conjunction are pressure resistant to 30 bar, alleviating the doubts there had initially been about whether a repair without a clamp could withstand the pressure of the pipe.

Carrying out a repair in one day as opposed to a pipe replacement saved the furniture business considerable expense. They avoided having to close the workshop and prevented damaging being caused by water escaping the leaking tee onto furniture stored below.

Follow Up

Following the repair, the furniture business contacted Sylmasta to say: “We found the repair putty and the bandage very easy to use and will no doubt be using Sylmasta products again.”

Such an application shows the advantages of SylWrap over pipe repair clamps when it comes to making flexible, high-pressure repairs to difficult sections of pipework like tees and elbow joints.

Products Used

Superfast Steel
Fast working epoxy putty used to fill in holes and cracks on pipework

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

Standard Pipe Repair Kit
Superfast Steel and SylWrap HD can be purchased together in a Standard 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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