Fixing a Leak Under a Concrete Floor The Easy Way | Emergency Plumbing Guide
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- Опубликовано: 3 фев 2023
- This emergency plumbing guide will show you how to fix a pipe leak under a concrete floor the easy way! If you've got a leak under a concrete floor, then this guide is for you! With easy step-by-step instructions, this guide will show you how to fix a leak under a floor in no time using slip couplers. You'll learn how to fix it and how to prevent future leaks.
Tools i recommend for this job below:
⚪Torch - amzn.to/3QViwZj
⚪Pipe Deburrer - amzn.to/3wioMBe
⚪Wire Wool - amzn.to/3Y2bzID
⚪Slip Coupling - amzn.to/3wdNbI5
⚪Radiator Bleed Key - amzn.to/3EB1b27
⚪Pipe Cutter - amzn.to/3WjTep2
⚪Flux - amzn.to/3WkDh1X
⚪Adjustable Spanner - amzn.to/3TgI4A8
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Hope you guys enjoy watching me tackle this awkward little job! Oh and it wasn't me that dug the floor up otherwise I would have given myself a bit more room to work 🤪
Thanks for the video, I think I've got an underfloor leak myself. But you can obtain a pipe cutter that could possibly cut most if not all of the copper pipe, without using a junior hacksaw for all of the job.
Air conditioning guys use them a lot in the smaller sizes available
@@warptoad5168 Have you got a multi cutter available? I had some joy using mine in tight spots, admittedly on wood but with a metal cutting blade I'd have got on the pipes in the video.
I have a vibrating cutter which is fantastic for jobs like this.
My Dad was a plumber for 50+ years and he always said the easiest way to fix a leak under a concrete floor is to call another plumber! 😂
😂 brilliant
Even when he is a plumber himself ?
Yes hes not wrong there lol
Easiest way to fix any plumbing problem get someone else to do it,thats what my boss does
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Before you cut the old pipes out, it’s a good idea to clean the cutting area of the pipes with some smooth emery cloth or wire wool whilst the pipes are still rigid.
I guess half the people watching don't realize how tricky this repair is. Well done.
Very clear guide and as ever you show how it should be done properly. Always a pleasure watching and learning from your skills.
Many thanks!
Brilliant! Just the guide I needed .Thanks , I'm now checking out all your other videos.
Awesome, thank you!
Very methodical and loads of care at each stage , I’m a retired plumber and appreciate how difficult that job is .
Thanks very much. Hopefully it helps people.
YOUR A RETIRED PLUMBER !!!!!!!! YOU HAVING A LAUGH, JESUS WERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDDING, RITIRED FROM WHAT?????? RETIRED PLUMB BOB
Well done, good video. I've just retired from being a plumber and a college lecturer in plumbing and this was well delivered.
Awesome, thank you!
Super vid as always... you've really got the knack of making a difficult job seem easy.. clear, concise instructions.. you're my go-to now for any job I'm having difficulty with!!
Thank you very much!
@@TheDIYGuy1 HE MADE IT LOOK EASY,BUT HE CHEATED.......ASK A PRO
Well explained video for the novice.
A tip I was taught by an old plumber was after draining down drill a small hole in the section of the pipe you’ll be cutting out after undoing a large jubilee clip and refitting it on the pipe you’ve drilled. If you have drained the wrong pipe and it’s still full of water you can get a pencil rubber and clamp it over the hole with the jubilee clip to stop the water flooding the place until get to drain the right pipe. Sounds like a bodge but will save you flooding place.
Great video ,takes me back when i was a plumber and heating fitter, my Boss was so tight we always used Delcop fittings ,keep the videos coming brings back good days and bad,mainly good😀
Thanks 👍haha
Amazing tutorials, thank you. So easy to follow and understand.
Glad you like them!
