Author: Scott McCarthy

There are plenty of dangers which come with home DIY projects. One of the biggest is to accidentally drill a hole through something you shouldn’t, especially if that something is either carrying electricity or is a water pipe.

Unintentionally cutting into a water pipe can be a chastening experience which happens far more often than you’d think. It only takes one screw hanging up one medicine cabinet to be one millimetre out of place in a bathroom renovation and it could cut through the plumbing which supplies water for the entire bathroom.

The natural reaction to accidentally drilling though a water pipe is to panic – but repairing the damage isn’t as difficult as you might think. In fact, with the correct procedures and the right equipment, you can carry out a permanent repair yourself.

Here’s what to do if you accidentally drill through a water pipe.

Turn the water off

Turning the water off is the number one priority after you’ve accidentally drilled though a pipe. Locate your home’s stopcock to turn off the mains supply, which will stop water continuing to flow through the damaged area. You should also open the faucet at the sink to allow water to drain out.

In older properties, the stopcock or mains water valve could be impossible to turn due to age or rust. If this is the case, then it doesn’t have to be the end of the world – there are means and ways to repair pipes even when flow cannot be turned off.

Gain access to the damaged pipe

In order to inspect and repair the damaged pipe, you need to gain access to it. If it is behind a wall, then remove the drywall around the area using a drill or a drywall saw. If it is underneath the floor, then take up the floorboards.

You should take extra care when attempting to reach the damaged pipework. The last thing that you want to happen is to drill accidentally drill another hole into the pipe.

Inspect the damage caused to the pipe

Once you’ve gained access to the pipe which you’ve accidentally put a hole in, you can get a better idea of the damage caused. A leaking pinhole for example is going to be a much easier fix than a deep longitudinal cut several inches in length.

You’ll also be able to see the type of pipe and the size which you’re dealing with. Sometimes, a copper pipe may be better suited to a different repair than a plastic pipe.

This is especially true if the pipe can be fixed using only epoxy putty, with Superfast Sticks for example having different formulations depending on the material that requires repair.

Decide if you can fix the leaking pipe yourself

After assessing the pipe type and the damage caused by you accidentally putting a drill through it, you can take a decision over whether to carry out a repair yourself or if the services of a fully qualified plumber are required.

DIY pipe repairs have become incredibly easy over the past 10 years or so thanks to the introduction to the market of all-in-one pipe repair kits, such as our SylWrap range.

These kits contain all the products needed to permanently fix a leaking pipe inside of 30 minutes and they are effective on pipes of all materials and sizes – you simply seal the leak either with the epoxy putty or pipe repair tape provided and then overwrap with a pipe repair bandage.

There are multiple advantages to fixing damage yourself which has been caused when you accidentally drill a hole into a pipe. Calling a plumber will set you back anywhere between £40 – £60 per hour based on average rates in the United Kingdom in 2019.

Given that this will be an emergency call, you may also find yourself subjected to a call out charge which will be fixed around the same price. Already, you are looking at having to pay over £100 to get the problem repaired.

Contrast that to a pipe repair kit being available from as little as £13 and you can already begin to see the saving that you can make my repairing a broken pipe yourself.

If necessary, call a professional

Repairing a leaking pipe yourself is easy, but there could be a number of reasons why you don’t wish to carry out the task yourself. If that is the case, then you should find a reputable local plumber to come and carry out the work for you.

As always when hiring any sort of tradesman, be sure to carry out thorough checks on their credentials. If you’ve already done damage when accidentally putting a drill into a pipe, then you won’t want to compound it with a substandard repair.

You’re probably well aware of the damage that leaks can do to the value of a property and its structural integrity. Everybody notices a rise in water bills too. But arguably the most damaging aspect of leaking pipes is the one that doesn’t get talked about – the effect on human health.

When pipes start leaking, conditions suddenly become ripe for the growth of mould and mildew – two organisms which produce spores that pollute the air and can do serious damage to long-term health.

