Small leak in copper joint in condo but no main shut off in unit


  #1  
Old 06-10-18, 05:41 AM
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Small leak in copper joint in condo but no main shut off in unit

There's a small drip behind the bathtub. Its a T joint so wrapping the flex seal tape around a straight piece of pipe isn't really an option.
if I shut off the main water it requires notice and it takes forever for the existing water to stop flowing.
Its copper piping, any options to plug or replace the leaking part while the waters still on?
 
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Old 06-10-18, 08:07 AM
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I got nothing to stop a leak while under pressure but I would suggest that if you do go the route of notifying the condo and shutting down the water, you plan to install a master shut off tap, as well. I would have thought that would have been code but I am not a plumber, just a guy using common sense.
 
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Old 06-10-18, 09:25 AM
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There are freezing machines you might be able to rent. You put it around the pipe upstream of the leak and it freezes the water in the pipe forming a plug so you can work on the damaged area. It's quite an expense versus simply turning the water off.

Are you certain there is not a water shut off for that unit? You have one water meter for the entire building? Not a meter for each unit? If there is none I would install a main shutoff to this unit.
 
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Old 06-10-18, 06:16 PM
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The flex seal tape will probably do a good job slowing down the leak in the short-term, but certainly isn't a long term solution.

It's definitely a pain, but I agree with OptsyEagle about adding a shutoff in your unit for the future when you get the main turned off.
 
 

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