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Case Study: Burst Copper Pipe Repair in Portable Horse & Dog Shower Unit

A copper pipe burst during freezing winter weather undergoes repair with a SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit

Replacement? Hold your horses – the repair of a burst copper pipe which had a horse shower running again in no time

When freezing winter weather led a copper pipe in a portable horse and dog shower to burst, it required a quick and simple repair method capable of being effective inside the cramped space of the unit.

Case Study Data


Site
Portable horse and dog shower
Location
United Kingdom
Repair Type
Leak repair
Defect
Split in copper pipe caused by freezing temperatures

Products Used


Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty Stick
Fast-working epoxy putty pushed into the crack in the copper pipe to seal it

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
Composite repair wrap applied over Superfast Copper to reinforce the initial repair

SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit
Superfast Epoxy and SylWrap HD are supplied together in the Standard Pipe Repair Kit

Case Study PDF


Case Study Details


Showerking are a Sussex-based supplier of portable hot shower units designed for horses and dogs. Units are typically stored in unheated outbuildings. Although designed to handle winter weather, copper pipe in the unit which has not been fully drained becomes prone to bursting during periods of exceptionally cold weather.

When temperatures in the United Kingdom dropped as low as -15°C, several Showerking owners reported burst pipes which rendered their units unusable. If they turned the shower on, water would spray out of the large crack created in the copper pipe.

Freezing temperatures had created a split in the copper pipe

Fortunately, Showerking had already contacted Sylmasta about the possibilities of pipe repair for horse showers. The SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit provided the most suitable method as units would be turned off in the event of leaks or bursts, meaning no pressure to the pipe.

It had been established that the smallest Standard Pipe Repair Kit (SYL-106-NP) was ideal for application because of both the cramped space inside the unit and the difficult shape of the pipework. There were many bends which were unrepairable with a clamp.

Through the relationship between Showerking and Sylmasta, users whose horse showers had suffered burst pipes were directed to the exact product they needed to fix the problem, and had the straightforward repair process explained to them.

Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty used to repair a burst in a horse shower copper pipe caused by freezing temperatures
Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty was used to cover the split

Loose material was removed from the burst copper pipe before repair. Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty Stick was then used to seal the crack. Enough putty to cover the crack was cut from the stick and kneaded by hand until it turned a uniform colour.

Whilst soft, the putty was pushed onto the pipe, encompassing the entire crack. This completed the first stage of the repair. The second stage involved applying a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage over the Superfast Copper.

SylWrap HD is a composite repair wrap with a water-activated resin which sets rock hard. The bandage was wrapped and smoothed around the pipe as the Superfast Copper began to harden, forcing the putty into the crack to create a permanent, watertight seal.

Within five minutes of SylWrap HD being applied, the bandage had cured to form a rock hard shell reinforcing the pipe, and which also offered protection from expansion in the future. The completed repair was resistant to 30bar, making it more than capable of holding the pressure the horse shower unit operated at.

The repair took less than 30 minutes from start to finish and the SYL-106-NP Standard Pipe Repair Kit cost under £25 including delivery, returning the £180 Showerking unit to service the same day.

For more information about portable horse and dog showers, please see the Showerking website.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com

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Case Study: Repair of a Cracked Copper Pipe in a Camper Van Boiler System

A copper pipe in a camper van boiler system undergoes repair using Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty and a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

Carry on camping – a difficult-to-access copper pipe in a camper van boiler system undergoes repair

A camper van owner manages to repair a crack in a copper pipe located within the van’s boiler system, despite the leak area being extremely difficult to access

Case Study Data


Site
Camper van boiler
Location
United Kingdom
Repair Type
Leak repair
Defect
Crack in a copper pipe

Products Used


Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty Stick
Fast-working epoxy putty pushed into the crack in the copper pipe to seal it

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
Composite repair wrap applied over Superfast Copper to reinforce the initial repair

SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit
Superfast Epoxy and SylWrap HD are supplied together in the Standard Pipe Repair Kit

Case Study PDF


Case Study Details


The boiler system provided heat and hot water to the camper van. A deep crack appeared in a copper pipe located underneath the cover of the boiler, causing a pressurised jet of water to spray out whenever the boiler was turned on.

