Need advice: Would soldering stop this leak?

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dexler

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Hello, I have a Delta faucet model 200 which developed a small leak on the copper tubing that connects to the cold water pipe it looks like a tiny 1 millimeter hairline crack. Here is a picture where the leak is (red line points to the leak):

deltafaucet-1pic.jpg


My idea was to solder over where the leak is, would this stop the leak permanently or would you consider this to be a bandaid solution? A replacement faucet would cost me $90 :( Thank you.
 
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Verdeboy

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My gut feeling is that your faucet is now toast.

I suppose you can try soldering it or using plumber's epoxy, but I don't think it will last for too long.
 

dexler

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My gut feeling is that your faucet is now toast.

I suppose you can try soldering it or using plumber's epoxy, but I don't think it will last for too long.

I assume that you think that the crack could keep growing? I am going to try it anyways and keep a close eye on it. I plan to remodel my kitchen in a couple of months from now. Hopefully it will last until then. Thank you for your reply.
 

Garydaplummer

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Contact Delta First

See if they'll replace it under lifetime warranty. Not sure, but certainly worth a try. Delta gave me no problem replacing a faulty bath faucet that was over 5 years old even though my customer had no original paperwork. They shipped me a faucet Fed Ex.:)
 

Gardner

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I am going to try it anyways

If you just wet the area of the pipe with solder, I doubt you will get any INTO the crack and I doubt the patch will be effective. I would want a structure to hold the solder around the crack.

If the crack is on a straight area, you can fabricate a saddle patch from a short piece of malleable 3/8ths copper, wire that in place and solder it on. If it's on a curve, maybe try winding clean bare copper or brass wire around the pipe over the crack. These approaches will give the solder something to stick to above the crack and help to strengthen the pipe around the crack and perhaps keep it from growing.
 

WestcoastPlumber

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for the cost of a faucet, under $100.00, your risking a flood when your not home??

bite the bullet and replace the faucet. all the faucets I have seen leak from that area, have been really old and not worth messing with.

the leak won't always happen when your home, it's the ones when your not home or on vacation you have to worry about:D
 

dexler

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Garydaplummer,

I tried that, the faucet is only 3 years old which I bought at Home Depot. It is still under warranty but Delta Faucet is giving me the run around. I have the original receipt but they want me to send it in with the original box! Who keeps the box after 3 years?


gardner,

Interesting Idea, I will try that. Thanks.


westcoastplumber,
for the cost of a faucet, under $100.00, your risking a flood when your not home??

Lol! ... way ahead of you, since I live by myself I always shutoff the water to the faucet when I go to sleep and turn it back on when I need to use it. It's not really a hassle since I mostly eat out anyways :)

Thank for the advice guys.
 

lhoward145

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Let's see....$90 to replace the faucet. How much to replace water damaged materials in the house if the repair does not hold when you are away?

Since you are going to remodel in a couple of months anyway, just buy the new faucet now. So what if you install it twice. It is an easy job.

Replace the faucet now.
 

TorontoTim

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I'd walk into Home Depot with the faucet and your receipt, tell the manager that Delta is giving you the run around, hand him the faucet and ask for a replacement or your money back to buy a new one.

If he's earning his salary, he'll hand you the $90 or whatever you paid for it and he'll deal it up with Delta. They won't give HD the runaround.
 

Bombjay

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I have seen home dumpster exchange used burned out disposals.
Give 'er a shot.
 

hj

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braze

I wonder how much all of that will cost him because the average homeowner does not just have a brazing setup lying around in case they need one someday.
 

dexler

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taysan and bombjay,

I was just thinking of doing that, good idea on going directly to the manager and taking the faucet with me. I will try it this coming weekend.

Well, if doing the above does not result in getting a refund or replacement and since others are suggesting for me to just replace it to be on the safe side. I am going to take the advice here and just buy another one. Thanks again.
 

Gear Junkie

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Braze it and that'll hold. Oxygen Acetylene rig-300, brazing rod, 10=$310. New faucet-$100. I don't know why anyone would think of a new faucet.

I wonder how much all of that will cost him because the average homeowner does not just have a brazing setup lying around in case they need one someday.

Read between the lines, just because the "300" and the "10" doesn't have a dollar sign in front of it, I think it's safe to assume what I meant.
 

dexler

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Just to update my situation, Delta Faucet sent me a new faucet. :) My brother had contacted them via email 3 days after I called them. It seems that this faucet is no longer carried at nearby Home Depot or Lowes stores that I called around, I guess not much of a demand for wall mounted kitchen faucets these days. One suggestion that I filed for future reference was to braze it to fix the crack. Out of curiosity Is this method safe to use on pipes that carry potable water? What about welding? Does welding work on copper? Thank you for the respones.
 
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