Help! Leaky Copper Elbow Bit.

Nicola1978 · Mar 27, 2020

A pipe below an upstairs floorboard (in the ceiling of the kitchen below) is dripping. I accidentally put my finger through the ceiling earlier and found it.

The drip is coming out of a copper elbow / corner bit. There's a small green spot of erosion and the water reappears there when I wipe it. It must be a pinprick sized hole cos water is only in small drops.

Need a solution to get me through lockdown. Is it likely to burst and flood the house or can I shove a bucket under it for a month? Or is there something I can put over the pinprick hole that will stop the water coming out.

I have zero plumbing expertise in case that wasn't obvious from my garbled explanation!

WC1 · Mar 27, 2020

It won't burst open. If you can catch it in a bucket all good. Fixing an elbow like that = competent diy job.
[automerge]1585336814[/automerge]
Might be an idea to try and find out what those pipes supply...

Nicola1978 · Mar 27, 2020

WC1 said:
It won't burst open. If you can catch it in a bucket all good. Fixing an elbow like that = competent diy job.
[automerge]1585336814[/automerge]
Might be an idea to try and find out what those pipes supply...

Its the cold water pipe for the sink in the bathroom above. I made the hole big enough to investigate.

I have a bucket in the middle of the kitchen catching the drips.

ShaunCorbs · Mar 28, 2020

You should be fine for a bit just don’t go touching / cleaning it

Needs the elbows replacing

centralheatking · Mar 28, 2020

Nicola1978 said:
Its the cold water pipe for the sink in the bathroom above. I made the hole big enough to investigate.

I have a bucket in the middle of the kitchen catching the drips.

You might tie a length of string around the leaking bit and leave a length dangling down a bit this will help the water find its way into the bucket better and float a sponge in the bucket to mitigate splashes.
Centralheatking