During the operation of any heating system, emergencies can occur. Loss of tightness in a specific area is the most common problem. Therefore, every owner of a private house or apartment should know how to fix a leak in the heating system: pipes, batteries, radiators. The call of the master can drag on for hours or even a day, and during this time the loss from breakdown will only grow.
Accident prevention measures
Even before you need to fix a heating pipe leak, you can take certain actions that minimize the likelihood of its occurrence. They are the basis for the maintenance of the heating system and must be carried out at strict intervals.
After the first start-up of newly installed pipelines and heating devices, a plan should be drawn up to check their condition. Experts identify the following problem areas, in which damage and depressurization most often occur:
- Mechanical connections... Despite the fact that they are rarely used, their presence is possible when laying metal or metal-plastic pipes. Inspection frequency - once a month;
- Installed fittings - taps, gate valves, control devices (manometers, thermometers). Is it possible and how to eliminate the radiator leak in these places? To do this, you need to check the tightness of the connection of the installed elements. They are also examined once a month;
- Compliance with the operating mode of the system - temperature and maximum pressure level. Even before you eliminate the leak in the plastic heating pipe, you need to control all the parameters of the system. In most cases, it is their excess that is the cause of the destruction of the elements of the system. Checked every day.
But even these measures do not guarantee the maintenance-free operation of the heating. In some cases, the reason for the rupture of pipes or radiators is a small hidden factory defect that cannot be visually determined. Slight wall thinning or poor quality weld beads are the most common causes of leakage. But how to eliminate a leak in the heating system of a house if the heating is working and hot water literally gushes? Don't panic - follow the instructions.
Under no circumstances should you try to repair the leakage of any heating pipe with your hands - this is hazardous to health. Temporarily, until the pressure drops, you can put a thick blanket on the radiator or pipe so that the hot water flow does not damage the walls or furniture in the room.
Heating pipes repair
Piping is most likely to leak. This is due to their great length and varying degrees of load, depending on the distance from the boiler. The first signal of the appearance of depressurization in a certain section of the line is the appearance of condensation. Having processed this part with a dry cloth, you need to watch - will small drops appear on the surface of the pipe? If this happens, it is necessary to urgently take repair measures.
But how to fix a leak in the heating system quickly and with minimal losses? First you need to isolate this area of the system - lay a waterproof material (PVC film) on the floor and then follow these steps:
- Switch off the boiler. If it is solid fuel, try to reduce the temperature in the firebox. Attention - do not fill fuel with water.A sudden temperature drop can damage the walls of the boiler and the heat exchanger.
- Switch off the centrifugal pump.
- Open the air relief valve. This will reduce the pressure in the system, reducing the water pressure.
It is recommended to purchase special repair clamps beforehand. With their help, you can quickly localize the site of damage. To eliminate a leak in the autonomous heating system of a house - this is one of the best solutions to the problem.
Using clamps for repairs
To create a complete repair kit, you should purchase several types of clamps, which are designed to be installed on pipes of different diameters. Traditionally, pipes of 20.24, 32 and 40 mm are used for heating. Accordingly, you need to purchase clamps of this size.
You can effectively eliminate the leakage of the heating pipe with their help by simply installing it on the pipe and tightening the screws. It is necessary to pay attention to the size of the damage - the length of the gap may exceed the width of the clamp. Then you can install several repair elements or resort to the proven "old-fashioned" method.
You can quickly eliminate a leak in the heating battery with the help of simple car clamps. In this case, any dense rubber is used instead of a special gasket.
This will require any soft rubber, such as a bicycle tube. It is applied in several layers around the leak and pressed with 2 or three clamps.
This method can be used to eliminate leaks in a plastic heating pipe and steel. However, it has several disadvantages. The main one is a relatively small degree of clamping. The steel body of the special repair clamp can withstand a fairly high pressure. And we must remember that rubber, under the influence of temperature, significantly increases its elasticity. Therefore, this method can be used as a temporary measure until the replacement of the line section or the installation of a more reliable repair element. Eliminating a leak in a heating radiator does not mean that the system is fully operational. Then you will still need to replace the damaged area.
Mechanical joints
If you need to eliminate a leak in the heating system of a house at the point where pipes are joined to each other or a radiator, you must first make a visual inspection of the damaged area. The procedure is as follows:
- Using a pipe wrench, tighten the connecting element - nut or fitting. If the leak persists, replace the gasket. To do this, place a large water container under the damage site, then carefully unscrew the connectors and remove the old gasket.
- It is best to use paronite as a new one. This material is not as susceptible to temperature changes as rubber.
Repair by such methods can only be carried out on straight sections of the pipeline. But how to eliminate a leak in a heating radiator on a ribbed surface or at the junction of sections? Installation of the repair clamp is not possible there. Therefore, it is necessary to use other methods of restoring the tightness of the system.
To eliminate leaks in a plastic heating pipe, you can use special welded clamps. However, they are expensive and the surface must be completely dry before installation.
Heating radiator leaks
Determining the exact time of a battery leak is sometimes problematic. Water flowing over the surface can flood a significant part of the radiator. To find the problem area, you need to wipe the device completely. Then find the exact place of the gust.
How to eliminate a radiator leak if the water pressure is large enough? It must be remembered that its temperature can reach 90 ° C. Therefore, you must strictly follow the safety rules. After following the above measures to reduce the pressure in the system, it is recommended to do the following:
- If the radiator is connected in parallel (two-pipe system), close the shut-off valves.
- Using the installed Mayevsky valve, reduce the pressure level in the battery.
- Wait until the coolant stops flowing from the defective area.
Then, to eliminate the leak in the heating battery, you need to use a special mastic - cold welding. Its most common type is epoxy mastic with additives.
There are several models of these repair compounds currently on the market. The most common for eliminating leaks in heating radiators are Fast Steel, Moment SuperEpoxy and Abro Steel. Before using a certain composition, you need to carefully read the instructions. For example, the two-component "SuperEpoxy Moment" is not intended for sealing polyethylene or propylene pipes. But it will successfully eliminate a leak in a heating radiator made of aluminum or cast iron.
After mixing the epoxy resin with the hardener in the supplied kit in a syringe, the resulting composition can be applied to the damaged site. After 2-3 hours, a strong "patch" is formed, which will prevent further leakage of the coolant. In the same way, you can eliminate leaks in a metal or copper heating pipe. One-component epoxy resin compositions must be thoroughly kneaded before use and then applied to the place of depressurization.
The thickness of the patch has practically no effect on its mechanical strength. Usually it should not exceed 3-4 mm.
What method is best to use to eliminate the leakage of the heating system: pipes, radiators, radiators are made of various materials and are not always suitable for installing a reliable clamp. In this case, you can make a combined construction of mastic, elastic rubber and cloth bandage. In this way, the leak can be repaired prior to overhaul.
The video material shows the most common methods for repairing pipes and heating radiators:
