Tag: Superfast Steel Stick

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Case Study: Repair and Reconnection of a Ruptured 20bar Cast Iron Water Supply Pipe

A ruptured cast iron water supply pipe is removed, repaired and then reconnected to the water network in a Sylmasta pipe repair

The Only Way is Sylmasta – A complex pipe repair in Essex reconnects a block of flats to their water supply

After removing a damaged section of water supply pipe connected to a block of flats, a contractor discovered new fittings were not available – they now needed a repair for the initial rupture which could hold up to 20bar and to reconnect the pipe with the rest of the line.

Case Study Data

Site
Block of Flats
Location
Essex, United Kingdom
Repair Type
No pressure repair and pipeline reconnection
Defect
Ruptured 70mm cast iron water supply pipe

Products Used

SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case
The complexity of the application required the multiple pipe repair products available in a Contractor Case

Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty Stick
Epoxy putty sealed the holes in the pipe which caused the rupture

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Increased pressure resistance of repair and provided watertight seal for reconnecting the damaged section to the supply line

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
Provided an impact resistant protective layer over the damaged section and the entire length of pipe once reconnected

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Corrosion had caused the 100-year-old 70mm cast iron water supply pipe to rupture, resulting in a high-pressure leak that was losing a considerable amount of water.

Upon inspecting the pipe, the contractor in charge decided that it was too badly damaged to be repaired and so they removed the effected section with the intention of carrying out a replacement.

It was only once the pipe had been cut away that the contractor discovered replacement fittings of the size and type required were no longer manufactured because of the age of the pipe.

Whilst the damaged section remained unrepaired and disconnected from the supply line, the block of flats was disconnected from the public network and therefore had no water.

  • The leaking pipe was losing considerable amounts of water
  • Contractors cut away the damaged section from the supply line

The contractor needed to find a rapid repair method for the rupture capable of withstanding the 20bar pressure which the pipe was normally under and a way to reattach the removed section to the supply line so that service could be restored to the flats.

The seriousness of the problem was such that the contractor drove from Essex to Sylmasta HQ in West Sussex first thing in the morning to collect a SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case. Sylmasta recommended the use of the Case rather than a Universal Pipe Repair Kit because of the complexity of the repair.

A 100-year-old cast iron water supply pipe which was badly ruptured prior to having a Sylmasta repair carried out
Corrosion had led to the cast iron pipe rupturing

A Sylmasta Contractor Case contains enough products for up to six live leak pipe repairs but on this occasion, the additional Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape and SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage were to be used for reconnecting the pipe after the initial repair had been made to the ruptured section. It was in effect two repairs in one.

Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty Stick was used to seal the rupture in the cast iron pipe. The putty was kneaded by hand and pushed into the cracks where it hardened, plugging the leaks. Because of the high pressure that the water supply pipe comes under, it was decided to reinforce the putty with an overwrapping of Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape.

Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty used to seal a ruptured cast iron water supply pipe as part of a Sylmasta repair
Superfast Steel sealed the rupture in the pipe
Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape provides a high-pressure repair to a ruptured cast iron water supply pipe
The epoxy putty was reinforced with Wrap & Seal, increasing pressure resistance
A SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage provides a protective layer to the repair of a leaking cast iron water supply pipe
Initial repair is overwrapped with a SylWrap HD Bandage

Wrap & Seal is made from self-fusing silicone and stretches by three times its length, fusing into a solid rubber band. Layers of Tape can be built up to provide a repair which is pressure resistant up to 30bar.

Using Wrap & Seal and Superfast Steel in conjunction increased the pressure resistance of the application in a similar manner. The initial damage repair was completed with a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage, providing a rock-hard, impact-resistant protective layer to the Superfast Steel and the Wrap & Seal.

