Water pipe leak...need advice

Hi all.
I have a small leak in the hot water pipe from my water heater. The pipe exits the top of the heater (vertically) and then runs horizontally along the basement ceiling. the leak is coming from the coupling that joins 2 lengths of pipe. I bought a torch kit that has everything needed to solder a pipe but there is no water shut off on the length of pipe before the leak. How can I make the repair? Empty the water heater??? Does turning off the cold water going into the heater stop the hot water from exiting?? I dont want to take a scalding shower......
Thanks in advance for the info.


Justin

You can't solder a joint if it contains any water. A joint that has leaked is best removed, then a new one installed. It is possible to reuse a fitting, but at the cost of a new one, often isn't worth the effort and time.

You need to shut off the water. You can probably get by with just turning it off to the WH. I'd also turn off the WH. Then, open a hot faucet somwhere upstairs to let air into the system. It won't drain yet. Then open the valve on the T&P valve at the top of the WH. This will let all of the water in the hot pipe flow out. Note, if you haven't opened the T&P valve, it may not seal properly and could leak. Instead, you could open the drain valve and let out a few gallons.

Then, if there is any slack in the pipe you could heat the offending joint and spread the pipe, but it may be anchored too well. In this case, then, you'd have to cut out a section, then insert a new piece, or put in a few new couplings.

Normal couplings have either a bump or a ridge halfway through the coupling acting as a stop to bottom the pipe. If you can't spread the pipe apart, you need a repair coupling. This looks the same on the outside, but does not have anything to prevent it from sliding along the pipe. You need to clean the pipe and the inside of the coupling, then add a good coat of flux, slide the coupling on one section of pipe, put the new section in there, then slide it back so it is covering the joint with half of the coupling on each section. Then, you can solder it back up. Obviously, if you cut out a section, you'd need two couplings, one on each end. Heat the coupling, not the pipe, and add solder without putting it in the flame. Take a rag while it is still liquid and smooth off the joint (you don't have to, but it looks much nicer!). If you don't wipe it, you should still wipe it off with a wet rag AFTER it cools, to remove any excess flux.

Close the valves, turn on the supply, run some water to get out the air and check for leaks, and if everything is fine, then fire up the WH.

An alternative to all of that is to take the torch kit back, pick up a Sharkbite slip coupling, cut out the old fitting, and remove any burrs, then slide on the Sharkbite fitting and you're done (make sure to turn the water off first!).

Follow Jim's advise. I would just emphasis the point about draining the pipe you are working on. It is absolutely impossible to solder a joint when there is any water, and that mean any water at all present. Also, do not think you can just wipe some flux on the leaking area and add solder. It won't work, once water has gotten into the joint, it is contaminated from a soldering point of view. You must disassemble the joint, probably by cutting it out, and totally redo it. This will require a short length of pipe and 2 couplings, at least one of which does not have the center stop bump. It's really a pretty straight forward repair, just don't try to sneak by. Be sure you clean the pipe ends and the inside of the couplers and flux the joints. I probably waste a bunch of flux by brushing it around the pipe and around the inside of the fitting, but I don't have leaks and flux is cheap. Any problems, come on back and we'll help you through it.