A temporary pipe repair is there to buy you time. It keeps the water where it belongs until a plumber can make a proper joint, and it lets you turn the supply back on so the household can function in the meantime. Done well, a stopgap can hold for days. Done on the wrong pipe, or without isolating the water first, it can fail suddenly and make the damage worse.
This guide covers the four temporary fixes that are genuinely useful on domestic pipework, what each one suits, where each one fails, and the situations where you should not attempt a temporary fix at all.
What should you do before trying a temporary fix?
Every temporary repair starts with getting the pressure off the pipe. None of the products below work reliably on a pipe that is still spraying water, and several of them will not bond to a wet surface at all.
- Make the electrics safe. If water is anywhere near sockets, light fittings, an immersion heater or the consumer unit, switch off the affected circuit at the consumer unit, but only if the consumer unit itself is dry. If it is not, keep clear and call an electrician.
- Close the internal stopcock. It is usually under the kitchen sink, in a utility cupboard, under the stairs or where the supply pipe enters the building. Turn it clockwise until it stops.
- If the leak is on a pipe fed from a cold water tank, closing the stopcock stops the tank refilling but not the water already in it. Look for a gate valve on the pipe leaving the tank and close that too.
- If the leak is on a heating pipe, switch the boiler off and let the system cool before touching anything.
- Drain the pipe. Open the cold taps on the lowest floor, and the hot taps if the leak is on the hot side. This empties what is left in the pipework and takes the residual pressure off.
- Dry the pipe around the leak with a cloth. For tape and putty, the drier and cleaner the surface, the better the result.
If the stopcock will not turn or does not stop the flow, do not force it with a long lever. Old stopcocks can shear. Contain the water as best you can, and call your water supplier or an emergency plumber. Our guide to the first hour of a ceiling leak covers containment in more detail.
Which temporary fix suits which leak?
The right stopgap depends mostly on two things: where on the pipe the leak is, and how much pressure the repair has to hold once the water is back on.
| Temporary fix | Best suited to | Usually fails on |
|---|---|---|
| Pipe repair clamp | A pinhole or short split on a straight run of copper or plastic pipe | Joints, bends, tees and pipes of the wrong diameter |
| Self-amalgamating tape | Small weeps and pinholes where you can wrap all the way round the pipe | Larger splits, high pressure and pipes that cannot be wrapped |
| Epoxy putty | Weeping joints and awkward shapes where tape and clamps will not sit | Wet or greasy surfaces, and pipes that flex or move |
| Push-fit repair coupling | A damaged section of straight pipe that can be cut out cleanly | Pipes with no room to cut and insert, or of an incompatible material or size |
Whatever you use, a leak on a fitting (a compression nut, a soldered joint or a valve) is harder to patch than a leak on plain pipe, because the surface is irregular and the fault is often inside the fitting.
How do you use a pipe repair clamp?
A pipe repair clamp is a metal band with a rubber pad inside that bolts round the pipe and presses the pad over the hole. It is the most dependable of the quick fixes for a pinhole or short split, provided it is the right size. Clamps are sold for specific pipe diameters, and domestic copper is usually 15mm or 22mm, so measure before you buy.
- Position the rubber pad directly over the leak, with the split in the middle of the pad rather than near its edge.
- Tighten the bolts evenly, a little at a time on each side, so the band closes squarely.
- Stop when the pad is firmly compressed. Overtightening can crush thin-walled copper or distort plastic pipe.
- Turn the water on slowly and watch the clamp for a few minutes before you walk away.
A clamp will not seal a joint, a bend or a tee, because the pad cannot sit flat. It also struggles on a long split, which usually means the pipe has been frozen or physically damaged and needs that length replacing.
Does self-amalgamating tape stop a leaking pipe?
For small leaks, often yes. Self-amalgamating tape has no adhesive. When you stretch it and wrap it over itself, the layers fuse into a solid rubber sleeve. Ordinary insulating tape and duct tape do not do this and will not hold against mains pressure.
- Start a few centimetres to one side of the leak on a dry pipe.
- Stretch the tape firmly as you wrap, overlapping each turn by about half its width.
- Carry on well past the leak on the other side, then wrap back over the top to build up several layers.
- Press the finished wrap with your fingers so the layers bond.
Tape works best on pinholes and weeps. It is much less reliable on a split that sprays when the water is on, and it cannot be used where there is no room to pass the roll right round the pipe, such as a pipe tight against a wall. Check the packaging for the pressure and temperature it is designed for, particularly if the pipe is a hot water or heating pipe.
Can epoxy putty fix a leaking pipe?
Epoxy putty is a two-part filler that you knead together until it is one even colour, press over the leak and leave to harden. Its strength is shape: it can be moulded round a weeping compression nut, a soldered elbow or a short stub of pipe where a clamp or tape would not sit properly.
