Repairing a pipe with duct tape: is it possible?
Can duct tape be used to repair a pipe? Those who have watched the television series “MacGyver” and other action moving have certainly learned that American duct tape can be used for anything, in the most diverse of situations.
To place plastic explosives, to put an engine back together, to tie the antagonist to a chair, and so on. Faced with these imaginative and cinematic uses, it is legitimate to ask yourself: how much of that is really true?
Can American double-sided tape truly be used to repair anything, starting from pipes? Well, in fact, tape can be used in thousands of different situations.
Moreover, from the very beginning, so-called American tape was used in very difficult contexts: developed in 1943, in the middle of World War II, to seal off crates of US army ammunition quickly, effectively, and easily, immediately became a fundamental element found in army supplies, where it was used for the most different purposes.
To seal ammunition crates, of course, but also to make emergency repairs, and even to balance helicopter blades. During the following years American duct tape also quickly became part of NASA’s basic equipment: it was used by the crew of Apollo 12 to adapt the carbon dioxide filters of the command module to the lunar module’s system, and was employed during the Apollo 17 mission to repair the broken fender of the lunar rover. So, it’s no wonder that duct tape can actually be used to repair pipes. But how? And more importantly, what kind of pipes?
Can duct tape be used to repair pipes? There are different kinds of pipes
We would be tempted to say right away that yes, double-sided tape can effectively repair pipes. It is however necessary to make a premise, stressing that there are different types of pipes, and different types of damage they can present.
Let’s start from the latter: there are pipes which show small holes, minimal leaking, or at least a contained one. Think, for example, of the hose used to water the garden, when it is bitten by a playful dog: in that case we might be dealing with one or two holes in the hose.
Or think of a PVC pipe that goes just under the same garden, bumped with the shovel: here, you might experience a greater issue. In this case the tape can fix the pipe when the breakage isn’t too extensive, when the structure of the pipe has not been compromised.
As previously stated, there are different kinds of pipes. There are copper ones, PVC ones, and so on, having both smaller or larger diameters.
In principle, with a good double-sided adhesive tape with a strong frame, it is possible to repair leaks in all these kinds of piped, but keeping in mind that long-term sealing of the tape will depend on factors such as pressure (a pipe with a water flow under pressure going through it can, in fact, be repaired with tape only in case of emergency, for a very short amount of time).
How to repair a pipe with duct tape
Repairing a pipe with American tape is not difficult. First of all, start by detecting the leak and turning off the water.
At that point, before actually repairing the tube, proceed with the cleaning and drying of the part of the pipe which will need to be repaired: it must be noted that the tape is waterproof, but only once applied on a dry surface.
Once the surface has been cleaned, you can then apply the industrial double-sided adhesive tape, and then wrap the rest pf the tape, while keeping it very taunt, around the pipe, covering it with several layers overlapping more than once.
This way, you will be able to repair the pipe effectively: for a simple garden hose this can be a sufficient repair, while in other cases it will be considered only a makeshift repair pending a more complete intervention.
Other ways to repair a pipe
There are other ways to repair a pipe. Think, for example, of a pipe with a small diameter used for high pressure water flow, presenting significant breakage. In this case, industrial double-sided cloth adhesive tape can only be seen as a temporary fix.
To make sure the whole thing is a little more durable while awaiting a final fix – which will most likely involve replacing the pipe – it will be possible to strengthen the pipe with a sleeve to be applied on its outer side, “dressing up” the pipe. This sleeve can then be sealed at both ends with tight wire.
On the market, special resins meant for the repair of pressured pipes are also available: in this case, it is certainly better to leave the job to the professionals!
