We use pipes in our homes for so many things. Pipes bring up the potable water which is used for drinking, cleaning, washing. They also carry away the wastes etc. However, there can be times when they stop working. Below area few steps that one must follow in order to deal with leaky and frozen pipes.

Turning off the main water supply is the very thing that you should do before starting with any repair work.

It is not uncommon for compression fittings to develop leaks. In many cases, leaks in compression fittings can be resolved by re-tightening the nuts slightly. Do not over-tighten the fitting, as this could worsen the situation.

If re tightening the nut does not work, open up the fitting, cover the leak area with some tape and then reassemble the fitting. This is another temporary and a fast solution to the problem.

If you have problem at the joints, drain the pipe, remove the moisture using a hair dryer or a blow lamp, put in some self cleaning flux into the dried pipe join, melt the flux by reheating the joint and seal the joint using the flux. Silicon paste, epoxy resin are some of the sealants that can be used to stop the leaks.

Besides leaky pipes, frozen pipes are also one of the common plumbing issue faced at homes in cold regions. The best way is to keep the water warm and you can easily achieve this using heaters or even high watt bulbs.

Sometimes, a steady small trickle of water is all it takes to prevent frozen pipes. The continuous movement of water can keep them from freezing. Let the water drip continuously throughout the night preferably from a faucet connected to a wall outside. Also, make sure that your water tank and pipes are insulated. Heat tape and fibre glass are good insulating materials.

If in case you are not able to deal with any kind of plumbing situation a t home, its time to call a expert plumber to get the issue fixed and make sure you get it fixed as soon as possible otherwise it can lead to serious problems later on.