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Author Leaking steel pipe - how to fix
Dave

2006-10-27, 9:25 am

I have a leaking steel pipe that supplies warm water to radiators in my house.

A plumber dropped by and said it would be easiest to cut the bad part away and
weld a replacement. The pipe is about 2 inches thick.

The replacement is about two feet.

The plumber gave me a quote of about $2000 which I promptly refused.

What about using a fiberglass or something else? I'd rather just cut the cracked
steelpipe part away and weld a copper replacement part. Any ideas?
Seymour Bigby-Heinz

2006-10-27, 9:25 am

On Fri, 27 Oct 2006 13:04:40 +0300, Dave <dc@dv.shop.nil> wrote:

>I have a leaking steel pipe that supplies warm water to radiators in my house.
>
>A plumber dropped by and said it would be easiest to cut the bad part away and
>weld a replacement. The pipe is about 2 inches thick.
>
>The replacement is about two feet.
>
>The plumber gave me a quote of about $2000 which I promptly refused.
>
>What about using a fiberglass or something else? I'd rather just cut the cracked
>steelpipe part away and weld a copper replacement part. Any ideas?


Call another plumber. See if the new guy's estimate agrees with the
first guy's estimate. If it does, ask why it is so expensive. They may
have a reason for asking for so much.

Mike
Edwin Pawlowski

2006-10-27, 9:25 am


"Dave" <dc@dv.shop.nil> wrote in message
news:lhl3k2tnlpmrfs3kigrdlfdqkut3pu3cch@4ax.com...
>I have a leaking steel pipe that supplies warm water to radiators in my
>house.
>
> A plumber dropped by and said it would be easiest to cut the bad part away
> and
> weld a replacement. The pipe is about 2 inches thick.
>
> The replacement is about two feet.
>
> The plumber gave me a quote of about $2000 which I promptly refused.


Plumber is right, but the price is outrageous. Getting a welder out to the
house is a couple of hundred bucks though. I'd replace the entire pipe.
If one small section is leaking, the rest of the ipe is probably in bad
shape also. Find a better plumber.


Stubby

2006-10-27, 9:25 am

Dave wrote:
> I have a leaking steel pipe that supplies warm water to radiators in my house.
>
> A plumber dropped by and said it would be easiest to cut the bad part away and
> weld a replacement. The pipe is about 2 inches thick.
>
> The replacement is about two feet.
>
> The plumber gave me a quote of about $2000 which I promptly refused.
>
> What about using a fiberglass or something else? I'd rather just cut the cracked
> steelpipe part away and weld a copper replacement part. Any ideas?


My Dad told me to always get three quotes on major items. That's
enough to see the spread and few enough to avoid wasting time.
Dave

2006-10-27, 9:25 am

Seymour Bigby-Heinz <sbutz@crock.o-stuff> wrote:

>On Fri, 27 Oct 2006 13:04:40 +0300, Dave <dc@dv.shop.nil> wrote:
>
>
>Call another plumber. See if the new guy's estimate agrees with the
>first guy's estimate. If it does, ask why it is so expensive. They may
>have a reason for asking for so much.
>
>Mike


I called another plumber which has worked for couple of my neighbors. After
seeing the leak he quoted $350 which I promptly accepted!
jtees4

2006-10-27, 9:25 am

On Fri, 27 Oct 2006 08:23:15 -0400, Stubby
<William.Plummer-NOSPAM-@alum.mit.edu> wrote:

>Dave wrote:
>
>My Dad told me to always get three quotes on major items. That's
>enough to see the spread and few enough to avoid wasting time.