Mould and mildew

Mould and mildew are fungi which can appear anywhere. Even in newly built properties, mould spores will find a way to appear in nooks and crannies. This isn’t a problem – when left in dry areas, the organism can remain dormant for decades, never posing a threat to human health.

It’s when conditions are ripe for mould and mildew to grow and thrive that they become a real problem. For this to happen, they require air, food, the correct temperature and – crucially – moisture.

How can you prevent mould and mildew?

There’s only one realistic way that you can prevent mould and mildew, and that is by preventing access to moisture.

The other conditions that mould and mildew needs to thrive are uncontollable. Oxygen is present in every home, the organisms feed off all types of household surfaces including wood, fabric, wallpaper and paint and the optimum temperature for mould and mildew to thrive in is between 5°C and 40°C.

Keeping your home dry and ventilated is therefore the best way to combat the problem – which means fixing leaking pipes as soon as problems occur.

What damage to human health can leaking pipes cause?

Failing to repair a leaking pipe can allow moisture to gather in your home, giving mould and mildew the conditions it needs to grow.

Mildew is considered the less severe of the two organisms. It forms only on surfaces rather than within them and can be easily removed with bleach or vinegar. Its spores can cause severe allergic reactions, but it is less harmful than mould.

When exposed to moisture, mould grows quickly, producing spores in 24 hours. Unlike mildew, it penetrates surfaces rather than simply forming on the top which makes it much harder to eradicate as it will eat away at materials such as wood and drywall.

Mould’s most damaging feature though is that its spores contain allergens and irritants which cause serious health problems when inhaled from residents of visitors to properties where the organism is present.

Health issues that mould can cause include throat and skin irritation, itchy eyes, frequent coughing and sneezing as though affected by an extreme allergy, respiratory infections, breathing problems, congestion, rashes, tiredness and fever.

These problems become more severe in those with pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma. Mould can even grow inside the lungs of people with severe conditions such as tuberculosis, emphysema, or advanced sarcoidosis. Children who grow up in a mould-infested house are also far more likely to develop asthma.

That’s why preventing mould and mildew from forming in the first place is so important.

How to combat the impact of leaking pipes on your health

Because mould and mildew cannot thrive without moisture, your best chance of preventing these organisms from growing and developing is to find and repair the leaking pipe which is causing the dampness.

One of the reasons that people fail to fix a leaking pipe is because they mistakenly believe that it will be a costly and timely consuming process which could involve hiring the services of a plumber.

This isn’t the case, however. With a SylWrap Pipe Repair Kit, the user can permanently seal a leak inside of 30 minutes with no formal training required.

Recognising and fixing leaking pipes as soon as problems arise can prevent the growth and spread of mould and mildew, in turn helping you and your family from suffering potentially serious health complications.

It’s just another reason why pipe repair is so important.

The water regulator Ofwat has released its draft forward programme of what we can expect from water companies in the UK between 2020 and 2021.

There are three strategic goals laid out in the document, which Ofwat Chief Executive Rachel Fletcher describes as an “ambitious agenda” ahead of an “important and exciting year”.

For consumers, the most eye-catching aspect of Ofwat’s 2020-21 forward programme is to deliver greater value for money and to keep water affordable even for those on low income.

This ties in with the demand laid out in Ofwat’s PR19 review of the industry that water companies in the UK reduce bills by 12% before inflation over the next five years, an average saving of £50 per customer.

Here’s what else is set to happen over the coming year.

Transforming water companies’ performance

Ofwat wants to greatly improve the performances of the United Kingdom’s water companies over the course of the next year.

The regulator is vowing to use the powers that it possesses to take swift and targeted action against companies who it feels are not delivering and it wants to make smarter use of markets to benefit customers and the environment.

Ofwat is also reviewing itself by looking back at the way it conducted its PR14 and PR19 reviews into the water industry. If Ofwat can improve its own regulatory performance – particularly with regards to the five-yearly analysis it carries out – then that too can help deliver improvements across water companies in the UK.

Addressing long-term challenges

Climate change, population growth and other environmental issues will all provide significant challenges to the water industry over the next five years.

