A leaky pipe can be a pain. And you just don’t always have the luxury to call your friendly neighborhood plumber to do the job for you. Not to mention plumbers and lonely ladies have been a plot of too many porn movies (I don’t know the heck why).

Leaky pipes can be mended all by yourself given the right tools. So here are some relatively easy ways to mend them.

Initial Check

Search for the source of the leak and check whether it’s a puncture in the shaft or a leaking joint. Shut off your main valve before attempting repairs. Just announce to everyone in the house that you’ll be shutting off the valve lest you want to have someone caught in the shower with shampoo in his/fer eye with not even a drip to rinse it off.

Rubber-lined Sleeve Clamp

One of the best ways to stop that leak but it takes a bit of fiddling around with screws. You must first get a rubber-lined sleeve clamp that fits your pipe. Finding the pipe measurement can be tough. If you’re lucky it can be embossed on the pipe if not, you may have to measure using a ruler or a caliper to check the diameter.

Plus, not all hardware stores may carry the variant with a rubber lining. If you can’t find one with a rubber lining you can just but a sleeve clamp and use a rubber sheeting or blanket to sandwich in between the clamp and pipe. Once installed, you’ve got the rubber to “patch” the leak and the clamp to put pressure hold it in place.

Hose Clamps

Now the concept of the rubber sheeting and a clamp may also be applied with different clamp-types . You may use a hose clamp which actually can be handier than the sleeve clamp since this can fit different size pipes though it’s strength is only best for pinhole leaks.

Quick Fixes

These next fixes are for those who don’t want to deal with hardware. These are also best as temporary fixes which means you better call the plumber when possible.

Duct Tape or Electrical Tape

Duct tape – the breakfast of champions. It can stop pinhole leaks on metal or PVC pipes. It’s best to wrap three layers around the hole covering three inches on either side of the leak. Overlap the tape with each turn. There’s a Duct tape specially made for outdoor use. If duct tape’s not available, you may try using electrical tape.

Plumber’s Epoxy Putty

This is best for those leaking joints since it’s impossible to clamp joints. You can slather plumber’s epoxy putty around the joints to stop leaks. You must make sure that the pipe joints are clean and dry before applying. Just follow the instructions that are written on the label. They now have it in stick form which are moldable like modeling clay but dries fast and hard.