The other night I found a copper pipe in our house leaking with a very fine spray. There was also this white goo around the leak that looked like silicone without the stickiness or the smell. I wiped it off and cut the pipe at the leak with one of those pipe cutters you spin about the pipe. It wouldn't quite cut all the way through the pipe so I finished the job with a hacksaw. I put a coupling on and no amount of solder would keep it from leaking. The next day I bought more couplings and cut the pipe 3" on either side of the leak and soldered in a 6" piece of pipe with no leaks at all. I'm far from a expert but I can sweat copper pipe.
So my questions are many. What caused the original leak? There was no other metal touching the pipe which might cause a leak through electrolysis. And what was with that goo? Where did that come from? It looked like silicone. When I cut the pipe why couldn't I solder on a coupling? I've never had a solder joint fail. It's amazing how foolproof it is. I'm seriously worried. This leak occurred on a vary convenient stretch of pipe. What happens when the next leak is inside a wall? Is there goo flowing through the pipes through which my family drinks?
I can not thank you enough for any advice.
So my questions are many. What caused the original leak? There was no other metal touching the pipe which might cause a leak through electrolysis. And what was with that goo? Where did that come from? It looked like silicone. When I cut the pipe why couldn't I solder on a coupling? I've never had a solder joint fail. It's amazing how foolproof it is. I'm seriously worried. This leak occurred on a vary convenient stretch of pipe. What happens when the next leak is inside a wall? Is there goo flowing through the pipes through which my family drinks?
I can not thank you enough for any advice.