Help! I was installing a ceiling vent cover and accidentally drilled a hole in my copper plumbing. I don't enjoy plumbing so is there an easy fix?
Thanks!
The only proper way to repair a copper water supply line enclosed in a ceiling or wall like this is to cut it at the drilled hole and solder in a new copper coupling.
Good Luck!
Mike
Mike your right but…
If you do get a $10.00 bandage on there it’ll be a $5,000 + in a few months to a year. I do know that if insurance sees that it was not fixed right they might not pay for the damages.
Repairing this with a slip coupling certainly is not a "band aid" repair. It's no different than when you are plumbing and have to add a new length of pipe.
Soldering in a slip coupling (basically, a butt sleeve joint without a stop in the middle) is the cheapest way to fix this. If you don't want to solder, there is a Sharkbite slip coupling that may work if you have enough room - it's larger in diameter and longer - it will fill a much larger gap of a section of pipe and the seals at each end are larger in diameter. http://www.cashacme.com/pdf_sharkbite/sales/SB%20Fitting%20Sales_4_07.pdf
FYI, they now have prv's and other things with Sharkbite fittings to ease installation. They also have a line of PEX both with and without an oxygen barrier. I didn't realize they'd expanded the line so much. http://www.cashacme.com/sharkbite.php