Since signing up to your videos I've learnt so much my plumber actually said last week who's been changing all the valves on the radiator. It's just having bit of confidence. Thanks for your videos
That's great to hear. Thanks 👍
EVER TRYIED GETTING A PROPER COURSE RATHER THAN BELIEVING THIS SHIT
Great video! This emergency plumbing guide is exactly what people need in case they encounter a pipe leak under a concrete floor. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow and make the process of fixing a leak seem manageable. The use of slip couplers as a solution is brilliant, and the emphasis on preventing future leaks is commendable. Thanks for sharing this useful guide. It's sure to be a lifesaver for many people!
Glad you liked the video. Thanks a lot 👍
You make that look easy! I wish I'd seen the digging to get to the pipe! Good job
Thanks a lot. I didn't do the digging, I just got the job of repairing the leaks 🙂
Great video & workmanship!
Thanks 👍
Amazing content as always, love the way you explain things and love your presentations. Such an underrated channel. Hope you reach 1m sub milestone soon! :)
Thanks very much! I hope so too 😀
Great video mate would have been cool to see how you located the leak and drilled out access
Great video, thank you, as always!
My pleasure!
Great video, find it very helpful 👍
Glad it was helpful!
perfectly great job good luck
Thank you! You too!
Superb vid. Another hack for getting water out of the pipes ahead if soldering is to use a spray gun nozzle with the tube down the pipe, essentially drawing it out.
Thanks a lot 😁
Tight joints are are nightmare I agree! To cut pipes in this situation I use a multi tool which cuts copper easily. I'm also a wire wool user but I notice that you didn't clean the fittings. If they have been in the box for some time they do need a clean. Also with Yorkshire I put a dab of solder on the joint as belt and braces!!
Done a good job 👏
Thanks
awesome job mate
Thanks 👍
Neat job. Digging the concrete out is a big challenge with this job, its so easy to hit and damage the copper pipes in the process, leading to even more pipe replacements to be done ….
Absolutely, I didn't get the job of digging this out. Only the leak repair!
I'm not a pro plumber but done some DIY and that's one of those nasty jobs for sure. I knew about Yorshire fittings but the slip coupler was a great tip, nice job 👍
👍
Great detailed videos
Glad you like them!
Love these videos! My only thoughts are always take a picture before you start ripping things out and a dremel tool would make those hard to access pipes a snap.
Good tip with the pic if you haven't very much experience
Great video !! Very Enjoyable.............thanks
Thank you!
Great video, do you have to cover the pipes before you relay the concrete?
I have a similar issue at home I had to fix and now I have a hole.
Top video 👍
Thanks 👍
cool stuff out there! Keep it up!!
😊 will do
Great job. One comment, if you cut the pipe and resolder a new joint my recommendation would be to stagger the cuts (as there are two pipes) this means if the soldering needs to be done again it will be easier to access. Also means you do not risk reheating the first solder when doing the second pipe.
And I would start with cutting that big dent out of the 1st pipe because that dent is going to be his next leak in a few months or years.
THANKS VERY NICE VIDEO
Thanks to you
Great info, sometimes the problems trying to find the leak in the first place. I have a leak but it seems to follow the pipeline downstairs. How do i find initial leak point?
Cutting copper pipes in situations like that is far easier with a sonic/oscillating multi-tool and involves minimal stress to the surrounding pipework. Didn't know about those slip couplings - very handy.
top man! Nice channel👍
Appreciate it!
Good video. Nice to see a real-world awkward location being worked on.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks
great video 👍👍
Thank you 👍
Thanks great video, do you have any tips for protecting the pipework when making good the floor , ie packing underneath the pipes where the old concrete has been removed under the pipes and covering the pipes from wet cement. I was thinking about packing with sand and covering the pipes will lagging material
That dented section definitely needs replacing otherwise it will wear internally and create a pinhole.
I would have loved to change that but unfortunately I was asked to replace the section that I replaced and no more due to the home owner wanting to save floor tiles.
What about using a mini hacksaw
Could have used a copper "patch saddle." They come in 15mm and 22mm, both with integral solder. Brilliant invention.
@@TheDIYGuy1 save floor tiles that's funny 🤣 so when it next leaks and needs digging up you will be coming out under warranty in 6mth saying you didn't fix it properly
Could easily have been cut 2 inch further back without having to take any more tiles up
Hi, This is an excellent video - thank you. A question. I have underfloor 15mm copper CH pipes, embedded in a concrete floor. About 15-20 years ago I replaced some leaking lengths. I now have leaks in 2 different places, which I can expose and fix. Before doing so, I'd like to check for leaks in other places too. However, there's bitumen screed under the carpet, so leaks do not necessarily show directly on the carpet. Do you have any recommendations, please? Many thanks /Stewart
Flippin hate this job. Good effort mate!
Most people do, including me 😂. Thanks mate!
Hi mate, any chance on doing a video installing a loft ladder & new hatch? Loving this channel! Cheers
I will see what I can do, cheers
you should be proud of yourself - you explain things well without a load of waffle and ego.
Thank's very much. I'm glad you like the videos
I'm going to have to get my plumber back to sort this very issue. I had a new boiler installed just under a year ago and had some new piping put under the concrete floor in the toilet. A few days ago, I noticed water coming up through the concrete. He's away on holiday until Sunday, so I'm having to keep turning off the water, unless essential, as the water keeps coming back. Would this be a sign of bad workmanship, or the copper pipes reacting to the concrete? If he just used copper pipes, is there anything I could ask him to do to ensure this doesn't happen again? Is there any protection he could put around them? Never have I so looked forward to someone returning from their holidays! Many thanks.
briliant guide and descriptive tutorial, the OCD in me though thinks you should have cut and extra couple of inches down to fix that kink in the pipe too.
Me too, unfortunately the person who's house that was didn't want to knock back any more concrete
Great vid! Thanks for posting it. Is there any reason not to use an angle grinder to cut the pipes?
Thanks a lot 😁
I would like to see how you repaired that section of floor
Great channel bud,do you know the internal diameter of hep20 15mm plastic pipe,I know 15mm copper is approximately 13mm
Multi-Tool with Metal Cutting Blade is what I would cut that copper pipe with. Thank You for the great video
Yep, I would do in most circumstances too. Only reason I didn’t in this video was because I wasn’t sure if many people would have a multi tool whereas most have a hacksaw
Nice video 👍 i would have cut the section of pipe with the little dent in also.
Thanks. I wanted to but the homeowner wanted to save on more floor being dug up due to the tiles.
Good content as per mate, would have loved to see the hovis come out though! Nothing worse than water in the pipes when you’re soldering😭
Absolutely! Thanks very much
Nice to see someone still soldering, instead of press sh#t ,,, hope inhibitor was added to protect boiler and rads
Yep thanks
What kind of tradesman should I be looking for would to fill in the trench after copper pipe repairs?
You could use a vibrating multi-tool to cut the copper pipes. Thanks for sharing.
Yep could do 👍 , I didn't include that as a lot of DIYers won't have one.
@@TheDIYGuy1 Fully understand that. Cheers
Personally I would use a 5 inch battery angle grinder to cut those pipes, then clean up the ends with a file. Saves a bit of work.
Could do 👍
Just saying you can use a Dremel with an extension cable works perfectly and very accurate.
👍
Wish I'd seen this a few years ago. Had to do this in a kitchen extension on the mains supply.
Perfect storm: Just after the merchants had shut, couldn't find stop cock in the house, had to use the one in the street, home made end feed slip joints by hammer expanding 15mm pipe, could not get water out of the pipe and 1 part refused to solder. Maybe I should have tried the bread trick. Near breakdown after 6 hours at 3am, I gave in and used a Hep2O, which I really didn't want to use under concrete.
I guess it will fail in about 30 years, so I moved house.
Thanks for sharing
good job i just wonder why you didnt replace more of 1 pipe you can see damage i would do that but is only my point of view :)
What would the concrete mix be to back fill the hole? Also, should it be sharp sand or builders sand
Enjoyed the guidance but as these pipes were under concrete I would be interested to know how you found the leak under the concrete. Often a leak can show up many meters away from the location of the burst pipe.
Hello
I have two bathroom
Grand floor,first floor, from boiler I should use 22 and then 15 or
All the way 22 to each one ???????
