My plumber friend watched me try to fix a leak with duct tape and just said 'that's a $500 band-aid, Nancy'.

He wasn't wrong, the whole wall is soggy now. Anyone know how to actually fix a pinhole leak in a copper pipe without flooding the garage again?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlie3841mo ago

The real problem is you need to dry that wall out completely before you fix anything. Mold sets in fast. For the pipe, a simple compression coupling is the real fix, but you have to shut the water off at the main first. Cut out the bad section with a tube cutter, slip the coupling on, and tighten it. Slapping a patch on wet wood just buys you a bigger repair bill later.

grace_perry441mo ago

I used to believe a quick patch was good enough to get by. Charlie's point about drying the wall first is what changed my mind. I learned the hard way that moisture trapped inside just rots everything out from behind. Now I shut the water off, open up the wall to let it air out, and only then fix the pipe with a proper coupling. It takes more time upfront but saves the structure of your house.