The three estimate thing isalways the best way to go..though some of
us (including me) get lazy about it sometimes. It's also a good thing
to let each of them know that you are pricing out the job...it often
gets them to actually give you their best price.
m Ransley

2006-10-27, 9:25 am

Steel clamps with rubber work fine to stop leaks on high pressure
60-100+ lb water, your boiler is 10-30lb max. Years ago before good
rubber leather was used

2006-10-28, 3:25 am

In article <lhl3k2tnlpmrfs3kigrdlfdqkut3pu3cch@4ax.com>,
Dave <dc@dv.shop.nil> wrote:
>I have a leaking steel pipe that supplies warm water to radiators in my house.
>
>A plumber dropped by and said it would be easiest to cut the bad part away and
>weld a replacement. The pipe is about 2 inches thick.
>
>The replacement is about two feet.
>
>The plumber gave me a quote of about $2000 which I promptly refused.
>
>What about using a fiberglass or something else? I'd rather just cut the cracked
>steelpipe part away and weld a copper replacement part. Any ideas?


Are you talking about regular iron pipe, with threaded ends and
fittings? and 2 inches "thick" do you mean diameter? Pipe is measured
by ID, so "about 2 inches thick" would likel be 1 1/2" pipe. That size
implies steam to me rather than hot water, but it could be either.


Could you describe the leak? Is it s crack, leaking at a fitting,
damaged, corroded or ??? It would make a difference as to best method
of repair.

--
No dumb questions, just dumb answers.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore, Maryland - lwasserm@charm.net
Dave

2006-10-28, 9:25 am

lwasserm@fellspt.charm.net () wrote:

>In article <lhl3k2tnlpmrfs3kigrdlfdqkut3pu3cch@4ax.com>,
>Dave <dc@dv.shop.nil> wrote:
>
>Are you talking about regular iron pipe, with threaded ends and
>fittings? and 2 inches "thick" do you mean diameter? Pipe is measured
>by ID, so "about 2 inches thick" would likel be 1 1/2" pipe. That size
>implies steam to me rather than hot water, but it could be either.


It's hot water for radiators in the house.
The 2 inches thick mean diameter.

>
>
>Could you describe the leak? Is it s crack, leaking at a fitting,
>damaged, corroded or ??? It would make a difference as to best method
>of repair.


Al Bundy

2006-10-28, 1:25 pm

Dave <dc@dv.shop.nil> wrote in
news:7tv3k21ladqdq28ijc03lmje2codn9iipq@4ax.com:

> Seymour Bigby-Heinz <sbutz@crock.o-stuff> wrote:
>
>
> I called another plumber which has worked for couple of my neighbors.
> After seeing the leak he quoted $350 which I promptly accepted!


Once the job is done for $350 and you are convinced it's repaired, call
the BBB and turn the thief in. If someone else had done this in the past
he might not have tried to pull this on you. He's put the screws to
others in the past and got away with it. If unchecked, his practice will
continue.
Stormin Mormon

2006-10-31, 5:25 pm

If it were a no pressure system like a sewer, I'd suggest take the bad
section out and use Fernco couplers.
http://www.hy-techroofdrains.com/images/drn-fer1000.jpg

I don't know if one of these would take the pressure and temperature
of a heat system. 15 PSI and 190F is a bit much for a rubber coupler.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"Dave" <dc@dv.shop.nil> wrote in message
news:lhl3k2tnlpmrfs3kigrdlfdqkut3pu3cch@4ax.com...
I have a leaking steel pipe that supplies warm water to radiators in
my house.

A plumber dropped by and said it would be easiest to cut the bad part
away and
weld a replacement. The pipe is about 2 inches thick.

The replacement is about two feet.

The plumber gave me a quote of about $2000 which I promptly refused.

What about using a fiberglass or something else? I'd rather just cut
the cracked
steelpipe part away and weld a copper replacement part. Any ideas?


bowgus

2006-10-31, 8:25 pm


Dave wrote:

>
> What about using a fiberglass or something else? I'd rather just cut the cracked
> steelpipe part away and weld a copper replacement part. Any ideas?


Related I suppose ... I had a leak in the 1/2 copper water pipe. A
temporary fix was to put a wrap or two of electrical tape around the
leak, and then apply a hose clamp ... the kind that tightens using a
screw. And about that temporary ... I put it on about a year ago, it's
still there. When I get around to redoing the bathroom (which may be
this winter, maybe next), I'll do the permanent fix.

LinkBot





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