Help water line froze and split

[AustinAir]

My space heaters tripped the breaker and temp in my AS dropped into 20*s and a copper water line under kitchen sink has a small ( 1/8 to 1/4 inch) split. What is easiest way to fix this? It appears to be 3/8 inch outer diameter according to caliper measurements
Pic below

[Gregsch]

Often when copper tubing freezes it stretches before it breaks. So when you try to repair it you may find that standard copper fittings wont work. If you want to do as little as possible I would cut the bad part out with a tubing cutter and try to replace it with standard copper fittings. If the copper coupling wont fit over the tubing, cut a few more inches off and try again. You may have to do this several times until you find a section of the tubing that has not stretched. At some point in time you will want to replace all that old copper with PEX.

[AustinAir]

Originally Posted by Gregsch

Often when copper tubing freezes it stretches before it breaks. So when you try to repair it you may find that standard copper fittings wont work. If you want to do as little as possible I would cut the bad part out with a tubing cutter and try to replace it with standard copper fittings. If the copper coupling wont fit over the tubing, cut a few more inches off and try again. You may have to do this several times until you find a section of the tubing that has not stretched. At some point in time you will want to replace all that old copper with PEX.

Thanks will do. What about shark bite fittings would that work?

[CruizinDux]

[QUOTE=AustinAir;1921905]My space heaters tripped the breaker and temp in my AS dropped into 20*s and a copper water line under kitchen sink has a small ( 1/8 to 1/4 inch) split. What is easiest way to fix this? It appears to be 3/8 inch outer diameter according to caliper measurements Attachment 281322

Like Gregsch said, cut out the bad until you get to good tubing. Personally I'd take the cut out section (with a good end/OEM dimension) to a hardware store and look for a match and buy a two copper compression connectors/couplers.

apologizes for the terrible jpeg

Bob

[OTRA15]

Sorry to rain on your parade, but that single frozen pipe may not be the only one, if your plumbing lines were all full. Repair the one break and turn on the water carefully, listening for rushing water inside the walls, behind the shower valves and so forth. Leave the water on for 5 minutes and turn it off, then look for drips under the trailer.

Or, fill the water tank, and use the pump to charge all the lines. Then shut all faucets but leave the pump on. If you have other leaks the pump will turn on and off.

If your water heater was full, hopefully you caught the problem before the heater tank split.

Good luck!

Peter

[GCinSC2]

Suggestion for finding additional leaks. Use air. Take your wintering fitting and at maybe 30 psi or so pressurize the system. Listen for whistling. Better yet rig a test blowout connection that allows you to pressurize, includes a pressure gage, close a valve on the tester and monitor for leak down. Like new home construction does.

[CruizinDux]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Sorry to rain on your parade, but that single frozen pipe may not be the only one, if your plumbing lines were all full.

Peter

so what's that Donald Sutherland line from Kelly's Heros...something about "...all those negative vibes..."

one leak at a time. Pressure up...look for water, repair, repeat as necessary.

hit the road

bob

[OTRA15]

" . . . negative waves . . . " [0:35]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyh-JpWdGmQ

PS save a trip to the store and get extra supplies on the first trip . . .

[Shacksman]

A quick temporary repair is to squeeze the hole back together and solder over it. I have done it a few times and if done cleanly it holds quite well.

[waninae39]

as above "cut a few more inches off" then patch with a slightly shorter piece of copper tubing and two female female couplers. solder these four joints. Just soldering the whole is looking for the leak to occur again. do it right; do it once

[polarlyse]

Doing the complete re-plumb with PEX is surely the best of all solutions but if you can get to the lines easily cut out the split sections and solder on a PEX connector and just replace the bad section(s) with PEX. PEX is a bit more forgiving to expansion during a freeze event. Copper is not at all.

[AustinAir]

Thanks all I will work on it this week. I have already repaired the shower core and a drain valve that were freeze damaged but am aware that there maybe others

[davidlparker]

Originally Posted by AustinAir

Thanks all I will work on it this week. I have already repaired the shower core and a drain valve that were freeze damaged but am aware that there maybe others

You can replace the damaged section with PEX. Usually one can buy PEX in relatively short sections. Get copper to PEX fittings (use the suggestions above to find locations where the original tubing is not misshapen). The experience of working with PEX will be good training for when you have a more extensive job.

As for finding additional leaks I like the air suggestion. It is not as messy and does not add water damage to your AS.

Good luck.

David Parker
1993 Excella
1989 Dodge D-350

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by AustinAir

Thanks will do. What about shark bite fittings would that work?

Originally Posted by AustinAir

My space heaters tripped the breaker and temp in my AS dropped into 20*s and a copper water line under kitchen sink has a small ( 1/8 to 1/4 inch) split. What is easiest way to fix this? It appears to be 3/8 inch outer diameter according to caliper measurements Attachment 281322
Pic below

Clean it up, for a quick fix, soldier it. That will hold it.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by tjdonahoe

Clean it up, for a quick fix, soldier it. That will hold it.

But there is very little peace of mind in this kind of repair IMO. One campground with high water pressure, and the soldered weak spot could let go without notice.

The original poster is on it:

Originally Posted by AustinAir

Thanks all I will work on it this week. I have already repaired the shower core and a drain valve that were freeze damaged but am aware that there maybe others

Thanks for the update AustinAir. Looking forward to further updates, especially if you switch to PEX in any hidden spots which need repair.

Peter

[mimiandrews]

Be very careful when trying to solder. You'll be in among all kinds of flammable, thin wood in the interior of your trailer.

Personally, if I could find a place where the tubing hasn't stretched too much, I'd consider using PEX with Sharkbite connectors on either end. PEX is easier anyway.

My PO left me with the same problem. I pulled out all the copper water lines and replaced them with PEX, using crimp ring fittings. No more trouble in 8 years since then.

[Shacksman]

Originally Posted by Shacksman

A quick temporary repair is to squeeze the hole back together and solder over it. I have done it a few times and if done cleanly it holds quite well.

Soldering is a QUICK, TEMPORARY, repair when on the road and it's easy to get at the break. A permanent repair is done at home.

[waninae39]

also try using electrical heater wire. these warp around pipes that may freeze. it's likely safer that a light bulb bouncing around

[AustinAir]

Well got the system to pressure up and no apparent leaks but when I turn water to hot flows for a few seconds and stops? I had drained hot water heater prior to freeze. I couldn't get hot water heater to ignite could that cause that?
Thnx for all the help

[AustinAir]

AS fixed water leaks fixed, check valve on hot water heater was clogged and needed to be replaced also. Headed camping next weekend!
Thanks to all that helped with advise