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1Shut off the water supply to your home.1 Locate your main water supply, which is typically in your basement or crawl space. Turn the dial clockwise to shut off the water going into your home so the leak stops and doesnt cause more damage.2In an emergency, call your water company and see if they can shut off the water leading to your home.Tip: If the leak is only in a drain pipe, then you dont need to turn off your water supply. 2Turn on the faucets connected to the pipe to drain them. Start by turning on the lowest faucet in your home, such as an outdoor hose pipe or a sink in the basement. Let the water run until the pipe is completely empty. If the leak is on a pipe leading to a specific fixture, then turn on that faucet to drain it.3 Advertisement 3Dry the leaking area on the pipe. Once all of the water is drained from the pipes, use a cleaning cloth to wipe the area around the leak completely dry. That way it wont be slippery while youre trying to work on it.4Set a cloth or bucket underneath the leak in case any stray drops of water come out of the leak.The way you fix your pipe depends on the location. For example, it could be a pinhole in the pipe or it may be a loose fitting where it connects to another pipe.5 Advertisement 1Put on latex or nitrile gloves. Epoxy putty heats up while youre working with it and could cause pain on bare skin. Make sure the gloves are thin enough where you can still work intricately. Wear the gloves any time you handle the epoxy putty.6You can buy latex or nitrile gloves from any hardware or big box store.2Mix plumbing epoxy putty by hand to combine it. Rip off a small ball of epoxy putty from the tube and knead it together between your fingers. The darker epoxy will mix with the lighter exterior to activate it. Once the putty has a consistent light grey color, you can stop kneading it.7You can buy plumbing epoxy putty from your local hardware store.3Wrap the putty around the leaky area. Mold the putty around the leak on your pipe so it wraps completely around it. Make sure the putty forms a layer thats about 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) thick around the leak so it holds in place. Taper the edges of the putty onto the pipe so it makes a watertight seal.8Epoxy putty works on straight lengths of pipes as well as joints.4Let the putty set for 5-10 minutes before turning your water on. Once the epoxy putty is mixed, it will set quickly so you can use your water again. Leave the putty alone for at least 5 minutes while it sets so it can solidify. Once the epoxy sets, you can turn your water back on.9Epoxy putty is a temporary fix, so be sure to fully replace your pipe or contact a plumber the next day. Advertisement 1Buy a pipe clamp thats the same size as the leaky pipe.10 Pipe clamps use rubber gaskets create a tight seal to secure a small leak on your pipe. You can purchase these in the plumbing section of your local hardware store, but make sure to buy a pipe clamp that is the same size and at least as long as the pipe thats leaking so you have a tight fit when you secure it.11Clamps work on PVC and copper pipes. 2Align the rubber gasket on the pipe with the leak. The rubber gasket is the rectangular piece inside of the clamp that makes your pipes water-tight. Set the rubber gasket on top of the hole in your pipe so it seals the leak completely. If the leak is on the bottom of the pipe, hold the clamp in place until you secure the clamp.123Fit the clamp around the gasket and tighten the bolts. Close the clamp around your pipe so it fits tightly on it and feed the bolts provided with the clamp through the holes. Turn the nuts using a wrench to secure them to the bottom of the bolts. Continue tightening the bolts until the clamp stays in place and doesnt turn any further.13Warning: Clamps are only a temporary fix. You either need to replace the pipe or contact a plumber to replace it for you. Advertisement 1Get a slip coupling that matches the size and type of your pipe. Slip couplings are small, watertight connections that connect 2 different pieces of pipe. Look for a slip coupling has the same diameter as the pipe you need to fix and is long enough so you can cut out the leak. Before you purchase one, make sure the coupling is the same material as your pipe, such as PVC or copper.You can buy slip couplings from your local hardware store.Slip couplings can be a permanent solution to fixing your pipes and they are up to code.2Mark the length of the slip coupling on your pipe. Hold the slip coupling up to the leaky spot on your pipe so the coupling extends out from each side. Use a marker to draw a line on your pipe at the end of the slip coupling. This will help ensure that you cut out the right length of pipe so the coupling can still fit.143Use a pipe cutter to cut out the leaky area on the pipe.15 Pipe cutters are small devices that easily slice through a pipe as you rotate them around. Set the edge of your pipe cutter 1 in (2.5 cm) inside the line you drew and tighten the screw on the bottom of the device. Rotate the pipe cutter around the pipe completely and tighten the screw again. Keep spinning and tightening the pipe cutter until it makes a clean cut through the pipe. Repeat the process 1 in (2.5 cm) in from the other line you drew.16You can buy pipe cutters from your local hardware store.Pipe cutters work on metal and PVC pipes.Some PVC pipe cutters look like a pair of scissors. Put the blade over the pipe and slowly squeeze the cutters shut.Tip: If you dont have a pipe cutter, you can also use a hacksaw but it may not be as clean of a cut. 4Scrape the inside and outside of the pipe with a deburring tool. A deburring tool is a special tool used to scrape the inside and outside of the pipe to help reshape it after you make your cut. Hold the pipe steady with your nondominant hand and set the blade edge of the deburring tool inside the pipe. Scrape around the inside edge of the pipe with your tool to deburr it. The take the tool out of the pipe and scrape the outside edge.17You can buy deburring tools in the plumbing section of a hardware store.Make sure you deburr both sides of the cut pipe to prevent future leaks.5Slide the slip coupling onto the ends of your pipe. Take your coupling and slide an end over one side of your pipe. Push the coupling on far enough so youre able to line it up with the other side of the cut pipe. Line up the other end of the coupling with the pipe and pull it over so the 2 pipes are connected by the coupling. The coupling will hold the pipes together so water can flow between them.18Some couplings may make you tighten them by hand or with a wrench. Follow the directions on the packaging carefully to see if there are any additional steps. Advertisement Ask a Question Advertisement Thanks! Advertisement Latex or nitrile glovesEpoxy puttyPipe slip couplingPipe cutterMeasuring tapeDeburring tool This article was co-authored by James Schuelke and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. James Schuelke, along with his twin brother David, is the co-owner of the Twin Home Experts, a licensed plumbing, leak detection, and mold inspection company based in Los Angeles, California. James has over 32 years of home service and business plumbing experience and has expanded the Twin Home Experts to Phoenix, Arizona and the Pacific Northwest. This article has been viewed 477,533 times. Co-authors: 15 Updated: February 10, 2022 Views: 477,533 Categories: Featured Articles | Piping | Water PrintSend fan mail to authors Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 477,533 times. The explanation with diagrams is very understandable. Hence, Im able to do repairs and teach others. Share your story

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