Ofwat has already begun to investigate and address these issues by carrying out joint projects with the Environment Agency, the Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural Resources Wales.

Water companies in the UK will be expected to better manage their assets with a special focus on how climate change could impact on supply and demand.

Ofwat have also confirmed that their eagerly-anticipated innovation fund will launch its first competition in 2021.

Water companies will be encouraged to work with other companies and industries to find innovative solutions to problems facing the sector, including leak prevention and reduction.

For a company like Sylmasta who specialise in easy-to-use and permanent pipe repair solutions, this is a particularly exciting development.

Data and partnerships

As well as their joint projects with the Environment Agency, the Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural Resources Wales, Ofwat will build partnerships with other regulators, consumer bodies and policy makers within both the UK and Welsh Governments.

A dedicated Ofwat office has opened in Wales and the water regulator is working with other industries and organisations to learn how they can become more effective.

Data will also play an increased role in the water industry over the next five years. Ofwat has developed its first data strategy, which will allow it to carry out more effective analysis into the UK’s water companies, becoming a more efficient regulator in the process.

You can read the full Ofwat consultation here with the regulator inviting comments on the document until Friday 21st February. The final document will be published at some point between April and June this year.

Sylmasta are hitting the road in 2020 with our first ever nationwide Pipe Repair Roadshow taking our composite repair technology into companies the length and breadth of Britain.

Burst and leaking pipes are problems which afflict a wide range of sectors. The roadshow aims to introduce cost-effective pipe repair solutions to water companies, waste treatment works, pumping stations, power stations, quarry wash plants, petrochemical plants, tradesmen and any other industries who deal with pipelines.

Those working around pipework know how easy it is to drill through a pipe or damage a buried pipe during excavation. When accidents happen, repairs can be costly, time consuming and, depending upon the severity of the leak and the fallout from it, potentially embarrassing.

Sylmasta technology helps resolve such problems, whether a leak be caused by damage, corrosion or fatigue. Our solutions are quick and easy to use, allowing for permanent pipe repairs to be made inside of 30 minutes, with no formal training required.

Each stop on the Pipe Repair Roadshow is given a live demonstration of how Sylmasta composite repair solutions work and a question and answer session from our industry-leading technicians.

The demonstration is carried out using our mobile test rig, which is quickly set up onsite. The rig exhibits how SylWrap Pipe Repair products are effective at stopping live leaks on pipes of varying diameters and with different damage types.

Demonstrations are carried out using the products available in the SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case. Each case contains enough equipment to carry out up to six live-leak repairs, making it ideal for regular users.

The Contractor Case has been designed so that it can be easily stored on site at plants and facilities which contain pipework or on the vans of contractors who may be required to carry out a sudden and unexpected repair.

The technology will become increasingly valuable to water companies in particular over the coming years. As part of Ofwat’s PR19 review into the industry, the water regulator has said that leaks must be cut by 16% by 2025 – a reduction which would save enough water to meet the needs of everyone in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield. At Sylmasta, we have a ready-made solution.

Our pipe repair technology isn’t just suitable for water companies. For examples of where we have already supplied solutions to a variety of clients across a range of different industries, then please see the Case Studies section of our website.

And to find out how the technology can help your company repair leaks, save money and reduce water waste in 2020, then please contact us – we will be pleased to arrange a visit as part of the Sylmasta Pipe Repair Roadshow 2020.

Last week, Sylmasta and Rouden kicked off their nationwide Pipe Repair Roadshow by visiting several water companies in the south of England.

The aim of the roadshow is to introduce utility services to Sylmasta’s Pipe Repair technology. 2020 represents the start of a critical five-year period for water companies in the United Kingdom, who have been told by the water regulator Ofwat that they must cut leaks by 16% by 2025.

That figure was laid down in the PR19 Document, the latest of Ofwat’s five-yearly reviews into the performance of the water industry.

The regulator says that this would save enough water to meet the needs of everyone in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield.

With leaks responsible for 3.17 billion litres of lost water every day in England and Wales in 2017-18, solutions that can either strengthen pipes to prevent leaks from occurring or repair them quickly and easily when they do happen can help to save money and reduce waste.

