Translating…
When a pipe suddenly springs a leak, the situation can easily and quickly get out of control. You definitely don’t want water spraying all over the place and causing damage, or worse, flooding. Even if your initial reaction is one of shock, there are several ways for you to deal with the situation. And these solutions are something that you can do by yourself thus, saving you some money.
First of all, don’t panic and simply turn off the water supply to the leaking pipe. This can be done by shutting off the supply valve to the fixture or the main supply valve. Figure out the source of the leak, is it a pinhole or do you have a split pipe? Here are some temporary fixes that will let you turn the water back on until proper repairs can be made by a professional plumber.
When you find the hole, stick a pencil in it then break it off. Use electrician’s tape to wrap the pipe. To make sure it doesn’t leak, use plumber’s epoxy repair putty and smear it over the tape. Leave it to dry for at least half an hour before turning the water back on.
You can also wrap a piece of rubber (the inner tube of an old tire, for example) around the pipe over the hole. Use small blocks of wood and a C clamp to keep the rubber wrapped tightly in place. You can also use hose clamps, if you have them, to keep the rubber in place.
If you don’t have any rubber, you can use a garden hose instead. Cut a length of the hose that’s enough to cover the hole in the pipe plus another two to three inches on each side. Slice the hose along its length and place the center over the hole in the pipe. Use hose clamps to secure the piece of hose in place.
Remember that these are only temporary fixes; You’ll need to get them fixed permanently or get a plumber to do it for you.
If your home uses copper pipes, you’re lucky that leaks don’t happen very often. For those in older homes using galvanized pipes, leaks are a lot more common. This type of pipe rusts from the inside out so you can’t really be sure of their condition by simply looking at them. When one pipe starts to leak, you can expect that others will soon follow.