Thank You
Pipe previously in damp area below DPC level, presumably surrounded by moisture holding insulation? Seems like a recipe for yet more leaks in future.
Good Video. But is there a way to have a removable floor so you dont have to continue to break up the concrete in different spots to find the leak? I would like it to be say 12 inches wide and run the entire length of the floor where the pipes are. Thank you. this could save us a lot of money.
Brilliant video and explanation bud👍 it looks like the copper pipe has a dent in it 🤷
Your welcome. Yep, unfortunately they hit it when they dug the floor up
Do a video on leak detection. I do a lot of it.
Nice video! A nightmare of a job no doubt. A multitool with a very narrow metal blade can be handy for getting in to cut awkward spaces, just takes a bit more deburring.
Thanks. Absolutely, typically I left mine at home and arrived at the job and had to tackle it is he hard way 😀
@@TheDIYGuy1 good character building doing it the old fashioned way 😬
Hey there. Here from the midwest USA. I had a cold weather event where the cold copper pipe bursted after a thaw. The length of the swollen 1/2 pipe was beyond reach so no fix coupling to repair the pipe would work. Is there a way to repair swollen pipes at the broken point without replacing then entire length of it? sharkbite repair couplings were either too small or too big.
Thanks for sharing
Worth mentioning is to cover the pipes with some protection before the floor is put back, easy to forget.
Absolutely, denso is best
What purpose does the flux have?
I'd try fernox f4 before digging up floor.
Very good and informative video but why didn't you cut the kink in the 1st pipe ?😊
Unfortunately the home owner didn't want this done due to the extra floor digging required.
Fancy leaving a length of pipe under the floor with a great crease in it - weakened & susceptible - other than that a great example of fixing - good & informative.
That wasn't up to me I'm afraid. I can only do what the homeowner wants done.
Missed this video 10 months ago, just watched. The crease was so close to your cut, could you not have just cut back a bit further to include the crease? x
These skills should be taught at school. Give the children a fighting chance earning an honest living. Good on you passing on skills people need.
Absolutely right 👍
How'd you find the source of the leak in yhe first place??
an anglegrinder may be a better chioce to cut in tight spaces. just make sure to pull the pipe apart while cutting and fire prot
For the more experienced it's certainly an option. I don't recommend it for the DIYer
A multi tool with a metal cutting blade is ideal for cutting in very limited access spaces.
Great video , but why not use a multitool to cut the pipes?
Honestly? Because it wasn't on the van 😂. But it's also good for DIY'ers to see how to do it without one because a fair few people won't own one. Thanks
Don’t forget, Inhibitor should be added to the system when drained and refilled.
if the weak and leak point was "only" the solder joins ant not a hole in copper pipes, in this case, the "easy way" shouldn't be to only reflow them with new tin ?
What did you see in the floor that made you feel it was a leak? I have a floor that is breaking up and cracking and also lifting as well. It’s copper in concrete and has some wrapping around it which looks like horse hair to keep it away from the concrete.
The home owner noticed the boiler pressure dropping consistently and worsening over time. A thermal imaging camera was then used to find the leak.
@The DIY Guy I was going to ask the same question. My boiler is only 3 years old and the pressure keeps dropping frequently. There is a cold section of the floor behind a door downstairs which I have noticed about 5 months ago I thought it was due to the freezing weather and when I touched the floor there's a bit of water stain in my finger so am not sure if this is just damp or a leak under the tiles . The stop cock is right next to the spot where this problem is . I have visually checked the stop cock but no evidence of a leak
@@giovannabrown396 it could be a leak however it could be the expansion vessel not being charged, the pressure relief valve sometimes get sediment in them and they leak ( check the PRV pipe which generally pokes through an outside wall). It should be dry. Lastly if the above are all good and you suspect a leak see if you can add perfume into your heating system believe it or not you will be able smell if it's leaking out somewhere. Hope it helps.
I didn't see you applying the solder? I see brushing on flux - is the solder within the flux paste?
Hi. Yorkshire/solder ring fittings have a ring of solder already inside the fitting.
@@TheDIYGuy1 Ah! Thanks.
Nice job 👍
Thanks 👍
Could you use plastic push on fitting
The problem you would encounter with that would be the tension on the pipe. In this scenario it would make it near on impossible to use push fit
@@TheDIYGuy1 thank you for quick reply
Could you use plastic hep pipe and fittings instead of copper
No there’s too much tension for that
@@TheDIYGuy1 reason asking is moving radiator from current location to 3 feet further down wall. Was hoping if dug up concrete floor and cut into existing pipes could use quick fittings if dug deep to get them on. Is it viable? Followed few other videos around plumbing and put into practice today taking radiator off same wall without draining system. Had added issue with dodgy valve so luckily from following your channel had brass stop ends so wasnt too bad. Thank you so much your channel is fantastic
how did you know where the pipes were ? What caused you to know that the underground pipe was leaking ? Was the floor suspended with floor boards and screed ? I am facing the same issue and have no idea if it is a concrete floor or suspended floor with screed, some guidance will be much appreciated. Thanks
We found this by looking for heat signatures with a thermal imaging camera
I heard there is a tool called multi-tool or oscillating tool to make the cuts easier
Yep you can use one of those too. Wasn’t included in this video as not all DIYers will own one
How did you noticed the leak ?
Looks good. But aren't you a bit concerned with the dent in the pipe on the right at 11:51?
I wanted to replace it but the home owner didn't want to dig up anymore floor so he asked that I leave it. Unfortunately I can only do what someone wants me to.
could you just de-solder and clean and flux and re solder back up ?
No you wouldn't be able to, due to tension on the pipe.
The reaction between copper pipe and concrete is asking for trouble. The high alkaline environment, + the movement of copper when heated against a non movable surround is also asking for trouble.
Great fix there bud!
Absolutely! Thanks a lot
“Should have a drain valve”, yeah, it is a nice surprise when you find one, to then always almost find it has a stuck washer inside……..plumbing 👍👍
Haha it happens for sure
Not being a pro, I would manage to fix such a leak. But I would like to find out why the leakage ever occurred. Is the copper corroded by concrete? Is wet conditions on the exterior of the piping the source of the problem? Not cleaning properly after soldering? Cavitation because the pipes were not deburred?
And most important, how do I prevent problems in the future??
If you search for "corro", you'll find a bunch of explanations. It seems that they do make coatings and membranes to protect the copper.
Hi you’re genius… I wanted to ask you my boiler keeps loosing pressure looks like there is a leakage underfloor could you please tell me how to find out where will be the leak? I can’t see the leaking water anywhere
You can do a hydraulic pressure test on the heating pipework at 6 bar (make absolutely sure you isolate the boiler from the test as 6 bar will cause the safety valve to dump the water). A hydraulic pressure test will show where the leak is. My slow leak was a tiny pinhole in a radiator. Would not have found it were it not for a hydraulic pressure test. You will need to know how to do this test so read up on it first. Make sure to get all the air out of the pipework and the radiators prior to the test.
Check your boiler first if there's no signs of leakage. Mines was losing pressure. The issue was that the expansion vessel was holding water and needed to be repressurised. A job that I did myself. And it holds pressure now. So try those solutions before digging up or looking for leaks underfloor
You can get leak sealer additives to put in the system to deal with slow drips. Might be worth a try before you take up your floors.
What's the deal with digging out a section of concrete floor... do you ever need to worry about affecting its structural integrity? Also, how is that hole in the floor going to be filled? Sand and cement?
Good job anyhow 👍
Cement, after the pipe has denso tape applied
Why not try to bypass the old copper and move to above ground and use pex
Issue is that the concrete is alkaline which is corrosive to copper & solder. Over time its going to leak again. I suspect there is a wrap or coating that can be applied to help protect the copper from corrosion.
There is, denso is best
Tip for you: sliding an old people's incontinence pad under the pipe soaks up that water no problem. Those things absorb loads and easily buy you the time to get your wet vac on it.
😆 I don't carry those