SylWrap Pipe Repair products do just that. Each company on the roadshow was given a live demonstration of how the composite technology in a SylWrap Contractor Case works.

Sylmasta’s mobile test rig was quickly set up on-site, with repairs carried out to seal live-leaks on pipes of different sizes and different types of damage.

The Contractor Case has been designed so that it can be kept on standby in the van. It contains enough products to carry out multiple repairs, meaning that contractors have all the equipment they need to permanently seal a live leak on any pipe diameter inside of 30 minutes.

Sylmasta’s technicians led the demonstrations, highlighting the benefits of using SylWrap technology as a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods. They also took questions from the water company’s contractors about the products.

With Sylmasta determined to help reduce the cost of leaks to both the economy and the environment, the Pipe Repair Roadshow will be ongoing throughout the year.

If you work in an industry involving the maintenance of pipework and repairs are an ongoing issue, then Sylmasta will be happy to offer a free on-site demonstration to your team to explain how Sylmasta products can benefit your company.

Sylmasta composite repair solutions are not just restricted to water supply companies. Waste Treatment Works, Pumping Stations, Power Stations, Quarry Wash Plants and Petrochemical Plants around the world have all successfully used the technology to repair and strengthen pipework systems within their facilities.

To book your visit, please call or email Sylmasta and we will be pleased to assist you.

Pipe Burst Tape repairs burst pipes, that much is obvious. But did you know that there are many other uses for pipe repair tape aside from fixing leaks?

Take Wrap & Seal for example. Not only will it seal leaking pipes of all sizes and types in 30 minutes even when water flow cannot be turned off, but it can also be used with electrical appliances and to repair and maintain car parts.

You can take even a roll of repair tape into the great outdoors with you, where it can help to improve the prospects of trees and plants.

Here are four alternative uses for pipe wrap tape – aside from the obvious.

Insulating electrical cables

With a dielectric strength of 4000VPM, Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape isn’t just designed for repairing water pipes – it can also be used for electrical insulation applications too.

You might have accidentally cut into a cable and exposed the wire inside. Perhaps the outside casing has become frayed or damaged over time. A mischievous pet could have even chewed their way through it, somehow avoiding a nasty shock in more ways than one.

Whatever the problem with your electrical cabling, pipe repair tape can help solve it. Just wrap it around the damaged area, where it will fuse in exactly the same manner as it would on a water pipe, creating a permanent seal.

Binding cables together

For many people, a jungle of cables tangled up is one of the unfortunate consequences that comes with owning electrical equipment.

If you want that supersized HD television or that powerful desktop computer to work, then having a mess of wires that resembles a plate of electrical spaghetti is a price you think you have to pay.

It doesn’t have to be this way though. A minimal amount of Pipe Burst Tape can be used to bind cables together, reducing clutter at the back of electrical appliances.

Not only will this help to tidy up the home or workplace, but it can also improve electrical performance by allowing cables to run more freely, reducing the risk of power outage and even fire that comes through unruly wires.

Car exhaust pipe repair

This should be a bit of an obvious one, but yes –pipe repair tape can be used to fix a car exhaust pipe as well as repairing leaking water pipes. Because Wrap & Seal has an operating temperature of up to 260°C, it will provide a permanent repair no matter how hot your car exhaust gets.

As well as exhaust pipe repair, Pipe Burst Tape can also be used to maintain and support wiring and cables underneath the bonnet and fix leaking radiator hoses and power steering lines. Wrap & Seal has good to fair oil resistance, meaning you can use it to repair a leaking fuel line.

Staking trees and trying plants

If you are a keen gardener, then you can even find uses for pipe repair tape in the world of horticulture. Wrap & Seal’s self-bonding super strength makes it perfect for tying trees against a stake. At the same time, it can be applied slackly enough so as not to be too tight around the growing tree.

We’ve also heard of Pipe Burst Tape being used to tie rose bushes and it could probably be used should you have a sunflower that ends up growing to epic proportions.