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape used to reconnect a section of cast iron water supply pipe to the rest of the line following removal
Wrap & Seal applied at the joints to reconnect the cut-out section to the supply line
SylWrap Pipe Repair Bandage used to reconnect a section of cast iron water supply pipe with the rest of the line
Additional SylWrap HD used to encompass the entire pipe

For stage two of the repair, further Wrap & Seal was used to reconnect the damaged section of pipe to the supply line. The Tape provided a high-strength, watertight seal between the joints. To further protect the connections between joints and the initial damage repair, another SylWrap HD Bandage was applied.

This final Bandage encompassed the entire pipe; the section which had been removed and the rest of the water supply line which had remained in place either side. Once cured, the bandage was painted black to make it a uniform colour with the rest of the pipe.

The completed repair and reconnection of a ruptured cast iron water supply pipe using a Sylmasta Pipe Repair Contractor Case
SylWrap HD is painted black to appear uniform with the pipe and complete the repair

The entire repair was completed in under two hours, after which water supply to the block of flats was restored. The contractor estimated that replacing the damaged section with specially fabricated new parts would have cost £12,000. Thanks to Sylmasta, the repair was completed for under £300.

Case Study Video

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: Leaking Cast Iron Wastewater Pipe Repair at a London Hotel

Pipe repair carried out to a wastewater pipe made of cast iron in a central London hotel

Getting a room – Sylmasta solve the problem of a leaking cast iron wastewater pipe in an iconic London hotel

An iconic central London hotel faced having to shut one of its most prestigious rooms after a cast iron wastewater pipe located in the ceiling above developed a large circular crack which initially proved impossible to repair.

Case Study Data

Site
Hotel
Location
London, United Kingdom
Repair Type
No pressure pipe repair
Defect
50 x 25mm hole in a cast iron wastewater pipe

Products Used

Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty Stick
Superfast Steel was formed into a disc shape and used to seal the crack

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
The Superfast Steel was overwrapped with a SylWrap HD Bandage, reinforcing the initial seal

SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit
Superfast Steel and SylWrap HD can be purchased together as part of the Standard Pipe Repair Kit

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Several attempts had been made to repair the leaking cast iron wastewater pipe, but its location within the hotel made it particularly troublesome. The pipe was crammed into a gap between the floor of one level and the ceiling of another, leaving virtually no room to work.

The hotel’s initial repair attempt had seen them try and wrap the pipe with a repair bandage. Although the crack was successfully covered, it was not successfully sealed and so began leaking again once pressure was turned back on.

A cracked cast iron wastewater pipe repair which had failed at a hotel in the United Kingdom
The failed first repair of the pipe
A 50 x 25mm crack in a cast iron wastewater pipe which required repair
The 50 x 25mm crack was located on an elbow joint

The 50 x 25mm hole therefore required an alternative repair method. To complicate the repair further, the crack in the cast iron wastewater pipe was on an elbow joint.

Sylmasta decided that the most effective pipe repair product to seal the hole would be Superfast Steel Epoxy Repair Stick. The size and the position of the crack still possessed some challenges, which were eventually overcome by some out-of-the-box thinking by the Sylmasta technicians.

The Superfast Steel Stick was hand kneaded as normal, but rather than being pushed immediately into the crack it was instead formed into a disc larger than the hole in order to completely cover it. This disc of epoxy putty was then attached to a strip of polythene sheeting.

Steel epoxy putty used to seal a crack in a leaking cast iron wastewater pipe
Superfast Steel formed into a disc and applied over the crack

The sheeting would support the epoxy putty whilst it was stretched over the crack in the pipe. Once in position, the edges of the disc were pushed tightly down onto the cast iron pipe to form a good seal with the surface of the pipe.

Once the epoxy putty was in place, the whole repair was overwrapped with a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage. SylWrap is water activated and sets rock-hard to provide an impact resistant layer over the initial repair. It does not need to be stretched for an effective application, meaning that it could easily be applied to the cast iron pipe despite the space constraints.

A SylWrap Pipe Repair Bandage applied over a cracked cast iron wastewater pipe in a London hotel
The Superfast Steel was overwrapped with a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

After the repair was completed, the hotel was able to reopen to the public the popular room which had been affected by the leaking wastewater pipe. The solution is permanent and was carried out at a fraction of the cost of hiring a plumber or replacing the damaged pipe.