Problematically, the crack was located at a point where the pipe angled towards the back casing of the boiler. It faced towards the side of the casing with access extremely limited.

The confined space meant that there was no room to fit a pipe repair clamp, nor apply Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape with enough stretch for it to self-amalgamate effectively.

Because the boiler could be turned off, Sylmasta recommended to the camper van owner that they use Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty Stick to plug the crack in the pipe.

Superfast Copper comes in a 114 gram stick format and has a work time of 5 to 10 minutes, enabling rapid repairs to be made to copper and other non-ferrous metals.

Before the application began, the pipe was cleaned and dried to aid the adhesion of the putty to the metalwork. The required amount of putty was cut from the stick and kneaded by hand.

Whilst soft, the putty was pushed into the crack in the copper pipe where it hardened, sealing the hole. Enough putty was used to cover the section of pipe both above and below the crack to improve the chances of success.

To reinforce the putty, the entire section of pipe was then covered with a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage. SylWrap HD is a composite repair wrap with a water activated resin which sets rock hard in minutes to provide an impact resistant layer of protection.

Typically, SylWrap HD would be wrapped around the pipe. The space constraints meant that this could not be done effectively in this particular application, and so the bandage was cable tied to the pipe whilst it cured.

Once the copper pipe repair was completed, the boiler was turned back on. Water was no longer escaping from the crack, denoting a successful boiler pipe repair and saving a considerable amount of money for the camper van owner compared to the cost of fitting a replacement pipe.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com

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Case Study: Argentina Oil Well 900mm Steel Pipe Surface Restoration & Repair

A 900mm steel pipe in an oil well in Argentina was badly corroded and leaking before Sylmasta carried out a repair

Well, well, well – A SylWrap pipe repair keeps the oil pumping at a well in Argentina

An oil well in Argentina needed to repair a badly corroded, ruptured 900mm steel pipe if they were to keep the oil pumping. When a pipe repair clamp failed because of the leak being positioned on a tee, they turned to a more versatile Sylmasta repair

Case Study Data


Site
Oil well
Location
Argentina
Repair Type
Leak repair and corrosion protection
Defect
Pitting and cracking on a 900mm steel pipe

Products Used


Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty Stick
Fast-working epoxy putty sealed cracks in the pipe and smoothed off pitting caused by corrosion

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Repair tape with high chemical resistance used to reinforce the epoxy putty

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
Applied over the repair to provide a layer of protection to a vast section of pipe

Case Study PDF


Case Study Review


The 900mm steel pipe pumped water into the well, filling it and in turn pushing oil towards the top for extraction. If the pipe was unable to supply the well with sufficient levels of water, then removing oil became extremely difficult.

Corrosion to the pipe had caused heavy pitting and a number of ruptures to appear. The oil well initially attempted to seal the pipe using two repair clamps.

A 900mm steel pipe in an oil well at Argentina with a pipe repair clamp applied
The initial repair using a pipe repair clamp failed

Problematically, the leak area was located close to a tee and a welded joint, preventing the repair clamp from working effectively.

A more flexible repair method was required and so the oil well turned to Sylmasta for a solution. Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty was used to plug the holes in the pipe and to smooth off the damage caused by corrosion, restoring the surface profile of the pipe.

A 900mm steel pipe showing signs of serious surface damage caused by corrosion
Surface damage caused to the steel pipe through corrosion
Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty applied to a leaking steel pipe in an oil well
Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty applied to seal cracks and restore surface profile

Because the exterior of the steel pipe was extremely oily, the oil well decided to reinforce the Superfast Copper with Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape.

Combining a self-fusing silicone repair tape like Wrap & Seal with Superfast Copper increased pressure resistance and chemical protection.

The entire repair was then overwrapped with SylWrap HD Pipe Bandage. The flexibility of SylWrap HD meant that it could be easily applied to the pipe around both the tee and the welded joint.

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape applied to a 900mm steel pipe
Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape provided further pressure and chemical resistance
SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage applied to a badly corroded, leaking 900mm steel pipe at an Argentinian oil well
The repair of the 900mm steel pipe was completed with SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandages

SylWrap HD provided an impact-resistant, rock-hard layer to the repaired damage area, protecting a vast section of pipe from future corrosion, breaches, and general wear and tear.

Despite the size of the pipe and the challenges posed by the tee and welded joint, the repair was a complete success.

Within two hours, water was again filling the well. Oil extraction could resume at a fraction of what a replacement pipe would have cost in new fittings, installation and downtime whilst the oil well was out of operation.

Although this particular repair was made with Superfast Copper, Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty Stick would have been equally effective had it been available at the time.

Superfast Steel, Wrap & Seal Pipe and SylWrap HD can all be purchased as part of the SylWrap Universal Pipe Repair Kit for fixing live leaks.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com

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Case Study: Leak Repair of a Pierced 300mm Plastic Pipe in a Quarry Wash Plant

A pierced plastic pipe in a quarry wash plant undergoes a leak repair using a SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit

Keeping it clean – a pierced plastic pipe in a quarry wash plant undergoes a rapid leak repair

A quarry in the United Kingdom needed to carry out a leak repair after a plastic pipe feeding the aggregate wash plant became pierced during day-to-day operations at the site.

Case Study Data


Site
Quarry
Location
United Kingdom
Repair Type
Leak repair
Defect
Pinhole leak in 300mm plastic pipe

Products Used


Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty Stick
Fast-working epoxy putty used to seal the hole in the plastic pipe

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
Composite wrap reinforced the repair and protected the pipe from further damage

SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit
Superfast Epoxy and SylWrap HD are supplied together in the Standard Pipe Repair Kit

SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case
Contains enough products to make up to six live leak repairs, the perfect kit for keeping on-site in harsh environments like a quarry

Case Study PDF


Case Study Details


One of the plastic pipes feeding the aggregate wash plant in the quarry had become pierced, resulting in a jet of highly pressurised water shooting out of a pinhole leak.

The quarry needed to carry out a repair to keep downtime to a minimum. To replace the damaged section of pipe would have been extremely disruptive to operations on the site.

A pierced plastic pipe in a quarry wash plant before undergoing a rapid leak repair with a SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit
Pierced plastic pipe prior to undergoing repair

Sylmasta supplied the quarry with a SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit. The Standard Kit enables any user to fix a leaking pipe where water pressure can be turned off.

Superfast Copper Epoxy Putty Stick was used to seal the pinhole in the plastic pipe. The epoxy putty is supplied in a pre-formatted stick which is kneaded by hand and pushed into the hole whilst soft.

Following the application of the epoxy putty, the pipe was then wrapped with a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage SYL633HD for pipe diameters 150mm to 300mm.

SylWrap HD is a composite repair wrap with a water-activated resin which sets rock hard in minutes, providing an impact resistant layer of protection to pipework.

When used in conjunction with Superfast Copper, SylWrap HD creates a reinforced repair with pressure resistance up to 30 bar, more than enough to withstand the pressure that the plastic pipe operated under.

Pierced plastic pipe at a quarry wash plant repaired using a SylWrap Pipe Repair Kir
Completed repair overwrapped with SylWrap HD

With pipe failures at quarries being a frequent occurrence due to the abrasive nature of the contents of slurry being moved around, Sylmasta have since recommended that the quarry take stock of the SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case.

Each Case contains enough products to make up to six emergency live leak repairs in under 30 minutes. The Case is easy-to-store on-site, meaning that next time pipework at the quarry is damaged, all the materials needed are at hand for an immediate repair.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com