Its weakness is preparation. Putty needs a dry, clean surface to grip, and on copper it bonds better if you rub the area with fine abrasive paper first. It also needs curing time before the water goes back on, which varies by product, so follow the time on the pack rather than guessing. If the pipe is a drinking water supply, choose a putty the manufacturer states is suitable for potable water.
Putty tends to crack where a pipe moves, for example a heating pipe that expands and contracts as it warms, or a loose pipe that knocks when a tap is closed.
When is a push-fit repair coupling the better option?
A push-fit coupling is closer to a proper repair than a patch. You cut out the damaged section and join the two ends with a coupling that grips the pipe when it is pushed in. Slip couplings, which slide fully onto one pipe end and then back across the gap, make it possible to bridge a short cut-out without having to spring the pipe apart.
- Cut the pipe square with a proper pipe cutter rather than a hacksaw, and remove any burrs, which can damage the seal inside the fitting.
- Mark the insertion depth on each pipe end so you can see the pipe is fully home.
- On plastic pipe, fit the pipe insert the manufacturer specifies.
- Check the fitting is compatible with the pipe material and size.
Because it needs a clean cut and a little room either side of the damage, a push-fit coupling suits an exposed straight run, such as a pipe under a sink or in a cupboard. It is not a fix for a pipe buried in a wall or floor, where you cannot see what you are working on. Many plumbers will leave a correctly fitted coupling in place, but it is still worth having the repair checked.
When is a temporary fix unsafe?
Some leaks should not be patched by a householder at all, even for a few hours.
- Near electrics. If water has reached a socket, switch, fused spur, consumer unit or light fitting, the priority is isolating the power and getting an electrician, not repairing the pipe.
- Anything to do with gas. Never tape, clamp or putty a gas pipe. If you smell gas, do not operate switches, open the windows, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
- Hot, pressurised systems. A sealed central heating system runs under pressure and can be very hot. Switch it off and let it cool before going near a leak. An unvented hot water cylinder stores hot water at mains pressure and has safety devices that should only be worked on by an installer qualified for unvented systems. If water is discharging through the tundish near the cylinder, that is a warning sign, not a leak to patch.
- Inside the boiler. Anything behind the boiler casing is for a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Buried or hidden pipes. A leak you cannot see cannot be patched. Opening walls or floors at random to find it usually causes more damage than the leak.
- Underground supply pipes. A leak outside the building, between the boundary and your stopcock, needs locating before anyone digs. Our guide to underground supply pipe leaks explains how that is done.
How long can a temporary pipe repair last?
There is no honest single answer, because it depends on the product, the pressure and how well the surface was prepared. Treat any clamp, tape or putty repair as lasting until a plumber can attend, not as a permanent solution. Check it several times a day, put a bowl or towel underneath so a failure is noticed early, and close the stopcock at night and when you go out if you can manage without water.
Also keep in mind why the pipe leaked. A pinhole in copper can be a sign of corrosion along a longer length. A split often points to frost or physical damage. A weeping joint may have been made badly years ago. A plumber will want to know whether the rest of the pipe is sound, which is part of the reason a proper repair is worth arranging quickly. The typical costs of that repair are covered in our burst pipe repair cost guide.
When should you call a leak detection specialist?
If you can see the leak, you need a plumber rather than a detection survey. A leak detection specialist is the right call when the water is coming from somewhere you cannot see:
- water is appearing through a ceiling, wall or floor and the pipe is hidden;
- you have closed the stopcock and the damp keeps spreading;
- your meter keeps moving with everything turned off;
- the boiler keeps losing pressure and nothing is visibly dripping;
- you need the location marked so the repair can be made through a small opening.
Our emergency leak detection is priced at £300 to £500, and standard surveys such as thermal imaging start at £150. Call 020 3912 0200 to talk through what you are seeing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best temporary fix for a leaking water pipe?
For a pinhole or short split on a straight pipe, a correctly sized pipe repair clamp is usually the most dependable. Self-amalgamating tape suits small weeps where you can wrap right round the pipe, and epoxy putty suits awkward joints. Whatever you use, turn the water off and drain the pipe first.
Can I do a temporary fix on a leaking mains water pipe?
Yes, on an exposed pipe inside your home, once the stopcock is closed and the pipe has been drained. Mains pressure will defeat most patches applied to a live pipe. If the leak is between the boundary and the stopcock, or the stopcock will not close, do not attempt a patch; call a plumber or your water supplier.
Will duct tape stop a leaking pipe?
Not for long. Duct tape and insulating tape are not designed to hold water under pressure and tend to lift as soon as the pipe is wet. Self-amalgamating tape, which fuses to itself, is the tape designed for this job.
Can I turn the water back on after a temporary repair?
Once the product has cured, turn the stopcock on slowly and watch the repair for several minutes. If it weeps, turn the water off again. Keep checking it regularly and close the stopcock when the water is not needed.
How do I stop a leaking pipe in a wall?
You cannot patch a pipe you cannot reach. Turn off the water, isolate any electrics nearby and have the leak located before anything is opened up, so the opening is small and in the right place.