It also saved time with the repair being effective in less than an hour. Sylmasta have since recommended that the hotel take stock of the SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case, a kit which contains enough products to carry out up to six pipe repairs.

A Contractor Case can be easily stored on site, enabling an emergency pipe repair to be carried out as soon a pipe related problem arises for the hotel in the future. All the products included in the Contractor Case are WRAS approved, making them safe to use with drinking water.

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: Pinhole Repair of a Steel Pipe in a Furniture Factory Sprinkler System

The repair of a leaking pipe in a sprinkler system at a British furniture company's workshop carried out using a SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit

Sylmasta’s sprinkler pipe repair saves a furniture company from burning money on a section replacement

After a sprinkler maintenance company informed a furniture company that the only solution to a pinhole leak on a tee in their factory’s sprinkler system was to replace a damaged section of steel pipe, the furniture company instead sought out Sylmasta to provide a cost-effective and convenient repair.

Case Study Data

Site
Furniture Factory
Location
Southern England, United Kingdom
Repair Type
No pressure pipe repair
Defect
Pinhole leak on a steel pipe tee

Products Used

Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty Stick
Superfast Steel was used to plug the pinhole leak in the steel pipe

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage was wrapped around the tee junction to reinforce the repair

SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit
The repair was carried out using a Standard Pipe Repair Kit which contains both items for no pressure repairs

Case Study PDF

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Case Study Review

The furniture company needed a quick repair for a number of reasons. There were two safety elements to consider; the first being the very obvious dangers that come with a faulty sprinkler system and the second that the leaking pipe was located high up in the roof of the warehouse, next to the incoming electricity supply.

Any water which passed through the leaking section was therefore in danger of coming into contact with the electrics. There was also the danger that water escaping from the pinhole would cause damage to the furniture being stored and manufactured below.

A steel pipe in a furniture factory's sprinkler system located in the roof developed a pinhole leak
The location of the tee junction high in the roof of the factory made fixing the pinhole leak challenging

Initially, the furniture company contacted their sprinkler maintenance company. After inspecting the problem, the maintenance company decided to try and repair the leak with a pipe repair clamp. This proved impossible however due to the pinhole being directly below a tee junction in the steel pipe.

After this failed attempt, the sprinkler maintenance company advised that the only solution would be to replace the leaking section of steel pipe, at great cost to the furniture company and forcing the closure of the factory whilst the work was undertaken.

A pinhole leak on a steel pipe tee junction prior to being repaired using Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty
The pinhole leak marked on the steel pipe

Understandably, this was a road that the furniture company did not wish to go down, and so they decided to seek out alternative repair methods, leading them to Sylmasta. Because the pressure was turned off in the damaged section of the sprinkler system, Sylmasta were able to recommend a SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit for the repair.

The furniture factory reached the damaged section of pipework using a tower. Once up in the rafters, a Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty Stick was mixed by hand and used to plug the pinhole leak. The Putty hardened within 5-10 minutes, after which it was overwrapped with a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage.

Repair of a pinhole leak in a steel pipe completed using a SylWrap Pipe Repair Bandage
The repair was completed using a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

The bandage was applied over the pinhole leak and around both sections of the tee junction to provide maximum coverage and pressure resistance. One of the furniture factory’s concerns was that the pressure in the sprinkler system can be as high as 8 bar and they needed a repair method that could withstand such levels.

This was no problem for the Standard Pipe Repair Kit. The cured Superfast Steel and SylWrap Bandage are suitable for repairs up to 30 bar. Within an hour of the repair being completed, the system was put back into use at a fraction of the cost of the section replacement recommended by the sprinkler maintenance company.

Following the repair, the furniture company’s maintenance manager got in touch to say: “I found the repair putty and the bandage very easy to use and will no doubt be using Sylmasta products again.”

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